page_title: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe
section_title: Sovereign states
hierarchical_section_title: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe / Sovereign states
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of countries in Europe and the surrounding region
context_page_description: The list below includes all entities falling even partially under any of the various common definitions of Europe, geographical or political. Fifty generally recognised sovereign states, Kosovo with limited, but substantial, international recognition, and five largely unrecognised de facto states with limited to no recognition, are listed with territory in Europe and/or membership in international European organisations. There are eight areas that are not integral parts of a European state or have special political status.
context_section_description: A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a population for whom it makes decisions in the national interest. According to the Montevideo convention, a state must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
caption: Political map of Europe and the surrounding region
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