Country
| ← Previous revision | Revision as of 04:40, 22 April 2026 | ||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
[[File: Official United Nations World Map - October 2022.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|The marked territories on this global map from the [[United Nations]] are mostly of countries which are [[sovereign state]]s with full international recognition (brackets denote the country of a marked territory that is not a sovereign state). Some territories are countries in their own right but are [[List of states with limited recognition|not recognized as such]] (e.g. [[Taiwan]]), some few marked territories are [[list of territorial disputes|disputed]] about which country they belong to (e.g. [[Kashmir]]) or if they are countries in their own right (e.g. [[Western Sahara]] (territory) or [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic|the state known by the same name]]).]] |
[[File: Official United Nations World Map - October 2022.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|The marked territories on this global map from the [[United Nations]] are mostly of countries which are [[sovereign state]]s with full international recognition (brackets denote the country of a marked territory that is not a sovereign state). Some territories are countries in their own right but are [[List of states with limited recognition|not recognized as such]] (e.g. [[Taiwan]]), some few marked territories are [[list of territorial disputes|disputed]] about which country they belong to (e.g. [[Kashmir]]) or if they are countries in their own right (e.g. [[Western Sahara]] (territory) or [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic|the state known by the same name]]).]] |
||
A '''country''' is an area of land with defined borders and government that operates as a [[sovereign state]] |
A '''country''' is an area of land with defined borders and government that operates as a [[sovereign state]], [[List of states with limited recognition|states with limited recognition]], [[Country (disambiguation)#Administrative divisions|constituent countries]], or [[dependent territory|dependent territories]], with their own government.{{cite book | title=USITC Publication | publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office | date=1993 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UdQWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA20 | access-date=2025-11-20 | page=20}}{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=J |date=1964 |title=What Makes a Country? |journal=Human Events |volume=24 |issue=31 |page=14}} A country may consist of multiple nations, a structure known as a [[multinational state]].{{cite web | last=University | first=Utah State | title=Nations, States and Nation-States | website=USU | url=https://artsci.usu.edu/social-sciences/political-science/international-studies/aggies-go/nation-states | access-date=23 Feb 2026}} Countries are often distinguished as [[developing country|developing countries]] or [[Developed country|developed countries]].{{cite journal | last1=Khan | first1=Themrise | last2=Abimbola | first2=Seye | last3=Kyobutungi | first3=Catherine | last4=Pai | first4=Madhukar | title=How we classify countries and people—and why it matters | journal=BMJ Global Health | publisher=BMJ | volume=7 | issue=6 | year=2022 | issn=2059-7908 | doi=10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009704 | article-number=e009704| pmc=9185389 }} |
||
There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world.{{cite web | last=Saunders | first=Toby | title=How many countries are there in 2025? | website=BBC Science Focus Magazine | date=December 22, 2024 | url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-many-countries-are-there | access-date=November 27, 2025}} This ambiguity is a result of several countries not being recognized as sovereign states by the UN system, but are recognized by at least one UN member, known as "[[diplomatic recognition]]'. These countries often have [[Territorial dispute|disputed territories]] and have only [[List of states with limited recognition|partial recognition]].{{cite web | title=How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2026? | website=Political Geography Now | date=January 22, 2026 | url=https://www.polgeonow.com/2011/04/how-many-countries-are-there-in-world.html | access-date=February 23, 2026}} A number of entities without recognition are also commonly considered a country. |
There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world.{{cite web | last=Saunders | first=Toby | title=How many countries are there in 2025? | website=BBC Science Focus Magazine | date=December 22, 2024 | url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-many-countries-are-there | access-date=November 27, 2025}} This ambiguity is a result of several countries not being recognized as sovereign states by the UN system, but are recognized by at least one UN member, known as "[[diplomatic recognition]]'. These countries often have [[Territorial dispute|disputed territories]] and have only [[List of states with limited recognition|partial recognition]].{{cite web | title=How Many Countries Are There in the World in 2026? | website=Political Geography Now | date=January 22, 2026 | url=https://www.polgeonow.com/2011/04/how-many-countries-are-there-in-world.html | access-date=February 23, 2026}} A number of entities without recognition are also commonly considered a country. |
||
