How many countries are there in the world

How Many Countries Are There 2022

How many countries are there in the world? While this might seem to be a simple question, the answer is quite complicated.

The problem is that different organizations have different stances on exactly what it takes to qualify as a country. Depending on the source, the number of countries can vary quite considerably, and there is no universal agreement on the total.

That said, the United Nations is generally regarded as the de facto authority on nationhood. Currently, the U.N. recognizes 193 countries as member states. It also recognizes two «observers states», the Holy See/Vatican City and Palestine, which are self-ruling territories but not full-fledged countries.

However, even the U.N. list is not free of controversy. The U.N. does not currently acknowledge the self-governed territory of Taiwan (Republic of China), which was a member of the U.N. from 1945 to 1971, but is now considered a territory of mainland China. Similarly, as of 2020, roughly half of U.N. members still considered Kosovo to be part of Serbia rather than its own nation.

By comparison, Britannica’s list of countries grants full nation-hood rights to Vatican City, Taiwan, and Kosovo for a total of 196 countries. Then there’s Wikipedia’s list of sovereign states, which mirrors the U.N.’s list of 193 countries and two observer states, then adds eleven sovereign states, including Taiwan, Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Cook Islands, and more for a total of 206.

Perhaps the most puzzling non-country is Greenland, a massive island between the north Atlantic and Arctic oceans, which certainly looks like it ought to be its own country—just like its tiny neighbor, Iceland. However, Greenland is not a U.N. member country and, while it controls many of its own domestic affairs, it is ultimately controlled by Denmark, a European country even tinier than Iceland, thousands of miles away.

Other sources use a less rigid definition of country and give dependent and disputed territories such as Greenland and the Gaza Strip their own separate listings. This is the reason the United States’ CIA Factbook lists 237 countries.

All of this demonstrates that it is not so simple to determine the exact number of countries there are in the world. Moreover, and the constantly changing nature of politics means that issues around sovereignty are unlikely to ever be fully resolved.

For the ultimate list of not just countries, but also territories and regions that have some degree of self-governance but are not universally considered fully-fledged countries, check the table below.

How Many Countries Are There In The World? Are There Places That Doesn’t Fall Under Any Country?

There are 195 UN-recognised nations in the world. About 50 more have declared themselves independent. However, the count does not end here.

One of my friends asked me the other day, “Do you know how many countries there are in the world?” To my surprise, I had never really thought about it until then.

A gentleman sitting in front of us joined the conversation and claimed that there were 250 countries in the world. Another man sitting next to him brushed off his claim, declaring that “the number of countries in the world is not fixed, but changes every year due to several conditions.”

I came home and tried to get some information from the Internet. However, it seemed that there was similar confusion on the internet as well. Different organizations provide different facts and claim all kinds of different figures. Curious about the whole matter, I started digging deeper and came across some surprising facts.

Let us take a closer look!

Just how many countries? (Photo Credit : Ivsanmas/Shutterstock)

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Starting with the numbers games

The answer to our question simply depends on our point of view and on how we define a “country”: according to its formal definition, a country is a region characterized by specific borders and a different political geography; it could be a sovereign nation with its own government, or a state associated with a larger one that has fixed political norms.

However, many claim that a country does not arise until it has been recognized by the United Nations. According to this theory, there are 195 countries in the world, including two observer states – the Holy See Vatican City and the State of Palestine. These 195 nations are affiliated to the UN and recognized as independent nations by every organization in the world.

A total of 195 countries are affiliated with the UN. (Photo Credit : Alexandros Michailidiss/Shutterstock)

However, if we add all the pieces of land under the jurisdiction of other countries, such as Aruba, Christmas Island, the Isle of Man, Hong Kong and many others, and also include regions like Antarctica, we could argue that there are 247 different countries (Source).

Nevertheless, the count is not over, because there is more: the Minor Islands at the gates of the United States are counted as a single country, but in fact it is a collection of 8 islands that can be considered as separate entities. Moreover, there are some uninhabited islands and atolls, such as Bassa da India.

What is an observer state?

Non-member states of the United Nations, which are part of one or more specialized UN bodies, receive the designation of an Observer state. These nations have the privilege to attend all sessions of the UN General Assembly and the right to speak, but may not vote on the resolutions or propose new ones. They are free to submit a petition to join as a full member at their discretion.

South Sudan became the 193rd member country of the United Nations in 2011 after its petition was approved in the General Assembly.

Nations not recognized by the UN

Taiwan

About 21 members of the United Nations, as well as the Vatican, recognizes Taiwan as the seat of the Republic of China, that is, as a separate sovereign nation from the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan has an operational government democratically elected every term of office. It also has its own army, a currency unrelated to that of China, and its own constitution. Whether or not Taiwan is an independent nation, however, is still controversial.

Kosovo

Kosovo is a member of several important organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Bank. However, its statehood has been controversial since it declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and is not fully recognized as an independent nation by the UN Security Council.

Unclaimed territories

If you have always dreamed of becoming president of a nation or ruling a kingdom, this could be your chance. There are several places in the world that are claimed by no one, as well as regions that are under title dispute but recognized as independent nations by many other countries.

Bir Tawil is perhaps the most famous uninhabited piece of land in the world.

Political map of Bil Tawil (Photo Credit: Birtawill/Wikimedia Commons)

The region lies between Egypt and Sudan. The issue here is that Egypt considers the border to be straight, claiming the Hala’ib Triangle along with the wealthy port city of Hala’ib as its very own, whereas Sudan suggests that the border is jagged, and Hala’ib falls into its territory, while also claiming Bir Tawil to be inside Egypt. Neither country wants Bir Tawil because it would nullify their claim to the Hala’ib triangle and thus their passage to the Red Sea.

If Egypt claims Bir Tawil, it must accept the border as jagged as it is depicted on the map, because historical facts suggest that only one of the two borders is possible, not another. If Sudan claims Bir Tawil, it is faced by a similar situation.

Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which has been ratified by more than 50 nations in the world. Some claims overlap, while many are not recognized by most of the underlying parties. However, much of the icy desert remains unclaimed, as can be seen in the illustration below. Who knows… you could be their next ruler!

Antarctica Territorial Claims (Photo Credit: Rainer Lesniewski/Shutterstock)

The People’s Republic of Podjistan

This is a strange piece of land. It is in rural Northern Ireland and was declared independent of Northern Ireland in 2010. Simon Stewart, who started it all off as a satirical show, said that the future of his micronation could be called into question because of the fear of an impending Brexit. However, the legal status of this place remains in doubt, so you may have the chance to put your name on it.

Conclusion

There are 195 countries recognized by the UN, while about 50 other nations claim to be independent territories. Unless we develop specific standards for defining a country, this figure will remain hotly debated.

However, looking at the overall picture in which people around the world are planning space expeditions to other planets in the hope of building settlements and establishing civilizations, it is essential that we understand the concept of borders and sovereignty logically and consistently.

The recent past of our planet in the last 10,000 years, which is a blink of an eye compared to the history of our planet, has been full of blood and war, all because of borders. An enormous amount of resources have been wasted, all of which could have been saved, along with many innocent lives, if people could understand one simple thing…. our whole planet is just a huge country!

How much do you know about the number of countries in the world?

Can you answer three questions based on the article you just read?

How Many Countries Are There In The World?

If you were to ask ten people how many countries are in the world, you would probably hear ten different answers. Here at Worldatlas.com, we state 195 countries based on the 193 that belong to the United Nations (UN) plus the Holy See (Vatican) and the State of Palestine, which are non-member observer states. However, the State of Palestine, is only recognized by 138 of the 193 United Nations member states and countries like the United States, and Canada do not recognize it.

Differing Opinions

The United States officially recognizes 195 countries as well; but instead of recognizing the State of Palestine, it recognizes Kosovo. Only 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states recognize Kosovo. In particular, Spain is one of the biggest opponents due to its opposition to the Basque and Catalan independence movements within its own country.

Sources do not always agree on the total number of countries in the world. Other sources claim there are 197 countries. They count Holy See and Palestine as UN observers but also consider Taiwan and Kosovo to be self-governed territories that both have substantial economic resources of their own.

The latter fact is because Taiwan is considered as part of the Chinese territory; the same is correct for Kosovo being part of Serbia. With all the socio-economic, geographical, and political difficulties, this can all be subject to change over time.

Generally, the UN seems to be a reliable source for the total number of countries. For a country to be a part of this organization, a country must apply for membership, be assessed, and then be voted in. The country has to be approved by the five permanent member countries: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

Complicating Things

The constant flux of politics and globalization are continually redefining countries, so agreeing on a final count can be difficult. In addition to the reasons already described, here are some additional facts.

The Future

Some researchers believe that there could be even more countries in the future. One of these is East & West Libya. This is because Libya has often been in turmoil, because of extremists there fighting for control and different governments trying to take over since Gaddafi was overthrown. Based in Barcelona, Spain, Catalonia is the country’s financial center. Catalans have wanted a separate state for many years, although many are opposed to separation.

Somaliland (part of Somalia) considers itself independent and has its own government, army, and currency. It had self-proclaimed independence and has informal ties with other countries. Formal recognition from the rest of the world is yet to come, though.

Nope, Scotland is not a country; it is part of the United Kingdom. Some Scotlanders want to keep things as is, but others want to split. A 2014 referendum vote for Scottish independence did not pass, and the vote for Brexit revealed that 62 percent wanted to remain with the European Union.

How many countries are there in the world?

A simple question with a complicated answer. Because politics.

It might sound like a simple question with a straightforward answer, but nothing is really straightforward when it comes to state politics.

If you ask different countries across the globe ‘how many countries are there in the world’ you’ll find that the numbers don’t match one another.

The number of countries in the world according to the U.N.

There are 193 members of the United Nations (U.N.) plus two non-member countries with permanent observer states, the Holy See (The Vatican) and the State of Palestine. So, according to the U.N. there is a grand total of 195 sovereign states in the world today.

As such, the total number varies depending on the source. To complicate a seemingly simple question even further, some people use different definitions of what a country is.

The Oxford Dictionary defines a country as “a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory.” A country may also refer to a certain population with its own identity, traditions, and common cultural background. For the purpose of this article, we’ll define a sovereign nation as a state with its own borders and ability to sign treaties, as well as the ability to operate diplomatically with other countries.

Most crucially of all, a nation needs to be recognized by other members of the United Nations in order to be considered a country. Otherwise, anyone with an island could proclaim themselves the sovereign leader of their own fabricated country, which isn’t to say it’s never happened before.

Since 1990, 29 new countries have appeared on the world map. Almost half of these came about from the break-up of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. The last time the number of full U.N. members changed was when South Sudan joined in 2011 while Palestine became a UN Observer State in 2012.

The number of countries in the world with partial recognition

Skyline of Taipei, capital of Taiwan. Credit: Pxhere.

There are some gray-area states — let’s call them country candidates — which aren’t members of the U.N. but which have nonetheless been recognized by at least one U.N. member. In official parlance, this is referred to as diplomatic recognition. The reason why these countries haven’t been officially endorsed by all U.N. members is usually because there are territorial disputes.

The six states with partial recognition are Taiwan, Kosovo, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus, and Western Sahara.

Taiwan and its surrounding islands govern themselves as the “Republic of China” (ROC), whereas mainland China is referred to as the “People’s Republic of China” (PRC). In fact, until the 1970s, the Taiwanese ROC held China’s seat at the U.N. and was thus considered the legitimate government of China by the majority of the world’s countries. However, the 1971 UN General Assembly replaced the ROC with the PRC.

Since 2019, only 15 countries representing 8% of UN members and one UN observer state (Vatican City) recognize the Taiwan-based ROC government. Nowadays, the Taiwan government doesn’t have formal ambitions to be recognized as the rightful government of all China but rather to be recognized as a sovereign nation in its own right.

The political situation surrounding Taiwan is slippery, to say the least since mainland China insists that themselves and Taiwan are inseparable. As such, China is known to cut ties with any country that sets up diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Due to this pressure, the number of countries that “recognize” Taiwan is steadily decreasing every year. Some of the last countries to cut ties with Taiwan include Panama (2017), Dominican Republic (2018), Burkina Faso (2018), El Salvador (2018), Solomon Islands (2019), and Kiribati (2019).

Kosovo has also suffered revocations of recognition due to international pressure from Serbia and Russia. The self-proclaimed state of Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. However, due to Serbia’s opposition, 15 states have withdrawn Kosovo’s recognition, including Madagascar, Suriname, Burundi, and Papua New Guinea. Today, 98 out of 193 U.N. member states (51%) recognize Kosovo as a sovereign country.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are disputed territories in the Caucasus, which split from Georgia in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War in 2008. The territories are recognized as independent states by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria.

Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey. The northern portion of the island was occupied by Turkey after a failed coup d’état in 1974, performed as an attempt to annex the island to Greece.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), which is an independence movement based in Algeria. Since the end of 2019, ten African states have opened diplomatic services in Western Sahara under their mission to Rabat. The Republic of Western Sahara is supported by a number of countries across the world, including Algeria, Mexico, Libya, Jamaica, Iran, and Guatemala.

If you add these countries to the UN members list, you end up with a total of 201 countries.

More de facto states and micronations

Besides these six partially recognized countries there are more “de facto states” — political entities that lack international recognition — that aren’t recognized by any U.N. member at all.

These include Transnistria, Somaliland, Cabinda, and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), as well as the separatists Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic in Ukraine.

Transnistria is a thin strip of land wedged between Moldova and Ukraine, home to more than 500,000 people. The tiny sliver of disputed territory split from Moldova in 1992 after a brief military conflict, in which the separatists seem to have been aided by Russia. But not even Russia, which still has troops stationed in the region and regularly conducts military exercises there, recognizes Transnistria.

Officially known as the “Republic of Somaliland”, Somaliland is a self-declared country on the coast of the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland declared independence after the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barre in 1991. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the fighting during the secession. Although Somaliland isn’t recognized by any other state in the world, it has working government institutions and even its own currency. Many also believe Somaliland is more stable and less prone to violence than the larger Somalia, which is a U.N. member.

Nagorno-Karabakh made headlines this year after the disputed territory reignited an old feud between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The landlocked region in the South Caucasus, which stretched over 4,400 square km (1,700 square miles), claimed independence from Azerbaijan in 1992, branding itself as the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh”. Since then, the former autonomous region has held several elections, as well as a 2006 referendum that approved a new constitution. However, it never received any international recognition. On September 27, Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in armed conflict over this disputed territory, which quickly ended on November 9 with a cease-fire brokered by Russia. The devastated Armenia agreed to relinquish its control over Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian peacekeepers will guard the region for the next five years.

Valery Bolotov, a Ukrainian militant leader known for his involvement in the Donbass War in eastern Ukraine, proclaims the Act of Independence of the Lugansk People’s Republic, May 12, 2014. Bolotov was found dead on 27 January 2017 in his own home in Moscow, Russia. The causes of his death are currently being investigated. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic declared independence from Ukraine following an unofficial status referendum in May 2014. The two separatist movements resulted in armed conflict with Ukraine, which is still ongoing. Although no other country recognizes the two self-proclaimed states, Russia accepts identity documents, diplomas, and other certificates issued by the two governments.

The Republic of Cabinda is located in what is presently Angola’s Cabinda Province. The Front for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Exercito de Cabinda (FLEC) proclaimed independence from Angola in 1975. The unrecognized enclave state has since been running guerilla warfare with the Angola government in order to exert its autonomy.

If you were to also add these de facto states, there would be 207 nations in the world.

Additionally, there are more than 400 “micronations” — territories that claim to be independent or sovereign nations, often with a population ranging from a small village to a single household, but which haven’t been formally recognized by other states. These include the Principality of Seborga, which encompasses a small village on the border of France and Italy, founded in 1963 on the initiative of Giorgio Carbone, a flower farmer, who then became known as Prince Giorgio I.

Austrian artist Edwin Lipburger declared independence when his spherical house displeased authorities, refused to pay taxes and began printing his own stamps. Credit: Peter Gugerell/creative commons.

Some micronations have been founded as social experiments, such as the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, which was self-proclaimed in 2004 in response to the Australian government’s failure to recognize same-sex marriages. Other micro-nations started as art projects, such as The Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Islands, founded in 2005 by a school teacher from Portsmouth and consisting of a pond and three tiny islands. The more recently formed Liberland was founded in 2015 as a libertarian paradise on an unclaimed parcel of land near the Croatian-Serbian border. The Free Republic of Liberland has a government of 10 members and an economy based on bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.

The number of countries in the world that participate in the Olympic Games

Every two years, athletes from all countries of the world gather to compete in the Winter or Summer Olympic Games. For many people, this monumental sporting event is their first encounter with some of the smaller, lesser-known countries of the world.

The International Olympic Committee as National Olympic Committees claims 206 members, although there are only 195 U.N. recognized countries. That’s because the Olympics is less rigid in its definition of what constitutes a nation, and allows some dependent territories that are partially self-governed to take part in the games.

These include American Samoa, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Guam, Hong Kong, Palestine, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Similarly, FIFA — the foremost authority for football (soccer) and the organizer of the World Cup — recognizes 211 affiliated associations. That’s a bit more than the Olympic Games because, besides dependent territories, FIFA also includes Gibraltar, as well as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which are allowed to compete as separate teams despite the fact they’re all part of the U.K.

If you’re a citizen of a maverick micronation, forgive us for not listing you here. Give your republic a shoutout in the comments. Glory to ZMElandia!

How Many Countries are There in the World?

The number of countries in the world seems like an easy question to answer, but, suprisingly, it’s difficult to precisely count the number of countries involved a complex and interwoven game of history, politics, and culture.

If you’ve traveled heavily, you have probably tried to convey the extent of your travels by condensing it down to a single number. It might be the number of countries you’ve visited or the number of states or provinces in your country you’ve seen.

Determining how many countries there are in the world is not as straightforward as it may appear because while many countries are obvious—you can probably name 20+ clearly defined countries off the top of your head—the actual definition of a country can be slippery and broader than you might think.

How many countries are there in the world?
Some sources say there are 193 countries, if you count just the countries in the UN. Others pinpoint 195—adding in two “countries” not included in the UN (Palestine and Vatican City). The Olympic Committee recognizes 206 countries, and other sources put the number upwards of 300.

Here’s exactly what you need to know to understand the number of countries in the world:

Table of Contents

Countries in The United Nations

A good place to start any list of countries is with the UN. The United Nations is a body of 193 sovereign independent nation states. This covers everything you probably first think of as a country: Canada, Bolivia, Germany, Botswana, Malaysia, etc.

Most of the big spots on the map can be filled in with countries that are members of the UN. The only country that is generally recognized as an independent nation but is not in the UN would be Vatican City, which has observer status at the UN. So according to the UN, this puts the list of countries at: 193.

This was all I saw of Kiribati. I was denied entry into the country because the ink on my visa stamp bled. 🙁

Here is a complete list of all of the countries in the United Nations as of 2019:

The UN doesn’t cover everywhere, however. If you watched the opening ceremony at the Olympics, you will have noticed that over 200 countries were represented.

Basic math tells us that 200 is greater than 193, and the Vatican doesn’t have an Olympic team (but it would be kind of cool if it did). This leads us to …

Countries Defined by the International Olympic Committee

There are 206 members of the IOC as of 2019. The difference between the UN and the IOC is that the IOC includes several non-independent countries, most of which are usually considered a territory of a larger country—most of these fall under territories of the United States, territories of the UK, or French territories. Notable ones include such places as Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Cook Island, and the British Virgin Islands. The IOC also includes Taiwan (known in the IOC as Chinese Taipei) which is not a member of the United Nations.

If you merge the list of the UN and the IOC, you still have some issues. Hong Kong is part of the IOC, but Macau isn’t. American territories have independent status in the IOC, but French territories such as French Polynesia do not. Antarctica isn’t represented on either list, but it is an entire continent you can visit.

My thoughts: We need a bigger list.

These are the 13 places that are members of the International Olympic Committee, but are not in the United Nations:

Palestine
Cook Islands
American Samoa
Guam
Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands

Even this list isn’t complete, however. Some countries are de facto independent countries but aren’t recognized by anyone else. They control their own territory, have their own currency, run elections and everything else a country does, except they don’t have relations with anyone else.

There are also additional territories that are not in international organizations like the IOC. Territories like Gibraltar, French Polynesia, Greenland, Curacao, and even Antarctica are distinct geographical places, but are not listed as “countries” on any of the above lists.

That brings us to …

Countries of the Travelers’ Century Club

The Travelers’ Century Club has taken it upon themselves to create a definitive list of “countries” for the purpose of travel. They not only include all of the above places, but also split off Alaska and Hawaii, Siberia from the rest of Russia, all the Emirates in the United Arab Emirates, the major island groups of Indonesia, the nations of the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales), Tasmania from the rest of Australia, etc.

This list has 327 “countries,” and I put countries in quotes because most of them do not meet most people’s definition of a country.

However, this is the list I use on my website. I think it is a reasonable list that covers most of the “places” on Earth—it pays homage to distinct cultural groups (always important for international travelers), landmasses, and more. Although I do have some disagreements with their list, ultimately any list is sort of arbitrary and my disagreements are small enough that I still feel comfortable using it.

Every so often I get an email from someone telling me that Hawaii isn’t a country (duh) or reminding me that Tasmania is part of Australia.

I know that, but that isn’t really capturing the spirit of the list.

Where do you go once you’ve been to every place on the TCC list? That was answered by Charles Veley and …

Musandam, Oman is on the MTP list, but not the TCC list.

Countries of MTP.travel

Charles Veley was at one time the self-proclaimed “Most traveled person on Earth.” Actually, I have no reason to quibble with that title. He put in a helluva lot of effort into completing the TCC list, and he then set out for more. His website, mtp.travel goes even further than the TCC and lists every US state, Canadian province, and region of Russia, Australia, China, and Brazil. It also goes the added step of merging the ham radio DXCC list, which is where the list begins to lose me. That list has 873 places, of which I’ve been to 383 (as of 2019).

Many of the places they list I have no desire to ever visit—it focuses too much on uninhabited islands, exclaves, and enclaves. For example, it lists Johnston Atoll, which is a territory of the United States in the Pacific. There is nothing special about this place. No one ever lived there, it has no history, culture, or anything interesting about it from a natural standpoint. It’s just a place that is only remarkable because of its odd political status. If it were given to Hawaii, nothing about the atoll itself would change, but it would probably be removed from the list.

A bunch of these rocks in the middle of nowhere are listed and I really see no reason why every speck of land in the world doesn’t deserve listing if these places do. It might be interesting for ham radio operators to talk to someone from there, but as a travel destination, it isn’t worth anything.

To me, a place is a place because it has some significance. It could be political (see the UN list), it could be cultural, historic, or natural. That’s why in my sidebar I also take note of every one of these types of places that I visit. Such as the:

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are 1,092 World Heritage Sites in the world, and more are listed every year. Going to see the pyramids is different than just having set foot in Egypt. Seeing the Grand Canyon is different than having an overnight stay in Las Vegas.

Not all countries are equal in this respect. Some countries with long histories have more sites than others. The US and Canada don’t have much in the way of cultural sites compared to Italy or China, but each one does have a large number of natural sites recognized for biodiversity. Ultimately, I like using these UNESCO sites better than a country list because it represents specific things and places with a reason for each one.

Also, unlike countries, you usually don’t just pass through a World Heritage site like you might pass through a country on a train or in an airport. If you visit one you, probably went there to see it. The problem is, most people have no clue how many they’ve been to and have no idea how many there are in the world. Many of these sites are also much more difficult to visit. Going to the Solomon Islands is one type of difficult. Going to the east end of Rennell Island World Heritage site is a totally different type of hard.

So, once again I ask you the question: How many countries are there in the world?