How many nations are there in the world today

But have you ever wondered just how this ever-growing population is distributed — or how many countries they are spread across? There are sovereign states in the world that are officially recognised by the United Nations.

The other two are the Holy See — the sovereign statehood of the Vatican City — and the State of Palestine, both of which are non-member observer states.

The United Nations UN is a worldwide, intergovernmental organisation which aims to maintain peace and security between all nations. Some Scotlanders want to keep things as is, but others want to split. A referendum vote for Scottish independence did not pass, and the vote for Brexit revealed that 62 percent wanted to remain with the European Union.

Political map of the world. Places like Palestine, Kosovo and Taiwan are partially recognized which increase the count. The State of Palestine is often included but it is only recognized by UN members. Kosovo is also often included but is only recognized by 97 UN members.

Ellen Kershner August 26 in World Geography. Pantanal, Brazil. What Is A Plateau? The unrecognized enclave state has since been running guerilla warfare with the Angola government in order to exert its autonomy.

If you were to also add these de facto states, there would be nations in the world. These include the Principality of Seborga, which encompasses a small village on the border of France and Italy, founded in on the initiative of Giorgio Carbone, a flower farmer, who then became known as Prince Giorgio I. Other micro-nations started as art projects, such as The Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Islands , founded in by a school teacher from Portsmouth and consisting of a pond and three tiny islands.

The more recently formed Liberland was founded in as a libertarian paradise on an unclaimed parcel of land near the Croatian-Serbian border. The Free Republic of Liberland has a government of 10 members and an economy based on bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. Every two years, athletes from all countries of the world gather to compete in the Winter or Summer Olympic Games.

For many people, this monumental sporting event is their first encounter with some of the smaller, lesser-known countries of the world. Virgin Islands. Similarly, FIFA — the foremost authority for football soccer and the organizer of the World Cup — recognizes affiliated associations. Give your republic a shoutout in the comments. Glory to ZMElandia! Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science.

He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. W Population Countries of the World ranked by population Countries of the World The list below is divided into two groups, each ranked by population: Countries following the U.

Virgin Islands , U. United States. North America. Latin America. DR Congo. United Kingdom. South Africa. South Korea. Saudi Arabia. North Korea. Sri Lanka. Burkina Faso.

South Sudan.