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 218 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 195 widely recognized sovereign states, two associated states, 16 entities which claimed an effective sovereignty but were considered de jure constituents of other powers by the general international community, and 7 entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent.
Members or observers of the United Nations Name and capital cityInformation on status and recognition of sovereignty A – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (to 15 August 2021)
Widely-recognized UN member state. The United Nations continues to recognize the exiled government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the de jure legitimate government (from 15 August 2021). – Republic of Albania Widely recognized UN member state. – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Widely recognized UN member state. – Principality of Andorra 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. – Republic of Angola Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state and a Commonwealth realm. Antigua and Barbuda had two dependencies, Barbuda and Redonda. – Argentine Republic 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. – Republic of Armenia Widely recognized UN member state. – Commonwealth of Australia 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)
Coral Sea Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands – Republic of Austria Widely recognized UN member state and an EU member. Austria was a federation of nine states. – Republic of Azerbaijan 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 – Commonwealth of the Bahamas Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. – Kingdom of Bahrain Widely recognized UN member state. – People's Republic of Bangladesh Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm until 30 November 2021, when it became a republic. – Republic of Belarus Widely recognized UN member state. – Kingdom of Belgium Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Belgium was a federation of three communities and three regions. Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. – Republic of Benin Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (seat of government) Widely recognized UN member state. – Kingdom of Bhutan Widely recognized UN member state. – Plurinational State of Bolivia Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative) Widely recognized UN member state. 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. – Republic of Botswana Widely recognized UN member state. – Federative Republic of Brazil Widely recognized UN member state. Brazil was a federation of 26 states and one federal district. – Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace 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). – Republic of Bulgaria Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Widely recognized UN member state.Burma Myanmar – Republic of Burundi Widely recognized UN member state. C – Kingdom of Cambodia Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Cameroon Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm; Canada was a federation of ten provinces and three territories. – Republic of Cabo Verde Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Chad Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Chile 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. – People's Republic of China 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:
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. – Republic of Colombia Widely recognized UN member state; Colombia administered Serranilla Bank and claimed Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States). – Union of the Comoros 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). Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Costa Rica Widely recognized UN member state.Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast – Republic of Croatia Widely recognized UN member state and an EU member. – Republic of Cuba Widely recognized UN member state. The Cuban region of Guantánamo Bay was under the control of the United States. – Republic of Cyprus 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. Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. D – Kingdom of Denmark Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. The Kingdom of Denmark also included two autonomous countries:
– Republic of Djibouti Widely recognized UN member state. – Commonwealth of Dominica Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state. E – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Ecuador Widely recognized UN member state. – Arab Republic of Egypt Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of El Salvador Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Equatorial GuineaCapital: Malabo (to 2 January 2026), Ciudad de la Paz (from 2 January 2026) Widely recognized UN member state. – State of Eritrea Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Estonia Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. – Kingdom of EswatiniCapital: Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative) Widely recognized UN member state. – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Widely recognized UN member state. Ethiopia was a federation of nine regions and two chartered cities. F – Republic of Fiji Widely recognized UN member state. Fiji had an autonomous dependency, Rotuma. – Republic of Finland Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Finland had a neutral and demilitarised region: → – French Republic 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
(including a claim to Adélie Land which was suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.)
Saint Martin
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)
France also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and the Comoros). G – Gabonese Republic Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of the Gambia Widely recognized UN member state. 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. – Federal Republic of Germany Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Germany was a federation of sixteen states. – Republic of Ghana Widely recognized UN member state. – Hellenic Republic 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. Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Grenada had one autonomous dependency, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. – Republic of Guatemala Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Guinea Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Guinea-Bissau Widely recognized UN member state. – Co-operative Republic of Guyana Widely recognized UN member state. H – Republic of Haiti Widely recognized UN member state. Haiti claimed the uninhabited U.S. possession of Navassa Island.Holy See Vatican City → → – Republic of Honduras Widely recognized UN member state. Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. I – Republic of Iceland Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of India 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. – Republic of Indonesia Widely recognized UN member state. Indonesia had five special provinces: Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Papua, and Yogyakarta. – Islamic Republic of Iran Widely recognized UN member state. – Republic of Iraq Widely recognized UN member state. Iraq was constitutionally designated as a federation of autonomous regions, but only one region (Iraqi Kurdistan) had been established. Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. – State of Israel 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. – Italian Republic Widely recognized UN member state. EU member. Italy had 5 autonomous regions, Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. – Republic of Côte d'IvoireCapital: Yamoussoukro (official), Abidjan (seat of government) Widely recognized UN member state. J Widely recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.