Find the answer to this seemingly simple question: "How many countries in the world?" Is not easy.Leafing through the various directories, you can see different data.Even official data, reported over a year, they may vary.
Try - count the
And the thing is that the state does not just appear and disappear.Some of them may change their status and apply to different groups, to be recognized by other countries or not.In some areas status is uncertain: they considered sovereign or not, is still unclear.And all States agree on the same approach to the determination of their status and how many countries in the world, is not yet possible because of the differences between their political, economic and other interests.
main group are those States that are part of the United Nations and accepted by all.Given joined this international organization at the beginning of the XXI century they already account for 193. Well, as in all countries in the world, it is really very difficult to calculate.For example, the Order of Malta, which the state can not be named, however, have observer status at the United Nations and has diplomatic relations with many countries.
There is one known to all the independent state of Vatican City, which is not included in any global organizations, including the UN.Sometimes a country called Kosovo.Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Palestine and several other similar areas are recognized only partially.And the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh, no one member of the UN is not considered sovereign.On our planet, there is a unique country of Somaliland - it is generally not recognized by anyone, but, nevertheless, it exists.
Forty-nine territories have their own flags and pretend to be called states.However, many of them are in other countries.Some of the entities have a special status, recognized by the international community: Antarctica, Spitsbergen, Macau, Hong Kong and the Aland Islands.All this makes it difficult to count how many countries in the world has at the moment.
seven regions (four French, two Portuguese and Hawaii), although they are an integral part of their states, but removed from them over long distances, and it does not allow them to be part of their country.Several public entities the status is not defined, and in the territory called Sealand, generally do not have any status.
And that's still not all the information.To understand how many countries in the world today, it is difficult also because the process of formation of the political map of the world is continuous and very volatile.States periodically appear and disappear, their number can be called about.Solid can be argued only that in the world there are about 200 countries have received international recognition.
It is also difficult to determine how many cities in the world, and what can be called a city.There are reports that almost 2.5 million settlements pretend to have the status of a city.
