This article, originally from 2011, has been revised and updated to January 2018. You can view some older versions of the article in our archives.
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A world political map published by the US government. South Sudan is the most recent addition to the UN-based list of the world's countries. |
One of the most basic questions for map-lovers is, "How many countries are there in the world?" But anyone who just gives you a number isn't telling the whole truth. It actually depends a lot on how you define a "country".
Here are six of the most common answers, each correct in its own way: