South Sudan is the world's newest widely recognized country. It became independent from Sudan on 9 July 2011 and joined the United Nations as its 193rd member on 14 July 2011. Before it came Montenegro (2006), Timor-Leste (2002) and Palau (1994). Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008; many UN members recognize it and Serbia does not, and it isn't a UN member.
The countries born since 1990
| Country | Independent | Joined the UN | Before |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Sudan | 9 July 2011 | 14 July 2011 | Sudan |
| Kosovo | Declared 17 February 2008 | Not a member | Serbia, which does not recognize its independence |
| Montenegro | 3 June 2006 | 28 June 2006 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| Timor-Leste | 20 May 2002 | 27 September 2002 | Run by the UN from 1999; before that, governed by Indonesia |
| Palau | 1 October 1994 | 15 December 1994 | A UN trust territory run by the United States |
| Eritrea | 24 May 1993 | 28 May 1993 | Ethiopia |
| Czech Republic and Slovakia | 1 January 1993 | 19 January 1993 | Czechoslovakia |
Before that came the great wave of 1991 and 1992, when the Soviet Union broke into 15 countries and Yugoslavia began to split into Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and what became Serbia and Montenegro. More on those in countries that no longer exist.
Newest country or newest UN member?
These aren't always the same thing. Some old countries joined the UN late: Switzerland, independent for centuries, became a member on 10 September 2002, and Andorra and Monaco joined in 1993. Serbia has been a UN member since 1 November 2000, first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, later as Serbia and Montenegro, and since 2006 as Serbia alone, continuing the same membership.
So when someone asks for the newest country, South Sudan is the answer on every list. When they ask for the newest UN member, it's also South Sudan, but the order before it can surprise you. The full list is on the UN member states page.
Visiting the newest countries
They're a mixed set for travelers, and several are among the least visited countries in the world.
- South Sudan. Hard to visit. Many governments advise against all travel; check yours before considering it.
- Montenegro. The easiest of the group: the Bay of Kotor, the old town of Budva and the mountains of Durmitor, with good roads from Croatia and Albania.
- Timor-Leste. Half of the island of Timor, with diving off Atauro Island and a quiet capital, Dili. Flights connect through Bali and Darwin.
- Palau. A Pacific archipelago famous for diving and the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Eritrea. Asmara's Italian-era modernist architecture is a World Heritage Site, but visas take planning and travel outside the capital has needed permits.
- Kosovo. Pristina and the Ottoman-era town of Prizren are an easy add-on to a Balkan trip from North Macedonia, Albania or Montenegro.
Places that could be next
Independence is a slow process, and no list adds a country until it happens. The case most often in the news is Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, which voted overwhelmingly for independence in a 2019 referendum. Papua New Guinea's parliament has yet to ratify the result, and Bougainville's leaders have proposed 2030 as the date to declare independence. Until anything changes, a visit counts as Papua New Guinea on the UN and 250 lists. The Travelers' Century Club already lists Papua New Guinea's islands region, which includes Bougainville, as a separate destination.
How a new country changes your count
If you visited a place before it became independent, it counts for the country that exists there now. A trip to Juba in 2009 was a trip to Sudan at the time; today it puts South Sudan on your list. Sudan only counts as well if you also went north of today's border. The rule most people use is simple: count the ground you stood on, by today's map.
Globestamp follows the same rule but keeps the history: a photo from Juba dated before July 2011 gets a stamp that says Sudan, and it counts for South Sudan. Montenegro and Serbia work the same way, with stamps reading Serbia and Montenegro for visits between 2003 and 2006.