How many countries in the world?

According to Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention on the rights and obligations of States signed in Montevideo, Uruguay on December 26, 1933, a country is a subject of international law (a sovereign state to complete all) must meet the following criteria: stable population, defined territory, government and the ability to participate in international relations.

In fact, some countries claim to be independent but one is not internationally recognized as a political entity, or is widely recognized but the government does not have enough authority.

The world today has a total of 204 countries.

However, if these countries are included, there are 204 countries in the world today. Including:

1. 193 countries are recognized as official members of the United Nations.
2. The two countries that are observers in the United Nations are the Vatican City and Palestine (because many countries do not recognize the Palestinian State).
3. 2 countries are recognized and independent by many countries in fact that Taiwan (with 19 member states of the United Nations and the Vatican City maintains official relations) and Kosovo (111 of the 193 UN members, 23 of the 28 members of the European Union, 24 of the 28 NATO members, 35 of the 61 members of the Islamic Cooperation Organization recognized).
4. A country that is recognized by many countries but is not independent is actually the Western Sahara (African Union and at least 41 countries recognize it as sovereign territory but is occupied).
5. 6 states declared independent but not recognized as Abkhazia (only recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu); Northern Cyprus (only Turkey recognized); South Ossetia (only Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru recognized); Somaliland, Transnistria and Nagorno - Karabakh (these three countries have not yet been recognized by any national or international organizations).