Server time: 0

Countries of the world

States with limited recognition

sovereign states , UN members

Not all countries of the world are recognized by the international community - i.e. the so-called club of the countries that have already politically recognized each other - as independent states. However, there are some countries that are not included in these lists, but exist de facto, claim their own sovereignty and are even recognized by some other countries. Nevertheless, every particular case should be considered individually: the situations, the background, the causes and effects, the degrees of independence as well as the level of support within and outside the proclaimed borders may vary. Unrecognized or partly recognized countries listed in the table below differ from each other immensely and their being in one specific list is highly conditional.

Origin page: непризнанные страны.

Country
A→Z
Capital Territory Area,
km2   
Population,
men   
Continent
flag of Principality of Sealand Principality of Sealand
SealandUnited Kingdom0.0027Europe
flag of Sovereign Military Order of Malta Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Palazzo MaltaItaly0.0110 500Europe
flag of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
North NicosiaCyprus3 300313 626Asia
flag of Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
TiraspolMoldova4 163475 665Europe
flag of Azania Azania
DhobleySomalia7 00070 000Africa
flag of Donetsk People's Republic Donetsk People's Republic
DonetskUkraine8 4361 867 000Europe
flag of Luhansk People's Republic Luhansk People's Republic
LuhanskUkraine8 5971 222 950Europe
flag of Republic of Kosovo Republic of Kosovo
PristinaSerbia10 8871 771 604Europe
flag of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
StepanakertAzerbaijan11 500146 600Asia
flag of Waziristan Waziristan
WanaPakistan11 5851 215 761Asia
flag of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir
MuzaffarabadPakistan11 6393 631 224Asia
flag of Wa State Wa State
PangkhamMyanmar17 000558 000Asia
flag of Awdalland Awdalland
BooramaSomalia21 374417 311Africa
flag of Himan and Heeb Himan and Heeb
AdadoSomalia30 000500 000Africa
flag of Republic of China Republic of China
TaipeiChina35 98023 561 236Asia
flag of Galmudug Galmudug
DhuusamareebSomalia46 0001 800 000Africa
flag of Jubaland Jubaland
KismayoSomalia110 2931 360 633Africa
flag of Somaliland Somaliland
HargeisaSomalia137 6004 500 000Africa
flag of Shan State Shan State
TaunggyiMyanmar155 8004 702 000Asia
flag of Puntland Puntland
GaroweSomalia212 5104 334 633Africa
flag of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
LaayouneMorocco
Mauritania
266 000584 000Africa
flag of Azawad Azawad
TimbuktuMali822 0001 295 000Africa

If desired, the list could be greatly extended according to the simple separatist tendencies. Should Scotland be considered an independent country? Once it was conquered by the UK and is still a part of it, but has always longed for independence. The same is with Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain or Quebec in Canada. And there are many more examples around the world.

Status is the concept of variability. If the country is not recognized today, it may be recognized tomorrow. And vice versa. Or it can be dismembered during a revolution, rebellion or a full-scale war, and then, depending on the outcome, be left to wait whether it will be recognized or not. There are easier cases: dependent territories, that can gain independence from the metropoly right now, with an international recognition as follows, because no one will object. But will they be released? And if so, how far? In other words, it is a decision for the leading countries of the world.