Countries

Today, Earth’s political surface is organized into a system of sovereign states commonly referred to as countries. In contemporary international relations, there are 193 member states of the United Nations, complemented by two non-member observer states, the Holy See and the State of Palestine. Together, these entities constitute the widely accepted framework of countries in the modern world, although the precise count can vary slightly depending on criteria such as diplomatic recognition, effective territorial control, and participation in international institutions. Additionally, some governments an governmental institutions include Taiwan and/or Kosovo into the list of independend nations. All together, there are 193 UN nations, 2 associate members and 1 by interest. Some NGOs have more than 196 countries (IOC, FIFA etc.).

Figure: Countries by space (km2)

Source: Wikipedia

Countries are defined by a combination of key attributes: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. These criteria, articulated most clearly in the Montevideo Convention of 1933, underpin the legal concept of statehood in international law. Despite this formal definition, the real-world distribution of countries reflects historical processes such as colonization and decolonization, state formation and dissolution, wars, treaties, and shifting norms of self-determination. As a result, the global map is not static but the outcome of ongoing political, economic, and cultural dynamics.

Geographically, countries vary enormously in size, population, and environmental conditions, ranging from vast continental states to small island nations, and from densely populated urbanized societies to sparsely inhabited territories. Collectively, they form an interconnected global system linked by trade, migration, communication networks, and shared environmental challenges. In the twenty-first century, while countries remain the primary units of political authority, their sovereignty is increasingly shaped by international law, global governance institutions, and transnational issues such as climate change, public health, and technological transformation.