If you weren’t paying attention in geography class, you’re not alone. In fact, you’d think knowing the number of countries in the world would be common knowledge — but, it’s not. Regardless, now you’ll know, and spouting off the number could make you the most interesting person at the party.
So, how many are there?
The two factors a country must have are sovereignty and independence. Well, according to the BBC’s Science Focus, there are 195 countries in the world. The conversation about the number of countries is disputed, however, depending on the source. For example, the United States’ CIA website lists 261 countries. However, it inflates the number by including places like English territories — Gibraltar and Montserrat, for example.
Further, the United Nations only recognizes 193 countries as actual countries while treating Vatican City and the State of Palestine as observer states. The most recent place to become a recognized country is South Sudan, which declared its independence from Sudan in 2011.
How many continents are there in the world?
Let’s look at continents. Like the number of countries, there are different schools of thought about the number of continents around the globe, but there’s a consensus. According to Science Focus, the numbers four through seven will typically pop up as an answer.
If someone says four, they’re referring to America, Australia, Antarctica, and Afro-Eurasia. To get five, some split apart Afro-Eurasia while including Oceania, disregarding Antarctica, and keeping North and South America together. Six is the answer if someone separates North and South America while also giving Antarctica the boot.
However, the most recognized number of continents is seven: Antarctica, Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America.