Ask this question and you'll get different answers depending on the source — 193, 195, 197, sometimes more. That's not sloppiness. It reflects a real disagreement about what counts as a "country," and different organizations draw the line in different places.
The most commonly cited number: 193
193 is the number of UN member states— countries that have been formally admitted to the United Nations General Assembly. It's the most widely cited figure because UN membership is a clear, well-documented process: a country applies, the Security Council recommends it, and the General Assembly votes. There's no ambiguity about who is or isn't a member.
Add the observers, and you get 195
The UN also recognizes two permanent observer states that participate in General Assembly proceedings but are not full members: the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine. Add those to the 193 members and you get the commonly cited 195 — the figure the U.S. State Department, for example, generally uses.
Beyond the UN: disputed and partially recognized territories
Past 195, things get genuinely contested. Several territories function as countries in practice — they have their own governments, borders, and populations — but aren't UN members, usually because other countries dispute their independence or sovereignty claims. Examples include:
- Kosovo — declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by roughly 100 UN member states, but not by Serbia, Russia, China, or a UN Security Council resolution, so it hasn't joined the UN.
- Taiwan — self-governs with its own elected government and military, but the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its territory, and most countries (along with the UN) do not recognize Taiwan as a separate state as a result.
- Western Sahara and Somaliland — both function with a degree of self-governance but have limited or no international recognition as independent states.
Depending on which of these you count, you can reasonably land anywhere from 195 to well over 200.
Where Globe Streaks lands: 197
The dataset behind this site's games and World Data pages covers 197 countries and territories — the 193 UN member states, plus Vatican City, Palestine, and Kosovo. It's a practical, defensible line, not a claim that this is the one true count. If you've played the capitals flashcards or the continent quizzes on this site, 197is the number you've been working through.
Why this matters for learning geography
If you're comparing your progress to another source, or you notice a quiz or map is missing a place you expected (or includes one you didn't), this is usually why — different, equally defensible definitions of "country." It's worth knowing the categories above exist rather than assuming there's a single official number everyone agrees on, because there isn't.
Sources: United Nations membership records (un.org/en/about-us/member-states); U.S. Department of State recognition list.