Below is a continent-by-continent list of sovereign countries arranged by geographic region or subregion. The structure mainly follows the United Nations M49 geographical classification, with North America divided into Northern America, Central America and the Caribbean. Dependent territories are excluded.
Africa
Africa has 54 internationally recognized sovereign countries, commonly grouped into five subregions.
Northern Africa — 6 countries
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Libya
- Morocco
- Sudan
- Tunisia
Western Africa — 16 countries
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Côte d’Ivoire
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
Middle Africa — 9 countries
Also called Central Africa.
- Angola
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Republic of the Congo
- São Tomé and Príncipe
Eastern Africa — 18 countries
- Burundi
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Southern Africa — 5 countries
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- South Africa
Total: 54 countries.
Europe
Europe contains 44 sovereign states under this classification and is divided into Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Europe.
Northern Europe — 10 countries
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Western Europe — 9 countries
- Austria
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
Eastern Europe — 10 countries
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic — Czechia
- Hungary
- Moldova
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
Southern Europe — 15 countries
- Albania
- Andorra
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Greece
- Holy See — Vatican City
- Italy
- Malta
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Spain
Total: 44 countries.
Note: Kosovo is often included in general European country lists, but it is not separately classified as a UN member state in the standard M49 sovereign-state count.
Asia
Asia contains 48 sovereign countries in the United Nations-based geographical arrangement.
Central Asia — 5 countries
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
Eastern Asia — 5 countries
- China
- Japan
- Mongolia
- North Korea
- South Korea
South-Eastern Asia — 11 countries
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Vietnam
Southern Asia — 9 countries
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Iran
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Western Asia — 18 countries
Often called the Middle East or part of the Middle East.
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- State of Palestine
- Syria
- Türkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
Total: 48 countries.
Although Cyprus is politically and culturally associated with Europe, the UN M49 geographical system places it in Western Asia. Russia is placed in Eastern Europe, while Türkiye is placed in Western Asia for statistical classification.
North America
North America contains 23 sovereign countries when Northern America, Central America and the Caribbean are combined.
Northern America — 2 countries
- Canada
- United States of America
Central America — 8 countries
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
Caribbean — 13 countries
- Antigua and Barbuda
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
Total: 23 countries.
Mexico is geographically part of North America and is classified under Central America in the UN M49 subregional system. The Caribbean also contains numerous territories, but they are excluded here because this list covers sovereign countries only.
South America
South America has 12 sovereign countries. The UN treats it as one subregion within Latin America and the Caribbean.
South America — 12 countries
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuel
Total: 12 countries.
French Guiana is geographically located in South America but is not an independent country; it is an overseas department and region of France.
Australia (Oceania)
The broader region is generally called Oceania. Australia is both a country and the largest landmass within Oceania. The region contains 14 sovereign countries.
Australia and New Zealand — 2 countries
- Australia
- New Zealand
Melanesia — 4 countries
- Fiji
- Papua New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
Micronesia — 5 countries
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Nauru
- Palau
Polynesia — 3 countries
- Samoa
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
Total: 14 countries.
Oceania also includes territories such as American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue and the Northern Mariana Islands. These are not included in the sovereign-country total.
Summary
Continent | Main subregions | Sovereign countries |
Africa | 5 | 54 |
Europe | 4 | 44 |
Asia | 5 | 48 |
North America | 3 | 23 |
South America | 1 | 12 |
Australia/Oceania | 4 | 14 |
Total | 195 |
The total of 195 consists of 193 United Nations member states, plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine, which have UN non-member observer-state status. Classification systems can differ slightly, especially concerning transcontinental countries and partially recognized states.