Codex xcix

Gazetteer

The United Nations has 192 member states, but their Statistics Division lists 235 territories.¹ The US State Department recognizes 194 independent countries, but the CIA World Factbook lists about 255 entries.² The ISO 3166 standard³ includes 246 country codes, but, using this list, ICANN comes up with 239 ccTLDs.⁴ So, how many countries are there? The answer, depending on your geopolitics, is obviously somewhere between 192—239. Glad we got that straightened out.

This list includes all of the sovereign states officially recognized by Codex xcix:

Name, de jure or de facto
(in English, possibly transliterated)
Capital
(in English, possibly transliterated)

States g/r/a fully in compliance with the
Montevideo convention

جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان
د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت
(Islamic Republic of Afghanistan)
کابل
(Kabul)

Republika e Shqipërisë
(Republic of Albania)
Tiranë
(Tirana)

الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية
(People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria)
الجزائر
(Algiers)

Principat d’Andorra
(Principality of Andorra)
Andorra la Vella

República de Angola
(Republic of Angola)
Luanda

Antigua and Barbuda
St. John’s

República Argentina
(Argentine Republic)
Buenos Aires

Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն
(Republic of Armenia)
Երևան
(Yerevan)

Commonwealth of Australia
Canberra

Republik Österreich
(Republic of Austria)
Wien
(Vienna)

Azərbaycan Respublikası
(Republic of Azerbaijan)
Bakı
(Baku)

Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Nassau

البحرين – مملكة البحرين
(Kingdom of Bahrain)
المنامة
(Manama)

Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh^a
(People’s Republic of Bangladesh)
Dhaka

Barbados
Bridgetown

Рэспубліка Беларусь
(Republic of Belarus)
Мiнск
(Minsk)

Koninkrijk België
Royaume de Belgique
Königreich Belgien
(Kingdom of Belgium)
Brussel
(Brussels)

Belize
Belmopan

République du Bénin
(Republic of Benin)
Porto-Novo

འབྲུག་ཡུལ་
(Kingdom of Bhutan)
ཐིམ་ཕུག།
(Thimphu)

Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
(Plurinational State of Bolivia)
Sucre, La Paz

Bosna i Hercegovina
Босна и Херцеговина
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sarajevo

Lefatse la Botswana
Republic of Botswana
Gaborone

República Federativa do Brasil
(Federative Republic of Brazil)
Brasília

Negara Brunei Darussalam
بروني دارالسلام
(State of Brunei, Abode of Peace)
Bandar Seri Begawan

Република България
(Republic of Bulgaria)
София
(Sophia)

Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou

Republika y’u Burundi
République du Burundi
(Republic of Burundi)
Bujumbura

Preăh Réachéa Anachâk Kâmpŭchea^b
(Kingdom of Cambodia)
Phnum Pénh
(Phnom Penh)

République du Cameroun
(Republic of Cameroon)
Yaoundé

Canada
Ottowa

República de Cabo Verde
(Republic of Cape Verde)
Praia

Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka
République Centrafricaine
Central African Republic
Bangui

République du Tchad
جمهورية تشاد
Republic of Chad
N’Djamena

República de Chile
Republic of Chile
Santiago

中华人民共和国
(People’s Republic of China)
北京市
(Beijing)

República de Colombia
(Republic of Colombia)
Bogotá, Distrito Capital
(Bogota)

Union des Comores
الاتّحاد القمريّ
Udzima wa Komori
(Union of the Comoros)
Moroni

République Démocratique du Congo
(Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Kinshasa

République du Congo
(Republic of the Congo)
Brazzaville

República de Costa Rica
(Republic of Costa Rica)
San José

République de Côte d'Ivoire
(Republic of Côte d'Ivoire)
Yamoussoukro

Republika Hrvatska
(Republic of Croatia)
Zagreb

República de Cuba
(Republic of Cuba)
Havana

Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία
Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti
(Republic of Cyprus)
Λευκωσία
(Nicosia)

Česká republika
(Czech Republic)
Praha
(Prague)

Kongeriget Danmark
(Kingdom of Denmark)
København
(Copenhagen)

جمهورية جيبوتي
République de Djibouti
(Republic of Djibouti)
جيبوتي‎
(Dijbouti)

Commonwealth of Dominica
Roseau

República Dominicana
(Dominican Republic)
Santo Domingo de Guzmán

República del Ecuador
(Republic of Ecuador)
San Francisco de Quito

جمهورية مصر العربية
(Arab Republic of Egypt)
القاهرة‎
(Cairo)

República de El Salvador
(Republic of El Salvador)
San Salvador

República de Guinea Ecuatorial
République de Guinée Équatoriale
(Republic of Equatorial Guinea)
Malabo

Hagere Ertra^c
(State of Eritrea)
Asmara

Eesti Vabariik
(Republic of Estonia)
Tallinn

e-Ītyōṗṗyā Fēdēralāwī Dīmōkrāsīyāwī Rīpeblīk^d
(Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)
Adis Abäba^d
(Addis Adaba)

Republic of the Fiji Islands
Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti Fijī Ripablik
फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य
Suva

Suomen tasavalta
(Republic of Finland)
Helsinki

République française
(French Republic)
Paris

République Gabonaise
(Gabonese Republic)
Libreville

Republic of The Gambia
Banjul

საქართველო
(Georgia)
თბილისი
(Tbilisi)

Bundesrepublik Deutschland
(Federal Republic of Germany)
Berlin

Republic of Ghana
Accra

Ελληνική Δημοκρατία
(Hellenic Republic)
Αθήνα
(Athens)

Grenada
St. George’s

República de Guatemala
(Republic of Guatemala)
La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
(Guatemala City)

République de Guinée
(Republic of Guinea)
Conakry

República da Guiné-Bissau
(Republic of Guinea-Bissau)
Bissau

Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Georgetown

République d’Haïti
Repiblik Ayiti
(Republic of Haiti)
Ville de Port-au-Prince
Vil Pòtoprens
(Port-au-Prince)

República de Honduras
(Republic of Honduras)
Tegucigalpa

Magyar Köztársaság
(Republic of Hungary)
Budapest

Lýðveldið Ísland
(Republic of Iceland)
Reykjavík

भारत गणराज्य*^e
Republic of India
नई दिल्ली
New Delhi

Republik Indonesia
(Republic of Indonesia)
Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
(Jakarta)

جمهوری اسلامی ايران
(Islamic Republic of Iran)
تهران
(Tehran)

جمهورية العراق
كۆماری عێراق
(Republic of Iraq)
بغداد‎
(Baghdad)

Ireland
Éire
Dublin
Baile Átha Cliath

מדינת ישראל
دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎
(State of Israel)
ירושלים
أورشليم القدس
(Jerusalem)

Repubblica Italiana
(Italian Republic)
Roma
(Rome)

Jamaica
Kingston

日本国
(State of Japan)
東京都
(Tokyo)

الأردنّ
(Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)
عمان
(Amman)

Қазақстан Республикасы
Республика Казахстан
(Republic of Kazakhstan)
Астана
(Astana)

Republic of Kenya
Jamhuri ya Kenya
Nairobi

Republic of Kiribati Teinainano Urban Council
South Tarawa

조선민주주의인민공화국
(Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
평양
(Pyongyang)

대한민국
(Republic of Korea)
서울
(Seoul)

دولة الكويت
(State of Kuwait)
مدينة الكويت
(Kuwait City)

Кыргыз Республикасы
Кыргызская Республика
(Kyrgyz Republic)
Бишкек
(Bishkek)

Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao^f
(Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
Vientiane

Latvijas Republika
(Republic of Latvia)
Riga

الجمهورية اللبنانية République libanaise
(Lebanese Republic)
بيروت‎
(Beirut)

Kingdom of Lesotho
Muso oa Lesotho
Maseru

Republic of Liberia
Monrovia

الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الإشتراكية العظمى
(Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
طرابلس
(Tripoli)

Fürstentum Liechtenstein
(Principality of Liechtenstein)
Vaduz

Lietuvos Respublika
(Republic of Lithuania)
Vilnius

Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg
Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Großherzogtum Luxemburg
(Grand Duchy of Luxembourg)
Lëtzebuerg
Luxemburg
(Luxembourg)

Република Македонија
(Republic of Macedonia)
Скопје
(Skopje)

Repoblikan’i Madagasikara
République de Madagascar
(Republic of Madagascar)
Antananarivo
(Tananarive)

Republic of Malaŵi
Dziko la Malaŵi
Lilongwe

Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya

Divehi Rājje ge Jumhuriyyā^g
The Republic of Maldives
Malé

République du Mali
Mali ka Fasojamana
(Republic of Mali)
Bamako

Repubblika ta’Malta
(Republic of Malta)
Città Umilissima
(Valletta)

Republic of the Marshall Islands
Aolepān Aorōkin Majeļ
Majuro

الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية
République Islamique de Mauritanie
(Islamic Republic of Mauritania)
نواكشوط
(Nouakchott)

Republic of Mauritius
République de Maurice
Port Louis

Estados Unidos Mexicanos
(United Mexican States)
Ciudad de México, D.F.
(Mexico City)

Federated States of Micronesia
Palikir

Republica Moldova
(Republic of Moldova)
Chişinău

Principauté de Monaco
(Principality of Monaco)
Monaco-Ville

Монгол улс
Mongol uls^h
(Mongolia)
Улаанбаатар
Ulaɣanbaɣatur
(Ulan Bator)

Crna Gora/Црна Гор
(Montenegro)
Подгорица
(Podgorica)

المملكة المغربية
(Kingdom of Morocco)
الرباط
(Rabat)

República de Moçambique
(Republic of Mozambique)
Maputo

Pyi-daung-zu Myan-ma Naing-ngan-dawⁱ
(Union of Myanmar)
Naypyidaw

Republic of Namibia
Republiek van Namibië
Republik Namibia
Windhoek

Republic of Nauru
Ripublik Naoero
Yaren^j

संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल
(Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal)
काठमांडौ
(Kathmandu)

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
(Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Amsterdam

New Zealand
Wellington

República de Nicaragua
(Republic of Nicaragua)
Managua

République du Niger
(Republic of Niger)
Niamey

Federal Republic of Nigeria
Abuja

Kongeriket Norge
(Kingdom of Norway)
Oslo

سلطنة عُمان
(Sultanate of Oman)
مسقط
(Muscat)

اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان
(Islamic Republic of Pakistan)
اسلام آباد
(Islamabad)

Republic of Palau
Beluu er a Belau
Melekeok

República de Panamá
(Republic of Panama)
Ciudad de Panamá
(Panama City)

Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini
Port Moresby
Pot Mosbi

República del Paraguay
Tetã Paraguái
(Republic of Paraguay)
Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción
Asuncion

República del Perú
(Republic of Peru)
Lima

Republika ng Pilipinas
Republic of the Philippines
Lungsod ng Maynila
Manila

Rzeczpospolita Polska
(Republic of Poland)
Warszawa
(Warsaw)

República Portuguesa
(Portuguese Republic)
Lisboa
(Lisbon)

دولة قطر
(State of Qatar)
الدوحة‎
(Doha)

România
(Romania)
Bucureşti
(Bucharest)

Российская Федерация
(The Russian Federation)
Москвa
(Moscow)

Repubulika y'u Rwanda
République du Rwanda
Republic of Rwanda
Kigali

Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Basseterre

Saint Lucia
Castries

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Kingstown

Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
Independent State of Samoa
Apia

Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino
(Most Serene Republic of San Marino)
San Marino

República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe
(Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe)
São Tomé

المملكة العربية السعودية
(Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
الرياض‎
(Riyadh)

République du Sénégal
(Republic of Senegal)
Ville de Dakar
(Dakar)

Република Србија
(Republic of Serbia)
Београд
(Belgrade)

Republic of Seychelles
Repiblik Sesel
République des Seychelles
Victoria

Republic of Sierra Leone
Freetown

Republic of Singapore^k
Republik Singapura

Slovenská republika
(Slovak Republic)
Bratislava

Republika Slovenija
(Republic of Slovenia)
Ljubljana

Solomon Islands
Honiara

Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya
جمهورية الصومال‎
(Republic of Somalia)
Muqdisho
مقديشو
(Mogadishu)

Republic of South Africa^l
Republiek van Suid-Afrika
Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria

Reino de España
(Kingdom of Spain)
Madrid

Sri Lankā Prajathanthrika Samajavadi Janarajaya^m
Illankai Chananaayaka Chosalisa Kudiyarasuⁿ
(Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka)
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte

جمهورية السودان
Republic of Sudan
الخرطوم
Khartoum

Republiek Suriname
(Republic of Suriname)
Paramaribo

Kingdom of Swaziland
Umbuso weSwatini
Lobamba

Konungariket Sverige
(Kingdom of Sweden)
Stockholm

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
Confédération suisse
Confederazione Svizzera
Confoederatio Helvetica
(Swiss Confederation)
Bern
Berne
Berna

الجمهورية العربية السورية
(Syrian Arab Republic)
دمشق‎
(Damascus)

Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон
(Republic of Tajikistan)
Душанбе
(Dushanbe)

Jamhuri Ya Muungano Wa Tanzania
United Republic of Tanzania
Dodoma

ราชอาณาจักรไทย
(Kingdom of Thailand)
กรุงเทพมหานคร
(Bangkok)

República Democrática de Timor-Leste
Repúblika Demokrátika Timór Lorosa'e
(Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste)
Díli

République Togolaise
(Togolese Republic)
Lomé

Pule‘anga ‘o Tonga
Kingdom of Tonga
Nuku‘alofa

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain

الجمهوريةالتونسية
(Tunisian Republic)
تونس‎
(Tunis)

Türkiye Cumhuriyeti
(Republic of Turkey)
Ankara

Türkmenistan
(Turkmenistan)
Aşgabat
(Ashgabat)

Tuvalu
Funafuti

Republic of Uganda
Jamhuri ya Uganda
Kampala

Україна
(Ukraine)
Київ
(Kiev)

دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة
(United Arab Emirates)
أبو ظبي
(Abu Dhabi)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
London

United States of America
Washington, D.C.

República Oriental del Uruguay
(Eastern Republic of Uruguay)
Montevideo

O‘zbekiston Respublikasi
(Republic of Uzbekistan)
Toshkent
(Tashkent)

Ripablik blong Vanuatu
Republic of Vanuatu
République de Vanuatu
Port Vila

Stato della Città del Vaticano^o
(State of the Vatican City)

República Bolivariana de Venezuela
(Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
Santiago de León de Caracas
Santiago

Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam
(Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
Hà Nội
(Hanoi)

الجمهورية اليمنية
(Republic of Yemen)
صنعاء‎
(Sana'a)

Republic of Zambia
Lusaka

Republic of Zimbabwe
Harare

States partially in compliance with the
Montevideo convention

中華民國
(Republic of China)
台北市
(Taipei)

Republika e Kosovës
Косово и Метохија
(Republic of Kosovo)
Prishtinë
Приштина
(Pristina)

دولة فلسطين
(State of Palestine)
رام الله
(Ramallah)^p

الصحراء الغربية
Sahara Occidental
(Western Saraha)

Special Cases

Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme
di Rodi e di Malta
(Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem
of Rhodes and of Malta)
Palazzo Malta, Via dei Condotti 68, Roma ^q

n = 198
Republics: n = 127
Islamic Republics: n = 4
Most Serene Republics: n = 1

a. A transliteration of the Indic-based Bengali name.

b. A transliteration of the Khmer name.

c. A transliteration of the Ethiopic-based Tigrinya name.

d. A transliteration of the Ethiopic-based Amharic name.

e. According to their constitution (eighth schedule), India has 23 different official names.

f. A transliteration of the Laotian name.

g. A transliteration of the Dhivehi name.

h. A transliteration of the Uyghur-based Mongolian name.

i. A transliteration of the Burmese name.

j. The de facto capital. Nauru does not have an official capital.

k. Singapore is a city-state.

l. According to their constitution, South Africa has 11 different official names.

m. A transliteration of the Indic-based Sinhalese name.

n. A transliteration of the Tamil name.

o. The Vatican is a city-sate. It is the smallest sovereign state, both in terms of size (0.44 km², 110 acres) and population (Jul 2008: 826).

p. The de facto capital. Palestine lays an historical claim on Jerusalem as it’s capital.

q. Yeah, the capital is a street address. I told you it was a special case.

1. United Nations. Statistics division. Terminology Bulletin No. 347/Rev.1: Country Names New York: United Nations, 2000; which is excerpted here.

2. The CIA World Factbook is no longer published as a book, it is now available only online.

3. International Standard ISO 3166-1. Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions--Part 1: Country codes, ISO 3166-1: 2006 (E/F). International Organization on Standardization: Geneva, 2006.

4. For the current list see: the IANA Root Zone database.