# List of sovereign states in the 2020s

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
This is a list of sovereign states in the 2020s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 2020 and the present day. It contains 210 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 195 widely recognized sovereign states, two associated states, and 13 entities which claim an effective sovereignty but are considered de jure constituents of other powers by the general international community.
* Members or observers of the United Nations
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* Y
* Z
* Non-UN members or observers
* Other entities
* See also
* Notes

## Members or observers of the United Nations

| Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
| A ||
| Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (to 15 August 2021) Capital: Kabul | Widely-recognized UN member state. The United Nations continued to recognize the exiled government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the de jure legitimate government (from 15 August 2021). |
| Albania – Republic of Albania Capital: Tirana | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Capital: Algiers | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Andorra – Principality of Andorra Capital: Andorra la Vella | Widely recognized UN member state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain. |
| Angola – Republic of Angola Capital: Luanda | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Antigua and Barbuda Capital: St. John's | Widely recognized UN member state and a Commonwealth realm. Antigua and Barbuda had two dependencies, Barbuda and Redonda. |
| Argentina – Argentine Republic Capital: Buenos Aires | Widely recognized UN member state. Argentina was a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city. It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica, which was suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories. |
| Armenia – Republic of Armenia Capital: Yerevan | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Australia – Commonwealth of Australia Capital: Canberra | Widely recognized UN member state and a Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories. It had sovereignty over the following external territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australian Antarctic Territory (suspended under the Antarctic Treaty)  Christmas Island  Cocos (Keeling) Islands Coral Sea Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands  Norfolk Island |
| Austria – Republic of Austria Capital: Vienna | Widely recognized UN member state and an EU member. Austria was a federation of nine states. |
| Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan Capital: Baku | Widely recognized UN member state. Azerbaijan had one autonomous republic, Nakhchivan. It included the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, where a partially recognized breakaway republic had declared independence (to 1 January 2024). |
| B ||
| The Bahamas – Commonwealth of the Bahamas Capital: Nassau | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain Capital: Manama | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Barbados Capital: Bridgetown | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm until 30 November 2021, when it became a republic. |
| Belarus – Republic of Belarus Capital: Minsk | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium Capital: Brussels | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Belgium was a federation of three communities and three regions. |
| Belize Capital: Belmopan | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| Benin – Republic of Benin Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan Capital: Thimphu | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital: Sarajevo | Widely recognized UN member state. Bosnia and Herzegovina was a federation of two constituent entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was itself a federation of ten cantons, and Republika Srpska. |
| Botswana – Republic of Botswana Capital: Gaborone | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil Capital: Brasília | Widely recognized UN member state. Brazil was a federation of 26 states and one federal district. |
| Brunei – Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan | Widely recognized UN member state. Brunei claimed part of the Spratly Islands (disputed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia). |
| Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria Capital: Sofia | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Burkina Faso Capital: Ouagadougou | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Burma → Myanmar ||
| Burundi – Republic of Burundi Capital: Gitega | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| C ||
| Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia Capital: Phnom Penh | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon Capital: Yaoundé | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Canada Capital: Ottawa | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm; Canada was a federation of ten provinces and three territories. |
| Cape Verde – Republic of Cabo Verde Capital: Praia | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Central African Republic Capital: Bangui | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Chad – Republic of Chad Capital: N'Djamena | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Chile – Republic of Chile Capital: Santiago | Widely recognized UN member state; Chile had two special territories, Easter Island and the Juan Fernández Islands. It had a claim over Chilean Antarctic Territory, although it was suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. |
| China – People's Republic of China Capital: Beijing | Widely recognized UN member state. The People's Republic of China had 22 provinces, four direct controlled municipalities and five autonomous regions: Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet. Additionally, it had sovereignty over two special administrative regions:  Hong Kong  Macau The People's Republic of China claimed Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, Pratas Island and the Vereker Banks, and Itu Aba, all of which were governed by the Republic of China. It also claimed the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei), and South Tibet (controlled by India). The People's Republic of China administered Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract, which were within the disputed region of Kashmir. |
| Colombia – Republic of Colombia Capital: Bogotá | Widely recognized UN member state; Colombia administered Serranilla Bank and claimed Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States). |
| Comoros – Union of the Comoros Capital: Moroni | Widely recognized UN member state. The Comoros was a federation of three islands autonomous islands: Grande Comore, Mohéli, and Anjouan. Comoros also claimed sovereignty over the French region of Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands. Comoros also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and France). |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the Capital: Kinshasa | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Congo, Republic of the Capital: Brazzaville | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica Capital: San José | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Côte d'Ivoire → Ivory Coast ||
| Croatia – Republic of Croatia Capital: Zagreb | Widely recognized UN member state and an EU member. |
| Cuba – Republic of Cuba Capital: Havana | Widely recognized UN member state. The Cuban region of Guantánamo Bay was under the control of the United States. |
| Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus Capital: Nicosia | Widely recognized UN member state; EU member. The northeastern part of the island was the de facto independent state of Northern Cyprus, which was recognized only by Turkey. |
| Czech Republic Capital: Prague | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| D ||
| Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark Capital: Copenhagen | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. The Kingdom of Denmark also included two autonomous countries:  Greenland  Faroe Islands |
| Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti Capital: Djibouti | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica Capital: Roseau | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Dominican Republic Capital: Santo Domingo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| E ||
| East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Capital: Dili | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador Capital: Quito | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt Capital: Cairo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador Capital: San Salvador | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea Capital: Malabo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Eritrea – State of Eritrea Capital: Asmara | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Estonia – Republic of Estonia Capital: Tallinn | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Eswatini – Kingdom of Eswatini Capital: Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa | Widely recognized UN member state. Ethiopia was a federation of nine regions and two chartered cities. |
| F ||
| Fiji – Republic of Fiji Capital: Suva | Widely recognized UN member state. Fiji had an autonomous dependency, Rotuma. |
| Finland – Republic of Finland Capital: Helsinki | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Finland had a neutral and demilitarised region:  Åland |
| → France – French Republic Capital: Paris | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. France included five overseas departments: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion. It also had sovereignty over the following overseas territories: Clipperton Island  French Polynesia  French Southern and Antarctic Lands (including a claim to Adélie Land which was suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.)  New Caledonia  Saint-Barthélemy Saint Martin  Saint Pierre and Miquelon French Southern and Antarctic Lands (district of Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean): Bassas da India (disputed by Madagascar) Europa Island (disputed by Madagascar) Glorioso Islands (disputed by Madagascar and Comoros) Juan de Nova Island (disputed by Madagascar) Tromelin Island (disputed by Mauritius)  Wallis and Futuna France also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and the Comoros). |
| G ||
| Gabon – Gabonese Republic Capital: Libreville | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| The Gambia – Republic of the Gambia Capital: Banjul | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Georgia Capital: Tbilisi | Widely recognized UN member state. Georgia had two autonomous regions, Adjara and Abkhazia; the latter was home to a de facto independent state. Georgia also included the disputed region of South Ossetia, where a partially-recognized breakaway republic had declared independence. |
| Germany – Federal Republic of Germany Capital: Berlin | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Germany was a federation of sixteen states. |
| Ghana – Republic of Ghana Capital: Accra | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Greece – Hellenic Republic Capital: Athens | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Greece had sovereignty over Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic state that was jointly governed by the multi-national "Holy Community" on the mountain and the Civil Governor appointed by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spiritually under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. |
| Grenada Capital: St. George's | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Grenada had one autonomous dependency, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. |
| Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala Capital: Guatemala City | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Guinea – Republic of Guinea Capital: Conakry | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau Capital: Bissau | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana Capital: Georgetown | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| H ||
| Haiti – Republic of Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince | Widely recognized UN member state. Haiti claimed the uninhabited U.S. possession of Navassa Island. |
| Holy See → Vatican City ||
| → Honduras – Republic of Honduras Capital: Tegucigalpa | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Hungary Capital: Budapest | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| I ||
| Iceland – Republic of Iceland Capital: Reykjavík | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| India – Republic of India Capital: New Delhi | Widely recognized UN member state. India was a federation of twenty-eight states and nine union territories. Indian sovereignty over South Tibet was disputed by China. India administered part of the disputed region of Kashmir as the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. |
| Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia Capital: Jakarta | Widely recognized UN member state. Indonesia had five special provinces: Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta. |
| Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran Capital: Tehran | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Iraq – Republic of Iraq Capital: Baghdad | Widely recognized UN member state. Iraq was constitutionally designated as a federation of autonomous regions, but only one region (Iraqi Kurdistan) had been established. |
| Ireland Capital: Dublin | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Israel – State of Israel Capital: Jerusalem | Widely recognized UN member state. Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank. These areas were not generally recognized as being part of Israel. |
| Italy – Italian Republic Capital: Rome | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Italy had 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. |
| Ivory Coast – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Capital: Yamoussoukro (official), Abidjan (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| J ||
| Jamaica Capital: Kingston | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| Japan Capital: Tokyo | Widely recognized UN member state. Its claim over the Liancourt Rocks was disputed by North Korea and South Korea. Its claim over Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands was disputed by Russia. |
| Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Capital: Amman | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| K ||
| Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan Capital: Nur-Sultan (renamed Astana in 2022) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Kenya – Republic of Kenya Capital: Nairobi | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati Capital: South Tarawa | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea Capital: Pyongyang | Widely recognized UN member state. It claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea and its claim over the Liancourt Rocks was disputed by South Korea and Japan. |
| Korea, South – Republic of Korea Capital: Seoul | Widely recognized UN member state. South Korea had one autonomous region, Jeju. It claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea and its claim over the Liancourt Rocks was disputed by North Korea and Japan. |
| Kuwait – State of Kuwait Capital: Kuwait City | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| → Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic Capital: Bishkek | Widely-recognized UN member state. |
| L ||
| Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic Capital: Vientiane | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Latvia – Republic of Latvia Capital: Riga | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Lebanon – Lebanese Republic Capital: Beirut | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho Capital: Maseru | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Liberia – Republic of Liberia Capital: Monrovia | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Libya – State of Libya Capital: Tripoli | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein Capital: Vaduz | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Liechtenstein was the responsibility of Switzerland. |
| Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania Capital: Vilnius | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Capital: Luxembourg | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| M ||
| Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar Capital: Antananarivo | Widely recognized UN member state. Madagascar claimed the French possessions of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island. It also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Comoros and France). |
| Malawi – Republic of Malawi Capital: Lilongwe | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Malaysia Capital: Kuala Lumpur (official), Putrajaya (administrative) | Widely recognized UN member state. Malaysia was a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories. Malaysia claimed part of the Spratly Islands (disputed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei). |
| Maldives – Republic of Maldives Capital: Malé | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Mali – Republic of Mali Capital: Bamako | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Malta – Republic of Malta Capital: Valletta | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands Capital: Majuro | Widely recognized UN member state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Marshall Islands claimed the United States territory of Wake Island. |
| Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania Capital: Nouakchott | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius Capital: Port Louis | Widely recognized UN member state. Mauritius had one autonomous dependency, Rodrigues, and two other dependencies, Agalega Islands and Cargados Carajos. It claimed the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French territory of Tromelin Island. |
| Mexico – United Mexican States Capital: Mexico City | Widely recognized UN member state. Mexico was a federation of 31 states and one federal district. |
| Federated States of Micronesia Capital: Palikir | Widely recognized UN member state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The FSM was a federation of four states. |
| Moldova – Republic of Moldova Capital: Chişinău | Widely recognized UN member state. Moldova had two autonomous territorial units, Gagauzia and Transnistria; the latter was controlled by a de facto independent state. |
| Monaco – Principality of Monaco Capital: Monaco | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Monaco was the responsibility of France. |
| Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Montenegro Capital: Podgorica | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco Capital: Rabat | Widely recognized UN member state. Morocco claimed sovereignty over Western Sahara, which was disputed and partially controlled by the de facto independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco disputed Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla, and Peñón de Alhucemas. |
| Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique Capital: Maputo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Myanmar – Republic of the Union of Myanmar Capital: Naypyidaw | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| N ||
| Namibia – Republic of Namibia Capital: Windhoek | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Nauru – Republic of Nauru Capital: Yaren (unofficial, seat of parliament) | Widely recognized UN member state. The defense of Nauru was the responsibility of Australia. |
| Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Capital: Kathmandu | Widely recognized UN member state. Nepal was a federation of seven provinces. |
| Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam (official), The Hague (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consisted of four autonomous countries:  Aruba  Netherlands  Curaçao  Sint Maarten It also had sovereignty over one non-autonomous region (consisting of three special municipalities that are part of the Netherlands):  Caribbean Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands, excluding Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands, was a member of the EU. |
| New Zealand Capital: Wellington | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. New Zealand had responsibilities for the two free associated states of:  Cook Islands  Niue It also had sovereignty over two dependent territories: Ross Dependency (suspended under the Antarctic Treaty)  Tokelau The government of Tokelau claimed Swains Island, part of American Samoa (an unincorporated territory of the United States). New Zealand did not recognize this claim. |
| Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua Capital: Managua | Widely recognized UN member state. Nicaragua had two autonomous regions: the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. |
| Niger – Republic of Niger Capital: Niamey | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria Capital: Abuja | Widely recognized UN member state. Nigeria was a federation of 36 states and one federal territory. |
| North Macedonia – Republic of North Macedonia Capital: Skopje | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Norway – Kingdom of Norway Capital: Oslo | Widely recognized UN member state. Norway had two integral overseas areas: Jan Mayen and Svalbard. The latter had a special status due to the Spitsbergen Treaty. Norway had sovereignty over the following dependencies: Bouvet Island Peter I Island (suspended under the Antarctic Treaty) Queen Maud Land (suspended under the Antarctic Treaty) |
| O ||
| Oman – Sultanate of Oman Capital: Muscat | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| P ||
| Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan Capital: Islamabad | Widely recognized UN member state. Pakistan was a federation of four provinces and four territories. It administered part of the disputed region of Kashmir as the territories of Azad Kashmir and the autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. |
| Palau – Republic of Palau Capital: Ngerulmud | Widely recognized UN member state under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. |
| Palestine – State of Palestine Capital: Ramallah (administrative), Gaza City (administrative), Jerusalem (claims) | Partially-recognised de facto self-governing entity. Palestine claimed sovereignty over a disputed region consisting of three Israeli-occupied territories: the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Palestine was a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly. The Palestinian National Authority was an interim administrative body that exercised limited control over parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Gaza was under the control of Hamas. |
| Panama – Republic of Panama Capital: Panama City | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea Capital: Port Moresby | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Papua New Guinea had one autonomous region, Bougainville. |
| Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay Capital: Asunción | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Peru – Republic of Peru Capital: Lima | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Philippines – Republic of the Philippines Capital: Manila | Widely recognized UN member state. The Philippines had one autonomous region, Bangsamoro. The Philippines administered Scarborough Shoal, which was disputed by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. It also claimed sovereignty over the Spratly Islands (disputed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia) and the Malaysian territory of Sabah. |
| Poland – Republic of Poland Capital: Warsaw | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Portugal – Portuguese Republic Capital: Lisbon | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Portugal had two autonomous regions: the Azores and Madeira. Portugal claimed the Spanish municipalities of Olivenza and Táliga. |
| Q ||
| Qatar – State of Qatar Capital: Doha | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| R ||
| Romania Capital: Bucharest | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Russia – Russian Federation Capital: Moscow | Widely recognized UN member state and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Russia was a federation of 22 republics, 46 oblasts, 9 krais, 3 federal cities, 1 autonomous oblast, and 4 autonomous okrugs. Its claim over Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands was disputed by Japan and its claim over Crimea, Donetsk Oblast, Kherson Oblast, Luhansk Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast was disputed by Ukraine. |
| Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda Capital: Kigali | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| S ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis Capital: Basseterre | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Saint Kitts and Nevis was a federation of fourteen parishes on two islands. It had one autonomous island, Nevis. |
| Saint Lucia Capital: Castries | Widely recognized UN member state and a Commonwealth realm. |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Capital: Kingstown | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| Samoa – Independent State of Samoa Capital: Apia | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| San Marino – Republic of San Marino Capital: San Marino | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe Capital: São Tomé | Widely recognized UN member state; São Tomé and Príncipe had one autonomous province, Príncipe. |
| Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Senegal – Republic of Senegal Capital: Dakar | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Serbia – Republic of Serbia Capital: Belgrade | Widely recognized UN member state. Serbia claimed two autonomous provinces, Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija, with the latter controlled by a partially-recognized de facto independent state. |
| Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles Capital: Victoria | Widely recognized UN member state. The Seychelles claimed the British Indian Ocean Territory. |
| Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone Capital: Freetown | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Singapore – Republic of Singapore Capital: Singapore | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Slovakia – Slovak Republic Capital: Bratislava | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia Capital: Ljubljana | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Solomon Islands Capital: Honiara | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia Capital: Mogadishu | Widely recognized UN member state. Several autonomous regional governments existed in the de jure territory of Somalia. Although the following entities did not claim independence from Somalia, they were de facto self-governing: Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a al-Shabaab Galmudug Jubaland  Puntland There were also areas of the country that at various times had no effective government at all, or which were ruled by local clans. In addition, one state, Somaliland, had declared and established de facto independence from Somalia. |
| South Africa – Republic of South Africa Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| → South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan Capital: Juba | Widely recognized UN member state. South Sudan was a federation of 10 states. It disputed Abyei with Sudan. |
| Spain – Kingdom of Spain Capital: Madrid | Widely recognized UN member state and an EU member. Spain was divided into seventeen autonomous communities and two autonomous cities. Its sovereignty over Ceuta, Isla de Alborán, Isla Perejil, Islas Chafarinas, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas was disputed by Morocco. Its sovereignty over Olivenza and Táliga was disputed by Portugal. It claimed the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. |
| Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Capital: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (administrative), Colombo (commercial) | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Sudan – Republic of the Sudan Capital: Khartoum | Widely recognized UN member state; Sudan was a federation of 18 states. Sovereignty over Abyei was disputed with South Sudan. |
| Suriname – Republic of Suriname Capital: Paramaribo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Swaziland → Eswatini ||
| Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden Capital: Stockholm | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. |
| Switzerland – Swiss Confederation Capital: Bern | Widely recognized UN member state. Switzerland was a federation of 26 cantons. |
| → Syria Capital: Damascus Syrian Arab Republic (to 8 December 2024) Syrian transitional government (from 9 December 2024) | Widely recognized UN member state. Syria included the Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel. It disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province (to 8 December 2024). |
| T ||
| Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan Capital: Dushanbe | Widely recognized UN member state; Tajikistan had one autonomous province, Gorno-Badakhshan. |
| Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania Capital: Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (seat of government) | Widely recognized UN member state; Tanzania had one autonomous region, Zanzibar. |
| Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand Capital: Bangkok | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Timor-Leste → East Timor ||
| Togo – Togolese Republic Capital: Lomé | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga Capital: Nuku'alofa | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Capital: Port of Spain | Widely recognized UN member state; Trinidad and Tobago had one autonomous island, Tobago. |
| Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia Capital: Tunis | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Turkey – Republic of Türkiye Capital: Ankara | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Turkmenistan Capital: Ashgabat | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Tuvalu Capital: Funafuti | Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. |
| U ||
| Uganda – Republic of Uganda Capital: Kampala | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Ukraine Capital: Kyiv | Widely recognized UN member state; Ukraine had one autonomous republic, Crimea. Crimea and the city of Sevastopol were under de facto Russian control, and Donetsk Oblast, Kherson Oblast, Luhansk Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast were claimed by Russia beginning in 2022. |
| United Arab Emirates Capital: Abu Dhabi | Widely recognized UN member state; the United Arab Emirates was a federation of seven emirates. |
| United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Capital: London | Widely recognized UN member state. EU member (to 31 January 2020). The United Kingdom was composed of four "countries": England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It had sovereignty over the following British overseas territories:  Anguilla  Bermuda  British Antarctic Territory (suspended under the Antarctic Treaty)  British Indian Ocean Territory (disputed by Mauritius and the Seychelles)  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Falkland Islands (disputed by Argentina)  Gibraltar (disputed by Spain)  Montserrat  Pitcairn Islands  Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (disputed by Argentina) Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia  Turks and Caicos Islands In addition, the British Monarch (not the United Kingdom) had direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:  Guernsey, with two dependencies:  Alderney  Sark  Isle of Man  Jersey |
| United States – United States of America Capital: Washington, DC | Widely recognized UN member state. The United States was a federation of 50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory. It asserted sovereignty over the following inhabited insular areas:  American Samoa (including Swains Island, which was disputed by Tokelau)  Guam  Northern Mariana Islands  Puerto Rico  United States Virgin Islands It also had sovereignty over eight uninhabited unincorporated territories, which are sometimes designated for statistical purposes as the United States Minor Outlying Islands: Baker Island Howland Island Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef Midway Atoll Navassa Island (claims by Haiti) Wake Island (claims by the Marshall Islands) The United States claimed Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank. Its claim to Serranilla was disputed by Colombia and Nicaragua and its claim to Bajo Nuevo was disputed by Colombia, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. Some government sources stated that these two areas were unincorporated territories of the United States. |
| Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay Capital: Montevideo | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent | Widely recognized UN member state. Uzbekistan had one autonomous republic, Karakalpakstan. |
| V ||
| Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu Capital: Port Vila | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| → Vatican City – Vatican City State Capital: Vatican City | Widely recognized independent state. Vatican City was administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity recognized by a large number of countries and a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly. The Holy See also administered a number of extraterritorial properties in Italy. The Pope was the ex officio head of state of Vatican City. |
| Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Capital: Caracas | Widely recognized UN member state. Venezuela was a federation of 23 states, one federal dependency, and one federal district. |
| Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam Capital: Hanoi | Widely recognized UN member state. Vietnam claimed sovereignty over the Paracel Islands (disputed by China and Taiwan) and Spratly Islands (disputed by China, Taiwan, Brunei, the Philippines, and Malaysia). |
| Y ||
| Yemen – Republic of Yemen Capital: Sana'a | Widely recognized UN member state. It faced two civil wars: The Islamist, Iranian-backed Houthi movement The socialist, UAE-backed Southern Movement |
| Z ||
| Zambia – Republic of Zambia Capital: Lusaka | Widely recognized UN member state. |
| Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe Capital: Harare | Widely recognized UN member state. |

## Non-UN members or observers

| Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
| Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia Capital: Sukhumi | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Georgia. |
| Afghanistan – Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (from 15 August 2021) Capital: Kabul | De facto ruling government of Afghanistan from 15 August 2021. It was not recognized by any other state. The United Nations continued to recognize the exiled government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the de jure legitimate government. |
| Artsakh – Republic of Artsakh (to 1 January 2024) Capital: Stepanakert | De facto self-governing entity (to 1 January 2024). It was not recognized by any other state and was claimed by Azerbaijan. |
| Cook Islands Capital: Avarua | A state in free association with New Zealand, recognized by Japan, Netherlands, and China. The Cook Islands was a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It shared a head of state and citizenship with New Zealand. |
| Donetsk – Donetsk People's Republic (to 4 October 2022) Capital: Donetsk | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Ukraine as part of the Donetsk Oblast. |
| Kherson (from 29 September 2022 to 4 October 2022) Capital: Kherson | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Ukraine as the Kherson Oblast. |
| Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo Capital: Pristina | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Serbia as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija under UN administration |
| Luhansk – Luhansk People's Republic (to 4 October 2022) Capital: Luhansk | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Ukraine as part of the Luhansk Oblast. |
| Niue Capital: Alofi | A state in free association with New Zealand, recognized by China. Niue was a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It shared a head of state and citizenship with New Zealand. |
| Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Capital: Lefkoşa | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Cyprus. |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Capital: Tifariti (temporary), El Aaiún (claimed) | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claimed the disputed territory of Western Sahara, most of which was under control of Morocco. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, were claimed by Morocco. Its government resided in exile in Tindouf, Algeria. |
| Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland Capital: Hargeisa | De facto self-governing entity. It was not recognized by any other state and was claimed by Somalia. |
| South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia Capital: Tskhinvali | Partially-recognized de facto independent state. Claimed by Georgia as the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia. |
| Taiwan – Republic of China Capital: Taipei (seat of government) | Partially-recognized de facto independent state. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China, but only administered Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, Pratas Island and Itu Aba (collectively known as the "free area"). Territories controlled by the Republic of China were claimed by the People's Republic of China. |
| Transnistria – Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Capital: Tiraspol | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Moldova. |
| Zaporozhye (from 29 September 2022 to 4 October 2022) Capital: Melitopol (temporary), Zaporozhye (claimed) | Partially-recognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Ukraine as the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. |

## Other entities

Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent:
* Antarctica, as a whole, had no government and no permanent population. Seven states claimed portions of Antarctica and five of these reciprocally recognised one another's claims. These claims, which were regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, were neither recognised nor disputed by any other signatory state.
* The European Union was a sui generis supranational organisation that had 27 member states (28 members until 31 January 2020). The member states transferred a measure of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU, and as such the EU had some elements of sovereignty, without generally being considered a sovereign state. The European Union did not claim to be a sovereign state and had only limited capacity for relations with other states.
* The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was a former proto-state and current insurgent group primarily in Iraq and Syria, among other nations. ISlL used to be considered a quasi-state, but is no longer considered as such.
* The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was a United Nations observer. The order had bi-lateral diplomatic relations with a large number of states, but had no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome and Malta. The order's Constitution stated: "The Order is a subject of international law and exercises sovereign functions." Although the order frequently asserted its sovereignty, it did not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacked a defined territory. Since all its members were citizens of other states, almost all of them lived in their native countries, and those who resided in the order's extraterritorial properties in Rome did so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacked the characteristic of having a permanent population.
* The Tigray Region was recognized as a region of Ethiopia. Despite having been at war with the rest of Ethiopia, it was not commonly considered a sovereign state and was more of an insurgency or proto-state.