List of countries in 2008

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Lists of Countries by Year: List of countries in 2007 – Events of 2008 – List of Countries in 2009

This is a list of countries in 2008. It lists all of the sovereign states, dependent territories, disputed territories, and unrecognized states that existed during that year, and gives a short description of their level of sovereignty. It also includes, in italics, countries which are scheduled to be created later in 2008.

Contents: Sovereign states: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V Y Z
States with limited recognition - Unrecognized states
Dependent territories: Australia - France - Netherlands
New Zealand - Norway - United Kingdom - United States
Disputed territories - Other territories
See Also - Notes

[edit] Widely recognized independent states

In 2008, there were 193 states which were widely recognized as sovereign by the international community. All except for Vatican City were members of the United Nations.

[edit] A

  • Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (UN Member)
  • Flag of Albania Albania - Republic of Albania (UN Member)
  • Flag of Algeria Algeria - People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (UN Member)
  • Flag of Andorra Andorra - Principality of Andorra (UN Member)
  • Flag of Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (UN Member)
  • Flag of Argentina Argentina - Argentine Republic (UN Member)[1]
  • Flag of Armenia Armenia - Republic of Armenia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Australia Australia - Commonwealth of Australia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Austria Austria - Republic of Austria (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan - Republic of Azerbaijan (UN Member)

[edit] B

  • Flag of the Bahamas Bahamas, The - Commonwealth of The Bahamas (UN Member)
  • Flag of Bahrain Bahrain - Kingdom of Bahrain (UN Member)
  • Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh - People's Republic of Bangladesh (UN Member)
  • Flag of Barbados Barbados (UN Member)
  • Flag of Belarus Belarus - Republic of Belarus (UN Member)
  • Flag of Belgium Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Belize Belize (UN Member)
  • Flag of Benin Benin - Republic of Benin (UN Member)
  • Flag of Bhutan Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan (UN Member)
  • Flag of Bolivia Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina (UN Member)
  • Flag of Botswana Botswana - Republic of Botswana (UN Member)
  • Flag of Brazil Brazil - Federative Republic of Brazil (UN Member)
  • Flag of Brunei Brunei - State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (UN Member)[2]
  • Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria - Republic of Bulgaria (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (UN Member)
  • Flag of Burundi Burundi - Republic of Burundi (UN Member)

[edit] C

[edit] D

[edit] E

  • Flag of Ecuador Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador (UN Member)
  • Flag of Egypt Egypt - Arab Republic of Egypt (UN Member)
  • Flag of El Salvador El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador (UN Member)
  • Flag of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea - Republic of Equatorial Guinea (UN Member)
  • Flag of Eritrea Eritrea - State of Eritrea (UN Member)
  • Flag of Estonia Estonia - Republic of Estonia (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia - Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (UN Member)

[edit] F

  • Flag of Fiji Fiji - Republic of Fiji Islands (UN Member)
  • Flag of Finland Finland - Republic of Finland (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of France France - French Republic (UN Member, EU Member)[6]

[edit] G

  • Flag of Gabon Gabon - Gabonese Republic (UN Member)
  • Flag of The Gambia The Gambia - Republic of The Gambia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Germany Germany - Federal Republic of Germany (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Ghana Ghana - Republic of Ghana (UN Member)
  • Flag of Greece Greece - Hellenic Republic (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Grenada Grenada (UN Member)
  • Flag of Guatemala Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala (UN Member)
  • Flag of Guinea Guinea - Republic of Guinea (UN Member)
  • Flag of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau - Republic of Guinea-Bissau (UN Member)
  • Flag of Guyana Guyana - Co-operative Republic of Guyana (UN Member)

[edit] H

  • Flag of Haiti Haiti - Republic of Haiti (UN Member)
  • Flag of Honduras Honduras - Republic of Honduras (UN Member)
  • Flag of Hungary Hungary - Republic of Hungary (UN Member, EU Member)

[edit] I

  • Flag of Iceland Iceland - Republic of Iceland (UN Member)
  • Flag of India India - Republic of India (UN Member)
  • Flag of Indonesia Indonesia - Republic of Indonesia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Iran Iran - Islamic Republic of Iran (UN Member)
  • Flag of Iraq Flag of Iraq Iraq - Republic of Iraq (UN Member)[7]
  • Flag of Ireland Ireland (UN Member, EU Member)[8]
  • Flag of Israel Israel - State of Israel (UN Member)
  • Flag of Italy Italy - Italian Republic (UN Member, EU Member)

[edit] J

[edit] K

  • Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan - Republic of Kazakhstan (UN Member)
  • Flag of Kenya Kenya - Republic of Kenya (UN Member)
  • Flag of Kiribati Kiribati - Republic of Kiribati (UN Member)
  • Flag of North Korea Korea, North - Democratic People's Republic of Korea (UN Member)
  • Flag of South Korea Korea, South - Republic of Korea (UN Member)
  • Flag of Kuwait Kuwait - State of Kuwait (UN Member)
  • Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyz Republic (UN Member)

[edit] L

  • Flag of Laos Laos - Lao People's Democratic Republic (UN Member)
  • Flag of Latvia Latvia - Republic of Latvia (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Lebanon Lebanon - Republic of Lebanon (UN Member)
  • Flag of Lesotho Lesotho - Kingdom of Lesotho (UN Member)
  • Flag of Liberia Liberia - Republic of Liberia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Libya Libya - Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (UN Member)
  • Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein (UN Member)
  • Flag of Lithuania Lithuania - Republic of Lithuania (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (UN Member, EU Member)

[edit] M

[edit] N

  • Flag of Namibia Namibia - Republic of Namibia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Nauru Nauru - Republic of Nauru (UN Member)
  • Flag of Nepal Nepal - State of Nepal (To May 28, UN Member)
    Flag of Nepal Nepal - Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (From May 28, UN Member)
  • Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of New Zealand New Zealand (UN Member)
  • Flag of Nicaragua Nicaragua - Republic of Nicaragua (UN Member)
  • Flag of Niger Niger - Republic of Niger (UN Member)
  • Flag of Nigeria Nigeria - Federal Republic of Nigeria (UN Member)
  • Flag of Norway Norway - Kingdom of Norway (UN Member)

[edit] O

  • Flag of Oman Oman - Sultanate of Oman (UN Member)

[edit] P

  • Flag of Pakistan Pakistan - Islamic Republic of Pakistan (UN Member)
  • Flag of Palau Palau - Republic of Palau (UN Member in a Compact of Free Association with the United States.)
  • Flag of Panama Panama - Republic of Panama (UN Member)
  • Flag of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea - Independent State of Papua New Guinea (UN Member)
  • Flag of Paraguay Paraguay - Republic of Paraguay (UN Member)
  • Flag of Peru Peru - Republic of Peru (UN Member)
  • Flag of the Philippines Philippines - Republic of the Philippines (UN Member)
  • Flag of Poland Poland - Republic of Poland (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Portugal Portugal - Portuguese Republic (UN Member, EU Member)[12]

[edit] Q

  • Flag of Qatar Qatar - State of Qatar (UN Member)

[edit] R

  • Flag of Romania Romania (UN Member, EU Member)
  • Flag of Russia Russia - Russian Federation (UN Member)
  • Flag of Rwanda Rwanda - Republic of Rwanda (UN Member)

[edit] S

[edit] T

[edit] U

[edit] V

  • Flag of Vanuatu Vanuatu - Republic of Vanuatu (UN Member)
  • Flag of the Vatican City Vatican City - State of the Vatican City[18]
  • Flag of Venezuela Venezuela - Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (UN Member)
  • Flag of Vietnam Vietnam - Socialist Republic of Vietnam (UN Member)

[edit] Y

  • Flag of Yemen Yemen - Republic of Yemen (UN Member)

[edit] Z

  • Flag of Zambia Zambia - Republic of Zambia (UN Member)
  • Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe - Republic of Zimbabwe (UN Member)

[edit] States with limited recognition

In 2008, there were 3 independent states which had recognition by at least one other widely recognized state. None were members of the Unted Nations

  • Flag of Kosovo Kosovo - Republic of Kosovo (Recognized by 41 countries. Claimed by Serbia to still be under UN administration.)
    Declared independence from Serbia on February 17.
  • Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Within the internationally recognized borders of Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey)
  • Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan - Republic of China (Former UN Member claiming to be the legitimate government of all of China. Recognized by 23 states.)[19]
  • See the Other territories for the entries on Palestine and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

[edit] Unrecognized states

In 2008, there were 5 independent states with no international recognition

  • Flag of Abkhazia Abkhazia - Republic of Abkhazia (Within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia)[20]
  • Flag of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh - Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan)[21]
  • Flag of Transnistria Transnistria - Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (Within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova)[22]
  • Flag of Somaliland Somaliland - Republic of Somaliland (Within the internationally recognized borders of Somalia)
  • Flag of South Ossetia South Ossetia - Republic of South Ossetia (Within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia.)[23]

[edit] Dependent territories

In 2008, there were 61 territories (with 1 scheduled to be dissolved and 2 scheduled to be created) which were not independent or fully incorporated into the countries which administered them.

[edit] Australia

[edit] Denmark

[edit] France

[edit] Netherlands

  • Flag of Aruba Aruba (Fully autonomous overseas country)
  • Flag of Curaçao Curaçao (Fully autonomous overseas country)
    To be split off from the Netherlands Antilles on December 15.
  • Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles (Fully autonomous overseas country)
    To be dissolved on December 15, with Curaçao and Sint Maarten becoming separate territories.
  • Flag of Sint Maarten Sint Maarten (Fully autonomous overseas country)
    To be split off from the Netherlands Antilles on December 15.

[edit] New Zealand

  • Flag of the Cook Islands Cook Islands (Self governing country in free association)
  • Flag of Niue Niue (Self governing country in free association)
  • Flag of New Zealand Ross Dependency (Uninhabited Antarctic claim)
  • Flag of Tokelau Tokelau (Self-administering territory)

[edit] Norway

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] United States

[edit] Disputed territories

[edit] Other territories and entities

  • Flag of Åland Islands Åland - Åland Islands (Neutral and demilitarized autonomous province of Finland)
  • Flag of Antarctica Antarctica (Uninhabited continent governed through the Antarctic Treaty System. Claimed in part by Australia, Argentina, Chile, France, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Brazil has also claimed to have a "zone of interest" on the continent.)
  • Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Special administrative region of China)
  • Flag of the United Nations Kosovo - Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (UN-administed province of Serbia.)
    Declared independence on February 17, gaining limited recognition.
  • Flag of Macau Macau[25] - Macau Special Administrative Region (Special administrative region of China)
  • Palestinian flag Palestine - Occupied Palestinian territories (Partly occupied by Israel, partly controlled by the Palestinian National Authority and partly controlled by Hamas. Recognized as sovereign by 93 states.)
  • Flag of Sovereign Military Order of Malta Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (Sovereign entity without territory, recognized by a limited number of states)
  • Flag of Svalbard Svalbard (Demilitarized part of Norway)

[edit] See Also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Sometimes styled as Argentine Nation
  2. ^ Sometimes known as Brunei Darussalam
  3. ^ Official short form was Congo. Often called "Congo, Republic of" to distinguish from Congo-Kinshasa.
  4. ^ Official short form was Congo. Often called "Congo, Democratic Republic of" to distinguish from Congo-Brazzaville.
  5. ^ Sometimes known by its former name of Ivory Coast.
  6. ^ Including the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion, all of which were classified as Outermost regions of the European Union.
  7. ^ It was illegal to fly the 2004 flag in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Instead, the 1959 version (Flag of Iraq) was used. The ban was lifted when a new flag was adopted on January 22.
  8. ^ Sometimes known by its official description of the Republic of Ireland
  9. ^ Sometimes translated as State of Japan.
  10. ^ Often called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia due to a naming controversy with Greece.
  11. ^ Often known by its former name of Burma.
  12. ^ Including the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, both of which were classified as Outermost regions of the European Union.
  13. ^ Including the states of Galmudug, Maakhir, and Puntland, all of which operated independently of the central government even though they did not claim independence.
  14. ^ Including the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, which was an Outermost region of the European Union.
  15. ^ In a state of civil war, with its north and east was controlled by the quasi-independent state of Tamil Eelam.
  16. ^ Somtimes known as East Timor
  17. ^ Sometimes translated as the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, or the Republic East of the Uruguay.
  18. ^ Maintaining diplomatic relations through the Holy See, a distinct entity which held Vatican City as its sovereign territory.
  19. ^ Official short form was China, or China, Republic of. Often called Chinese Taipei, Taiwain, Province of China, or Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, particularly by international organizations, in order to avoid controversy.
  20. ^ The government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, which Georgia claimed was the legitimate government of the entire territory, controlled a region known as Upper Abkhazia
  21. ^ Sometimes called Artsakh
  22. ^ Also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria and Pridnestrovie
  23. ^ Controlled in part by the government of the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia, which Georgia claimed was the legitimate government of the entire territory.
  24. ^ Sometimes referred to as Mahoré, especially by advocates of Mayotte's incorporation into the Comoros.
  25. ^ Often spelled Macao.