Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Kabul)
Amir al-Mu'minin [Commander of the Faithful] Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada (2021)
Head of Government Mullah Mohammad Hassan (2021)
Afghanistan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1919 (Treaty of Rawalpindi) and adopted a republican form of government in 1973. Under Taliban rule (1996–2001 and since 2021) the country is a theocracy without representative institutions.
Republic of Albania (Tirana)
President Bajram Begaj (2022)
Prime Minister Edi Rama (2013)
Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and most recently adopted a republican form of government in 1946. It is a unitary state divided into twelve counties (Berat; Dibër; Durrës; Elbasan; Fier; Gjirokastër; Korçë; Kukës; Lezhë; Shkodër; Tirana; Vlorë).
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (Algiers)
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (2019)
Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb (2025)
Algeria gained independence from France in 1962. It is a unitary state divided into fifty-eight provinces (Adrar; Aïn Defla; Aïn Témouchent; Algiers; Annaba; Batna; Béchar; Béjaïa; Béni Abbès; Biskra; Blida; Bordj Badji Mokhtar; Bordj Bou Arreridj; Bouira; Boumerdès; Chlef; Constantine; Djanet; Djelfa; El Bayadh; El Meniaa; El M'Ghair; El Oued; El Tarf; Ghardaïa; Guelma; Illizi; In Guezzam; In Salah; Jijel; Khenchela; Laghouat; Mascara; Médéa; Mila; Mostaganem; M'Sila; Naâma; Oran; Ouargla; Ouled Djellal; Oum El Bouaghi; Relizane; Saïda; Sétif; Sidi Bel Abbès; Skikda; Souk Ahras; Tamanrasset; Tébessa; Tiaret; Timimoun; Tindouf; Tipaza; Tissemsilt; Tizi Ouzou; Tlemcen; Touggourt).
Principality of Andorra (Andorra la Vella)
Co-Prince Emmanuel Macron (2017), represented by Patrice Faure (2024)
Co-Prince Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat (2025), represented by Eduard Ibáñez Pulido (2023)
Head of Government Xavier Espot Zamora (2023)
Andorra was established as a polity in 1278 and adopted a modern constitution in 1993. It is a unitary state divided into seven parishes (Andorra la Vella; Canillo; Encamp; Escaldes-Engordany; La Massana; Ordino; Sant Julià de Lòria). The coprinces are (ex officio) the President of the French Republic and the Roman Catholic Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell (Spain), respectively. France and Spain are jointly responsible for its defense.
Republic of Angola (Luanda)
President João Lourenço (2017)
Angola gained independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975.
Antigua and Barbuda (Saint John's)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams (2014)
Prime Minister Gaston Browne (2014)
Antigua and Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom on November 1, 1981. Barbuda has a special local government.
Argentine Republic (Buenos Aires)
President Javier Milei (2023)
Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos (2024) (Note: The Cabinet Chief is not the constitutional head of government.)
The United Provinces declared independence from Spain in 1816, and was recognized by Spain in 1860. It adopted the name Argentina in 1831. Argentina is a federation of twenty-three provinces (Buenos Aires; Catamarca; Chaco; Chubut; Córdoba; Corrientes; Entre Ríos; Formosa; Jujuy; La Pampa; La Rioja; Mendoza; Misiones; Neuquén; Río Negro; Salta; San Juan; San Luis; Santa Cruz; Santa Fe; Santiago del Estero; Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Islands of the South Atlantic; Tucumán) and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
Republic of Armenia (Yerevan)
President Vahagn Khachaturyan (2022)
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (2018)
Armenia declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year.
Commonwealth of Australia (Canberra)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Samantha Mostyn (2024)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (2022)
Australia was formed as a British dominion on January 1, 1901. It is a federation of six states (New South Wales; Queensland; South Australia; Tasmania; Victoria; Western Australia) and three territories (Australian Capital Territory; Jervis Bay Territory; Northern Territory). Seven dependencies also fall under Australian sovereignty (Ashmore and Cartier Islands; Australian Antarctic Territory; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Coral Sea Islands; Heard Island and McDonald Islands; Norfolk Island).
Republic of Austria (Vienna)
President Alexander Van der Bellen (2017)
Chancellor Christian Stocker (2025)
Austria gained independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. From 1938 to 1945 it was annexed by Germany. Austria is a federation of nine states (Burgenland; Carinthia; Lower Austria; Salzburg; Styria; Tyrol; Upper Austria; Vienna; Vorarlberg).
Republic of Azerbaijan (Baku)
President İlham Əliyev (2003) son of former President Heydər Əliyev
Prime Minister Əli Əsədov (2019)
Azerbaijan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It has one autonomous area (Nakhchivan).
Commonwealth of The Bahamas (Nassau)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Cynthia "Mother" Pratt (2023)
Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis (2021)
The Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 10, 1973.
Kingdom of Bahrain (Manama)
King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (1999) son of former Emir Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime Minister Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (2020) son of King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Bahrain gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.
People's Republic of Bangladesh (Dhaka)
President Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu (2023)
Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus (2024)
Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan in 1971, and was recognized later the same year. It is a unitary state divided into eight divisions (Barishal; Chattogram; Dhaka; Khulna; Mymensingh; Rajshahi; Rangpur; Sylhet).
Barbados (Bridgetown)
President Dame Sandra Mason (2021)
Prime Minister Mia Mottley (2018)
Barbados gained independence from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1966 and adopted a republican form of government on November 30, 2021.
Republic of Belarus (Minsk)
President Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko (1994)
Prime Minister Aleksandr Genrikhovich Turchin (2025)
Belarus declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It is a unitary state divided into six oblasts (Brest; Gomel; Grodno; Minsk; Mogilyov; Vitebsk) and one city (Minsk).
Kingdom of Belgium (Brussels)
King of the Belgians Philippe (2013) son of former King Albert II
Prime Minister Bart De Wever (2025)
Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region: Rudi Vervoort (2013)
Minister-President of the Flemish Region and the Flemish Community: Matthias Diependaele (2024)
Minister-President of the French Community: Élisabeth Degryse (2024)
Minister-President of the German-speaking Community: Oliver Paasch (2014)
Minister-President of the Walloon Region: Adrien Dolimont (2024)
Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands in 1830, and was recognized by the Netherlands in 1839. It is a federation of three regions (Brussels-Capital; Flanders; Wallonia) and three (non-territorial) linguistic communities. There are ten provinces (Antwerp; East Flanders; Flemish Brabant; Hainaut; Liège; Limburg; Luxembourg; Namur; Walloon Brabant; West Flanders) at the second level.
Belize (Belmopan)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam (2021)
Prime Minister Johnny Briceño (2020)
Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 21, 1981.
Republic of Benin (Porto-Novo)
President Patrice Talon (2016)
Dahomey gained independence from France on August 1, 1960. It adopted the name Benin in 1975.
Kingdom of Bhutan (Thimphu)
Druk Gyalpo [King] Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk (2006) son of former King Jigme Singye Wangchuk
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay (2024)
Bhutan gained independence from India in 1949 (Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship).
Plurinational State of Bolivia (Sucre)
President Luis Arce Catacora (2020)
Bolivia declared independence from Spain in 1825. It is a devolved unitary state divided into nine departments (Beni; Chuquisaca; Cochabamba; La Paz; Oruro; Pando; Potosí; Santa Cruz; Tarija).
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo)
High Representative Christian Schmidt (2021)
Presidency (2022): Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović, Željko Komšić
Prime Minister Borjana Krišto (2022)
President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Lidija Bradara (2023)
Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Nermin Nikšić (2023)
President of Republika Srpska: Milorad Dodik (2022)
Prime Minister of Republika Srpska: Savo Minić (2025)
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. It is a federation of two entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Republika Srpska) and one district (Brčko). The Presidency has three members who represent the Bosniak, Croat, and Serb communities respectively; its chairmanship rotates every eight months. The High Representative is a foreigner with broad powers, including that of dismissing public officials deemed to be in violation of the postwar settlement.
Republic of Botswana (Gaborone)
President Duma Boko (2024)
Botswana gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966.
Federative Republic of Brazil (Brasília)
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2023)
Brazil declared independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil in 1822, was recognized by Portugal in 1825, and adopted a republican form of government in 1889. It is a federation of twenty-six states (Acre; Alagoas; Amapá; Amazonas; Bahia; Ceará; Espírito Santo; Goiás; Maranhão; Mato Grosso; Mato Grosso do Sul; Minas Gerais; Pará; Paraíba; Paraná; Pernambuco; Piauí; Rio de Janeiro; Rio Grande do Norte; Rio Grande do Sul; Rondônia; Roraima; Santa Catarina; São Paulo; Sergipe; Tocantins) and the Federal District.
State of Brunei Darussalam (Bandar Seri Begawan)
Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, and Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah (1984) son of former Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Sa'adul Khairi Waddien
Brunei gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.
Republic of Bulgaria (Sofia)
President Rumen Radev (2017)
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov (2025)
Bulgaria gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908 and adopted a republican form of government in 1946.
Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
Transitional President Capt. Ibrahim Traoré (2022)
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo (2024)
Upper Volta gained independence from France on August 5, 1960. It adopted the name Burkina Faso on August 4, 1984.
Republic of Burundi (Gitega)
President Évariste Ndayishimiye (2020)
Prime Minister Nestor Ntahontuye (2025)
Burundi gained independence from a Belgian-administered United Nations trusteeship on July 1, 1962 and adopted a republican form of government in 1966. The capital was moved from Bujumbura to Gitega in 2018.
Republic of Cabo Verde (Praia)
President José Maria Neves (2021)
Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva (2016)
Cabo Verde gained independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.
Kingdom of Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
King Norodom Sihamoni (2004) son of former King Norodom Sihanouk
Prime Minister Hun Manet (2023) son of former Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen
Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953. It had a republican form of government from 1970 to 1993. It adopted the name Kampuchea in 1976, but restored its previous name in 1989.
Republic of Cameroon (Yaoundé)
President Paul Biya (1982)
Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute (2019)
Cameroon gained independence from a French-administered United Nations trusteeship on January 1, 1960. It unified with the British-administered United Nations trusteeship in 1961.
Canada (Ottawa)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General Mary Simon (2021)
Prime Minister Mark Carney (2025)
Canada was formed as a British dominion on July 1, 1867. It is a federation of ten provinces (Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Québec; Saskatchewan) and three territories (Northwest Territories; Nunavut; Yukon).
Central African Republic (Bangui)
President Faustin Archange Touadéra (2016)
Prime Minister Félix Moloua (2022)
The Central African Republic gained independence from France on August 13, 1960. It adopted the name Central African Empire in 1976, but restored its previous name in 1979.
Republic of Chad (N'Djamena)
President Mahamat Idriss Déby (2021) son of former President Idriss Déby Itno
Prime Minister Allamaye Halina (2024)
Chad gained independence from France on August 11, 1960.
Republic of Chile (Santiago)
President Gabriel Boric Font (2022)
Chile declared independence from Spain in 1818. It is a unitary state divided into sixteen regions (Antofagasta; Arica y Parinacota; Atacama; Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo; Biobío; Coquimbo; La Araucanía; Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins; Los Lagos; Los Ríos; Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena; Maule; Ñuble; Santiago; Tarapacá; Valparaíso). Easter Island is a province forming part of Valparaíso region. The Chilean claim in Antarctica is part of Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena region.
People's Republic of China (Beijing)
President Xi Jinping (2013)
Premier Li Qiang (2023)
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping (2012)
The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949. It is a unitary state divided into twenty-two provinces (Anhui; Fujian; Gansu; Guangdong; Guizhou; Hainan; Hebei; Heilongjiang; Henan; Hubei; Hunan; Jiangsu; Jiangxi; Jilin; Liaoning; Qinghai; Shaanxi; Shandong; Shanxi; Sichuan; Yunnan; Zhejiang), five autonomous regions (Guangxi; Inner Mongolia; Ningxia; Tibet; Xinjiang), four province-level cities (Beijing; Chongqing; Shanghai; Tianjin), and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong; Macau). It also claims the territory governed by the Republic of China as "Taiwan Province." Legal political activity in the country (except for the special administrative regions) is monopolized by the Communist Party of China and its eight minor satellite parties. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National People's Congress.
Republic of Colombia (Bogotá)
President Gustavo Petro Urrego (2022)
Colombia is a unitary state divided into thirty-two departments (Amazonas; Antioquia; Arauca; Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina; Atlántico; Bolívar; Boyacá; Caldas; Caquetá; Casanare; Cauca; Cesar; Chocó; Córdoba; Cundinamarca; Guainía; Guaviare; Huila; La Guajira; Magdalena; Meta; Nariño; Norte de Santander; Putumayo; Quindío; Risaralda; Santander; Sucre; Tolima; Valle del Cauca; Vaupés; Vichada) and one capital district (Bogotá).
Union of the Comoros (Moroni)
President Azali Assoumani (2016)
The Comoros declared independence from France on July 6, 1975. It is a devolved unitary state of three islands (Anjouan; Grande Comore; Mohéli). It claims French-governed Mayotte as its fourth island.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)
President Félix Tshisekedi (2019) son of former First State Commissioner Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka (2024)
The Congo gained independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960. From 1960 to 1963, Katanga Province was in secession as the State of Katanga. The Congo adopted the name Zaire in 1971, but restored its previous name in 1997.
Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso (1997)
Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso (2021)
The Congo gained independence from France on August 15, 1960.
Republic of Costa Rica (San José)
President Rodrigo Chaves Robles (2022)
Costa Rica withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and gained full independence in 1838. It is a unitary state divided into seven provinces (Alajuela; Cartago; Guanacaste; Heredia; Limón; Puntarenas; San José).
Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (Yamoussoukro)
President Alassane Ouattara (2011)
Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé (2023)
Côte d'Ivoire gained independence from France on August 7, 1960. The capital was moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983.
Republic of Croatia (Zagreb)
President Zoran Milanović (2020)
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (2016)
Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and was recognized later the same year.
Republic of Cuba (Havana)
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (2018)
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz (2019)
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (2021)
Cuba gained independence from the United States on May 20, 1902. The Platt Amendment, which granted the United States the continued right to intervene in Cuban affairs, was repealed in 1934.
Republic of Cyprus (Nicosia)
President Nikos Christodoulidis (2023)
Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 16, 1960. One de facto state (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) exists on Cypriot territory.
Czech Republic (Prague)
President Petr Pavel (2023)
Prime Minister Petr Fiala (2021)
The Czech Republic gained independence on January 1, 1993 through the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
Kingdom of Denmark (Copenhagen)
King Frederik X (2024) son of former Queen Margrethe II
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (2019)
Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands: Aksel V. Johannesen (2022)
Prime Minister of Greenland: Jens-Frederik Nielsen (2025)
Denmark has two autonomous areas (Faroe Islands; Greenland).
Republic of Djibouti (Djibouti)
President Ismail Omar Guelleh (1999)
Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed (2013)
Djibouti gained independence from France on June 27, 1977.
Commonwealth of Dominica (Roseau)
President Sylvanie Burton (2023)
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit (2004)
Dominica gained independence from the United Kingdom on November 3, 1978. The Kalinago Territory has a special local government.
Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
President Luis Abinader Corona (2020)
The Dominican Republic declared independence from Haiti in 1844. From 1861 to 1863 it was briefly recolonized by Spain.
Republic of Ecuador (Quito)
President Daniel Noboa Azín (2023)
Ecuador is a unitary state divided into twenty-four provinces (Azuay; Bolívar; Cañar; Carchi; Chimborazo; Cotopaxi; El Oro; Esmeraldas; Galápagos; Guayas; Imbabura; Loja; Los Ríos; Manabí; Morona Santiago; Napo; Orellana; Pastaza; Pichincha; Santa Elena; Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas; Sucumbíos; Tungurahua; Zamora Chinchipe).
Arab Republic of Egypt (Cairo)
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2014)
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli (2018)
Egypt gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1922 and adopted a republican form of government in 1953. Full Egyptian sovereignty was asserted by the nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956. From 1958 to 1961 it united with Syria to form the United Arab Republic, and readopted the name Egypt in 1971.
Republic of El Salvador (San Salvador)
President Nayib Bukele Ortez (2019)
El Salvador is a unitary state divided into fourteen departments (Ahuachapán; Cabañas; Chalatenango; Cuscatlán; La Libertad; La Paz; La Unión; Morazán; San Miguel; San Salvador; San Vicente; Santa Ana; Sonsonate; Usulután).
Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Malabo)
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (1979)
Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua (2024)
Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain on October 12, 1968.
State of Eritrea (Asmara)
President Isaias Afewerki (1993)
Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993.
Republic of Estonia (Tallinn)
President Alar Karis (2021)
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (2024)
Estonia declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It was previously an independent state from 1918 to 1940.
Kingdom of Eswatini (Mbabane)
King Mswati III (1986) son of former King Sobhuza II
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini (2023)
Swaziland gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 6, 1968. It adopted the name Eswatini in 2018.
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
President Taye Atske Selassie (2024)
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (2018)
Ethiopia is a federation of twelve regional states (Afar; Amhara; Benishangul-Gumuz; Central Ethiopia; Gambela; Harar; Oromia; Sidama; Somali; South West Ethiopia; Southern Ethiopia; Tigray) and two chartered cities (Addis Ababa; Dire Dawa).
Republic of Fiji (Suva)
President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu (2024)
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (2022)
Fiji gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 10, 1970 and adopted a republican form of government in 1987. Rotuma has a special local government.
Republic of Finland (Helsinki)
President Alexander Stubb (2024)
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (2023)
Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917. It has one autonomous area (Åland Islands).
French Republic (Paris)
President Emmanuel Macron (2017)
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu (2025)
Metropolitan France has one autonomous area (Corsica). Overseas France consists of thirteen areas (Clipperton Island; French Guiana; French Polynesia; French Southern and Antarctic Lands; Guadeloupe; Martinique; Mayotte; New Caledonia; Réunion; Saint-Barthélemy; Saint-Martin; Saint-Pierre and Miquelon; Wallis and Futuna). The Comoros claims Mayotte. Madagascar and Mauritius both make partial claims to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
Gabonese Republic (Libreville)
President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (2023)
Gabon gained independence from France on August 17, 1960.
Republic of The Gambia (Banjul)
President Adama Barrow (2017)
The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom on February 18, 1965 and adopted a republican form of government in 1970.
Georgia (Tbilisi)
President Mikheil Kavelashvili (2024)
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze (2024)
Georgia declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It has one autonomous area (Ajaria), and two de facto states (Abkhazia; South Ossetia–Alania) exist on its territory.
Federal Republic of Germany (Berlin)
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2017)
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (2025)
The Federal Republic of Germany was established in 1949. It annexed the five states which formerly constituted the German Democratic Republic in 1990. Germany is a federation of sixteen states (Baden-Württemberg; Bavaria; Berlin; Brandenburg; Bremen; Hamburg; Hesse; Lower Saxony; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; North Rhine-Westphalia; Rhineland-Palatinate; Saarland; Saxony; Saxony-Anhalt; Schleswig-Holstein; Thuringia).
Republic of Ghana (Accra)
President John Dramani Mahama (2025)
Ghana was formed on March 6, 1957 by the unification of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the British-administered United Nations trusteeship of Togoland. It adopted a republican form of government on July 1, 1960.
Grenada (Saint George's)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Cécile La Grenade (2013)
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell (2022)
Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom on February 7, 1974.
Republic of Guatemala (Guatemala City)
President Bernardo Arévalo de León (2024) son of former President Juan José Arévalo Bermejo
Guatemala withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and gained full independence in 1839. It is a unitary state divided into twenty-two departments (Alta Verapaz; Baja Verapaz; Chimaltenango; Chiquimula; El Progreso; Escuintla; Guatemala; Huehuetenango; Izabal; Jalapa; Jutiapa; Petén; Quetzaltenango; Quiché; Retalhuleu; Sacatepéquez; San Marcos; Santa Rosa; Sololá; Suchitepéquez; Totonicapán; Zacapa).
Republic of Guinea (Conakry)
Transitional President Col. Mamady Doumbouya (2021)
Prime Minister Bah Oury (2024)
Guinea gained independence from France on October 2, 1958.
Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Bissau)
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló (2020)
Prime Minister Braima Camará (2025)
Guinea-Bissau declared independence from Portugal in 1973, and was recognized in 1974.
Co-operative Republic of Guyana (Georgetown)
President Irfaan Ali (2020)
Prime Minister Mark Phillips (2020)
Guyana gained independence from the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966 and adopted a republican form of government in 1970.
Republic of Haiti (Port-au-Prince)
President of the Transitional Presidential Council Laurent Saint-Cyr (2025)
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé (2024)
Haiti declared independence from France on January 1, 1804, and was recognized by France in 1825. It most recently adopted a republican form of government in 1859.
Hellenic Republic (Athens)
President Konstantinos Tasoulas (2025)
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2023)
Greece declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1822, was internationally recognized in 1830 (London Protocol), and most recently adopted a republican form of government in 1973. It has one autonomous area (Mount Athos).
Republic of Honduras (Tegucigalpa)
President Xiomara Castro Sarmiento (2022) wife of former President Manuel Zelaya
Honduras withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and gained full independence in 1838. It is a unitary state divided into eighteen departments (Atlántida; Choluteca; Colón; Comayagua; Copán; Cortés; El Paraíso; Francisco Morazán; Gracias a Dios; Intibucá; Islas de la Bahía; La Paz; Lempira; Ocotepeque; Olancho; Santa Bárbara; Valle; Yoro).
Hungary (Budapest)
President Tamás Sulyok (2024)
Minister-President Viktor Orbán (2010)
Hungary gained independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
Iceland (Reykjavík)
President Halla Tómasdóttir (2024)
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir (2024)
Iceland gained independence from Denmark on December 1, 1918 and adopted a republican form of government in 1944.
Republic of India (New Delhi)
President Draupadi Murmu (2022)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2014)
India gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947 and adopted a republican form of government on January 26, 1950. It is a federation of twenty-eight states (Andhra Pradesh; Arunachal Pradesh; Assam; Bihar; Chhattisgarh; Goa; Gujarat; Haryana; Himachal Pradesh; Jharkhand; Karnataka; Kerala; Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra; Manipur; Meghalaya; Mizoram; Nagaland; Odisha; Punjab; Rajasthan; Sikkim; Tamil Nadu; Telangana; Tripura; Uttar Pradesh; Uttarakhand; West Bengal) and eight union territories (Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Chandigarh; Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu; Delhi; Jammu and Kashmir; Ladakh; Lakshadweep; Puducherry).
Republic of Indonesia (Jakarta)
President Prabowo Subianto (2024)
Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands in 1945, and was recognized in 1949. It is a unitary state divided into thirty-five provinces (Bali; Bangka Belitung Islands; Banten; Bengkulu; Central Java; Central Kalimantan; Central Papua; Central Sulawesi; East Java; East Kalimantan; East Nusa Tenggara; Gorontalo; Highland Papua; Jambi; Lampung; Maluku; North Kalimantan; North Maluku; North Sulawesi; North Sumatra; Papua; Riau; Riau Islands; South Kalimantan; South Papua; South Sulawesi; South Sumatra; Southeast Sulawesi; Southwest Papua; West Java; West Kalimantan; West Nusa Tenggara; West Papua; West Sulawesi; West Sumatra), two special regions (Jakarta; Yogyakarta), and one autonomous region (Aceh).
Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran)
Supreme Leadership Authority Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei (1989)
President Masoud Pezeshkian (2024)
Republic of Iraq (Baghdad)
President Abdul Latif Rashid (2022)
Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani (2022)
President of Kurdistan Region: Nechirvan Barzani (2019)
Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region: Masrour Barzani (2019)
Iraq gained independence from a British-administered League of Nations mandate in 1932 and adopted a republican form of government in 1958. It has one federated area (Kurdistan Region).
Ireland (Dublin)
President Michael D. Higgins (2011)
Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Micheál Martin (2025)
The Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom as a British dominion on December 6, 1922. It adopted the name Ireland in 1937 and was definitively established as a republic in 1949.
State of Israel (Jerusalem)
President Isaac Herzog (2021) son of former President Chaim Herzog
Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (2022)
Israel declared independence from a British-administered League of Nations mandate on May 15, 1948. The status of Jerusalem as its capital is not widely recognized.
Italian Republic (Rome)
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella (2015)
President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni (2022)
The Kingdom of Italy was unified in 1861 and adopted a republican form of government in 1946. It is a devolved unitary state with twenty regions (Abruzzo; Apulia; Basilicata; Calabria; Campania; Emilia-Romagna; Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Lazio; Liguria; Lombardy; Marche; Molise; Piedmont; Sardinia; Sicily; Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol; Tuscany; Umbria; Valle d'Aosta; Veneto). Regions listed in bold have more extensive autonomy.
Jamaica (Kingston)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen (2009)
Prime Minister Andrew Holness (2016)
Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962. Small communities of the Jamaican Maroon people have some local autonomy.
Japan (Tokyo)
Emperor Naruhito (2019) son of former Emperor Akihito
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru (2024)
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Amman)
King Abdullah II (1999) son of former King Hussein bin Talal
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan (2024)
Transjordan gained independence from a British-administered League of Nations mandate in 1946. It adopted the name Jordan in 1949.
Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana)
President Kasymzhomart Kemelevich Tokayev (2019)
Prime Minister Olzhas Abayevich Bektenov (2024)
Kazakhstan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. The capital was moved from Almaty to Aqmola (later renamed Astana, now Nur-Sultan) in 1997.
Republic of Kenya (Nairobi)
President William Ruto (2022)
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi (2022) (Note: The Prime Cabinet Secretary is not the constitutional head of government.)
Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom on December 12, 1963 and adopted a republican form of government in 1964.
Republic of Kiribati (Tarawa Atoll)
Beretitenti [President] Taneti Maamau (2016)
Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 12, 1979. Australia and New Zealand are jointly responsible for its defense. The local government of Banaba (Ocean Island) is, anomalously, based in Rabi Island, Fiji.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Pyongyang)
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong-un (2012) son of former Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-il
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Choe Ryong-hae (2019)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pak Thae-song (2024)
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong-un (2012)
Japanese rule in Korea ceased upon its defeat in 1945. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established in 1948.
Republic of Korea (Seoul)
President Lee Jae-myung (2025)
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (2025)
Japanese rule in Korea ceased upon its defeat in 1945. The Republic of Korea was established in 1948. It has two autonomous areas (Gangwon; Jeju).
State of Kuwait (Kuwait City)
Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah (2023) half-brother of former Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah
Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al Ahmad Al Sabah (2024) grandson of former ruler Sheikh Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah
Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. From 1990 to 1991 it was forcibly annexed by Iraq.
Kyrgyz Republic (Bishkek)
President Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich Japarov (2021)
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Aleshovich Kasymaliyev (2024)
Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year.
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Vientiane)
President Thongloun Sisoulith (2021)
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandon (2022) son of former President Khamtai Siphandon
General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Thongloun Sisoulith (2021)
Laos gained independence from France in 1953 and adopted a republican form of government in 1975.
Republic of Latvia (Riga)
President Edgars Rinkēvičs (2023)
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (2023)
Latvia declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It was previously an independent state from 1918 to 1940.
Lebanese Republic (Beirut)
President Joseph Aoun (2025)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (2025)
Lebanon gained independence from France in 1941.
Kingdom of Lesotho (Maseru)
King Letsie III (1996) son of former King Moshoeshoe II
Prime Minister Sam Matekane (2022)
Lesotho gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966.
Republic of Liberia (Monrovia)
President Joseph Boakai (2024)
Liberia declared independence in 1847. The contemporary legal position was that Liberia was founded free and independent, and had thus never been subject to a foreign power.
State of Libya (Tripoli)
Chairman of the Presidential Council Muhammad Younes Menfi (2021)
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Muhammad Dbeibah (2021)
Prime Minister (in opposition) Fathi Bashagha (2022)
Libya gained independence on December 24, 1951. It had been jointly administered by France and the United Kingdom following the defeat of Italy in 1943, and adopted a republican form of government in 1969.
Principality of Liechtenstein (Vaduz)
Prince Hans-Adam II (1989) son of former Prince Franz Joseph II
Regent Hereditary Prince Alois (2004) son of Prince Hans-Adam II
Head of Government Brigitte Haas (2025)
Liechtenstein was established as an estate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1719.
Republic of Lithuania (Vilnius)
President Gitanas Nausėda (2019)
Acting Prime Minister Rimantas Šadžius (2025)
Lithuania declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1990, and was recognized in 1991. It was previously an independent state from 1918 to 1940.
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Grand Duke Henri (2000) son of former Grand Duke Jean
Prime Minister Luc Frieden (2023)
Republic of Madagascar (Antananarivo)
President Andry Rajoelina (2023)
Prime Minister Christian Ntsay (2018)
Madagascar gained independence from France on June 26, 1960.
Republic of Malawi (Lilongwe)
President Lazarus Chakwera (2020)
Malawi gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 6, 1964 and adopted a republican form of government in 1966. The capital was moved from Zomba to Lilongwe in 1975.
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
Yang di-Pertuan Agong ["Paramount Ruler"] Tuanku Ibrahim Ismail ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar, Sultan of Johor (2024)
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (2022)
The Federation of Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1957. It was renamed Malaysia on September 16, 1963 when North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the federation. Singapore was expelled on August 9, 1965. Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states (Johor; Kedah; Kelantan; Malacca; Negeri Sembilan; Pahang; Penang; Perak; Perlis; Sabah; Sarawak; Selangor; Terengganu) and three federal territories (Kuala Lumpur; Labuan; Putrajaya). Nine of the states are traditional monarchies, and their rulers elect the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from among their number on a rotating basis every five years. The state of Negeri Sembilan is further divided into territories, the rulers of the four most prestigious of which (Jelebu; Johol; Rembau; Sungai Ujong) constitutionally share power with the state's monarch.
Republic of Maldives (Malé)
President Mohamed Muizzu (2023)
The Maldives gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 26, 1965 and adopted a republican form of government in 1968.
Republic of Mali (Bamako)
Transitional President Gen. Assimi Goïta (2021)
Prime Minister Gen. Abdoulaye Maïga (2024)
The Sudanese Republic gained independence from France as part of the Mali Federation on June 20, 1960. After Senegal seceded from the Federation later the same year, the remaining Sudanese Republic adopted the name Mali as an independent state.
Republic of Malta (Valletta)
President Myriam Spiteri Debono (2024)
Prime Minister Robert Abela (2020) son of former President George Abela
Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 21, 1964 and adopted a republican form of government in 1974. The UK withdrew its remaining military personnel in 1979.
Republic of the Marshall Islands (Majuro Atoll)
President Hilda C. Heine (2024)
The Marshall Islands is, since the termination in 1990 of a US-administered United Nations trusteeship, an independent state under the protection of the United States through a Compact of Free Association.
Islamic Republic of Mauritania (Nouakchott)
President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani (2019)
Prime Minister Moctar Ould Diay (2024)
Mauritania gained independence from France on November 28, 1960.
Republic of Mauritius (Port Louis)
President Dharam Gokhool (2024)
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam (2024) son of former Governor-General Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom on March 12, 1968 and adopted a republican form of government in 1992. Rodrigues has a special local government.
United Mexican States (Mexico City)
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (2024)
Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1821, was recognized by Spain in 1837, and most recently adopted a republican form of government in 1867. It is a federation of thirty-one states (Aguascalientes; Baja California; Baja California Sur; Campeche; Chiapas; Chihuahua; Coahuila; Colima; Durango; Guanajuato; Guerrero; Hidalgo; Jalisco; México; Michoacán; Morelos; Nayarit; Nuevo León; Oaxaca; Puebla; Querétaro; Quintana Roo; San Luis Potosí; Sinaloa; Sonora; Tabasco; Tamaulipas; Tlaxcala; Veracruz; Yucatán; Zacatecas) and Mexico City.
Federated States of Micronesia (Palikir)
President Wesley W. Simina (2023)
The Federated States of Micronesia is, since the termination in 1990 of a US-administered United Nations trusteeship, an independent state under the protection of the United States through a Compact of Free Association. It is a federation of four states (Chuuk; Kosrae; Pohnpei; Yap).
Republic of Moldova (Chișinău)
President Maia Sandu (2020)
Prime Minister Dorin Recean (2023)
Moldova declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It has one autonomous area (Gagauzia), and one de facto state (Pridnestrovie) exists on its territory.
Principality of Monaco
Prince Albert II (2005) son of former Prince Rainier III
Minister of State Christophe Mirmand (2025)
France is responsible for the defense of Monaco.
Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar)
President Ukhnaagiyn Khürelsükh (2021)
Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar (2025)
Mongolia declared independence from China in 1921 and adopted a republican form of government in 1924.
Montenegro (Podgorica)
President Jakov Milatović (2023)
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić (2023)
Montenegro gained independence from Serbia and Montenegro on June 3, 2006.
Kingdom of Morocco (Rabat)
King Muhammad VI (1999) son of former King Hassan II
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch (2021)
Morocco gained independence from France in 1956. From 1956 to 1969, it gradually took control of the remaining Spanish-ruled areas of its territory.
Republic of Mozambique (Maputo)
President Daniel Chapo (2025)
Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi (2025) (Note: The Prime Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
Mozambique gained independence from Portugal on June 25, 1975. It is a unitary state divided into ten provinces (Cabo Delgado; Gaza; Inhambane; Manica; Maputo; Nampula; Niassa; Sofala; Tete; Zambézia) and the capital city (Maputo).
Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Naypyidaw)
Chairman of the National Security and Peace Commission Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (2021)
Acting President Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (2025)
Prime Minister Nyo Saw (2025)
Burma gained independence from the United Kingdom on January 4, 1948. It adopted the name Myanmar in 1989. The capital was moved from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2006. Wa State is a heavily-armed enclave under Myanmar's nominal sovereignty but functions for most intents and purposes as an independent state.
National Unity Government (in opposition)
President Win Myint (2021)
Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than (2021)
Republic of Namibia (Windhoek)
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (2025)
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare (2025)
Namibia gained independence on March 21, 1990. South Africa had illegally occupied the territory since 1966, when the United Nations terminated the South African-administered League of Nations mandate over the former German South West Africa.
Republic of Nauru
President David Adeang (2022) son of former President David Adeang
Nauru gained independence from an Australian-administered United Nations trusteeship on January 31, 1968. Australia continues to be responsible for its defense. It is a unitary state divided into fourteen districts (Aiwo; Anabar; Anetan; Anibare; Baitsi, Boe; Buada; Denigomodu; Ewa; Ijuw; Meneng; Nibok; Uaboe; Yaren).
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (Kathmandu)
President Ram Chandra Poudel (2023)
Prime Minister Sushila Karki (2025)
Nepal was unified in 1768 and adopted a republican form of government in 2008. It is a federation of seven provinces.
Kingdom of the Netherlands (Amsterdam)
King Willem-Alexander (2013) son of former Queen Beatrix
Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dick Schoof (2024)
Prime Minister of Aruba: Mike Eman (2025) brother of former Prime Minister of Aruba Henny Eman
Prime Minister of Curaçao: Gilmar Pisas (2021)
Prime Minister of Sint Maarten: Luc Mercelina (2024)
The Netherlands declared independence from Spain in 1581, and was recognized by Spain in 1648. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a federation of four countries (Aruba; Curaçao; Netherlands; Sint Maarten). The country of the Netherlands (within the Kingdom of the Netherlands) is divided into twelve provinces in Europe (Drenthe; Flevoland; Friesland; Gelderland; Groningen; Limburg; North Brabant; North Holland; Overijssel; South Holland; Utrecht; Zeeland) and three island municipalities in the Caribbean (Bonaire; Saba; Sint Eustatius).
New Zealand (Wellington)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro (2021)
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (2023)
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands: Mark Brown (2020)
Prime Minister of Niue: Dalton Tagelagi (2020)
New Zealand was formed as a British dominion in 1907. It has two associated states (Cook Islands; Niue). Two other dependencies also fall under New Zealand sovereignty (Ross Dependency; Tokelau).
Republic of Nicaragua (Managua)
Co-Presidents Daniel Ortega Saavedra (2007) and Rosario Murillo Zambrana (2025)
Nicaragua withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and gained full independence in 1838. It is a unitary state divided into fifteen departments (Boaco; Carazo; Chinandega; Chontales; Estelí; Granada; Jinotega; León; Madriz; Managua; Masaya; Matagalpa; Nueva Segovia; Río San Juan; Rivas) and two autonomous regions (North Caribbean Coast; South Caribbean Coast).
Republic of Niger (Niamey)
President Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani (2023)
Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zène (2023)
Niger gained independence from France on August 3, 1960. It is a unitary state divided into seven regions (Agadez; Diffa; Dosso; Maradi; Tahoua; Tillabéri; Zinder) and the capital city (Niamey).
Federal Republic of Nigeria (Abuja)
President Bola Tinubu (2023)
Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1960 and adopted a republican form of government on October 1, 1963. From 1967 to 1970, the Eastern Region was in secession as the Republic of Biafra. The capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. Nigeria is a federation of thirty-six states (Abia; Adamawa; Akwa Ibom; Anambra; Bauchi; Bayelsa; Benue; Borno; Cross River; Delta; Ebonyi; Edo; Ekiti; Enugu; Gombe; Imo; Jigawa; Kaduna; Kano; Katsina; Kebbi; Kogi; Kwara; Lagos; Nasarawa; Niger; Ogun; Ondo; Osun; Oyo; Plateau; Rivers; Sokoto; Taraba; Yobe; Zamfara) and the Federal Capital Territory.
Republic of North Macedonia (Skopje)
President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (2024)
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski (2024)
The Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. It adopted the name North Macedonia in 2019 to resolve a dispute with Greece.
Kingdom of Norway (Oslo)
King Harald V (1991) son of former King Olav V
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (2021)
Norway gained independence from Denmark in 1814. From 1814 to 1905 it was in personal union with Sweden. It is a unitary state divided into eleven counties (Agder; Innlandet; Møre og Romsdal; Nordland; Oslo; Rogaland; Troms og Finnmark; Trøndelag; Vestfold og Telemark; Vestland; Viken). Five Arctic and Antarctic dependencies also fall under Norwegian sovereignty (Bouvet Island; Jan Mayen; Peter I Island; Queen Maud Land; Svalbard).
Sultanate of Oman (Muscat)
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq (2020) cousin of former Sultan Qabus bin Said
Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Islamabad)
President Asif Ali Zardari (2024) widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (2024) brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947 and adopted a republican form of government in 1956. The capital was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi in 1959, then again to Islamabad in 1969. The province of East Pakistan seceded as Bangladesh in 1971. Pakistan is a federation of four provinces (Balochistan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Punjab; Sindh) and the Islamabad Capital Territory. It also governs two unincorporated areas (Azad Kashmir; Gilgit-Baltistan) in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Republic of Palau (Ngerulmud)
President Surangel Whipps, Jr. (2021)
Palau is, since the termination in 1994 of a US-administered United Nations trusteeship, an independent state under the protection of the United States through a Compact of Free Association. It has an elaborate system of subnational government (sources differ on whether it is a federation) that mixes Western constitutionalism and customary rule. There are sixteen states (Aimeliik; Airai; Angaur; Hatohobei; Kayangel; Koror; Melekeok; Ngaraard; Ngarchelong; Ngardmau; Ngatpang; Ngchesar; Ngeremlengui; Ngiwal; Peleliu; Sonsorol) overlaid by two traditional chiefdoms whose rulers possess the styles Ibedul and Reklai respectively.
Republic of Panama (Panama City)
President José Raúl Mulino Quintero (2024)
Panama declared independence from Colombia in 1903. The Panama Canal Zone under United States administration was established the same year, and it was returned to Panamanian rule in 1979. Panama assumed sole control over the canal itself in 1999. It is a unitary state divided into ten provinces (Bocas del Toro; Coclé; Colón; Chiriquí; Darién; Herrera; Los Santos; Panamá; Panamá Oeste; Veraguas) and four comarcas indígenas with status equivalent to a province (Emberá-Wounaan; Guna Yala; Naso Tjër Di; Ngäbe-Buglé).
Independent State of Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae (2023)
Prime Minister James Marape (2019)
Papua New Guinea gained independence on September 16, 1975. One part of its territory was under direct Australian rule, and the other part was an Australian-administered United Nations trusteeship. It is a devolved unitary state with twenty provinces (Central; East New Britain; East Sepik; Eastern Highlands; Enga; Gulf; Hela; Jiwaka; Madang; Manus; Milne Bay; Morobe; New Ireland; Oro; Sandaun; Simbu; Southern Highlands; West New Britain; Western; Western Highlands), one autonomous region (Bougainville), and the National Capital District.
Republic of Paraguay (Asunción)
President Santiago Peña Palacios (2023)
Paraguay is a unitary state divided into seventeen departments (Alto Paraguay; Alto Paraná; Amambay; Boquerón; Caaguazú; Caazapá; Canindeyú; Central; Concepción; Cordillera; Guairá; Itapúa; Misiones; Ñeembucú; Paraguarí; Presidente Hayes; San Pedro) and the Capital District.
Republic of Peru (Lima)
President of the Republic Dina Boluarte Zegarra (2022)
President of the Council of Ministers Eduardo Arana Ysa (2025)
Peru declared independence from Spain in 1821. This was confirmed at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 and was recognized by Spain in 1865. It is a unitary state divided into twenty-four departments (Amazonas; Áncash; Apurímac; Arequipa; Ayacucho; Cajamarca; Cuzco; Huancavelica; Huánuco; Ica; Junín; La Libertad; Lambayeque; Lima; Loreto; Madre de Dios; Moquegua; Pasco; Piura; Puno; San Martín; Tacna; Tumbes; Ucayali) and two provinces independent of any department (Callao; Lima).
Republic of the Philippines (Manila)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. (2022) son of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos
The Philippines gained independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. The capital was moved from Manila to Quezon City in 1948, and then back to Manila in 1976. It is a unitary state divided into eighty-one provinces (Abra; Agusan del Norte; Agusan del Sur; Aklan; Albay; Antique; Apayao; Aurora; Basilan; Bataan; Batanes; Batangas; Benguet; Biliran; Bohol; Bukidnon; Bulacan; Cagayan; Camarines Norte; Camarines Sur; Camiguin; Capiz; Catanduanes; Cavite; Cebu; Cotabato; Davao de Oro; Davao del Norte; Davao del Sur; Davao Occidental; Davao Oriental; Dinagat Islands; Eastern Samar; Guimaras; Ifugao; Ilocos Norte; Ilocos Sur; Iloilo; Isabela; Kalinga; La Union; Laguna; Lanao del Norte; Lanao del Sur; Leyte; Maguindanao; Marinduque; Masbate; Misamis Occidental; Misamis Oriental; Mountain Province; Negros Occidental; Negros Oriental; Northern Samar; Nueva Ecija; Nueva Vizcaya; Occidental Mindoro; Oriental Mindoro; Palawan; Pampanga; Pangasinan; Quezon; Quirino; Rizal; Romblon; Samar; Sarangani; Siquijor; Sorsogon; South Cotabato; Southern Leyte; Sultan Kudarat; Sulu; Surigao del Norte; Surigao del Sur; Tarlac; Tawi-Tawi; Zambales; Zamboanga del Norte; Zamboanga del Sur; Zamboanga Sibugay) and thirty-nine cities that are administratively independent of any province (Angeles; Bacolod; Baguio; Butuan; Cagayan de Oro; Caloocan; Cebu; Cotabato; Dagupan; Davao; General Santos; Iligan; Iloilo; Lapu-Lapu; Las Piñas; Lucena; Makati; Malabon; Mandaluyong; Mandaue; Manila; Marikina; Muntinlupa; Naga; Navotas; Olongapo; Ormoc; Parañaque; Pasay; Pasig; Pateros; Puerto Princesa; Quezon City; San Juan; Santiago; Tacloban; Taguig; Valenzuela; Zamboanga). The provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, together with the city of Cotabato, form the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Republic of Poland (Warsaw)
President Karol Nawrocki (2025)
Prime Minister Donald Tusk (2023)
Portuguese Republic (Lisbon)
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (2016)
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro (2024)
Portugal is a unitary state divided into eighteen districts (Aveiro; Beja; Braga; Bragança; Castelo Branco; Coimbra; Évora; Faro; Guarda; Leiria; Lisbon; Portalegre; Porto; Santarém; Setúbal; Viana do Castelo; Vila Real; Viseu) and two autonomous regions (Azores; Madeira).
State of Qatar (Doha)
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (2013) son of former Sheikh Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani (2023)
Qatar gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.
Romania (Bucharest)
President Nicușor Dan (2025)
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan (2025)
Romania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, was recognized in 1878 (Congress of Berlin), and adopted a republican form of government in 1947. It is a unitary state divided into forty-one counties (Alba; Arad; Argeș; Bacău; Bihor; Bistrița-Năsăud; Botoșani; Brăila; Brașov; Buzău; Călărași; Caraș-Severin; Cluj; Constanța; Covasna; Dâmbovița; Dolj; Galați; Giurgiu; Gorj; Harghita; Hunedoara; Ialomița; Iași; Ilfov; Maramureș; Mehedinți; Mureș; Neamț; Olt; Prahova; Sălaj; Satu Mare; Sibiu; Suceava; Teleorman; Timiș; Tulcea; Vâlcea; Vaslui; Vrancea) and one capital city (Bucharest).
Russian Federation (Moscow)
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (2012)
Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin (2020)
The Russian Federation is the successor state (1991) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It is a federation of forty-eight oblasts (Amur; Arkhangelsk; Astrakhan; Belgorod; Bryansk; Chelyabinsk; Irkutsk; Ivanovo; Kaliningrad; Kaluga; Kemerovo; Kherson; Kirov; Kostroma; Kurgan; Kursk; Leningrad; Lipetsk; Magadan; Moscow; Murmansk; Nizhny Novgorod; Novgorod; Novosibirsk; Omsk; Orenburg; Oryol; Penza; Pskov; Rostov; Ryazan; Sakhalin; Samara; Saratov; Smolensk; Sverdlovsk; Tambov; Tomsk; Tula; Tver; Tyumen; Ulyanovsk; Vladimir; Volgograd; Vologda; Voronezh; Yaroslavl; Zaporozhye), twenty-four republics (Adygea; Altay; Bashkortostan; Buryatia; Chechnya; Chuvashia; Crimea; Dagestan; Donetsk; Ingushetia; Kabardino-Balkaria; Kalmykia; Karachay-Cherkessia; Karelia; Khakassia; Komi; Lugansk; Mari El; Mordovia; North Ossetia–Alania; Sakha; Tatarstan; Tuva; Udmurtia), nine krays (Altay; Kamchatka; Khabarovsk; Krasnodar; Krasnoyarsk; Perm; Primorsky; Stavropol; Zabaikalsky), four autonomous okrugs (Chukotka; Khanty-Mansi; Nenets; Yamalo-Nenets), three federal cities (Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Sevastopol), and one autonomous oblast (Jewish Autonomous Oblast). From 1991 to 2000, Chechnya was in secession as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Sevastopol, and Zaporozhye are internationally recognized as parts of Ukraine.
Republic of Rwanda (Kigali)
President Paul Kagame (2000)
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva (2025)
Rwanda gained independence from a Belgian-administered United Nations trusteeship on July 1, 1962.
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (Basseterre)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Marcella Liburd (2023)
Prime Minister Terrance Drew (2022)
Premier of Nevis: Mark Brantley (2017)
Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 19, 1983. It has one federated area (Nevis).
Saint Lucia (Castries)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Errol Charles (2025) son of former Chief Minister Sir George Charles
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre (2021)
Saint Lucia gained independence from the United Kingdom on February 22, 1979.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Kingstown)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Dame Susan Dougan (2019)
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves (2001)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 27, 1979.
Independent State of Samoa (Apia)
O le Ao o le Malo [Head of State] Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II (2017)
Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt (2025)
Western Samoa gained independence from a New Zealand-administered United Nations trusteeship on January 1, 1962. It adopted the name Samoa in 1997 (this name change is rejected by people in American Samoa as an implicit claim to the entire Samoan archipelago). New Zealand is responsible for its defense.
Republic of San Marino (San Marino)
Captains-Regent Denise Bronzetti and Italo Righi (2025)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Luca Beccari (2020) (Note: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs is not the constitutional head of government.)
San Marino was traditionally established in 301 CE. Italy is responsible for its defense. It is a unitary state divided into nine castelli (Acquaviva; Borgo Maggiore; Chiesanuova; Domagnano; Faetano; Fiorentino; Montegiardino; San Marino; Serravalle).
Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (São Tomé)
President Carlos Vila Nova (2021)
Prime Minister Américo d'Oliveira dos Ramos (2025)
São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence from Portugal on July 12, 1975. It is a unitary state divided into six districts on the island of São Tomé (Água Grande; Cantagalo; Caué; Lembá; Lobata; Mé-Zóchi) and one autonomous region (Príncipe).
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
King Salman bin Abdul Aziz (2015) half-brother of former King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
Prime Minister Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (2022) son of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz
Saudi Arabia was formed in 1932 by the unification of the kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd.
Republic of Senegal (Dakar)
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye (2024)
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko (2024)
Senegal gained independence from France as part of the Mali Federation in 1960 and seceded from the Federation later the same year. It is a unitary state divided into fourteen regions (Dakar; Diourbel; Fatick; Kaffrine; Kaolack; Kédougou; Kolda; Louga; Matam; Saint-Louis; Sédhiou; Tambacounda; Thiès; Ziguinchor).
Republic of Serbia (Belgrade)
President Aleksandar Vučić (2017)
Prime Minister Đuro Macut (2025)
Serbia gained independence when the union of Serbia and Montenegro was dissolved in 2006. It has one autonomous province (Vojvodina) and claims the territory governed by the Republic of Kosovo.
Republic of Seychelles (Victoria)
President Wavel Ramkalawan (2020)
Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom on June 29, 1976.
Republic of Sierra Leone (Freetown)
President Julius Maada Bio (2018)
Chief Minister David Sengeh (2023) (Note: The Chief Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom on April 27, 1961 and adopted a republican form of government in 1971.
Republic of Singapore
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (2023)
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai (2024)
Singapore became independent upon its expulsion from Malaysia on August 9, 1965.
Slovak Republic (Bratislava)
President Peter Pellegrini (2024)
Prime Minister Robert Fico (2023)
Slovakia gained independence on January 1, 1993 through the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. It is a unitary state divided into eight regions (Banská Bystrica; Bratislava; Košice; Nitra; Prešov; Trenčín; Trnava; Žilina).
Republic of Slovenia (Ljubljana)
President Nataša Pirc Musar (2022)
Prime Minister Robert Golob (2022)
Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and was recognized later the same year.
Solomon Islands (Honiara)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Sir David Tiva Kapu (2024)
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele (2024)
Solomon Islands gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 7, 1978. It is a devolved unitary state with nine provinces (Central; Choiseul; Guadalcanal; Isabel; Makira-Ulawa; Malaita; Rennell and Bellona; Temotu; Western) and one capital territory (Honiara).
Federal Republic of Somalia (Mogadishu)
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (2022)
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre (2022)
Somalia was formed on July 1, 1960 by the de facto unification of the former British Somaliland and the Italian-administered United Nations trusteeship of Somalia. The Somali state suffered a complete breakdown in 1991, and is only gradually being reconstituted. One de facto state (Somaliland) exists on Somali territory.
Republic of South Africa (Pretoria)
President Cyril Ramaphosa (2018)
South Africa was formed as a British dominion on May 31, 1910 by the unification of four British colonies (Cape Colony; Natal; Orange River Colony; Transvaal). It adopted a republican form of government on May 31, 1961. Beginning in 1976, four "homelands" (Bophuthatswana; Ciskei; Transkei; Venda) were declared independent states to denaturalize their inhabitants in line with the policy of apartheid. They were all abolished and reintegrated into South Africa in 1994. Present-day South Africa is a devolved unitary state with nine provinces (Eastern Cape; Free State; Gauteng; KwaZulu-Natal; Limpopo; Mpumalanga; North West; Northern Cape; Western Cape).
Republic of South Sudan (Juba)
President Salva Kiir Mayardit (2011)
South Sudan declared independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011.
Spain (Madrid)
King Felipe VI (2014) son of former King Juan Carlos I
President of the Government Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (2018)
Spain is a devolved unitary state with seventeen autonomous communities (Andalusia; Aragon; Asturias; Balearic Islands; Basque Country; Canary Islands; Cantabria; Castile-La Mancha; Castile and León; Catalonia; Extremadura; Galicia; La Rioja; Madrid; Murcia; Navarre; Valencia) and two autonomous cities (Ceuta; Melilla).
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte)
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (2024)
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya (2024) (Note: The Prime Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
Ceylon gained independence from the United Kingdom on February 4, 1948 and adopted a republican form of government under the name Sri Lanka on May 22, 1972. It is a devolved unitary state with nine provinces (Central; Eastern; North Central; North Western; Northern; Sabaragamuwa; Southern; Uva; Western). The capital was moved from Colombo to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte in 1982.
Republic of Sudan (Khartoum)
Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan (2019)
Prime Minister Kamil Idris (2025)
Sudan gained independence from a condominium under British and Egyptian administration in 1956. The southern region of the country seceded as South Sudan on July 9, 2011.
"Government of Peace and Unity" (in opposition)
Chairman of the Presidential Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti" (2025)
Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi (2025)
Republic of Suriname (Paramaribo)
President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons (2025)
Vice President Gregory Rusland (2025) (Note: The Vice President presides over the Council of Ministers but is not the constitutional head of government.)
Suriname gained independence from the Netherlands on November 25, 1975.
Kingdom of Sweden (Stockholm)
King Carl XVI Gustaf (1973) grandson of former King Gustaf VI Adolf
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (2022)
Sweden is a unitary state divided into twenty-one counties (Blekinge; Dalarna; Gävleborg; Gotland; Halland; Jämtland; Jönköping; Kalmar; Kronoberg; Norrbotten; Örebro; Östergötland; Skåne; Södermanland; Stockholm; Uppsala; Värmland; Västerbotten; Västernorrland; Västmanland; Västra Götaland).
Swiss Confederation (Bern)
Federal Council (2025): Karin Keller-Sutter (President of the Confederation in 2025), Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Ignazio Cassis, Beat Jans, Guy Parmelin, Martin Pfister, Albert Rösti
Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi (2024) (Note: The Federal Chancellor is not the head of government.)
Switzerland is a federation of twenty-six cantons (Aargau; Appenzell Ausserrhoden; Appenzell Innerrhoden; Basel-Landschaft; Basel-Stadt; Bern; Fribourg; Geneva; Glarus; Graubünden; Jura; Lucerne; Neuchâtel; Nidwalden; Obwalden; Sankt Gallen; Schaffhausen; Schwyz; Solothurn; Thurgau; Ticino; Uri; Valais; Vaud; Zug; Zürich).
Syrian Arab Republic (Damascus)
President Ahmad al-Sharaa (2025)
Republic of Tajikistan (Dushanbe)
President Emomali Rakhmon (1992)
Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda (2013) (Note: The Prime Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
Tajikistan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It has one autonomous province (Gorno-Badakhshan).
United Republic of Tanzania (Dodoma)
President Samia Suluhu Hassan (2021)
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa (2015) (Note: The Prime Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
President of Zanzibar: Hussein Mwinyi (2020)
Tanzania was formed on April 26, 1964 by the unification of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Tanganyika gained independence from a British-administered United Nations trusteeship on December 9, 1961 and adopted a republican form of government on December 9, 1962. Zanzibar gained independence from the United Kingdom on December 10, 1963 and adopted a republican form of government on January 12, 1964. The capital was moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma in 1974. Tanzania has one autonomous region (Zanzibar).
Kingdom of Thailand (Bangkok)
King Vajiralongkorn (2016) son of former King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (2025)
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Dili)
President José Ramos-Horta (2022)
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão (2023)
Timor-Leste gained independence from United Nations administration on May 20, 2002. It had been invaded and annexed by Indonesia after the departure of Portuguese colonial authorities in 1975 and formed a province of Indonesia from 1976 to 1999.
Togolese Republic (Lomé)
President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové (2025)
Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbé (2025) son of former President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
Togo gained independence from a French-administered United Nations trusteeship on April 27, 1960. It is a unitary state divided into five regions (Centrale; Kara; Maritime; Plateaux; Savanes).
Kingdom of Tonga (Nuku'alofa)
King Tupou VI (2012) brother of former King George Tupou V
Prime Minister ʻAisake Eke (2025)
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain)
President Christine Kangaloo (2023)
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (2025)
Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1962 and adopted a republican form of government on August 1, 1976. Tobago has a special local government.
Tunisian Republic (Tunis)
President Kaïs Saïed (2019)
Prime Minister Sara Zaafarani (2025)
Tunisia gained independence from France on March 20, 1956 and adopted a republican form of government on July 25, 1957. France withdrew from its naval facility in Bizerte in 1963. It is a unitary state divided into twenty-four governorates (Ariana; Béja; Ben Arous; Bizerte; Gabès; Gafsa; Jendouba; Kairouan; Kasserine; Kébili; Kef; Mahdia; Manouba; Médenine; Monastir; Nabeul; Sfax; Sidi Bouzid; Siliana; Sousse; Tataouine; Tozeur; Tunis; Zaghouan).
Republic of Turkey (Ankara)
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (2014)
Turkey is the successor state (1923) of the Ottoman Empire. It is a unitary state divided into eighty-one provinces (Adana; Adıyaman; Afyonkarahisar; Ağrı; Aksaray; Amasya; Ankara; Antalya; Ardahan; Artvin; Aydın; Balıkesir; Bartın; Batman; Bayburt; Bilecik; Bingöl; Bitlis; Bolu; Burdur; Bursa; Çanakkale; Çankırı; Çorum; Denizli; Diyarbakır; Düzce; Edirne; Elazığ; Erzincan; Erzurum; Eskişehir; Gaziantep; Giresun; Gümüşhane; Hakkâri; Hatay; Iğdır; Isparta; İstanbul; İzmir; Kahramanmaraş; Karabük; Karaman; Kars; Kastamonu; Kayseri; Kilis; Kırıkkale; Kırklareli; Kırşehir; Kocaeli; Konya; Kütahya; Malatya; Manisa; Mardin; Mersin; Muğla; Muş; Nevşehir; Niğde; Ordu; Osmaniye; Rize; Sakarya; Samsun; Şanlıurfa; Siirt; Sinop; Şırnak; Sivas; Tekirdağ; Tokat; Trabzon; Tunceli; Uşak; Van; Yalova; Yozgat; Zonguldak).
Turkmenistan (Ashgabat)
"National Leader of the Turkmen People" Gurbanguly Myalikguliyevich Berdymukhammedov (2023) father of President Serdar Gurbanguliyevich Berdymukhammedov
President Serdar Gurbanguliyevich Berdymukhammedov (2022) son of National Leader of the Turkmen People Gurbanguly Myalikguliyevich Berdymukhammedov
Turkmenistan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It is a unitary state divided into five regions (Ahal; Balkan; Daşoguz; Lebap; Mary) and one city (Ashgabat).
Tuvalu (Funafuti Atoll)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General Sir Tofiga Falani (2021)
Prime Minister Feleti Teo (2024) son of former Governor-General Sir Fiatau Penitala Teo
Tuvalu seceded from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1975 and gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1978. It is geographically and politically divided into nine islands (Funafuti; Nanumanga; Nanumea; Niulakita; Niutao; Nui; Nukufetau; Nukulaelae; Vaitupu). Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Parliament.
Republic of Uganda (Kampala)
President Yoweri Museveni (1986)
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja (2021) (Note: The Prime Minister is not the constitutional head of government.)
Uganda gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 9, 1962 and adopted a republican form of government on October 9, 1963. Five customary monarchies are recognized (Buganda; Bunyoro; Busoga; Rwenzururu; Toro) and have some cultural autonomy.
Ukraine (Kyiv)
President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky (2019)
Prime Minister Yuliya Anatoliyivna Svyrydenko (2025)
Ukraine declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It is a unitary state divided into twenty-four oblasts (Cherkasy; Chernihiv; Chernivtsi; Dnipropetrovsk; Donetsk; Ivano-Frankivsk; Kharkiv; Kherson; Khmelnytsky; Kirovohrad; Kyiv; Luhansk; Lviv; Mykolaiv; Odessa; Poltava; Rivne; Sumy; Ternopil; Vinnytsia; Volyn; Zakarpattia; Zaporizhia; Zhytomyr), two cities (Kyiv; Sevastopol), and one autonomous republic (Crimea). Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Verkhovna Rada. Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Sevastopol, and Zaporizhia have been occupied and "annexed" by Russia.
United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
President Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Emir of Abu Dhabi (2022) half-brother of former President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan
Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktum, Emir of Dubai (2006) son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Said Al Maktum
The United Arab Emirates gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. It is a federation of seven emirates (Abu Dhabi; Ajman; Dubai; Fujairah; Ras al-Khaimah; Sharjah; Umm al-Qaiwain). By tradition, the ruler of Abu Dhabi is also President of the federation and the ruler of Dubai is also Prime Minister.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (London)
King Charles III (2022) son of former Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Sir Keir Starmer (2024)
First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland: Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly (2024)
First Minister of Scotland: John Swinney (2024)
First Minister of Wales: Eluned, Baroness Morgan of Ely (2024)
The United Kingdom is divided into four countries (England; Northern Ireland; Scotland; Wales), which (except England) have devolved governments. Seventeen dependencies fall under British sovereignty (Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Guernsey; Isle of Man; Jersey; Montserrat; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks and Caicos Islands). Argentina claims the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. Mauritius and Seychelles both claim the British Indian Ocean Territory. Spain claims Gibraltar.
United States of America (Washington)
President Donald Trump (2025)
The United States declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4, 1776 and was recognized by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789. From 1861 to 1865, several states in the southern section of the country were in secession as the Confederate States of America. The United States is a federation of fifty states (Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming) and the District of Columbia. Fourteen dependencies also fall under American sovereignty (American Samoa; Baker Island; Guam; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Navassa Island; Northern Mariana Islands; Palmyra Atoll; Puerto Rico; United States Virgin Islands; Wake Island). Haiti claims Navassa Island. The Marshall Islands claims Wake Island. Three independent states (Marshall Islands; Federated States of Micronesia; Palau) are protected by the United States through Compacts of Free Association.
Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Montevideo)
President Yamandú Orsi Martínez (2025)
Uruguay is a unitary state divided into nineteen departments (Artigas; Canelones; Cerro Largo; Colonia; Durazno; Flores; Florida; Lavalleja; Maldonado; Montevideo; Paysandú; Río Negro; Rivera; Rocha; Salto; San José; Soriano; Tacuarembó; Treinta y Tres).
Republic of Uzbekistan (Tashkent)
President Shavkat Miramanovich Mirziyayev (2016)
Prime Minister Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov (2016)
Uzbekistan declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991, and was recognized later the same year. It has one autonomous republic (Karakalpakstan).
Republic of Vanuatu (Port Vila)
President Nikenike Vurobaravu (2022)
Prime Minister Jotham Napat (2025)
Vanuatu gained independence from a condominium under British and French administration on July 30, 1980. It is divided into six provinces (Malampa; Penama; Sanma; Shefa; Tafea; Torba). Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Parliament. Customary leaders are recognized by the constitution and represented at the statewide level by the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs.
Vatican City State (Vatican City)
Pope Leo XIV (2025)
President of the Governorate Raffaella Petrini (2025)
Secretary of State of the Holy See: Pietro Cardinal Parolin (2013)
The Vatican City State, established by the Lateran Pacts of 1929, has the sole purpose of serving as the headquarters of the Catholic Church. Because it has no permanent native population, it should not be considered a "country" in any meaningful sense. Italy is responsible for its defense. Bilateral relations with other states are generally conducted in the name of the Holy See rather than that of the Vatican City State.
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Caracas)
President Nicolás Maduro Moros (2013)
Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez Gómez (2018) (Note: The Executive Vice President is not the constitutional head of government.)
Venezuela is a federation of twenty-three states (Amazonas; Anzoátegui; Apure; Aragua; Barinas; Bolívar; Carabobo; Cojedes; Delta Amacuro; Falcón; Guárico; La Guaira; Lara; Mérida; Miranda; Monagas; Nueva Esparta; Portuguesa; Sucre; Táchira; Trujillo; Yaracuy; Zulia), the Capital District, and the Federal Dependencies. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly. Indigenous peoples are recognized by the constitution and are guaranteed representation in the National Assembly.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Hanoi)
President Lương Cường (2024)
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (2021)
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm (2024)
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed on July 2, 1976 by the unification of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the territory formerly constituting the Republic of Vietnam. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam declared independence from France in 1945. The Republic of Vietnam had been established in 1955. Legal political activity is monopolized by the Communist Party of Vietnam and its umbrella organization the Vietnam Fatherland Front. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly.
Republic of Yemen (Sana'a)
The Republic of Yemen was formed on May 22, 1990 by the unification of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) and the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR). The PDRY gained independence from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1967. The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 pursuant to the Armistice of Mudros and adopted a republican form of government under the name Yemen Arab Republic in 1962. In 1994, former members of the PDRY government briefly seceded as the Democratic Republic of Yemen. There remains strong secessionist sentiment in the territory of the former PDRY.
Internationally-recognized government
Head of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi (2022)
Prime Minister Salem Bin Breik (2025)
De facto government
President of the Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat (2018)
Acting Prime Minister Muhammad Miftah (2025)
Republic of Zambia (Lusaka)
President Hakainde Hichilema (2021)
Zambia gained independence from the United Kingdom on October 24, 1964. It is a unitary state divided into ten provinces (Central; Copperbelt; Eastern; Luapula; Lusaka; Muchinga; North-Western; Northern; Southern; Western). Legislative power is vested in the Parliament, consisting of the President and the unicameral National Assembly. Customary leaders are recognized by the constitution and represented at the statewide level by the House of Chiefs.
Republic of Zimbabwe (Harare)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa (2017)
Zimbabwe gained independence from the United Kingdom on April 18, 1980. From 1965 to 1979, its territory was a de facto state known as Rhodesia. Zimbabwe is a unitary state divided into eight provinces (Manicaland; Mashonaland Central; Mashonaland East; Mashonaland West; Masvingo; Matabeleland North; Matabeleland South; Midlands) and two metropolitan provinces (Bulawayo; Harare). Legislative power is vested in the bicameral Parliament (Senate and National Assembly). Customary leaders are recognized by the constitution and represented at the statewide level by the National Council of Chiefs.
States without full international recognition
Republic of Abkhazia (Sukhumi)
President Badra Zurabovich Gunba (2025)
Prime Minister Vladimir Valeryevich Delba (2025)
Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in 1992. It is a de facto state, internationally recognized as part of Georgia. Russia is Abkhazia's main sponsor and foreign ally.
Republic of China (Taipei)
President of the Republic William Lai Ching-te (2024)
President of the Executive Yuan Cho Jung-tai (2024)
The Republic of China was established in 1912. Formerly the internationally recognized government of China, it has been based in Taiwan since 1949. The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Republic of Kosovo (Pristina)
President Vjosa Osmani (2021)
Prime Minister Albin Kurti (2021)
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia continues to claim Kosovo as part of its territory; this has prevented Kosovo's full international recognition.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Nicosia)
President Ersin Tatar (2020)
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel (2022)
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared independence from the Republic of Cyprus in 1983. It is a de facto state, internationally recognized as part of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey is the TRNC's main sponsor and foreign ally.
State of Palestine (Jerusalem)
President Mahmoud Abbas "Abu Mazen" (2005)
Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa (2024)
The State of Palestine, declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988, is a proto-state established in opposition to Israeli occupation. It enjoys wide international recognition but does not exercise effective control over its claimed territory.
Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Tiraspol)
President Vadim Nikolayevich Krasnoselsky (2016)
Prime Minister Aleksandr Nikolayevich Rozenberg (2022)
Pridnestrovie declared independence from the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990, and ceased to be a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It is a de facto state, internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Russia is Pridnestrovie's main sponsor and foreign ally.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (El Aaiún)
President Brahim Ghali (2016)
Prime Minister Bouchraya Beyoun (2020)
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, declared by the Polisario Front in 1976, is a proto-state established in opposition to Moroccan occupation of its claimed territory. Western Sahara was previously governed by Spain. Algeria is the SADR's main sponsor and foreign ally.
Republic of Somaliland (Hargeisa)
President Abdirahman Irro (2024)
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. It is a de facto state, internationally recognized as part of Somalia.
Republic of South Ossetia–State of Alania (Tskhinvali)
President Alan Eduardovich Gagloyev (2022)
Prime Minister Konstantin Khasanovich Dzhussoyev (2022)
South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia in 1991. It is a de facto state, internationally recognized as part of Georgia. Russia is South Ossetia–Alania's main sponsor and foreign ally.