Count by the UN's 193 member states if you want a number anyone can compare. Count by 250 countries and territories if places like Greenland, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong should count as the separate trips they felt like. Count by the Travelers' Century Club's 330 if you want to join the club, or just want credit for Scotland, Hawaii and the Canary Islands. The 195 is simply the UN list plus its two observer states, Vatican City and Palestine.
The four lists at a glance
| List | Count | Kept by | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN member states | 193 | The United Nations | A number everyone recognizes |
| UN members and observers | 195 | Based on the UN | Quizzes and "every country" goals |
| Countries and territories | 250 | Based on the ISO country codes | Island, Caribbean and Pacific travel |
| Travelers' Century Club | 330 | The Travelers' Century Club | Club membership, regional detail |
None is "correct". They answer different questions: the UN list says which states are members of the UN, the ISO list says which places get their own country code, and the club's list says which places are distinct enough to feel like a separate visit.
193: the UN member states
The UN has had 193 members since South Sudan joined on 14 July 2011. It's the list most people mean when they say "I've been to 40 countries", which makes it the easiest to compare with friends.
What it leaves out surprises people. There's no entry for Vatican City, Palestine, Taiwan or Kosovo, and none for any territory. A week in Greenland or Puerto Rico adds nothing on its own; many travelers credit it to Denmark or the United States instead, and some don't. Decide which you'll do and stick to it.
195: the UN plus its two observers
The UN has two non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine. Add them and you get 195, the figure behind many "every country in the world" quizzes. In practice the difference is often the Vatican: almost everyone who has seen St. Peter's Basilica in Rome can add it.
You'll also see 197, which usually adds Kosovo and Taiwan. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008; many UN members recognize it and Serbia does not. Taiwan is governed by its own government, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China claims it. Neither is a UN member. Lists differ, and none of them settles the politics.
250: countries and territories
The ISO 3166-1 standard gives a two-letter code to 249 places: the codes behind internet domains like .gl, .pr and .hk and the flag emoji on your phone. Add Kosovo, which uses the code XK by convention, and you have the 250 on this site.
Beyond the 193 UN members, the 250 include Vatican City, Palestine, Taiwan, Kosovo, Western Sahara and Antarctica, plus 51 territories that belong to or are associated with another country:
| Linked to | Territories | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 15 | Bermuda, Gibraltar, Jersey, Cayman Islands |
| France | 12 | French Polynesia, Réunion, Martinique, New Caledonia |
| United States | 6 | Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands |
| Netherlands | 4 | Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten |
| Australia | 4 | Christmas Island, Norfolk Island |
| New Zealand | 3 | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
| Denmark, Norway, China | 2 each | Greenland, Svalbard, Hong Kong, Macau |
| Finland | 1 | Åland |
This list fits the way travel feels. Hong Kong has its own border, currency and entry rules; Greenland is a flight and a world away from Copenhagen. The full set is on the territories page.
330: the Travelers' Century Club
The Travelers' Century Club, founded in Los Angeles in 1954, keeps a list of 330 destinations (as of January 2022). You join after visiting 100 of them. Its list splits countries into parts that are far apart or run separately: the United States counts as three (the contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii), the United Kingdom as four, the United Arab Emirates as seven emirates, and Indonesia as seven island groups. It also lists places no other list here does, such as Transnistria and Somaliland.
It's the most demanding list and the most rewarding for island hoppers. It's also the hardest to keep by hand, because one trip can touch several entries.
One traveler, four numbers
Take a traveler from Canada who has been to London and Edinburgh, Rome including the Vatican, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and Dubai with a day in Abu Dhabi. Not counting home:
| List | Count | Why |
|---|---|---|
| UN 193 | 3, or 5 | UK, Italy, UAE; plus China and the US if you credit Hong Kong and Puerto Rico |
| UN + observers 195 | 4, or 6 | Adds Vatican City |
| 250 | 6 | UK, Italy, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, UAE |
| TCC 330 | 8 | England, Scotland, Italy, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Dubai, Abu Dhabi |
How to choose
- To compare with friends or answer "how many countries?": use 193.
- If you travel to islands, the Caribbean or the Pacific: use 250, or the UN list will undercount you.
- If you want to join the club, or love detail: use 330.
- Keep more than one. They don't conflict. Your 193 count can never be larger than your 250 count, and your 330 count is usually the largest of all.
Globestamp lets you switch between the 193 UN members, all 250 countries and territories, the club's 330 (Pro) or a list of your own (Pro), so one set of stamps answers all four. The free country checklist does the same by hand.