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{{Short description|Distinct territorial body or political entity}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{Distinguish|County}}
{{About||countryside|Rural area|other uses}}
}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}{{Use American English|date=August 2022}}
[[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]]), while one [[United Nations General Assembly observers|UN General Assembly non-member observer state]], [[Palestine]], is not labeled due to [[Palestine–United_States_relations|non-recognition by the United States]].]]
A '''country''' is a distinct part of the [[Earth|world]], such as a [[state (polity)|state]], a [[nation]], or other [[polity|political entity]]. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a [[sovereign state]], a [[List of states with limited recognition|state with limited recognition]], a [[Country (disambiguation)#Administrative divisions|constituent country]], or a [[dependent territory]].<ref name="Fowler Bunck 1996 pp. 381–404"/><ref name="academic.oup.com i784"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=J |date=1964 |title=What Makes a Country? |journal=Human Events |volume=24 |issue=31 |page=14}}</ref> Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the [[United Nations]]. There is no universal agreement on [[List of sovereign states|the number]] of "countries" in the world, since several states have disputed sovereignty status or limited recognition, and a number of non-sovereign entities are commonly considered countries.<ref name="Seguin 2011 f032"/>
The definition and usage of the word "country" are flexible and have changed over time. ''[[The Economist]]'' wrote in 2010 that "any attempt to find a clear definition of a country soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies."<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2010 |title=In quite a state |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/international/2010/04/08/in-quite-a-state |access-date=2022-08-24 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=24 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824202226/https://www.economist.com/international/2010/04/08/in-quite-a-state |url-status=live }}</ref>
Areas much smaller than a political entity may be referred to as a "country", such as the [[West Country]] in England, "big sky country" (used in various contexts of the [[American West]]), "coal country" (used to describe [[coal-mining region]]s), or simply "the country" (used to describe a [[rural area]]).<ref name="oed"/><ref name="Merriam-Webster 2024 u184">{{cite web | title=Definition of COUNTRY | website=Merriam-Webster | date=2024-02-29 | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country | access-date=2024-03-02 | archive-date=5 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805032115/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country | url-status=live }}</ref> The term "country" is also used as a qualifier descriptively, such as [[country music]] or [[Rural lifestyle|country living]].<ref name="Cambridge Dictionary 2024 t399">{{cite web | title=country | website=Cambridge Dictionary | date=2024-02-28 | url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/country | access-date=2024-03-02 | archive-date=26 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326084006/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/country | url-status=live }}</ref>
==Etymology==
The word ''country'' comes from [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|contrée}}, which derives from [[Vulgar Latin]] ({{lang|la|terra}}) {{lang|la|contrata}} ("(land) lying opposite"; "(land) spread before"), derived from {{lang|la|contra}} ("against, opposite"). It most likely entered the English language after the [[Norman invasion of England|Franco-Norman invasion]] during the 11th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of COUNTRY |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Merriam-Webster |language=en |archive-date=5 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805032115/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is tertiary|date=February 2023}}
== Definition of a country ==
In English, the word has increasingly become associated with political divisions, so that one sense, associated with the [[indefinite article]] – "a country" – is now frequently applied as a synonym for a state or a former sovereign state. It may also be used as a synonym for "nation". Taking as examples [[Canada]], [[Sri Lanka]], and [[Yugoslavia]], cultural anthropologist [[Clifford Geertz]] wrote in 1997 that "it is clear that the relationships between 'country' and 'nation' are so different from one [place] to the next as to be impossible to fold into a dichotomous opposition as they are into a promiscuous fusion."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Geertz |first=Clifford |date=1997 |title=What is a Country if it is Not a Nation? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24590031 |journal=The Brown Journal of World Affairs |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=235–247 |jstor=24590031 |issn=1080-0786}}</ref>
Areas much smaller than a political state may be referred to as countries, such as the [[West Country]] in England, "big sky country" (used in various contexts of the [[American West]]), "coal country" (used to describe [[coal-mining region]]s in several sovereign states) and many other terms.<ref name="oed">{{cite encyclopedia |title=country, n. |editor-first1=John |editor-last1=Simpson |editor-first2=Edmund |editor-last2=Weiner |encyclopedia=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |date=1991 |edition=1971 compact |publisher=Oxford University Press |___location=Oxford, England |isbn=978-0-19-861186-8}}</ref> The word "country" is also used for the sense of [[Aboriginal title|native sovereign territory]], such as the widespread use of [[Indian country]] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matal |first=Joseph |date=1997-12-01 |title=A Revisionist History of Indian Country |url=https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/alr/vol14/iss2/1 |journal=Alaska Law Review |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=283–352 |issn=0883-0568 |access-date=19 October 2022 |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111202441/https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/alr/vol14/iss2/1/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The term "country" in English may also be wielded to describe [[rural area]]s, or used in the form "countryside." [[Raymond Williams]], a Welsh scholar, wrote in 1975:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Raymond |title=The country and the city |date=1973 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-519736-4 |___location=New York |oclc=624711 }}</ref>
{{Block quote|text='Country' and 'city' are very powerful words, and this is not surprising when we remember how much they seem to stand for in the experience of human communities. In English, 'country' is both a nation and a part of a 'land'; 'the country' can be the whole society or its rural area. In the long history of human settlements, this connection between the land from which directly or indirectly we all get our living and the achievements of human society has been deeply known.|author=|title=|source=}}
The unclear definition of "country" in modern English was further commented upon by philosopher [[Simon Keller]]:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keller |first=Simon |title=New waves in political philosophy |date=2009 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-23499-4 |editor-last=De Bruin |editor-first=Boudewijn |___location=Basingstoke, England |pages=96 |chapter=Making Nonsense of Loyalty to Country |oclc=441874932 |editor-last2=Zurn |editor-first2=Christopher F. }}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=Often, a country is presumed to be identical with a collection of citizens. Sometimes, people say that a country is a project, or an idea, or an ideal. Occasionally, philosophers entertain more metaphysically ambitious pictures, suggesting that a country is an organic entity with its own independent life and character, or that a country is an autonomous agent, just like you or me. Such claims are rarely explained or defended, however, and it is not clear how they should be assessed. We attribute so many different kinds of properties to countries, speaking as though a country can feature wheat fields waving or be girt by sea, can have a founding date and be democratic and free, can be English speaking, culturally diverse, war torn or Islamic.|title=''New Waves In Political Philosophy'', "Making Nonsense of Loyalty to Country"|source=page 96}}[[Melissa Lucashenko]], an [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal Australian]] writer, expressed the difficulty of defining "[[Country (Indigenous Australians)|Country]]" in a 2005 essay, "Unsettlement":<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lucashenko |first=Melissa |date=2005-01-01 |title=Country: Being and belonging on aboriginal lands |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14443050509388027 |journal=Journal of Australian Studies |volume=29 |issue=86 |pages=7–12 |doi=10.1080/14443050509388027 |s2cid=143550941 |issn=1444-3058|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
{{Block quote|text=...What is this thing country? What does country
mean? ... I spoke with others who said country meant Home, but who added the caveat that Home resided in people rather than places{{snd}}a kind of portable Country... I tried to tease out some ways in which non-Indigenous people have understood country. I made categories: Country as Economy. Country as Geography. Country as Society. Country as Myth. Country as History. For all that I walked, slept, breathed and dreamed Country, the language still would not come.}}
== Statehood==
{{main|Sovereign state}}
{{seealso|List of sovereign states|List of sovereign states and dependent territories by continent|List of states with limited recognition}}
When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a [[sovereign state]], [[List of states with limited recognition|state with limited recognition]], [[Country (disambiguation)#Administrative divisions|constituent country]], or [[dependent territory]].<ref name="Fowler Bunck 1996 pp. 381–404">{{cite journal | last1=Fowler | first1=Michael Ross | last2=Bunck | first2=Julie Marie | title=What constitutes the sovereign state? | journal=Review of International Studies | publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) | volume=22 | issue=4 | year=1996 | issn=0260-2105 | doi=10.1017/s0260210500118637 | pages=381–404| s2cid=145809847 }}</ref><ref name="academic.oup.com i784">{{cite web | title=Recognition and its Variants | website=academic.oup.com | url=https://academic.oup.com/book/43016/chapter-abstract/361359523?redirectedFrom=fulltext | access-date=2 March 2024 | archive-date=2 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302214852/https://academic.oup.com/book/43016/chapter-abstract/361359523?redirectedFrom=fulltext | url-status=live }}</ref> A sovereign state is a [[Polity|political entity]] that has supreme legitimate authority over a part of the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Philpott |first=Daniel |date=1995 |title=Sovereignty: An Introduction and Brief History |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24357595 |url-status=live |journal=Journal of International Affairs |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=353–368 |issn=0022-197X |jstor=24357595 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807105623/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24357595 |archive-date=7 August 2022 |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref> There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world since several states have disputed sovereignty status, and a number of non-sovereign entities are commonly called countries.<ref name="Seguin 2011 f032">{{cite web | last=Seguin | first=Denis | title=What makes a country? | website=The Globe and Mail | date=2011-07-29 | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/what-makes-a-country/article595868/ | access-date=2024-01-24 | archive-date=24 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124003740/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/what-makes-a-country/article595868/ | url-status=live }}</ref> No definition is binding on all the members of the community of nations on the criteria for statehood.<ref name="Bedjaoui 1991 p. 47">{{cite book | last=Bedjaoui | first=M. | title=International Law: Achievements and Prospects | publisher=Springer Netherlands | series=Democracy and power | year=1991 | isbn=978-92-3-102716-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrTsNTzcY7EC&pg=PA47] | access-date=23 January 2024 | page=47]}}</ref><ref name="Seguin 2011 f032"/> State practice relating to the recognition of a country typically falls somewhere between the ''declaratory'' and ''constitutive'' approaches.<ref>{{cite book |title=International law |url=https://archive.org/details/internationallaw00shaw_380 |url-access=limited |first1=Malcolm Nathan |last1=Shaw |year=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/internationallaw00shaw_380/page/n511 369] |edition=5th |isbn=978-0-521-53183-2 }}</ref><ref name="Cohen 1961 p. 1127">{{cite journal | last=Cohen | first=Rosalyn | title=The Concept of Statehood in United Nations Practice | journal=University of Pennsylvania Law Review | volume=109 | issue=8 | date=1961 | pages=1127–1171 | doi=10.2307/3310588 | jstor=3310588 | s2cid=56273534 | url=https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review/vol109/iss8/4 | archive-date=19 January 2024 | access-date=18 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119201855/https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review/vol109/iss8/4/ | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Kelsen 1941 pp. 605–617">{{cite journal | last=Kelsen | first=Hans | title=Recognition in International Law: Theoretical Observations | journal=The American Journal of International Law | publisher=American Society of International Law | volume=35 | issue=4 | year=1941 | issn=0002-9300 | jstor=2192561 | pages=605–617 | doi=10.2307/2192561 | s2cid=147309779 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/2192561 | access-date=18 January 2024 | archive-date=18 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118213745/https://www.jstor.org/stable/2192561 | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Lauterpacht 1944 pp. 385–458">{{cite journal | last=Lauterpacht | first=H. | title=Recognition of States in International Law | journal=The Yale Law Journal | publisher=The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc. | volume=53 | issue=3 | year=1944 | issn=0044-0094 | jstor=792830 | pages=385–458 | doi=10.2307/792830 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/792830 | access-date=18 January 2024 | archive-date=18 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118213745/https://www.jstor.org/stable/792830 | url-status=live | url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Anon. x863">{{cite web
| title=Principles of the Recognition of States
| url=https://openyls.law.yale.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.13051/13240/27_53YaleLJ385_1943_1944_.pdf?sequence=2
| access-date=18 January 2024
| archive-date=18 March 2024
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240318013739/https://openyls.law.yale.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.13051/13240/27_53YaleLJ385_1943_1944_.pdf?sequence=2
| url-status=live
}}</ref>
[[File:Limited Recognition States.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|
{{legend|#C74355|UN member states that at least one other UN member state does not recognise}}
{{legend|#F8CD44|Non-UN member states recognised by at least one UN member state}}
{{legend|#246788|Non-UN member states recognised only by other non-UN member states}}
]]
International law defines sovereign states as not under another.<ref name="Lowe 2015 pp. 1–18">{{cite book |last=Lowe |first=Vaughan |title=International Law: A Very Short Introduction |date=2015-11-26 |publisher=Oxford University PressOxford |isbn=978-0-19-923933-7 |page=1–18 |chapter=Nations under law |doi=10.1093/actrade/9780199239337.003.0001}}</ref> The [[Sovereign state#Declarative theory|declarative theory]] outlined in the [[Montevideo Convention#Contents of the convention|1933 Montevideo Convention]] describes a state in ''Article 1'':<ref name="Anon. e743">{{cite web
| title= Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States
| url= https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup/Jessup15/Montevideo%20Convention.pdf
| access-date= 18 January 2024
| archive-date= 14 January 2024
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240114065544/https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup/Jessup15/Montevideo%20Convention.pdf
| url-status= live
}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica 1999 f033">{{cite web | title=States, Sovereignty, Treaties | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=26 July 1999 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/international-law/States-in-international-law | access-date=18 January 2024 | archive-date=30 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430152154/https://www.britannica.com/topic/international-law/States-in-international-law | url-status=live }}</ref>
#Having a permanent population
#Having a defined territory
#Having a government
#Having the ability to enter into [[Diplomatic recognition|relations with other states]]
The Montevideo Convention in ''Article 3'' implies that a sovereign state can exist even if no other countries recognise it.<ref name="Anon. e743"/><ref name="Caspersen Stansfield 2012 p. 55">{{cite book | last1=Caspersen | first1=N. | last2=Stansfield | first2=G. | title=Unrecognized States in the International System | publisher=Taylor & Francis | series=Exeter Studies in Ethno Politics | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-136-84999-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ARtODc4lsdQC&pg=PA55 | access-date=18 January 2024 | page=55}}</ref> As a restatement of [[customary international law]], the Montevideo Convention merely codified existing legal norms and its principles,<ref name="D’Aspremont 2019 pp. 139–152">{{cite book | last=D’Aspremont | first=Jean | title=The Global Community Yearbook of International Law and Jurisprudence 2018 | chapter=Statehood and Recognition in International Law: A Post-Colonial Invention | publisher=Oxford University Press | date=2019-08-29 | isbn=978-0-19-007250-6 | doi=10.1093/oso/9780190072506.003.0005 | pages=139–152}}</ref> and therefore does not apply merely to the signatories of international organizations (such as the [[United Nations]]),<ref name="Seguin 2011 f032"/><ref name="Crawford 2007 p. "/><ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica 1999 f033"/> but to all subjects of international law as a whole.<ref>Harris, D.J. (ed) 2004 "Cases and Materials on International Law" 6th Ed. at p. 99. Sweet and Maxwell, London</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGMxfj4oedEC&pg=PA77|title=International Law and Self-Determination: The Interplay of the Politics of Territorial Possession With Formulations of Post-Colonial National Identity|pages=77|year=2000|last=Castellino|first=Joshua|publisher=[[Martinus Nijhoff Publishers]]|isbn=9041114092}}</ref> A similar opinion has been expressed by the [[European Economic Community]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Castellino|first=Joshua|title=International Law and Self-Determination: The Interplay of the Politics of Territorial Possession With Formulations of Post-Colonial National Identity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGMxfj4oedEC|year=2000|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|isbn=978-90-411-1409-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uGMxfj4oedEC&pg=PA77 77]}}</ref> reiterated by the [[European Union]], in the principal statement of its [[Badinter Committee]],<ref>''[https://openlearnlive-s3bucket.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/95/b1/95b1fc6c10918e7fa7a2acc8666197093b9f21be?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22Pellet%20A.%2C%20The%20Opinions%20of%20the%20Badinter%20Arbitration%20Committee.pdf%22&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4GIOSMQ5JGMSLFXY%2F20240118%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240118T225348Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21552&X-Amz-Signature=86ad036490ea396a1fe3868843f2cf97b44bfd8666d9c0d3e7c03eadb6a503af The Badinter Arbitration Committee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118225642/https://openlearnlive-s3bucket.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/95/b1/95b1fc6c10918e7fa7a2acc8666197093b9f21be?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22Pellet%20A.,%20The%20Opinions%20of%20the%20Badinter%20Arbitration%20Committee.pdf%22&response-content-type=application/pdf&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4GIOSMQ5JGMSLFXY/20240118/eu-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240118T225348Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21552&X-Amz-Signature=86ad036490ea396a1fe3868843f2cf97b44bfd8666d9c0d3e7c03eadb6a503af |date=18 January 2024 }}'' (full title), named for its chair, ruled on the question of whether the Republics of Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia, who had formally requested recognition by the members of the European Union and by the EU itself, had met conditions specified by the Council of Ministers of the European Community on 16 December 1991. {{cite web |url=http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol3/No1/art12.html |title=The Opinions of the Badinter Arbitration Committee: A Second Breath for the Self-Determination of Peoples |access-date=2012-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085252/http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol3/No1/art12.html |archive-date=2008-05-17 }}</ref> and by Judge ''[[Challis Professorship|Challis Professor]]'', [[James Crawford (jurist)|James Crawford]].<ref name="Crawford 2007 p. ">{{cite book | last=Crawford | first=James R. | title=The Creation of States in International Law | publisher=Oxford University Press | date=2007-03-15 | isbn=978-0-19-922842-3 | doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199228423.003.0002 | pages=2–11}}</ref>
According to the [[Sovereign state#Constitutive theory|constitutive theory]], a state is a legal entity of international law if, and only if, it is recognised as sovereign by at least one other country.<ref name="academic.oup.com s696">{{cite web | title=Statehood and Recognition | website=academic.oup.com | url=https://academic.oup.com/book/3288/chapter-abstract/144288950?redirectedFrom=fulltext | access-date=2024-01-21 | archive-date=26 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126171048/https://academic.oup.com/book/3288/chapter-abstract/144288950?redirectedFrom=fulltext | url-status=live }}</ref> Because of this, new states could not immediately become part of the international community or be bound by international law, and recognised nations did not have to respect international law in their dealings with them.<ref name="ctos">{{cite book |title=Sourcebook on Public International Law |last=Hillier |first=Tim |year=1998 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-85941-050-9 |pages=201–2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kr0sOuIx8q8C }}</ref> In 1912, [[L. F. L. Oppenheim]] said the following, regarding constitutive theory:
{{Blockquote|International Law does not say that a State is not in existence as long as it is not recognised, but it takes no notice of it before its recognition. Through recognition only and exclusively a State becomes an International Person and a subject of International Law.<ref>{{cite book | first1 = Lassa | last1=Oppenheim | first2 = Ronald | last2 = Roxburgh | title = International Law: A Treatise | publisher = The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-1-58477-609-3 | pages = 135 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vxJ1Jwmyw0EC&pg=PA135}}</ref>}}
In 1976 the [[Organisation of African Unity]] define state recognition as:<ref name="Talmon 1998 p. 186">{{cite book | last=Talmon | first=S. | title=Recognition of Governments in International Law: With Particular Reference to Governments in Exile | publisher=Clarendon Press | series=Oxford monographs in international law | year=1998 | isbn=978-0-19-826573-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scc8EboiJX8C&pg=PA186 | access-date=2024-01-31 | page=186}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|...the recognition of an independent and sovereign state is an act of sovereignty pertaining each member of the international community, an act to be taken individually, and it is, therefore, up to member states and each OAU power [to decide] whether to recognise or not the newly independent state.}}
[[File:Dependent territories.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Dependent territories and their sovereign states. All territories are labeled according to [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2|ISO 3166-1]]{{refn|group=note|Each territory in the [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]] is labeled '''UM-''' followed by the first letter of its name and another unique letter if needed.}} or with numbers.{{refn|group=note|The following territories do not have [[ISO 3166-1]] codes:<br>'''1''': [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]<br>'''2''': [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]<br>'''3''': [[Coral Sea Islands]]}} Colored areas without labels are integral parts of their respective countries. [[Antarctica]] is shown as a [[condominium (international law)|condominium]] instead of [[territorial claims in Antarctica|individual claims]].]]
Some countries, such as [[Taiwan]], [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic|Sahrawi Republic]] and [[Kosovo]], have limited recognition or actively disputed sovereignty from sovereign states.<ref name="Kyris 2022 pp. 287–311">{{cite journal | last=Kyris | first=George | title=State recognition and dynamic sovereignty | journal=European Journal of International Relations | volume=28 | issue=2 | date=2022 | issn=1354-0661 | doi=10.1177/13540661221077441 | pages=287–311}}</ref><ref name="Allcock Lampe Young 1998 q703">{{cite web | last1=Allcock | first1=John B. | last2=Lampe | first2=John R. | last3=Young | first3=Antonia | title=History, Map, Flag, Population, Languages, & Capital | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=1998-07-20 | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kosovo | access-date=2024-01-29 | archive-date=19 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619045343/https://www.britannica.com/place/Kosovo | url-status=live }}</ref> Some sovereign states are unions of separate polities, each of which may also be considered a country in its own right, called constituent countries. The [[Danish Realm]] consists of [[Denmark|Denmark proper]], the [[Faroe Islands]], and [[Greenland]].<ref>{{cite web |date=15 January 2020 |title=Greenland and the Faroe Islands |url=https://www.eu.dk/da/english/greenland-and-the-faroe-islands |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=The Danish Parliament – EU Information Centre |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209112007/https://www.eu.dk/da/english/greenland-and-the-faroe-islands |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] consists of the [[Netherlands|Netherlands proper]], [[Aruba]], [[Curaçao]], and [[Sint Maarten]].<ref name="den Heijer van der Wilt 2022 p. 362">{{cite book | last1=den Heijer | first1=M. | last2=van der Wilt | first2=H. | title=Netherlands Yearbook of International Law 2020: Global Solidarity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities | publisher=T.M.C. Asser Press | year=2022 | isbn=978-94-6265-527-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FoCFEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA362 | access-date=21 January 2024 | page=362}}</ref> The [[United Kingdom]] consists of [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]], and [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name="Barnett 2023 p. 93">{{cite book | last=Barnett | first=H. | title=Constitutional and Administrative Law | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2023 | isbn=978-1-000-91065-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4PTEEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT93 | access-date=21 January 2024 | page=93}}</ref>
Dependent territories are the territories of a sovereign state that are outside of its proper territory. These include the [[Autonomous administrative division#New Zealand overseas territories|overseas territories of New Zealand]], the [[dependencies of Norway]], the [[British Overseas Territories]] and [[Crown Dependencies]], the [[territories of the United States]], the [[States and territories of Australia|external territories of Australia]], the [[special administrative regions of China]], the autonomous regions of the Danish Realm, [[Åland]], [[Overseas France]], and the [[Caribbean Netherlands]]. Some dependent territories are treated as a separate "[[country of origin]]" in international trade,<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 November 2021 |title=Canadian Importers Database – Home |url=http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cid-dic.nsf/eng/Home |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=23 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423232611/https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cid-dic.nsf/eng/home |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2017 |title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, General Preferential Tariff and Least Developed Country Tariff Rules of Origin Regulations |url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2013-165/FullText.html |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417083011/https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2013-165/FullText.html |url-status=live }}</ref> such as [[Hong Kong]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Made In The British Crown Colony |url=http://thuytiencrampton.com/2010/07/07/made-in-the-british-crown-colony/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407075644/http://thuytiencrampton.com/2010/07/07/made-in-the-british-crown-colony/ |archive-date=2014-04-07 |work=Thuy-Tien Crampton}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Matchbox label, made in Hong Kong |url=http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/id,41342017,var,MATCHBOX-LABEL-MADE-IN-HONG-KONG,language,E.html#.Uzrl3vmSwZg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140401162502/http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/id,41342017,var,MATCHBOX-LABEL-MADE-IN-HONG-KONG,language,E.html%23.UzroWH3LfK5#.Uzrl3vmSwZg |archive-date=1 April 2014 |work=delcampe.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Carrhart Made In Hong Kong? |url=http://www.contractortalk.com/f40/carrhart-made-hong-kong-27324/ |work=ContractorTalk |access-date=28 May 2014 |archive-date=7 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407174000/http://www.contractortalk.com/f40/carrhart-made-hong-kong-27324/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Greenland]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trademarkelite.com/europe/trademark/trademark-detail/017910465/PRODUCT-OF-GREENLAND-INLAND-ICE |title=Product of Greenland Inland Ice Trademark of Inland Ice Denmark ApS. Application Number: 017910465 :: Trademark Elite Trademarks |access-date=14 September 2022 |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111202441/https://www.trademarkelite.com/europe/trademark/trademark-detail/017910465/PRODUCT-OF-GREENLAND-INLAND-ICE |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Macau]].<ref name="International Trade Administration 2019 r527">{{cite web | title=Hong Kong & Macau | website=International Trade Administration | date=2019-12-20 | url=https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/hong-kong-macau-market-overview | access-date=2024-01-31 | archive-date=7 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907075725/https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/hong-kong-macau-market-overview | url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Identification ===
{{Further|National symbol}}
Symbols of a country may incorporate [[Culture|cultural]], [[Religion|religious]] or [[Politics|political]] symbols of any nation that the country includes. Many categories of symbols can be seen in flags, coats of arms, or seals.<ref name="CIA x692">{{cite web | title=National symbol(s) | website=CIA | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/national-symbols/ | access-date=2024-01-24 | archive-date=8 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108112336/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2230.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Name ===
{{see also|List of country-name etymologies}}
[[File:Oceania without Asian country codes.jpg|upright=1.3|alt=Map of Pacific Island countries identified by their two-letter ISO country codes|thumb|A number of non-sovereign entities nevertheless have country codes, such as PF ([[French Polynesia]]) and TK ([[Tokelau]])]]
Most countries have a long [[Toponymy|name]]{{refn|group=note|Also ''official name'', ''formal name'', ''full name'', ''state title'' or ''protocol name'', e.g. Czech Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Hellenic Republic, State of Israel, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Principality of Monaco, Kingdom of Norway, Sultanate of Oman, Swiss Confederation, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.}} and a short name.{{refn|group=note|Also ''geographical name'', e.g. Czechia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Monaco, Oman, Norway, Switzerland, Vietnam, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, United States.}}<ref name="United States Department of State 2024 e471">{{cite web | title=United States Department of State | website=United States Department of State | date=17 Jan 2024 | url=https://www.state.gov/independent-states-in-the-world/ | access-date=29 Jan 2024 | archive-date=3 April 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403144919/https://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/4250.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> The long name is typically used in formal contexts{{refn|group=note|The long form (official title) is used when the state is targeted as a [[Juridical person|legal entity]]:<br>'''1''': This Decision is addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.<br>'''2''': The French Republic is authorised to …<br>'''3''': If the recurrence of the name of a state in the text leads to a preference for using the short form, it can be introduced with the phrase ‘hereinafter referred to as …’.}} and often describes the country's form of government. The short name is the country's common name by which it is typically identified.{{refn|group=note|The short form (short name) is used when the state is referred to geographically or economically:<br>'''1''': Workers residing in France.<br>'''2''': Exports from Greece …}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://style-guide.europa.eu/en/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=annex-a5-list-countries-territories-currencies|title=Publications Office – Interinstitutional Style Guide – Annex A5 – List of countries, territories and currencies|website=publications.europa.eu|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=28 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528204637/http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000500.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/geonames/| title = UNGEGN World Geographical Names| access-date = 5 September 2020| archive-date = 28 July 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110728144249/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/geonames/| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/iso3list/en/|title=FAO Country Profiles|website=Food and Agriculture Organization|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202012235/http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/iso3list/en/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://style-guide.europa.eu/en/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=7.1.1-designations-and-abbreviations| title = Countries: Designations and abbreviations to use| access-date = 5 September 2020| archive-date = 4 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210104160434/https://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-370100.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>
Unlike the short name, the long name can [[Geographical renaming|change]] more often when the government changes.{{refn|group=note|E.g. Kingdom of France, French Republic (but France), Tsardom of Russia, Russian Empire, Russian Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian Federation (but Russia), Kingdom of Romania, Romanian People's Republic, Socialist Republic of Romania (but Romania), German Reich, Greater German Reich, German Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany (but Germany), Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Czechoslovak Federal Republic, Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (but Czechoslovakia), Libyan Arab Republic, Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, State of Libya (but Libya).}}
For certain states, the long form and the short form are identical.{{refn|group=note|E.g. Central African Republic, Dominican Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.}}
The name of a country can hold cultural and diplomatic significance. [[Republic of Upper Volta|Upper Volta]] changed its name to [[Burkina Faso]] to reflect the end of French colonization, and the name of [[North Macedonia]] was [[Macedonia naming dispute|disputed]] for years due to a conflict with the similarly named [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] region in [[Greece]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Savage |first=Jonathan |date=2018-01-21 |title=Why do names matter so much? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42736495 |access-date=2022-07-21 |archive-date=21 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220721043621/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42736495 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Southern Rhodesia]] changed its name to [[Zimbabwe]], [[Northern Rhodesia]] to [[Zambia]], [[Bechuanaland]] to [[Botswana]], the [[Belgian Congo|Congo]] to [[Zaire]] and back again to the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]], [[Dahomey]] to [[Benin]], [[Ivory Coast]] to Côte d'Ivoire, Swaziland to [[Eswatini]], Persia to [[Iran]], [[East Pakistan]] to [[East Bengal]] and then to [[Bangladesh]], Ceylon to [[Sri Lanka]], Siam to [[Thailand]], Burma changed its English name to [[Myanmar]], [[Cambodia]] to Kampuchea and back again to Cambodia, Byelorussia to [[Belarus]], Kirghizia to [[Kyrgyzstan]], Moldavia to [[Moldova]], or [[Turkey]] to Türkiye.<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/country-names/timeline-of-country-name-changes-in-hmg-use-1919-to-present Timeline of country name changes in HMG use: 1919 to present]</ref>
The [[International Organization for Standardization]] maintains a [[List of ISO 3166 country codes|list of country codes]] as part of [[ISO 3166]] to designate each country with a [[country code]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=ISO 3166 – Country Codes |url=https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=ISO |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308003724/https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ISO 3166 standard currently comprises 249 countries, 193 of which are sovereign states that are members of the United Nations.<ref name="Statistics Canada 2018 b784">{{cite web | title=Standard Classification of Countries and Areas of Interest (SCCAI) 2017 | website=Statistics Canada | date=12 Mar 2018 | url=https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects/standard/sccai/2017/introduction | access-date=29 Jan 2024 | archive-date=29 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129073744/https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects/standard/sccai/2017/introduction | url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Flags ===
{{main|National flag}}
{{See also|List of national flags of sovereign states}}
[[File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Johnson's new chart of national emblems, 1868.jpg|thumb|''Johnson's new chart of national emblems'', published <abbr>c.</abbr> 1868. The large flags shown in the corners are the [[Flag of the United States#Historical progression of designs|37-star flag of the United States]] (flown 1867–1890), upper left; the [[Royal Standard of the United Kingdom]], upper, right; the [[Russian Imperial Standard]], lower left; and the [[Flag of France|French tricolore]] with inset [[French Imperial Eagle|Imperial Eagle]], lower right. Various other flags flown by ships are shown. The [[Flag of Cuba]] is labelled "Cuban [[Ten Years' War|(so called)]]". The [[Chinese dragon]] on the [[Flag of the Qing Dynasty|Flag of China]] was drawn mistakenly as a [[Welsh Dragon|western dragon]].]]
Originally, flags representing a country would generally be the personal flag of its rulers; however, over time, the practice of using personal banners as flags of places was abandoned in favor of flags that had some significance to the nation, often its patron saint. Early examples of these were the [[maritime republics]] such as [[Republic of Genoa|Genoa]] which could be said to have a national flag as early as the 12th century.{{sfn|Barraclough|1971|pp=7–8}} However, these were still mostly used in the context of marine identification.<ref name="Devereux 1994 p. ">{{cite book | last=Devereux | first=E. | title=Flags: The New Compact Study Guide and Identifier | publisher=Chartwell Books | series=Eyewitness books | year=1994 | isbn=978-0-7858-0049-1| page=18}}</ref>
Although some flags date back earlier, widespread use of flags outside of military or naval context begins only with the rise of the idea of the [[nation state]] at the end of the 18th century and particularly are a product of the [[Age of Revolution]]. Revolutions such as those in [[French Revolution|France]] and [[American Revolution|America]] called for people to begin thinking of themselves as [[citizens]] as opposed to [[Commoner|subjects]] under a king, and thus necessitated flags that represented the collective citizenry, not just the power and right of a ruling family.{{sfn|Nadler|2016}}{{sfn|Inglefield|Mould|1979|p=48}} With [[nationalism]] becoming common across Europe in the 19th century, national flags came to represent most of the states of Europe.{{sfn|Nadler|2016}} Flags also began fostering a sense of unity between different peoples, such as the [[Union Jack]] representing a union between [[England]] and [[Scotland]], or began to represent unity between nations in a perceived shared struggle, for example, the [[Pan-Slavic colors]] or later [[Pan-Arab colors]].{{sfn|Bartlett|2011|p=31}}
As Europeans [[colonized]] significant portions of the world, they exported ideas of nationhood and national symbols, including flags, with the adoption of a flag becoming seen as integral to the [[nation-building]] process.{{sfn|Virmani|1999|p=169}} Political change, social reform, and revolutions combined with a growing sense of nationhood among ordinary people in the 19th and 20th centuries led to the birth of new nations and flags around the globe.{{sfn|Inglefield|Mould|1979|p=50}} With so many flags being created, interest in these designs began to develop and the study of flags, [[vexillology]], at both professional and amateur levels, emerged. After World War II, Western vexillology went through a phase of rapid development, with many research facilities and publications being established.{{sfn|Xing|2013|p=2}}
=== National anthems ===
{{main| National anthem }}
{{seealso|List of national anthems}}
[[File:Handschrift Brussel p-37-38.jpg|thumb|Early version of the "Wilhelmus" as preserved in a manuscript of 1617 (Brussels, [[Royal Library of Belgium|Royal Library]], MS 15662, fol. 37v-38r)<ref>M. de Bruin, "Het Wilhelmus tijdens de Republiek", in: L.P. Grijp (ed.), ''Nationale hymnen. Het Wilhelmus en zijn buren. Volkskundig bulletin 24'' (1998), p. 16-42, 199–200; esp. p. 28 n. 65.</ref>]]
A national anthem is a [[Patriotism|patriotic]] [[musical composition]] symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National anthem – The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/national-anthem/ |access-date=2021-05-27 |website=Central Intelligence Agency |archive-date=5 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805175145/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/national-anthem/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Though the custom of an officially adopted national anthem became popular only in the 19th century, some national anthems predate this period, often existing as patriotic songs long before designation as national anthem.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} Several countries remain without an official national anthem. In these cases, there are established ''[[de facto]]'' anthems played at sporting events or diplomatic receptions. These include the United Kingdom ("[[God Save the King]]") and Sweden ({{lang|sv|[[Du gamla, Du fria]]}}). Some sovereign states that are made up of multiple countries or constituencies have associated musical compositions for each of them (such as with the [[United Kingdom]], [[Russia]], and the [[Soviet Union]]). These are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states (for example, "{{lang|cy|[[Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau]]|italic=no}}" is used for Wales, part of the United Kingdom).<ref name="Harrison 2022 x303">{{cite web | last=Harrison | first=Ellie | title=The history of the Welsh national anthem that's gripped the world | website=The Independent | date=29 November 2022 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/wales-world-cup-anthem-lyrics-translation-b2235003.html | access-date=29 January 2024 | archive-date=29 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129160133/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/wales-world-cup-anthem-lyrics-translation-b2235003.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Other symbols ===
* [[Gallery of country coats of arms|Coats of arms]] or [[national emblem]]s
* [[seal (emblem)|Seals or stamps]]
* [[National motto]]s
* [[National colors]]
== Patriotism ==
{{main|Patriotism}}
{{See also|Cultural nationalism}}
A positive emotional connection to a country a person belongs to is called [[patriotism]]. Patriotism is a sense of love for, devotion to, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, and language relating to one's homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political, or historical aspects. It encompasses a set of concepts closely related to [[nationalism]], mostly [[civic nationalism]] and sometimes [[cultural nationalism]].<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |author=Harvey Chisick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5N-wqTXwiU0C&pg=PA313 |title=Historical Dictionary of the Enlightenment |date=2005 | publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0810865488 |access-date=2013-11-03 |archive-date=25 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925183305/http://books.google.com/books?id=5N-wqTXwiU0C&pg=PA313 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nationalism |date=Nov 29, 2001 |first1= Nenad |last1=Miscevic |url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nationalism/ |access-date=2013-11-03 |publisher=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy |url-status=live |archive-url= https://archive.today/20170322023114/https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nationalism/ |archive-date= 22 Mar 2017 }}</ref>
==Economy==
[[File:Countries by GDP (PPP) per capita in 2020.png|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Gross domestic product]] per capita of 213 "countries" (2020) ([[Purchasing power parity]] – [[international dollars]])
<br />{{hlist|{{legend inline|#4b0049|>50,000}}|{{legend inline|#680063|35,000–50,000}}|{{legend inline|#814991|20,000–35,000}}|{{legend inline|#8c6bb1|10,000–20,000}}|{{legend inline|#8c96c6|5,000–10,000}}|{{legend inline|#9ebcda|2,000–5,000}}|{{legend inline|#bfd3e6|<2,000}}|{{legend inline|#999999|Data unavailable}}}}]]
Several organizations seek to identify trends to produce economy country classifications. Countries are often distinguished as [[developing country|developing countries]] or [[Developed country|developed countries]].<ref name="Paprotny 2020 pp. 193–225">{{cite journal | last=Paprotny | first=Dominik | title=Convergence Between Developed and Developing Countries: A Centennial Perspective | journal=Social Indicators Research | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=153 | issue=1 | date=14 Sep 2020 | issn=0303-8300 | doi=10.1007/s11205-020-02488-4 | pages=193–225| pmid=32952263 | pmc=7487265 }}</ref>
The [[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]] annually produces the ''World Economic Situation and Prospects Report'' classifying states as developed countries, economies in transition, or developing countries. The report classifies country development based on per capita [[gross national income]] (GNI)<ref name="Nations 2020 k704">{{cite web | last=Nations | first=United | title=What We Do | publisher=United Nations | date=20 Sep 2020 | url=https://www.un.org/en/desa/what-we-do | access-date=29 Jan 2024 | archive-date=18 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118062114/https://www.un.org/en/desa/what-we-do/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and identifies subgroups within broad categories based on geographical ___location or ad hoc criteria. Geographic regions with developing economies are Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Economies in transition are in the former Soviet Union and South-Eastern Europe. Regions with developed countries are in Northern America, Europe, and Asia and the Pacific. The majority of economies in transition and developing countries are found in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.<ref name="UNCTAD 2023 e635">{{cite web | title=UN list of least developed countries | website=UNCTAD | date=1 Dec 2023 | url=https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list | access-date=29 Jan 2024 | archive-date=1 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801215744/https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list | url-status=live }}</ref>
The [[World Bank]] also classifies countries based on GNI per capita. The ''World Bank Atlas method'' classifies countries as low-income economies, lower-middle-income economies, upper-middle-income economies, or high-income economies. For the 2020 fiscal year, the World Bank defines low-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita of $1,025 or less in 2018; lower-middle-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita between $1,026 and $3,995; upper-middle-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita between $3,996 and $12,375; high-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita of $12,376 or more..<ref name="World Bank Data Help Desk 2022 x420"/>
It also identifies regional trends. The World Bank defines its regions as East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Lastly, the World Bank distinguishes countries based on its operational policies. The three categories include [[International Development Association]] (IDA) countries, [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (IBRD) countries, and Blend countries.<ref name="World Bank Data Help Desk 2022 x420">{{cite web | title=How does the World Bank classify countries? | website=World Bank Data | date=1 Jul 2022 | url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/378834-how-does-the-world-bank-classify-countries | access-date=29 Jan 2024 | archive-date=22 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522092916/https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/378834-how-does-the-world-bank-classify-countries | url-status=live }}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Countries|Politics|World}}
* [[Country (identity)]]
* [[Lists by country]]
* [[List of former sovereign states]]
* [[Lists of sovereign states and dependent territories]]
* [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by continent]]
* [[List of transcontinental countries]]
* [[List of sovereign states]]
* [[Micronation]]
* [[Quasi-state]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
<!--
* Anderson, Benedict; 'Imagined Communities: Reflections On the origin and Spread of Nationalism'; London, Verso; 1991
* Viotti, Paul R. and Kauppi, Mark V.; 'International Relations and World Politics – Security, Economy, Identity; Second Edition; New Jersey, Prentice-Hall; 2001
-->
===Works cited===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last1=Barraclough |first1=E.M.C. |title=Flags of the World |date=1971 |publisher=William Cloves & Sons Ltd |___location=Great Britain |isbn=0723213380}}
* {{cite conference |last=Bartlett |first=Ralph G. C. |date=2011 |url=https://fiav.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/icv24-04bartlett.pdf |title=Unity in Flags |publisher=International Federation of Vexillological Associations |conference=24th International Congress of Vexillology |___location=Alexandria, Virginia |access-date=12 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224155654/https://fiav.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/icv24-04bartlett.pdf |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last1=Inglefield |first1=Eric |last2=Mould |first2=Tony |title=Flags |date=1979 |publisher=Ward Lock |isbn=978-0706356526}}
* {{cite news |last1=Nadler |first1=Ben |title=Where Do Flags Come From? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/happy-flag-day/486866/ |access-date=24 November 2021 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=14 June 2016 |archive-date=24 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124011425/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/happy-flag-day/486866/ |url-status=live }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Virmani |first1=Arundhati |author1-link=Arundhati Virmani |title=National Symbols under Colonial Domination: The Nationalization of the Indian Flag, March-August 1923 |journal=Past & Present |date=August 1999 |issue=164 |pages=169–197 |jstor=651278 |publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/past/164.1.169 }}
* {{cite conference |last=Xing |first=Fei |date=2013 |url=https://fiav.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ICV2512-Xing-Fei-The-Study-of-Vexillology-in-China.pdf |title=The Study of Vexillology in China |publisher=International Federation of Vexillological Associations |conference=25th International Congress of Vexillology |___location=Rotterdam |access-date=12 December 2022 |archive-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616162946/https://fiav.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ICV2512-Xing-Fei-The-Study-of-Vexillology-in-China.pdf |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}
==Further reading==
* [http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15868439 Defining what makes a country] ''The Economist''
==External links==
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/ The CIA World Factbook]
* [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ Country Studies] from the [[United States Library of Congress]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090108200417/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm Foreign Information by Country] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20080625035909/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreignalpha.htm Country & Territory Guides] from GovPubs at UCB Libraries
* [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/ United Nations statistics division]
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{{Lists of countries and territories by continent}}
{{States with limited recognition}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Countries| ]]
[[Category:Human geography]]
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