The world is divided into countries with different governments, cultures, languages, currencies, religions, populations and geographical characteristics. Knowing the basic facts about countries is useful for students, teachers, travellers, businesses, researchers, IT professionals, competitive-exam candidates and anyone interested in international affairs.

A commonly used international count is 195 countries:

• 193 United Nations member states
• 2 UN non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine

This article provides a practical reference covering:

• Country name
• Capital
• Approximate population
• Major/official languages
• Major religions
• Continent/region
• Currency

Important Note About Population

Population is not a fixed number. Births, deaths and migration cause it to change continuously. Therefore, population figures below are rounded estimates intended for general reference, not real-time population counters.

Similarly, the religion column describes major religious communities and should not be interpreted as implying that every citizen follows the listed religion. Many countries have substantial religious minorities and people with no religious affiliation.

Complete List of Countries, Capitals, Population, Languages, Religions and Currencies

A

Country	Capital	Approx. Population	Major / Official Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Afghanistan	Kabul	44 million	Dari, Pashto	Islam	Asia	Afghani
Albania	Tirana	2.8 million	Albanian	Islam, Christianity	Europe	Lek
Algeria	Algiers	47 million	Arabic, Tamazight; French widely used	Islam	Africa	Algerian dinar
Andorra	Andorra la Vella	82,000	Catalan	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Angola	Luanda	39 million	Portuguese	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Kwanza
Antigua and Barbuda	Saint John's	94,000	English	Christianity	North America/Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Argentina	Buenos Aires	46 million	Spanish	Christianity, unaffiliated	South America	Argentine peso
Armenia	Yerevan	3.0 million	Armenian	Christianity	Asia/Europe	Dram
Australia	Canberra	27 million	English predominantly	Christianity, unaffiliated, other religions	Oceania	Australian dollar
Austria	Vienna	9.2 million	German	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Euro
Azerbaijan	Baku	10.4 million	Azerbaijani	Islam	Asia/Europe	Manat

B

Country	Capital	Approx. Population	Major / Official Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Bahamas	Nassau	400,000	English	Christianity	Caribbean	Bahamian dollar
Bahrain	Manama	1.6 million	Arabic	Islam	Asia	Bahraini dinar
Bangladesh	Dhaka	176 million	Bengali/Bangla	Islam, Hinduism	Asia	Taka
Barbados	Bridgetown	282,000	English	Christianity	Caribbean	Barbadian dollar
Belarus	Minsk	9.0 million	Belarusian, Russian	Christianity	Europe	Belarusian ruble
Belgium	Brussels	11.8 million	Dutch, French, German	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Euro
Belize	Belmopan	420,000	English, Spanish, Belizean Creole	Christianity	North America	Belize dollar
Benin	Porto-Novo	15 million	French, local languages	Christianity, Islam, traditional religions	Africa	West African CFA franc
Bhutan	Thimphu	790,000	Dzongkha	Buddhism, Hinduism	Asia	Ngultrum
Bolivia	Sucre*	12.6 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and others	Christianity, indigenous beliefs	South America	Boliviano
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo	3.2 million	Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian	Islam, Christianity	Europe	Convertible mark
Botswana	Gaborone	2.7 million	English, Setswana	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Pula
Brazil	Brasília	213 million	Portuguese	Christianity, other/none	South America	Brazilian real
Brunei	Bandar Seri Begawan	460,000	Malay	Islam	Asia	Brunei dollar
Bulgaria	Sofia	6.4 million	Bulgarian	Christianity, Islam	Europe	Lev
Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	24 million	French and national languages	Islam, Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	West African CFA franc
Burundi	Gitega	14 million	Kirundi, French, English	Christianity	Africa	Burundian franc

*Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital; La Paz is the seat of government.

C

Country	Capital	Approx. Population	Major / Official Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Cabo Verde	Praia	530,000	Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole	Christianity	Africa	Cape Verdean escudo
Cambodia	Phnom Penh	18 million	Khmer	Buddhism	Asia	Riel
Cameroon	Yaoundé	30 million	French, English, indigenous languages	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Canada	Ottawa	41 million	English, French	Christianity, unaffiliated, multiple religions	North America	Canadian dollar
Central African Republic	Bangui	5.5 million	French, Sango	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Chad	N'Djamena	21 million	French, Arabic	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Chile	Santiago	20 million	Spanish	Christianity, unaffiliated	South America	Chilean peso
China	Beijing	~1.41 billion	Standard Chinese/Mandarin	Folk religion, Buddhism, unaffiliated, Christianity, Islam	Asia	Renminbi (yuan)
Colombia	Bogotá	53 million	Spanish	Christianity	South America	Colombian peso
Comoros	Moroni	880,000	Comorian, Arabic, French	Islam	Africa	Comorian franc
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Kinshasa	113 million	French, Lingala, Swahili and others	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Congolese franc
Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville	6.5 million	French, Lingala, Kituba	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Costa Rica	San José	5.2 million	Spanish	Christianity	North America	Costa Rican colón
Côte d'Ivoire	Yamoussoukro	33 million	French, local languages	Islam, Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	West African CFA franc
Croatia	Zagreb	3.8 million	Croatian	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Cuba	Havana	11 million	Spanish	Christianity, folk religions, unaffiliated	Caribbean	Cuban peso
Cyprus	Nicosia	1.3 million	Greek, Turkish	Christianity, Islam	Europe/Asia	Euro
Czechia	Prague	10.9 million	Czech	Unaffiliated, Christianity	Europe	Czech koruna

D

Country	Capital	Approx. Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Denmark	Copenhagen	6.0 million	Danish	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Danish krone
Djibouti	Djibouti	1.2 million	Arabic, French, Somali, Afar	Islam	Africa	Djiboutian franc
Dominica	Roseau	66,000	English, Creole	Christianity	Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo	11.5 million	Spanish	Christianity	Caribbean	Dominican peso

E

Country	Capital	Approx. Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Ecuador	Quito	18.5 million	Spanish, Quechua and indigenous languages	Christianity	South America	US dollar
Egypt	Cairo	118 million	Arabic	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Egyptian pound
El Salvador	San Salvador	6.3 million	Spanish	Christianity	Central America	US dollar
Equatorial Guinea	Malabo	1.9 million	Spanish, French, Portuguese	Christianity	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Eritrea	Asmara	~3.6 million	Tigrinya, Arabic, English and others	Christianity, Islam	Africa	Nakfa
Estonia	Tallinn	1.4 million	Estonian	Unaffiliated, Christianity	Europe	Euro
Eswatini	Mbabane / Lobamba	1.25 million	Swazi, English	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Lilangeni
Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	135 million	Amharic and many regional languages	Christianity, Islam	Africa	Birr

F

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Fiji	Suva	930,000	English, Fijian, Fiji Hindi	Christianity, Hinduism, Islam	Oceania	Fijian dollar
Finland	Helsinki	5.6 million	Finnish, Swedish	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
France	Paris	68 million	French	Christianity, Islam, Judaism, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro

G

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Gabon	Libreville	2.6 million	French	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Central African CFA franc
Gambia	Banjul	2.9 million	English and local languages	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Dalasi
Georgia	Tbilisi	3.7 million	Georgian	Christianity	Asia/Europe	Lari
Germany	Berlin	84 million	German	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Euro
Ghana	Accra	35 million	English and local languages	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Ghanaian cedi
Greece	Athens	10.3 million	Greek	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Grenada	Saint George's	117,000	English	Christianity	Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Guatemala	Guatemala City	19 million	Spanish, Mayan languages	Christianity, indigenous beliefs	Central America	Quetzal
Guinea	Conakry	15 million	French and local languages	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Guinean franc
Guinea-Bissau	Bissau	2.3 million	Portuguese, Guinea-Bissau Creole	Islam, Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	West African CFA franc
Guyana	Georgetown	830,000	English	Christianity, Hinduism, Islam	South America	Guyanese dollar

H

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	12 million	Haitian Creole, French	Christianity, Vodou	Caribbean	Gourde
Honduras	Tegucigalpa	11 million	Spanish	Christianity	Central America	Lempira
Hungary	Budapest	9.6 million	Hungarian	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Forint

I

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Iceland	Reykjavík	400,000	Icelandic	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Icelandic króna
India	New Delhi	~1.46 billion	Hindi, English and 22 scheduled languages	Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism	Asia	Indian rupee
Indonesia	Jakarta / Nusantara transition	~286 million	Indonesian, hundreds of regional languages	Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism	Asia	Indonesian rupiah
Iran	Tehran	92 million	Persian/Farsi	Islam	Asia	Iranian rial
Iraq	Baghdad	47 million	Arabic, Kurdish	Islam, Christianity	Asia	Iraqi dinar
Ireland	Dublin	5.4 million	Irish, English	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
Israel	Jerusalem	~10 million	Hebrew, Arabic widely used	Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Druze	Asia	Israeli new shekel
Italy	Rome	59 million	Italian	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Euro

India: A Special Linguistic Example

India is one of the world's most linguistically diverse countries. Hindi is widely spoken and English has an important role in administration, higher education, technology and interstate communication. The Constitution recognizes 22 scheduled languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese and others.

J

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Jamaica	Kingston	2.8 million	English, Jamaican Patois	Christianity	Caribbean	Jamaican dollar
Japan	Tokyo	123 million	Japanese	Shinto, Buddhism, other/none	Asia	Japanese yen
Jordan	Amman	11.5 million	Arabic	Islam, Christianity	Asia	Jordanian dinar

K

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Kazakhstan	Astana	20.5 million	Kazakh, Russian	Islam, Christianity	Asia	Tenge
Kenya	Nairobi	58 million	Swahili, English	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Kenyan shilling
Kiribati	South Tarawa	135,000	Gilbertese, English	Christianity	Oceania	Australian dollar
Kuwait	Kuwait City	5 million	Arabic	Islam	Asia	Kuwaiti dinar
Kyrgyzstan	Bishkek	7.3 million	Kyrgyz, Russian	Islam, Christianity	Asia	Som

L

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Laos	Vientiane	7.8 million	Lao	Buddhism, traditional beliefs	Asia	Kip
Latvia	Riga	1.9 million	Latvian	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
Lebanon	Beirut	5.8 million	Arabic; French and English widely used	Islam, Christianity, Druze	Asia	Lebanese pound
Lesotho	Maseru	2.3 million	Sesotho, English	Christianity	Africa	Loti
Liberia	Monrovia	5.7 million	English and indigenous languages	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Liberian dollar
Libya	Tripoli	7.5 million	Arabic	Islam	Africa	Libyan dinar
Liechtenstein	Vaduz	40,000	German	Christianity	Europe	Swiss franc
Lithuania	Vilnius	2.9 million	Lithuanian	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	680,000	Luxembourgish, French, German	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro

M

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Madagascar	Antananarivo	33 million	Malagasy, French	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Ariary
Malawi	Lilongwe	22 million	English, Chichewa	Christianity, Islam	Africa	Malawian kwacha
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	36 million	Malay; English, Chinese languages, Tamil widely used	Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism	Asia	Ringgit
Maldives	Malé	530,000	Dhivehi	Islam	Asia	Rufiyaa
Mali	Bamako	25 million	Bambara and other national languages; French widely used	Islam	Africa	West African CFA franc
Malta	Valletta	560,000	Maltese, English	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Marshall Islands	Majuro	42,000	Marshallese, English	Christianity	Oceania	US dollar
Mauritania	Nouakchott	5.3 million	Arabic and national languages	Islam	Africa	Ouguiya
Mauritius	Port Louis	1.3 million	English, French, Mauritian Creole	Hinduism, Christianity, Islam	Africa	Mauritian rupee
Mexico	Mexico City	132 million	Spanish and indigenous languages	Christianity	North America	Mexican peso
Micronesia	Palikir	115,000	English and Micronesian languages	Christianity	Oceania	US dollar
Moldova	Chișinău	~2.4 million	Romanian	Christianity	Europe	Moldovan leu
Monaco	Monaco	39,000	French	Christianity	Europe	Euro
Mongolia	Ulaanbaatar	3.5 million	Mongolian	Buddhism, unaffiliated/traditional beliefs	Asia	Tögrög
Montenegro	Podgorica	630,000	Montenegrin and related South Slavic languages	Christianity, Islam	Europe	Euro
Morocco	Rabat	38 million	Arabic, Amazigh; French widely used	Islam	Africa	Moroccan dirham
Mozambique	Maputo	36 million	Portuguese and African languages	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Metical
Myanmar	Naypyidaw	55 million	Burmese	Buddhism, Christianity, Islam	Asia	Kyat

N

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Namibia	Windhoek	3.1 million	English and numerous indigenous languages	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Namibian dollar
Nauru	Yaren*	12,000	Nauruan, English	Christianity	Oceania	Australian dollar
Nepal	Kathmandu	30 million	Nepali and many regional languages	Hinduism, Buddhism	Asia	Nepalese rupee
Netherlands	Amsterdam*	18 million	Dutch	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Euro
New Zealand	Wellington	5.3 million	English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language	Christianity, unaffiliated	Oceania	New Zealand dollar
Nicaragua	Managua	7.0 million	Spanish	Christianity	Central America	Córdoba
Niger	Niamey	28 million	French and national languages	Islam	Africa	West African CFA franc
Nigeria	Abuja	238 million	English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and hundreds more	Islam, Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Naira
North Korea	Pyongyang	26.5 million	Korean	State secularism; traditional beliefs	Asia	North Korean won
North Macedonia	Skopje	1.8 million	Macedonian, Albanian	Christianity, Islam	Europe	Denar
Norway	Oslo	5.6 million	Norwegian, Sami languages	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Norwegian krone

*Nauru has no officially designated capital; government offices are located in Yaren District.

*Amsterdam is the constitutional capital of the Netherlands, while the government and parliament are based in The Hague.

O

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Oman	Muscat	5.4 million	Arabic	Islam	Asia	Omani rial

P

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Pakistan	Islamabad	255 million	Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and others	Islam	Asia	Pakistani rupee
Palau	Ngerulmud	18,000	Palauan, English	Christianity	Oceania	US dollar
Panama	Panama City	4.6 million	Spanish	Christianity	Central America	Balboa / US dollar
Papua New Guinea	Port Moresby	10.8 million	English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu and hundreds of indigenous languages	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Oceania	Kina
Paraguay	Asunción	7.0 million	Spanish, Guaraní	Christianity	South America	Guaraní
Peru	Lima	35 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and indigenous languages	Christianity	South America	Sol
Philippines	Manila	117 million	Filipino, English and regional languages	Christianity, Islam	Asia	Philippine peso
Poland	Warsaw	37.5 million	Polish	Christianity	Europe	Złoty
Portugal	Lisbon	10.5 million	Portuguese	Christianity	Europe	Euro

Papua New Guinea is especially notable for its extraordinary linguistic diversity, with hundreds of indigenous languages spoken across the country.

Q

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Qatar	Doha	3.1 million	Arabic; English widely used	Islam	Asia	Qatari riyal

R

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Romania	Bucharest	19 million	Romanian	Christianity	Europe	Romanian leu
Russia	Moscow	144 million	Russian and numerous regional languages	Christianity, Islam, other/none	Europe/Asia	Russian ruble
Rwanda	Kigali	14.6 million	Kinyarwanda, English, French, Swahili	Christianity, Islam	Africa	Rwandan franc

S

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre	47,000	English	Christianity	Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Saint Lucia	Castries	180,000	English, Saint Lucian Creole	Christianity	Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown	100,000	English	Christianity	Caribbean	East Caribbean dollar
Samoa	Apia	220,000	Samoan, English	Christianity	Oceania	Tālā
San Marino	San Marino	34,000	Italian	Christianity	Europe	Euro
São Tomé and Príncipe	São Tomé	240,000	Portuguese	Christianity	Africa	Dobra
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	35 million	Arabic	Islam	Asia	Saudi riyal
Senegal	Dakar	19 million	French, Wolof and other national languages	Islam, Christianity	Africa	West African CFA franc
Serbia	Belgrade	6.6 million	Serbian	Christianity	Europe	Serbian dinar
Seychelles	Victoria	130,000	Seychellois Creole, English, French	Christianity	Africa	Seychellois rupee
Sierra Leone	Freetown	9 million	English, Krio and indigenous languages	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Leone
Singapore	Singapore	6.0 million	English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil	Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, unaffiliated	Asia	Singapore dollar
Slovakia	Bratislava	5.4 million	Slovak	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
Slovenia	Ljubljana	2.1 million	Slovene	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
Solomon Islands	Honiara	840,000	English and indigenous languages	Christianity	Oceania	Solomon Islands dollar
Somalia	Mogadishu	19.5 million	Somali, Arabic	Islam	Africa	Somali shilling
South Africa	Pretoria / Cape Town / Bloemfontein	64 million	12 official languages including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English	Christianity, traditional religions, Islam, Hinduism	Africa	Rand
South Korea	Seoul	52 million	Korean	Christianity, Buddhism, unaffiliated	Asia	South Korean won
South Sudan	Juba	12 million	English and indigenous languages	Christianity, traditional religions	Africa	South Sudanese pound
Spain	Madrid	49 million	Spanish; Catalan, Galician, Basque regionally	Christianity, unaffiliated	Europe	Euro
Sri Lanka	Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte	22 million	Sinhala, Tamil	Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity	Asia	Sri Lankan rupee
Sudan	Khartoum*	~51 million	Arabic, English and local languages	Islam, Christianity	Africa	Sudanese pound
Suriname	Paramaribo	640,000	Dutch, Sranan Tongo and others	Christianity, Hinduism, Islam	South America	Surinamese dollar
Sweden	Stockholm	10.7 million	Swedish	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Swedish krona
Switzerland	Bern	9.0 million	German, French, Italian, Romansh	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam	Europe	Swiss franc
Syria	Damascus	~25 million	Arabic	Islam, Christianity	Asia	Syrian pound

South Africa's Three-Capital System

South Africa is unusual because government functions are distributed among three cities:

• Pretoria – executive capital
• Cape Town – legislative capital
• Bloemfontein – traditionally identified as the judicial capital

T

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Tajikistan	Dushanbe	10.8 million	Tajik, Russian widely used	Islam	Asia	Somoni
Tanzania	Dodoma	70 million	Swahili, English	Christianity, Islam, traditional beliefs	Africa	Tanzanian shilling
Thailand	Bangkok	72 million	Thai	Buddhism, Islam	Asia	Baht
Timor-Leste	Dili	1.4 million	Tetum, Portuguese	Christianity	Asia	US dollar
Togo	Lomé	9.7 million	French and indigenous languages	Christianity, traditional religions, Islam	Africa	West African CFA franc
Tonga	Nukuʻalofa	105,000	Tongan, English	Christianity	Oceania	Paʻanga
Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain	1.5 million	English	Christianity, Hinduism, Islam	Caribbean	Trinidad and Tobago dollar
Tunisia	Tunis	12.4 million	Arabic	Islam	Africa	Tunisian dinar
Türkiye (Turkey)	Ankara	88 million	Turkish	Islam, other/none	Asia/Europe	Turkish lira
Turkmenistan	Ashgabat	7.6 million	Turkmen	Islam	Asia	Manat
Tuvalu	Funafuti	11,000	Tuvaluan, English	Christianity	Oceania	Australian dollar

U

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Uganda	Kampala	51 million	English, Swahili, Luganda and others	Christianity, Islam	Africa	Ugandan shilling
Ukraine	Kyiv	~38 million	Ukrainian	Christianity	Europe	Hryvnia
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi	11 million	Arabic; English widely used	Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and others	Asia	UAE dirham
United Kingdom	London	69 million	English; Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and others	Christianity, unaffiliated, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism	Europe	Pound sterling
United States	Washington, D.C.	347 million	English predominantly; Spanish widely spoken	Christianity, unaffiliated, Judaism, Islam and others	North America	US dollar
Uruguay	Montevideo	3.4 million	Spanish	Christianity, unaffiliated	South America	Uruguayan peso
Uzbekistan	Tashkent	37.5 million	Uzbek; Russian widely used	Islam	Asia	Uzbekistani sum

V

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Vanuatu	Port Vila	340,000	Bislama, English, French	Christianity	Oceania	Vatu
Vatican City / Holy See	Vatican City	~800	Italian, Latin and others	Christianity – Roman Catholicism	Europe	Euro
Venezuela	Caracas	29 million	Spanish	Christianity	South America	Bolívar
Vietnam	Hanoi	102 million	Vietnamese	Folk religion, Buddhism, Christianity, unaffiliated	Asia	Đồng

Y

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Yemen	Sana'a*	42 million	Arabic	Islam	Asia	Yemeni rial

Z

Country	Capital	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
Zambia	Lusaka	22 million	English and indigenous languages	Christianity	Africa	Zambian kwacha
Zimbabwe	Harare	17 million	English, Shona, Ndebele and other official languages	Christianity, traditional beliefs	Africa	Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), with foreign currencies also used

State of Palestine

Country	Capital / Administrative Centre	Population	Languages	Major Religions	Region	Currency
State of Palestine	East Jerusalem claimed as capital; Ramallah is a major administrative centre	~5.5 million	Arabic	Islam, Christianity	Asia / Middle East	Israeli new shekel, Jordanian dinar and others

The State of Palestine is a UN non-member observer state, rather than one of the 193 full UN member states.

Understanding the Number of Countries in the World

A frequent question is:

Are there 193 or 195 countries?

Both figures appear because they describe different categories.

193 refers to full members of the United Nations.

The commonly quoted figure of 195 countries adds:

1. Holy See / Vatican City
2. State of Palestine

These have UN observer-state status.

This distinction is important when building country databases, software dropdown lists, registration systems, international forms or educational material.

What About Taiwan?

Taiwan has its own government, economy, passport system, currency and administrative institutions and functions separately in many practical respects.

Its political and international status, however, is complex. Taiwan is not one of the 193 UN member states.

For software databases, it may still be necessary to include Taiwan as a selectable geographical entity depending on the application's requirements.

Capital: Taipei
Population: approximately 23 million
Main language: Mandarin Chinese
Major religions/traditions: Buddhism, Taoism, folk religions, Christianity and others
Currency: New Taiwan dollar

What About Kosovo?

Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by many countries, but recognition is not universal and Kosovo is not currently a United Nations member state.

Capital: Pristina
Population: approximately 1.6 million
Languages: Albanian, Serbian
Major religions: Islam, Christianity
Currency: Euro

Therefore, a geographical software database may contain more than 195 selectable entries even though a conventional educational list says there are 195 countries.

Countries vs Territories

Countries should not be confused with dependent territories.

Examples include:

• Puerto Rico
• Greenland
• Bermuda
• Gibraltar
• Guam
• Cayman Islands
• British Virgin Islands
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• French Polynesia
• New Caledonia

These may have their own administrative systems and country/territory codes but are not counted among the conventional 195 sovereign-state list.

This distinction becomes especially important in:

• International shipping
• Payment gateways
• Banking
• Taxation
• Domain registration
• Telephone numbering
• Passport systems
• Visa systems
• E-commerce websites
• Address databases
• ERP and CRM applications

Largest Countries by Population

The world's most populous countries include:

1. India – approximately 1.46 billion
2. China – approximately 1.41 billion
3. United States – approximately 347 million
4. Indonesia – approximately 286 million
5. Pakistan – approximately 255 million
6. Nigeria – approximately 238 million
7. Brazil – approximately 213 million
8. Bangladesh – approximately 176 million
9. Russia – approximately 144 million
10. Ethiopia – approximately 135 million

These rankings can change as populations grow or decline.

World's Major Languages

Thousands of languages are spoken around the world.

Some of the most internationally significant include:

• English
• Mandarin Chinese
• Hindi
• Spanish
• Arabic
• French
• Bengali
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Urdu
• Indonesian
• German
• Japanese
• Punjabi
• Swahili

A distinction should always be made between:

Official language – legally or administratively recognized by a country.

National language – associated with national identity.

Native/first language – language learned first by a person.

Lingua franca – language commonly used between people with different native languages.

For example, a country can have one official language while its population speaks dozens or hundreds of languages.

World's Major Religions

The world's largest religious traditions include:

Christianity

Christianity has large populations across Europe, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and parts of Asia.

Major traditions include:

• Roman Catholicism
• Protestantism
• Eastern Orthodoxy
• Oriental Orthodoxy
• Other Christian traditions

Islam

Islam is especially widespread across:

• Middle East
• North Africa
• Central Asia
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Parts of Sub-Saharan Africa

Its two largest branches are Sunni and Shia Islam.

Hinduism

Hinduism has its largest population in India and is also important in Nepal and communities throughout the world.

Buddhism

Buddhism is particularly influential in countries including:

• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Sri Lanka
• Myanmar
• Bhutan
• Mongolia
• Japan
• Vietnam
• China

Judaism

Israel contains the world's largest Jewish population, with significant Jewish communities also living in the United States and other countries.

Traditional and Folk Religions

Traditional religious systems remain important in parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

Religiously Unaffiliated Population

A substantial number of people worldwide identify as atheist, agnostic, secular or otherwise religiously unaffiliated.

Therefore, describing an entire country as belonging to one religion is usually an oversimplification.

Major International Currencies

Some currencies are used by more than one country.

US Dollar – USD

The US dollar is the official currency of the United States and is also officially used by several other countries and territories.

It is additionally one of the world's principal international reserve and trading currencies.

Euro – EUR

The euro is shared by many European countries, including:

• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Portugal
• Ireland
• Austria
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Finland
• Greece
• Croatia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Cyprus

It is also used by certain European microstates.

Pound Sterling – GBP

Used by the United Kingdom.

Japanese Yen – JPY

Used by Japan.

Chinese Renminbi – CNY

The Chinese currency is the renminbi, while the yuan is its primary unit.

Indian Rupee – INR

Used by India.

Swiss Franc – CHF

Used by Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Countries with Interesting Capital Arrangements

Not every country follows the simple model of having one city containing every branch of government.

South Africa

South Africa distributes government functions between Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.

Bolivia

Sucre is the constitutional capital, while the national government operates primarily from La Paz.

Netherlands

Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, but the government, parliament and many national institutions are located in The Hague.

Sri Lanka

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the official legislative capital, while nearby Colombo remains the country's largest commercial centre and hosts important institutions.

Eswatini

Mbabane performs administrative functions, while Lobamba has royal and legislative importance.

Nauru

Nauru does not officially designate a capital. Government offices are located in Yaren District.

Continents of the World

Countries are normally geographically grouped into:

Africa

Home to more than 50 sovereign states and enormous linguistic, ethnic, religious and ecological diversity.

Asia

The largest continent by both land area and population. It includes India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.

Europe

Includes countries ranging from large states such as Russia, Germany and France to microstates such as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.

North America

Includes Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean in common geographical classifications.

South America

Includes Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile and other countries.

Oceania

Includes Australia, New Zealand and Pacific island countries such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Palau and Vanuatu.

Antarctica

Antarctica is a continent but does not have a sovereign country or permanent native population. It is governed internationally under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Why Country Information Is Important for Software Developers

Country information is particularly important when designing international software.

A country master table may contain fields such as:

• Country ID
• ISO country code
• ISO alpha-2 code
• ISO alpha-3 code
• Country name
• Official country name
• Capital
• Continent
• Region
• Currency
• Currency code
• Currency symbol
• International dialing code
• Internet country-code domain
• Default language
• Time zones
• Date format
• Number format
• Address format
• Postal code format
• VAT/GST system
• Population
• Latitude/longitude
• Active/inactive status

For example:

India

Country Code: IN
ISO Alpha-3: IND
Currency: Indian Rupee
Currency Code: INR
Internet Domain: .in
International Calling Code: +91

United States

Country Code: US
ISO Alpha-3: USA
Currency: US Dollar
Currency Code: USD
Internet Domain: .us
International Calling Code: +1

United Kingdom

Country Code: GB
ISO Alpha-3: GBR
Currency: Pound Sterling
Currency Code: GBP
Internet Domain: .uk
International Calling Code: +44

Using standardized country codes rather than manually typed country names helps prevent database inconsistencies.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

1. How many countries are there in the world?

The commonly used figure is 195 countries, consisting of 193 UN member states plus two UN observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

2. How many countries are members of the United Nations?

There are 193 UN member states.

3. Which are the two UN observer states?

They are:

• Holy See
• State of Palestine

4. Is Vatican City a country?

Yes. Vatican City is a sovereign city-state associated with the Holy See and is the world's smallest independent state by both area and population.

5. What is the world's most populous country?

India currently has the world's largest population, followed by China.

6. What is the capital of India?

The capital of India is New Delhi.

7. What is the capital of the United States?

The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C., not New York City.

8. What is the capital of Australia?

The capital of Australia is Canberra, not Sydney or Melbourne.

9. What is the capital of Canada?

Canada's capital is Ottawa.

10. What is the capital of Brazil?

Brazil's capital is Brasília, not Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.

11. What is the capital of Türkiye?

The capital is Ankara, while Istanbul is the country's largest and best-known city.

12. What is the capital of Switzerland?

Bern functions as Switzerland's federal city and seat of government and is commonly described internationally as its capital.

13. Does South Africa have three capitals?

South Africa distributes major governmental functions among Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.

14. What is the smallest country in the world?

Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both land area and population.

15. Which country has the largest population in Africa?

Nigeria has Africa's largest population.

16. Which language is spoken in the most countries?

English has official, administrative or major second-language status across a very large number of countries and territories.

17. What is the most spoken native language?

Mandarin Chinese has one of the world's largest populations of native speakers.

18. What are the six official languages of the United Nations?

They are:

• Arabic
• Chinese
• English
• French
• Russian
• Spanish

19. Which country has the most languages?

Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most linguistically diverse countries, with hundreds of indigenous languages.

20. What is the most widely spoken language in India?

Hindi is the most widely spoken language, while English also plays a major role in government, business, higher education and technology.

21. Does India have a national language?

India does not have a constitutionally designated national language. Hindi in Devanagari script is an official language of the Union, and English is also used for official purposes under applicable law.

22. Which country has the largest Muslim population?

Indonesia has one of the world's largest Muslim populations and is generally identified as having the largest Muslim population of any individual country.

23. Which country has the largest Hindu population?

India has by far the world's largest Hindu population.

24. Which country has the largest Christian population?

Depending on the dataset and definition used, the United States is generally among the countries with the world's largest Christian populations.

25. Is religion the same for everyone in a country?

No. Most countries contain multiple religious communities as well as people who do not identify with a religion.

26. Which currency is used by the most countries?

The euro is officially shared by many European states, while the US dollar is also officially used by multiple countries and territories and has exceptionally wide international use.

27. What is the strongest currency in the world?

"Strongest" can mean different things. By nominal exchange-rate value per unit, currencies such as the Kuwaiti dinar have historically ranked very highly. This does not necessarily mean that the issuing country has the world's largest economy.

28. What is China's currency called?

China's currency is the renminbi (RMB). The yuan is the principal unit of the renminbi.

29. What currency does Japan use?

Japan uses the Japanese yen (JPY).

30. What currency does India use?

India uses the Indian rupee (INR).

31. What currency does the United Kingdom use?

The United Kingdom uses pound sterling (GBP).

32. Is Europe a country?

No. Europe is a continent containing many sovereign countries.

33. Is Africa a country?

No. Africa is a continent consisting of many countries.

34. Is Antarctica a country?

No. Antarctica is a continent and does not contain a sovereign country.

35. Is Greenland a country?

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark rather than one of the conventional 195 sovereign states.

36. Is Puerto Rico a country?

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and is not one of the 193 UN member states.

37. Is Hong Kong a country?

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China, not a sovereign UN member state.

38. Is Macau a country?

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China.

39. Is Taiwan included in the 195-country list?

No. The conventional 195 count consists of 193 UN member states plus the Holy See and Palestine. Taiwan's international political status is more complex.

40. Is Kosovo one of the 195 countries?

Kosovo is recognized as independent by many states but not universally and is not a UN member. It is therefore normally excluded from the conventional 195-country count.

41. Why do some websites show more than 195 countries?

Databases may include territories, dependencies, partially recognized states and special administrative regions. Therefore, travel, banking, software and ISO-based lists can contain significantly more than 195 entries.

42. Why do population figures differ between websites?

Different sources use different census dates, demographic models, migration estimates and reference dates. Population is also continuously changing.

43. How often should population data be updated?

For a general website, annual updates are usually sufficient. Applications requiring demographic accuracy should use authoritative statistical or UN/World Bank datasets and record the reference year alongside each figure.

44. What is an ISO country code?

ISO country codes are standardized codes used to identify countries and territories in international systems.

For example:

India – IN / IND
United States – US / USA
United Kingdom – GB / GBR
Australia – AU / AUS
Canada – CA / CAN

45. Why are country codes important?

They are widely used in:

• Software databases
• APIs
• Banking
• International payments
• E-commerce
• Shipping
• Tax systems
• Address validation
• Telecommunications
• Domain systems

46. Should a software database use country names as IDs?

Generally, no. A stable internal ID and recognized country codes are preferable because names can be renamed, translated or displayed differently.

47. Can a country have multiple official languages?

Yes. Many countries have two or more official languages. Switzerland, Canada, Singapore and South Africa are prominent examples.

48. Can two countries use the same currency?

Yes. The euro is a major example. Several countries share the euro, and some countries outside the United States use the US dollar.

49. Can a country have more than one capital?

Yes, depending on how constitutional, executive, legislative and judicial functions are defined. South Africa is the best-known example of distributed capital functions.

50. What information should a good country database contain?

At minimum, it should contain country name, standardized code, continent/region and status. Depending on the application, it can also contain capital, currency, calling code, languages, time zone, internet domain, address rules, tax information and population.

Conclusion

The world's countries differ enormously in population, language, religion, political organization, currency, geography and culture. A simple list of country names therefore tells only a small part of the story.

For general educational purposes, 195 countries is a widely used count: 193 United Nations member states plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

However, developers, businesses and researchers should understand that international databases may contain additional geographical entities such as Taiwan, Kosovo, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Greenland and other territories or dependencies.

Population data should always include a reference year because populations continuously change. Languages and religions should similarly be described carefully because countries are often much more diverse than a single "language" or "religion" field suggests.

For software and database development, standardized identifiers such as ISO country codes and ISO currency codes should be preferred over manually entered names. This creates cleaner databases and makes integration with international payment, taxation, shipping, banking, telecommunications and API systems significantly easier.

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