Countries of the World

Countries and Sovereign States of the World

Like any self-respecting postcard collector, I'm trying to achieve as many countries as possible.

If you'd like to help me, please email.

Here I have linked in the following hierarchy:

1. Postcards I have sent myself from the country or state
2. Postcards I have received from the country or state
3. Postcards in the collection of friends
4. Postcards or anything vaguely philatelic I can find

Here goes:

Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Albania – Republic of Albania
Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Andorra – Principality of Andorra
Angola – Republic of Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina – Argentine Republic
Armenia – Republic of Armenia
Australia – Commonwealth of Australia

• Ashmore and Cartier Islands
• Australian Antarctic Territory [Note 8]
• Christmas Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Coral Sea Islands Territory
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• Norfolk Island

Austria – Republic of Austria
Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan
Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus – Republic of Belarus
Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
Belize
Benin – Republic of Benin
Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
Bolivia – Plurinational State of Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republika Srpska
and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative unit.
Botswana – Republic of Botswana
Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
Brunei – State of Brunei, Abode of Peace
Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria
Burkina Faso [Note 12]
Burma – Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Burundi – Republic of Burundi
Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia
Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde – Republic of Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad – Republic of Chad
Chile – Republic of Chile
China, Republic of Taiwan
China – People's Republic of China

• Hong Kong
• Macau

China is not recognised by 22 UN member states and the Holy See, which instead recognise Taiwan (the Republic of China).
China claims, but does not control, the de facto independent Taiwan, and the Indian-controlled South Tibet. India claims the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin. China has some control over the disputed Paracel[Note 19] and Spratly Islands.
Colombia – Republic of Colombia
Comoros – Union of the Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Cook Islands
Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
Croatia – Republic of Croatia
Cuba – Republic of Cuba
Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
Czech Republic
Côte d'Ivoire – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Democratic People's Republic of Korea → Korea, North
Democratic Republic of the Congo → Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
The Danish Realm also includes two self-governing territories:
Faroe Islands (Føroyar/Færøerne)
Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland)
Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica
East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea – State of Eritrea
Estonia – Republic of Estonia
Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Fiji – Republic of Fiji 
Finland – Republic of Finland
Åland is a neutral and demilitarised autonomous region of Finland.
France – French Republic

• French Guiana
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• Mayotte
• Réunion

The French Republic also includes the overseas territories of:

• Clipperton Island
• French Polynesia
• New Caledonia
• Saint-Barthélemy
• Saint Martin
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Wallis and Futuna

French Southern and Antarctic Lands (includes the Antarctic claim of Adélie Land).
Clipperton Island is a possession of the government. French sovereignty over Banc du Geyser, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Mayotte, and Tromelin Island is disputed in part by Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Comoros.
Gabon – Gabonese Republic
Gambia, The – Republic of the Gambia
Georgia
Germany – Federal Republic of Germany
Ghana – Republic of Ghana
Greece – Hellenic Republic
Grenada
Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Guinea – Republic of Guinea[Note 26]
Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Haiti – Republic of Haiti
Holy See - Vatican City
Honduras – Republic of Honduras
Hungary
Iceland – Republic of Iceland
India – Republic of India
Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
Iraq – Republic of Iraq
Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland asserts the aspiration towards creating a United Ireland by peaceful means.
Israel – State of Israel
Italy – Italian Republic
Ivory Coast → Côte d'Ivoire
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan
Kenya – Republic of Kenya
Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati
Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Korea, South – Republic of Korea
Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
Kuwait – State of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic
Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia – Republic of Latvia
Lebanon – Lebanese Republic
Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Libya – State of Libya
Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania
Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar
Malawi – Republic of Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives – Republic of Maldives
Mali – Republic of Mali
Malta – Republic of Malta
Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands
Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius
Mexico – United Mexican States
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova – Republic of Moldova
Monaco – Principality of Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
Myanmar → Burma
Nagorno-Karabakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Namibia – Republic of Namibia
Nauru – Republic of Nauru
Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
Netherlands

Aruba

Curaçao

Sint Maarten

The monarch and his ministers form the government of the kingdom as well as the government of its constituent country, the Netherlands. Following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have become constituent countries, which, alongside Aruba, enjoy considerable autonomy. The other three islands (Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius) became special municipalities of the Netherlands.

The designation "Netherlands" can refer either to one of the Kingdom's constituent countries or to the short name for the Kingdom (e.g. in international organizations). The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole is a member of the EU, but EU law applies only to parts within Europe.

New Zealand
Ross Dependency
Tokelau
The Tokelauan government claims sovereignty over Swains Island, part of American Samoa, a territory of the United States.New Zealand does not recognize the Tokelauan claim.
New Zealand has responsibilities for two freely associated states:

• Cook Islands
• Niue

Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
Nicaragua contains two autonomous regions, Atlántico Sur and Atlántico Norte.
Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
Niger – Republic of Niger
Niue
North Korea → Korea, North
Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Norway – Kingdom of Norway
Svalbard is an integral part of Norway, but has a special status due to the Svalbard Treaty.
Norway has the dependent territories of:

• Bouvet Island
• Peter I Island
• Queen Maud Land

Oman – Sultanate of Oman
Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Azad Kashmir
Gilgit–Baltistan
Palau – Republic of Palau
Palestine – State of Palestine
Panama – Republic of Panama
Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
Peru – Republic of Peru
Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
Poland – Republic of Poland
Portugal – Portuguese Republic
Pridnestrovie → Transnistria
Qatar – State of Qatar
Republic of Korea → Korea, South
Republic of the Congo → Congo, Republic of the
Romania
Russia – Russian Federation
Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa – Independent State of Samoa
San Marino – Republic of San Marino
Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Senegal – Republic of Senegal
Serbia – Republic of Serbia
Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
Singapore – Republic of Singapore
Slovakia – Slovak Republic
Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia
Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
South Africa – Republic of South Africa
South Korea → Korea, South
South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia
South Sudan – Republic of South Sudan
Spain – Kingdom of Spain
Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
Suriname – Republic of Suriname
Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
Syria – Syrian Arab Republic
São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Taiwan – Republic of China
Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
Timor-Leste - East Timor
Togo – Togolese Republic
Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
Transnistria – Transnistrian Moldavian Republic (Pridnestrovie, Trans-Dniester)
Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia
Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda – Republic of Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales

The United Kingdom has the following overseas territories:

• Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Indian Ocean Territory (disputed by Mauritius and Seychelles)
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands (claimed by Argentina)
• Gibraltar (status disputed by Spain)
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn Islands
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• British Antarctic Territory (disputed by Argentina and Chile)
• The British monarch has direct sovereignty over three self-governing Crown dependencies:
• Guernsey, with three dependencies:
• Alderney
• Herm
• Sark
• Isle of Man
• Jersey

United States – United States of America

• American Samoa (including Swains Island, disputed by Tokelau)
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• It also has sovereignty over several uninhabited territories:
• Baker Island
• Howland Island
• Jarvis Island
• Johnston Atoll
• Kingman Reef
• Midway Atoll
• Navassa Island (claimed by Haiti)
• Wake Island (claimed by the Marshall Islands)

The United States asserts claims to Colombian-controlled Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank.[4]
Three sovereign states have become associated states of the United States under the Compact of Free Association:

• Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia
• Palau – Republic of Palau

Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan
Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu
Vatican City – Vatican City State
Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Yemen – Republic of Yemen
Zambia – Republic of Zambia
Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe