First, we started with the list of 193 member states of the United Nations.
Then, we added the two non-member states with permanent observer status at the UN: Palestine and the Vatican City
Then, we discussed a bit what to do about states that have limited recognition, meaning that some member states of the UN recognize them, but not all (or, in some cases, only a very few). We decided that we would tend towards including a country if it recognized its own autonomy. This is in keeping with the Montevideo Accords of 1933. Mostly, if a country thinks it’s independent, and it is providing the services of a government within its territory, then we’re counting it in our list, even if some other country thinks that territory is a part of it. There are 9 such states, at present, as far as we can determine. We might update the list as we learn more. We welcome feedback.
Here’s the whole list we’re planning on:
For UN member states, the year of entry into the UN follows the country’s name
*non-member observer state (2)
** non-member state with limited recognition by member states (6)
*** non-member states that are only recognized by other non-member states
Abkhazia ** (recognized by five members)
Afghanistan 1946
Albania 1955
Algeria 1962
Andorra 1993
Angola 1976
Antigua and Barbuda 1981
Argentina 1945
Armenia 1992
Australia 1945
Austria 1955
Azerbaijan 1992
Bahamas 1973
Bahrain 1971
Bangladesh 1974
Barbados 1966
Belarus 1945
Belgium 1945
Belize 1981
Benin 1960
Bhutan 1971
Bolivia 1945
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992
Botswana 1966
Brazil 1945
Brunei 1984
Bulgaria 1955
Burkina Faso 1960
Burundi 1962
Cambodia 1955
Cameroon 1960
Canada 1945
Cape Verde 1975
Central African Republic 1960
Chad 1960
Chile 1945
China2 1945
Colombia 1945
Comoros 1975
Congo, Rep. of 1960
Congo, Dem. Rep. of 1960
Costa Rica 1945
Cote d'Ivoire 1960
Croatia 1992
Cuba 1945
Cyprus 1960
Czech Republic3 1993
Denmark 1945
Djibouti 1977
Dominica 1978
Dominican Republic 1945
East Timor4 2002
Ecuador 1945
Egypt 1945
El Salvador 1945
Equatorial Guinea 1968
Eritrea 1993
Estonia 1991
Ethiopia 1945
Fiji 1970
Finland 1955
France 1945
Gabon 1960
Gambia 1965
Georgia 1992
Germany 1973
Ghana 1957
Greece 1945
Grenada 1974
Guatemala 1945
Guinea 1958
Guinea-Bissau 1974
Guyana 1966
Haiti 1945
Honduras 1945
Hungary 1955
Iceland 1946
India 1945
Indonesia 1950
Iran 1945
Iraq 1945
Ireland 1955
Israel 1949
Italy 1955
Jamaica 1962
Japan 1956
Jordan 1955
Kazakhstan 1992
Kenya 1963
Kiribati 1999
Kosovo ** (recognized by 102 members)
Kuwait 1963
Kyrgyzstan 1992
Laos 1955
Latvia 1991
Lebanon 1945
Lesotho 1966
Liberia 1945
Libya 1955
Liechtenstein 1990
Lithuania 1991
Luxembourg 1945
Macedonia5 1993
Madagascar 1960
Malawi 1964
Malaysia 1957
Maldives 1965
Mali 1960
Malta 1964
Marshall Islands 1991
Mauritania 1961
Mauritius 1968
Mexico 1945
Micronesia 1991
Moldova 1992
Monaco 1993
Mongolia 1961
Montenegro 2006
Morocco 1956
Mozambique 1975
Myanmar 1948
Nagorno-Karabakh *** (only recognized by Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria)
Namibia 1990
Nauru 1999
Nepal 1955
Netherlands 1945
New Russia
New Zealand 1945
Nicaragua 1945
Niger 1960
Nigeria 1960
Northern Cyprus ** (recognized by Turkey)
North Korea 1991
Norway 1945
Oman 1971
Pakistan 1947
Palau 1994
Palestine * (non-member state)
Panama 1945
Papua New Guinea 1975
Paraguay 1945
Peru 1945
Philippines 1945
Poland 1945
Portugal 1955
Qatar 1971
Romania 1955
Russia 1945
Rwanda 1962
St. Kitts and Nevis 1983
St. Lucia 1979
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1980
Samoa 1976
San Marino 1992
So Tom and Principe 1975
Saudi Arabia 1945
Senegal 1960
Serbia6 2000
Seychelles 1976
Sierra Leone 1961
Singapore 1965
Slovakia3 1993
Slovenia 1992
Solomon Islands 1978
Somalia 1960
South Africa 1945
South Korea 1991
South Ossetia ** (recognized by five members)
South Sudan 2011
Spain 1955
Sri Lanka 1955
Sudan 1956
Suriname 1975
Swaziland 1968
Sweden 1946
Switzerland4 2002
Syria 1945
Taiwan ** (recognized by 16 members)
Tajikistan 1992
Tanzania 1961
Thailand 1946
Togo 1960
Tonga 1999
Transnistria *** (only recognized by Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh)
Trinidad and Tobago 1962
Tunisia 1956
Turkey 1945
Turkmenistan 1992
Tuvalu 2000
Uganda 1962
Ukraine 1945
United Arab Emirates 1971
United Kingdom 1945
United States 1945
Uruguay 1945
Uzbekistan 1992
Vanuatu 1981
Vatican City * (non-member state)
Venezuela 1945
Vietnam 1977
Western Sahara ** (recognized by 44 members)
Yemen 1947
Zambia 1964
Zimbabwe
