Talk:List of sovereign states/Sandbox

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|A|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| A

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B A|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Abkhazia}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Abkhazia|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Afghanistan}} – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

• Dari/Persian: افغانستان – جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان {{tlit|zxx|Afgānestān – Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afgānestān}}
• Pashto: افغانستان – د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت {{tlit|zxx|Afghānistān – Afghānistān Islāmī Jumhūrīyat}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Afghanistan|}} UN member.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Albania}} – Republic of Albania

• Albanian: Shqipëria – Republika e Shqipërisë

{{extent}} {{sort|B Albania|}} UN member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| B

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B B|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Bahamas}} – Commonwealth of The Bahamas

• English: The Bahamas – Commonwealth of The Bahamas

{{extent}} {{sort|B Bahamas|}} UN member. The Bahamas is a Commonwealth realm.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Bahrain}} – Kingdom of Bahrain

• Arabic: البحرين – مملكة البحرين {{tlit|zxx|Al Baḩrayn – Mamlakat al Baḩrayn}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Bahrain|}} UN member.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Burma}} – Union of Myanmar

• Burmese: မန္မာ – ပည္ေထာင္စုမန္မာနုိင္ငံေတာ္ {{tlit|zxx|Myanma – Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Burma|}} UN member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| C

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B C|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|Cote d'Ivoire|}}{{flag|Côte d'Ivoire}} – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

• French: Côte d'Ivoire – République de Côte d'Ivoire

{{extent}} {{sort|B Cote d'Ivoire|}} UN member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| G

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B G|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Gabon}} – Gabonese Republic

• French: Gabon – République gabonaise

{{extent}} {{sort|B Gabon|}} UN member.

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|valign=top|{{flag|The Gambia|name=Gambia, The}} – Republic of The Gambia

• English: The Gambia – Republic of The Gambia

{{extent}} {{sort|B Gambia|}} UN member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| I

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B I|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Italy}} – Italian Republic

• Italian: Italia – Repubblica Italiana

{{extent}} {{sort|B Italy|}} UN and EU member. Italy has 5 autonomous regions: Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

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|valign=top|Ivory Coast → Côte d'Ivoire

{{extent}} {{sort|B Ivory Coast|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| K

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B K|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|North Korea|name=Korea, North}} – Democratic People's Republic of Korea

• Korean: 조선 – 조선민주주의인민공화국 {{tlit|zxx|Chosŏn – Chosŏn-minjujuŭi-inmin-konghwaguk}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Korea North|}} UN member.

North Korea is not recognised by two UN members: Japan and South Korea.Both North Korea and South Korea claim to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. See also Foreign relations of North Korea and Foreign relations of South Korea.{{cite web

| url = http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~worldjpn/documents/texts/docs/19650622.T1E.html

| title = Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea

| accessdate = 2008-10-27

}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|South Korea|name=Korea, South}} – Republic of Korea

• Korean: 한국 – 대한민국 {{tlit|zxx|Han’guk – Taehan Min’guk}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Korea South|}} Member of the UN.

South Korea has one special autonomous province: Jeju-do.

South Korea is not recognised by one UN member: North Korea.

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZF|Kosovo}} → Agency Members

{{extent}} {{sort|B Kosovo|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| M

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B M|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Mozambique}} – Republic of Mozambique

• Portuguese: Moçambique – República de Moçambique

{{extent}} {{sort|B Mozambique|}} UN member.

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|valign=top|Myanmar → Burma

{{extent}} {{sort|B Myanmar|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| N

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B N|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Nagorno-Karabakh}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Nagorno-Karabakh|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Namibia}} – Republic of Namibia

• English: Namibia – Republic of Namibia

{{extent}} {{sort|B Namibia|}} UN member.

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZF|Niue}} → Agency Members

{{extent}} {{sort|B Niue|}}

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|valign=top|North Korea → Korea, North

{{extent}} {{sort|B North Korea|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Northern Cyprus}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Northern Cyprus|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Norway}} – Kingdom of Norway

• Bokmål: Norge – Kongeriket Norge
• Nynorsk: Noreg – Kongeriket Noreg

{{extent}} {{sort|B Norway|}} UN member. Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Spitsbergen Treaty. The overseas uninhabited possessions of Bouvet Island and Jan Mayen are integral parts of Norway. Norway claims Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land as dependent territories of Norway, as part of the Norwegian Antarctic Territory.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| O

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B O|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Oman}} – Sultanate of Oman

• Arabic: {{lang|ar|عُمان}} – {{lang|ar|سلطنة عُمان}} {{tlit|zxx|ʿUmān – Salţanat ʿUmān}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Oman|}} UN member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| P

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B P|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Pakistan}} – Islamic Republic of Pakistan

• Urdu: پَاکِسْتَان – جَمْهُورْيَة إِسْلامِی پَاکِسْتَان {{tlit|zxx|Pākistān – Jamhūryat Islāmī Pākistān}}
• English: Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan

{{extent}} {{sort|B Pakistan|}} UN member. Pakistan is a federation composed of provinces and territories. Pakistan claims sovereignty over Kashmir (except the parts it has ceded to the People's Republic of China by treaty), and exercises control over parts of it, which have not been incorporated into Pakistan proper. These portions are divided into two polities, each of which is administered separately and possesses a local government of its own:

• {{flag|Azad Kashmir}}
• {{noflag|Gilgit-Baltistan}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Palestine}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Palestine|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| R

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B R|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Romania}}

• Romanian: România

{{extent}} {{sort|B Romanian|}} UN and EU member.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| S

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B S|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Sahrawi Arab|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Saint Lucia}}

• English: Saint Lucia

{{extent}} {{sort|B Saint Lucia|}} UN member. Saint Lucia is a Commonwealth realm.

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Somaliland}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Somaliland|}}

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|valign=top|South Korea → Korea, South

{{extent}} {{sort|B South Korea|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|South Ossetia}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B South Ossetia|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Syria}} – Syrian Arab Republic

• Arabic: سورية – الجمهوريّة العربيّة السّوريّة {{tlit|zxx|Sūrīyah – Al Jumhūrīyah al ‘Arabīyah as Sūrīyah}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Syria|}} UN member. The Golan Heights are annexed by Israel. Syria disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| T

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B T|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Taiwan}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Taiwan|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Tajikistan}} – Republic of Tajikistan

• Tajik: Тоҷикистон – Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон {{tlit|zxx|Tojikiston – Jumhurii Tojikiston}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B Tajikistan|}} UN member. Tajikistan also has the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZH|Transnistria}} → No United Nations Membership

{{extent}} {{sort|B Transnistria|}}

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| U

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B U|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|United Kingdom}} – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• English: United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann
• Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Northren Ireland
• Scottish Gaelic: Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mòire agus Èireann a Tuath
• Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon Source for the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh is {{Cite web

| author = Geonames

| title = United Kingdom

| publisher = Fröhlich, Werner

| url = http://www.geonames.de/cougb.html

| accessdate = 2010-07-14}}

{{extent}} {{sort|B United Kingdom|}} Member of the UN and the EU. The United Kingdom is a Commonwealth realm consisting of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom has the following overseas territories:

• {{noflag|Akrotiri and Dhekelia}}
• {{flag|Anguilla}}
• {{flag|Bermuda}}
• {{flag|British Indian Ocean Territory}} (disputed by Mauritius and Seychelles)
• {{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
• {{flag|Cayman Islands}}
• {{flag|Falkland Islands}} (disputed by Argentina)
• {{flag|Gibraltar}} (disputed by Spain)
• {{flag|Montserrat}}
• {{flag|Pitcairn Islands}}
• {{flag|Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha}}
• {{flag|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}} (disputed by Argentina)
• {{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
• {{flag|British Antarctic Territory}} (disputed by Argentina and Chile)

The British monarch has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:

• {{flag|Guernsey}}, with three dependencies:
• {{flag|Alderney}}
• {{flag|Herm}}
• {{flag|Sark}}
• {{flag|Isle of Man}}
• {{flag|Jersey}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|United States}} – United States of America

• English: United States – United States of America
• French: États-Unis – États-Unis d'Amérique
• Hawaiian: ʻAmelika Hui – ‘Amelika Huipū‘ia Source for the Hawaiian is {{Cite web

| author = Geonames

| title = United States

| publisher = Fröhlich, Werner

| url = http://www.geonames.de/couus.html

| accessdate = 2010-07-14}}

• Spanish: Estados Unidos – Estados Unidos de América

{{extent}} {{sort|B United States|}} Member of the UN. The United States is a federation composed of 50 states, 1 federal district, and the incorporated territory of Palmyra Atoll. The United States has sovereignty over the following inhabited possessions and commonwealths:

• {{flag|American Samoa}} (including Swains Island, disputed by Tokelau)
• {{flag|Guam}}
• {{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}}
• {{flag|Puerto Rico}}
• {{flag|U.S. Virgin Islands}}

In addition, there are uninhabited possessions of the United States in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island (disputed by Haiti), and Wake Island (disputed by the Marshall Islands). According to some sources, the United States also claims Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank as territories.

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|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"| V

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|B V|}}

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|valign=top|{{sort|ZZZZF|Vatican City}} → Agency Members

{{extent}} {{sort|B Vatican|}}

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|style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#dddddd; text-align:left;"|{{sort|ZZZZC|}} Members of a United Nations specialized agency:

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|C|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Kosovo}} – Republic of Kosovo

• Albanian: Kosova – Republika e Kosovës
• Serbian: Косово – Република Косово {{tlit|zxx|Kosovo – Republika Kosovo}}

{{extent}} {{sort|D Kosovo|}} Not a UN member, but a member of the IMF and WBG. Recognised by {{Numrec|Kos}} UN member states and by Taiwan (Republic of China). Claimed in whole by the Republic of Serbia as part of its Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Republic of Kosovo has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Niue}} – Niue

• Niuean: Niue
• English: Niue

{{extent}} {{sort|D Niue|}} Not a UN member, but a member of UNESCO, WHO, and the FAO.http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/2649/t390540.htm Niue is an associated state of New Zealand, and citizens of Niue hold New Zealand Passports. However, Niue is fully self-governing and conducts its own independent diplomatic and foreign relations, with New Zealand acting on Niue's behalf, for issues like defense, only at the request of the Niuean government.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Vatican City}} – State of the Vatican City

• Latin: Civitas Vaticana – Status Civitatis Vaticanæ
• Italian: Città del Vaticano – Stato della Città del Vaticano
• French: État de la Cité du Vatican Source for name in official languages is the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (see references)

{{extent}} {{sort|D Vatican City|}} Administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity with diplomatic ties to 178 states. The Holy See is a permanent observer of the UN in the category of "Non-member State" and a member of ITU, UPU, WIPO and IAEA. Vatican City is governed by officials appointed by the Pope, who is the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Rome and therefore ex officio sovereign of Vatican City. The Holy See also administers a number of extraterritorial properties in Italy and in many other countries (Apostolic Nunciatures).

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|style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#dddddd; text-align:left;"|{{sort|ZZZZG|}}No United Nations Membership:

|style="background-color:#dddddd;border-left:2px solid #fff;border-left-style:hidden;"|{{sort|G|}}

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|valign=top|{{flag|Abkhazia}} – Republic of Abkhazia

• Abkhaz: Аҧсны – Аҧсны Аҳәынҭқарра{{tlit|zxx|Apsny – Apsny Akheyntkarra}}
• Russian: Aбхазия – Республика Абхазия{{tlit|zxx|Abkhaziya – Respublika Abkhaziya}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Abkhazia|}} Not a UN member. Recognised by Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Ossetia and Transnistria.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/26/russia.vote.georgia/index.html|publisher=CNN.com|title=Russia condemned for recognizing rebel regions|date=2008-08-26|accessdate=2008-08-26}}{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/14/nauro-recognises-abkhazia-south-ossetia|publisher=Guardian|title=Tiny Nauru struts world stage by recognising breakaway republics | location=London | first=Luke | last=Harding | date=14 December 2009 | accessdate=8 May 2010}} Claimed in whole by Georgia as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Nagorno-Karabakh}} – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

• Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ – Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն{{tlit|zxx|Leṙnalin Ġarabaġ – Leṙnayin Ġarabaġi Hanrapetut‘yun}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Nagorno-Karabakh|}} Not a UN member. Recognised only by Transnistria. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Azerbaijan.See [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/3658938.stm Regions and territories'': Nagorno-Karabakh] (17 January 2006). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Northern Cyprus}} – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

• Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs – Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

{{extent}} {{sort|H Northern Cyprus|}} Not a UN member. Recognised only by Turkey. It was accepted as an observer state of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference under the name of the Turkish Cypriot State since 1979. In addition, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic regards TRNC as sovereign but Azerbaijan (the sovereign state that Nakhichevan belongs to) has not followed suit. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus.See [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cy.html The World Factbook|Cyprus] (10 January 2006). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved January 17, 2006''.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Palestine}} – Palestine

• Arabic: فلسطين {{tlit|zxx|Filastīn}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Palestine|}} Palestine, categorized under "other entities", has observer status at United Nations General Assembly and maintains a permanent observer mission at the UN Headquarters. The unilaterally declared State of Palestine received diplomatic recognition from around 100 countries (exact number unknown due to the equivocal nature of many declarations of acknowledgmentSee Crawford, James (1999). "Israel (1948–1949) and Paletine (1998–1999): Two Studies in the Creation of States", in Goodwin-Gil G.S. and S. Talmon, [http://books.google.co.il/books?id=FcO3hLQbGXwC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=James+Crawford+Palestine&source=bl&ots=W1n7ayMLWv&sig=gNHKqbQff3iy7tx-CmBjOwWpwl4&hl=iw&ei=n4jkS5DoPMSNOKGUrOUN&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=James%20Crawford%20Palestine&f=false The Reality of International Law: Essays in Honour of Ian Brownlie], Oxford University Press Inc., New York, pp. 110–115; In an interview to Uri Avneri ([http://aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/The-big-gamble.html 14 April 2010]), the PA Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad said: "Dozens of countries recognized this state [of Palestine], and the PLO representatives there enjoy the official status of ambassadors. But did this improve the situation of the Palestinians?"; The Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki alleged that 67 states in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe have legally recognized the State of Palestine. See [http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=169152 ICC prosecutor considers "Gaza war crimes" probe]Kurz, Anat N. (2005) Fatah and the Politics of Violence: the institutionalization of a popular Struggle. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press ISBN 1-84519-032-7, ISBN 978-1-84519-032-3 p. 123Boyle, Francis A., "Palestine, Palestinians and International Law", Clarity Press, September 1, 2009, ISBN 093286337X, page 19). The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, nor effective control on the territory which it proclaimed (unless considering the partially autonomous Palestinian Authority as a realization of the 1988 proclamation). In foreign relations, the State of Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords that exercises limited jurisdiction over parts of the West Bank, while the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas.

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|valign=top|{{flag|SADR}} – Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

• Arabic: الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية {{tlit|zxx|Al-Jumhūrīya al-`Arabīya as-Sahrāwīya ad-Dīmuqrātīya}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Sahrawi Arab|}} Not a UN member. Recognized by 81 other states. It is a founding member of the African Union and the Asian-African Strategic Partnership formed at the 2005 Asian-African Conference. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, are claimed in whole by Morocco as part of its Southern Provinces. In turn, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims the part of the Western Sahara to the west of the Moroccan Wall controlled by Morocco. Its government resides in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Somaliland}} – Republic of Somaliland

• Somali: Soomaaliland – Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland
• Arabic: ارض الصومال – جمهورية ارض الصومال {{tlit|zxx|Ard as-Sūmāl – Jumhūrīyat Ard as-Sūmāl}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Somaliland|}} Not a UN member. Not diplomatically recognized by any other state, claimed in whole by the Somali Republic.See [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/3794847.stm Regions and territories'': Somaliland] (30 December 2005). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.

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|valign=top|{{flag|South Ossetia}} – Republic of South Ossetia

• Ossetian: Хуссар Ирыстон – Республикæ Хуссар Ирыстон{{tlit|zxx|Khussar Iryston – Respublikæ Khussar Iryston}}
• Russian: Южная Осетия – Республика Южная Осетия{{tlit|zxx|Yuzhnaya Osetiya – Respublika Yuzhnaya Osetiya}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H South Ossetia|}} Not a UN member. Recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Nauru, Venezuela, Abkhazia and Transnistria. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia.

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|valign=top|{{flag|Taiwan}} – Republic of China

• Chinese: 中華民國 {{tlit|zxx|Zhōnghuá Mínguó}} Romanization in Pinyin.

{{extent}} {{sort|H Taiwan|}} Not a UN member. UN member prior to 25 October 1971. A state competing for recognition with the People's Republic of China as the government of China since 1949. The Republic of China controls the island of Taiwan and associated islands, Quemoy, Matsu, the Pratas and part of the Spratly Islands, and has not renounced claims over the territory of the PRC and Mongolia.{{cite news |title=Ma refers to China as ROC territory in magazine interview |work=Taipei Times |date=2008-10-08 |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/10/08/2003425320}} The Republic of China is currently recognised by {{ROCrecognition||states}} including the Holy See. The territory of the Republic of China is claimed in whole by the People's Republic of China.In 1949, the Republic of China government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and set up a provisional capital in Taipei. The CPC established the PRC. As such, the political status of the ROC and the legal status of Taiwan (alongside the territories currently under ROC jurisdiction) are in dispute. In 1971, the United Nations gave the China seat to the PRC and the ROC withdrew from the UN. Most states recognize the PRC to be the sole legitimate representative of all China, and the UN classifies Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China". The ROC has de facto relations with most sovereign states. A significant political movement within Taiwan advocates Taiwan independence. The Republic of China participates in the World Health Organization and a number of non-UN international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, International Olympic Committee and others under a variety of pseudonyms, most commonly Chinese Taipei.

|-

|valign=top|{{flag|Transnistria}} – Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (Pridnestrovie, Trans-Dniester)

• Russian: Приднестровье: Приднестровская Молдавская Республика{{tlit|zxx|Pridnestrovye – Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika}}''
• Ukrainian: Придністров'я: Придністровська Молдавська Республіка{{tlit|zxx|Pridnistrov'ya – Pridnistrovs'ka Moldavs'ka Respublika}}''
• Moldovan: Транснистрия – Република Молдовеняскэ Нистрянэ{{tlit|zxx|Transnistria – Republica Moldovenească Nistreană}}

{{extent}} {{sort|H Transnistria|}} Not a UN member. Not recognized by any UN-member, but by Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Claimed in whole by the Republic of Moldova as the Territorial Unit of Transnistria.'See [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/3641826.stm Regions and territories'': Trans-Dniester] (13 December 2005). BBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2006.

|}

This list derives its definition of a state from Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention of 1933. According to the Convention, a state should possess the following qualifications:

• (a) a permanent population
• (b) a defined territory
• (c) government
• (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

In respect of the last qualification, the role of recognition by other states can often be crucial since it implies acceptance into the international community."State", pp. 512–3 in Penguin Dictionary of International Relations. Evans, Graham & Newnham, Jeffrey. 1998. (ISBN 0-14-051397-3). London: Penguin Books Ltd. The list includes all states which are often regarded as satisfying these criteria{{Or|date=September 2010}} and claim to be sovereign and independent. However, in many cases, whether an entity satisfies the Montevideo Convention criteria is disputed. It is also important to note that there is a divergence of opinion in international law on whether the Montevideo Convention criteria alone are sufficient qualities of statehood. Links to different theories on this question are provided below.

On the basis of the above criteria, this list includes the following 203 entities:

• 192 member states of the United Nations
• 2 states which are not member states of the United Nations, but are member states of at least one of the UN specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or are a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice (the Vienna formula organizations):
• One state, governed by the Holy See (a United Nations permanent observer in the category "Non-member states") and a member of ITU, UPU, WIPO and IAEA: Vatican City
• One state, a member of IMF, WBG: Kosovo
• 9 states which are neither member states of the United Nations or any of the Vienna formula organizations listed above:
• One state with diplomatic relations with more than 100 states and informal relations with 25 others, governed by the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (a United Nations permanent observer): Palestine
• One state, recognized by 81 UN member states, member of the African Union, in partial control of the Western Sahara (listed by the United Nations as a non self-governing territory): the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
• One state, {{Numrec|Kos|recognized by|United Nations member states}} and by the ROC, informal relations with six others: Kosovo
• One state, competing for recognition with another state, currently {{ROCrecognition|recognized by|United Nations member or observer states}} as the state representing China, but no longer recognised by the United Nations as of 25 October 1971: the Republic of China (ROC; Taiwan)
• Two states, recognized by four United Nations member states, by Transnistria and by each other: Abkhazia and South Ossetia
• One state, recognized by one United Nations member state and having informal relations with 19 more: Northern Cyprus
• One state, recognized by Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Transnistria
• One state recognized by Transnistria: Nagorno-Karabakh
• One state not recognized by any other state: Somaliland

Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities that do not satisfy all the qualifications in the Montevideo Convention or which do not claim to be sovereign and independent:

• Antarctica as a whole has no government and no permanent population. Seven states claim portions of Antarctica and five of these have reciprocally recognised one another's claims.{{Cite book|last=Rogan-Finnemore|first=Michelle|year=2005|contribution=What Bioprospecting Means for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean|editor-last = Von Tigerstrom|editor-first=Barbara|title=International Law Issues in the South Pacific|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|page=204|isbn=0754644197|postscript=}} "Australia, New Zealand, France, Norway and the United Kingdom reciprocally recognize the validity of each other's claims." These claims, which are regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, are neither recognised nor disputed by any other signatory state.[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ay.html CIA – the World Factbook – Antarctica] – accessed 19 January 2008
• The European Union, a sui generis supranational organisation which currently has 27 member states. The member states have transferred a measure of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU, and as such the EU has some elements of sovereignty, without generally being considered a sovereign state. The European Union does not claim to be a sovereign state and has only limited capacity for relations with other states.
• The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a United Nations observer in the category "Other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters."{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/en/members/intergovorg.shtml |title=Other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters |accessdate=2009-12-22 }} The order has bi-lateral diplomatic relations with 104 states, but has no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome.[http://www.orderofmalta.org/attdiplomatica.asp?idlingua=5 Bilateral relations with countries], Retrieved 2009-12-22 Its website asserts that "it has always been recognised by nations as an independent subject of international law."{{cite web|url=http://www.orderofmalta.org/site/domrisp.ashttp://www.orderofmalta.org/site/domrisp.asp?idlingua=5abs#1p?idlingua=5|title=What is the Order of Malta?|accessdate=2009-12-22 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}} The order's Constitution states: "The Order is a subject of international law and exercises sovereign functions." {{cite book|last=Chapter General of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, promulgated 27 June 1961, revised by the Extraordinary Chapter General 28–30 April 1997, Article 3 "Sovereignty," Paragraph 1.|publisher=Tipografia Arte della Stampa|date=1998-01-12|location=Rome|pages=11|url=http://www.orderofmalta.org/site/pdf/Constit._Charter_and_code.pdf }} Although the order frequently asserts its sovereignty, including in its name, it does not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacks a defined territory. As with other embassies, Italy could theoretically break diplomatic relations with the order and oblige the non-Italian members to leave Italian territory. Since all its members are citizens of other states, almost all of them live in their native countries, and those who reside in the order's extraterritorial properites in Rome do so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacks the characteristic of having a permanent population.
• States forming part of a federal union, for which, see: federated state. Such entities do not claim to be independent, as their respective governments have surrendered sovereignty to a federal government.
• Dependent territories that are under the sovereignty of states from the above lists.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross is a nongovernmental organization incorporated under Swiss law with a unique status. Although not a subject of international law, it plays a formal role under the Geneva Conventions as an impartial humanitarian body, and may serve in the same role as a protecting power in times of war.{{Cite book

| last = Boczek

| first = Boleslaw Adam

| title = International law: a dictionary

| publisher = Scarecrow Press

| year = 2005

| location = Lanham, United States

| page = 76

| url = http://books.google.com/?id=NR7mFXCB-wgC

| isbn = 9780810850781}}

• Uncontacted peoples who exercise varying degrees of de facto sovereignty over the areas under their control, but either live in societies that cannot be defined as states or whose statuses as such are currently too data deficient to be definitively known.
• Entities considered to be micronations are not included, even though they generally claim to be sovereign and independent, and try to enter into diplomatic relations with states that are listed. It is often up to debate whether a micronation truly controls its claimed territory. The permanent populations of micronations are generally small.

• Constitutive theory of statehood
• Declarative theory of statehood
• List of states with limited recognition
• Gallery of sovereign-state flags
• List of governments-in-exile
• List of international rankings
• List of micronations
• List of statistically superlative countries
• List of territorial disputes
• Lists of sovereign states by year
• Terra nullius
• List of autonomous areas by country
• Table of administrative divisions by country
• Federation
• Federated state
• Associated state

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Cite web|author = Federal Foreign Office of Germany|title = Amtliche Bezeichnungen ausländischer Staaten in den Landessprachen|publisher = Government of Germany|date = 22 April 2009|url = http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Infoservice/Terminologie/StaatennamenLandessprache.pdf|format = pdf|accessdate = 2010-07-14}}
• {{Cite web|title=Average Latitude & Longitude of Countries|url=http://www.mobilgistix.com/Resources/GIS/Locations/average-latitude-longitude-countries.aspx|publisher=Mobilgistix, Ltd|date=15 June 2008}}
• {{Cite book |title=The World: A Third World Guide: 1995/96 |editor1-last=Bissio |editor1-first=Roberto Remo |publisher=Instituto del Tercer Mundo |year=1995 |location=Montevideo |isbn=9780855982911 |oclc=476299738}}
• {{Cite web|title=Countries or areas, codes and abbreviations|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm|publisher=Statistics Division, United Nations|date=1 April 2010}}
• {{Cite web|last=Davis|first=Tim|title=World Countries and States List |url=http://www.timdavis.com.au/data/|work=Timdavis.com.au|date=19 February 2009}}
• {{Cite web|title=Geographic Names|url=http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/geoinfo/geoname.pdf|publisher=Department of Public Information, Cartographic Section, United Nations|date=7 September 2000}}
• {{Cite web|title=ISO 3166-1 Country names and code elements|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/english_country_names_and_code_elements.htm|publisher=International Organization for Standardization|year=2010}}
• {{Cite web|title=List of countries, territories and currencies|url=http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000500.htm|publisher=Publications Office of the European Union|date=4 May 2010}}
• {{Cite web|last=Madore|first=David|title=How many countries are there in the world?|url=http://www.madore.org/~david/misc/countries.html|work=Madore.org|date=3 August 2003}}
• {{Cite web|title=The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|location=United States|year=2010}}
• {{Cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=NYszJtC66FAC&pg=PA161&dq=%22official+name%22+palestine&q=%22official%20name%22%20palestine |page=161 |title=Middle East Review 2003/04: The Economic and Business Report |author=World of Information (Firm), and International Chamber of Commerce |edition=27th |location=London |publisher=Kogan Page |year=2003 |isbn=9780749440664 |oclc=51992589}}

{{Lists of countries and territories by continent}}

{{Lists of sovereign states by year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Sovereign States}}

τ

*Sovereign states

Sovereign states