How Many Countries Are There?
Last updated: September 30, 2026
AI Edited Key takeaways
- The United Nations has 193 member states.
- 195 flags fly at UN Headquarters: those members plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
- This site's country wheel uses that 195, not every disputed territory.
The UN count is 193 member states
How many countries are there is not one number until you name the list. The UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library says there are currently 193 UN member states, each with one seat in the General Assembly. The UN membership record says the same: 51 founding members in 1945, and 193 members now. South Sudan, the newest member, joined in July 2011, according to the UN at a glance page. The country wheel uses the wider flag count described next.
AI Edited Why the flag row is 195
The same UN page says 195 flags fly outside UN Headquarters in New York, in English alphabetical order. They represent the 193 member states and two observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. That is the 195 this site uses. It is not a claim that every government on earth agrees on every border. A Europe-only subset of that list is the Europe country wheel.
Places a 195-list leaves off
Taiwan and Kosovo are not UN members and they are not those two observers, so they are not on the wheel. The UN membership map also notes unsettled borders, including Jammu and Kashmir and the Sudan–South Sudan line, and the Falkland Islands dispute. Those notes do not add extra slices. For a US-only spin, use the state generator. For Europe only, use the Europe country wheel.
What the country wheel loads
The country wheel starts with one slice for each of those 195 names, with a flag and a capital. Each slice has the same chance until you delete countries. The draw uses crypto.getRandomValues. Names follow the common names in the public country dataset aligned with ISO 3166 codes. Return to the wheel of names when the next spin is a class list rather than a map.
- Count UN members: 193.
- Add the Holy See and the State of Palestine: 195.
- Spin that list, or delete slices if the class needs a shorter set.
AI Edited Questions people ask about the count
Why do people say 195 instead of 193?
Members are 193. The flag row adds the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
When did the newest UN member join?
South Sudan joined in July 2011.
Is Taiwan on this site's country wheel?
No. Add it in the entries box if the lesson needs it.
Is Kosovo on the wheel?
No. It is outside the 193 members and the two observers.
Where can I spin one country from that list?
Use the country wheel linked above. It loads the same 195.