List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe facts for kids
Europe is a continent with many different countries, each with its own government and rules. It's a bit tricky to say exactly where Europe begins and ends because people define it in different ways. Some definitions are based on geography (where the land is), and others are based on politics (which countries belong to certain European groups).
There are about 50 countries that are generally recognized as independent states in Europe. Some of these countries have land in both Europe and Asia. There are also a few places that act like independent countries but aren't fully recognized by everyone. Plus, there are some areas that are connected to European countries but have special political arrangements.
Contents
Where is Europe?
Natural Borders
The natural border between Europe and Asia is usually drawn along the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, and the Caspian Sea in the east. To the south, it follows the Greater Caucasus mountains, the Black Sea, and its narrow waterways, the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.
Because of these borders, some countries like Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey have land in both Europe and Asia. These are called transcontinental countries.
The island of Cyprus is actually closer to Asia, but it's often considered part of Europe and is a member of the European Union. Similarly, Armenia is in Asia but belongs to several European organizations.
Even though the Mediterranean Sea clearly separates Africa and Europe, some European islands like Malta and Sicily are actually on the African land plate. Iceland is unique because it sits on the border of two huge land plates: the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate.
Some places are geographically outside Europe but have strong ties to European countries. For example, Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it's much closer to North America. Other examples include the French overseas regions, the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla in Africa, and the Dutch islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba in the Caribbean.
Political Borders
The political borders of Europe can change depending on which international group you're looking at. For instance, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights include 46 countries in their definition of Europe. Other groups, like the European Olympic Committees, include 50 countries. This shows that "Europe" can mean different things to different organizations.
Independent Countries
A sovereign state is an independent country that has full control over its own people and land. To be considered a state, it usually needs a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the ability to make agreements with other countries.
Countries Recognized by the United Nations
There are 50 independent countries in Europe that are widely recognized by other nations. Most of these are members of the United Nations (UN) or have a special observer status there. Almost all of them are also members of the Council of Europe, except for Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Vatican City.
Forty-four of these countries have their capital cities in Europe. As of 2022, 27 of them are members of the European Union (EU). EU countries work very closely together and share some of their decision-making power through EU organizations.
The list below shows these countries. On the maps, dark green means the country's land is in Europe. Lighter green means the country has land outside Europe. The lightest green shows other EU countries on the maps of EU members.
* | = Member of the EU |
Flag | Map | English short, formal names, and ISO |
Domestic short and formal name(s) |
Capital |
Population 2018 |
Area |
Currency |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania Republic of Albania ALB |
Albanian: Shqipëri / Shqipëria – Republika e Shqipërisë | Tirana Albanian: Tiranë |
2,882,740 | 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi) | Albanian lek | ||
Andorra Principality of Andorra AND |
Catalan: Andorra – Principat d'Andorra | Andorra la Vella Catalan: Andorra la Vella |
77,006 | 468 km2 (181 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Armenia Republic of Armenia ARM |
Armenian: Հայաստան – Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն (Hayastan – Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun) | Yerevan Armenian: Երևան (Yerevan) |
2,951,745 | 29,743 km2 (11,484 sq mi) | Armenian dram | ||
Austria* Republic of Austria AUT |
German: Österreich – Republik Österreich | Vienna German: Wien |
8,891,388 | 83,871 km2 (32,383 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan AZE |
Azerbaijani: Azǝrbaycan – Azǝrbaycan Respublikası | Baku Azerbaijani: Bakı |
9,949,537 | 86,600 km2 (33,436 sq mi) | Azerbaijani manat | ||
Belarus Republic of Belarus BLR |
Belarusian: Беларусь – Рэспубліка Беларусь (Bielaruś – Respublika Bielaruś) Russian: Беларусь – Республика Беларусь (Belarus' — Respublika Belarus') |
Minsk Belarusian: Мінск (Minsk) Russian: Минск (Minsk) |
9,452,617 | 207,600 km2 (80,155 sq mi) | Belarusian rouble | ||
Belgium* Kingdom of Belgium BEL |
Dutch: België – Koninkrijk België French: Belgique – Royaume de Belgique German: Belgien – Königreich Belgien |
Brussels Dutch: Brussel French: Bruxelles German: Brüssel |
11,482,178 | 30,528 km2 (11,787 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH |
Bosnian: Bosna i Hercegovina Croatian: Bosna i Hercegovina Serbian: Босна и Херцеговина |
Sarajevo Bosnian: Sarajevo Croatian: Sarajevo Serbian: Сарајево |
3,323,925 | 51,197 km2 (19,767 sq mi) | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark | ||
Bulgaria* Republic of Bulgaria BGR |
Bulgarian: България – Република България (Bulgaria – Republika Bulgaria) | Sofia Bulgarian: София (Sofia) |
7,051,608 | 110,879 km2 (42,811 sq mi) | Bulgarian lev | ||
Croatia* Republic of Croatia HRV |
Croatian: Hrvatska – Republika Hrvatska | Zagreb Croatian: Zagreb |
4,156,405 | 56,594 km2 (21,851 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Cyprus* Republic of Cyprus CYP |
Greek: Κύπρος – Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Kýpros – Kypriakí Dimokratía) Turkish: Kıbrıs – Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti |
Nicosia Greek: Λευκωσία (Lefkosía) Turkish: Lefkoşa |
1,189,265 | 9,251 km2 (3,572 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Czechia* Czech Republic CZE |
Czech: Česko – Česká republika | Prague Czech: Praha |
10,665,677 | 78,867 km2 (30,451 sq mi) | Czech koruna | ||
Denmark* Kingdom of Denmark DNK |
Danish: Danmark – Kongeriget Danmark | Copenhagen Danish: København |
5,752,126 | 42,933 km2 (16,577 sq mi) | Danish krone | ||
Estonia* Republic of Estonia EST |
Estonian: Eesti – Eesti Vabariik | Tallinn Estonian: Tallinn |
1,322,920 | 45,228 km2 (17,463 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Finland* Republic of Finland FIN |
Finnish: Suomi – Suomen tasavalta Swedish: Finland – Republiken Finland |
Helsinki Finnish: Helsinki Swedish: Helsingfors |
5,522,576 | 338,145 km2 (130,559 sq mi) | Euro | ||
France* French Republic FRA |
French: France – République française | Paris French: Paris |
64,990,511 | 643,427 km2 (248,429 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Georgia GEO |
Georgian: საქართველო (Sakartvelo) | Tbilisi / T'bilisi Georgian: თბილისი (T'bilisi) |
4,002,942 | 69,700 km2 (26,911 sq mi) | Georgian lari | ||
Germany* Federal Republic of Germany DEU |
German: Deutschland – Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Berlin German: Berlin |
83,124,418 | 357,022 km2 (137,847 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Greece* Hellenic Republic GRC |
Greek: Ελλάδα – Ελληνική Δημοκρατία (Elláda – Ellinikí Dimokratía) | Athens Greek: Αθήνα (Athína) |
10,522,246 | 131,957 km2 (50,949 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Hungary* HUN |
Hungarian: Magyarország | Budapest Hungarian: Budapest |
9,707,499 | 93,028 km2 (35,918 sq mi) | Hungarian forint | ||
Iceland ISL |
Icelandic: Ísland – Lýðveldið Ísland | Reykjavík Icelandic: Reykjavík |
336,713 | 103,000 km2 (39,769 sq mi) | Icelandic króna | ||
Ireland* IRL |
English: Ireland Irish: Éire |
Dublin Irish: Baile Átha Cliath |
4,818,690 | 70,273 km2 (27,133 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Italy* Italian Republic ITA |
Italian: Italia – Repubblica Italiana | Rome Italian: Roma |
60,627,291 | 301,340 km2 (116,348 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Kazakhstan Republic of Kazakhstan KAZ |
Kazakh: Қазақстан – Қазақстан Республикасы (Qazaqstan – Qazaqstan Respūblīkasy) Russian: Казахстан – Республика Казахстан (Kazakhstan – Respublika Kazakhstan) |
Astana Kazakh: Астана (Astana) Russian: Астана (Astana) |
18,319,618 | 2,724,900 km2 (1,052,090 sq mi) | Kazakhstani tenge | ||
Latvia* Republic of Latvia LVA |
Latvian: Latvija – Latvijas Republika | Riga Latvian: Rīga |
1,928,459 | 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Liechtenstein Principality of Liechtenstein LIE |
German: Liechtenstein – Fürstentum Liechtenstein | Vaduz German: Vaduz |
37,910 | 160 km2 (62 sq mi) | Liechtenstein franc | ||
Lithuania* Republic of Lithuania LTU |
Lithuanian: Lietuva – Lietuvos Respublika | Vilnius Lithuanian: Vilnius |
2,801,264 | 65,300 km2 (25,212 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Luxembourg* Grand Duchy of Luxembourg LUX |
German: Luxemburg – Großherzogtum Luxemburg French: Luxembourg – Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg - Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg |
Luxembourg German: Luxemburg French: Luxembourg Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg |
604,245 | 2,586 km2 (998 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Malta* Republic of Malta MLT |
English: Malta – Republic of Malta Maltese: Malta – Repubblika ta' Malta |
Valletta Maltese: Valletta |
439,248 | 316 km2 (122 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Moldova Republic of Moldova MDA |
Romanian: Moldova – Republica Moldova | Chișinău Romanian: Chișinău |
33,851 km2 (13,070 sq mi) | Moldovan leu | |||
Monaco Principality of Monaco MCO |
French: Monaco – Principauté de Monaco | Monaco French: Monaco |
38,682 | 2 km2 (0.8 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Montenegro MNE |
Montenegrin: Црна Гора (Crna Gora) | Podgorica Montenegrin: Подгорица (Podgorica) |
627,809 | 13,812 km2 (5,333 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Netherlands* Kingdom of the Netherlands NLD |
Dutch: Nederland – Koninkrijk der Nederlanden | Amsterdam (capital) Dutch: Amsterdam The Hague (seat of government) Dutch: 's-Gravenhage / Den Haag |
17,059,560 | 41,543 km2 (16,040 sq mi) | Euro | ||
North Macedonia Republic of North Macedonia MKD |
Macedonian: Северна Македонија – Република Северна Македонија (Severna Makedonija – Republika Severna Makedonija) | Skopje Macedonian: Скопје (Skopje) |
2,082,957 | 25,713 km2 (9,928 sq mi) | Macedonian denar | ||
Norway Kingdom of Norway NOR |
Bokmål: Norge – Kongeriket Norge Nynorsk: Noreg – Kongeriket Noreg |
Oslo Norwegian: Oslo |
5,337,962 | 323,802 km2 (125,021 sq mi) | Norwegian krone | ||
Poland* Republic of Poland POL |
Polish: Polska – Rzeczpospolita Polska | Warsaw Polish: Warszawa |
37,921,592 | 312,685 km2 (120,728 sq mi) | Polish złoty | ||
Portugal* Portuguese Republic PRT |
Portuguese: Portugal – República Portuguesa | Lisbon Portuguese: Lisboa |
10,256,193 | 92,090 km2 (35,556 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Romania* ROU |
Romanian: România | Bucharest Romanian: București |
19,506,114 | 238,391 km2 (92,043 sq mi) | Romanian leu | ||
Russia Russian Federation RUS |
Russian: Россия – Российская Федерация (Rossija – Rossijskaja Federacija) | Moscow Russian: Москва (Moskva) |
17,098,242 km2 (6,601,668 sq mi) | Russian rouble | |||
San Marino Republic of San Marino SMR |
Italian: San Marino – Repubblica di San Marino | San Marino Italian: San Marino |
33,785 | 61 km2 (24 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Serbia Republic of Serbia SRB |
Serbian: Србија – Република Србија (Srbija – Republika Srbija) | Belgrade Serbian: Београд (Beograd) |
8,802,754 | 88,361 km2 (34,116 sq mi) | Serbian dinar | ||
Slovakia* Slovak Republic SVK |
Slovak: Slovensko – Slovenská republika | Bratislava Slovak: Bratislava |
5,453,014 | 49,035 km2 (18,933 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Slovenia* Republic of Slovenia SVN |
Slovene: Slovenija – Republika Slovenija | Ljubljana Slovene: Ljubljana |
2,077,837 | 20,273 km2 (7,827 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Spain* Kingdom of Spain ESP |
Spanish: España – Reino de España | Madrid Spanish: Madrid |
46,692,858 | 505,370 km2 (195,124 sq mi) | Euro | ||
Sweden* Kingdom of Sweden SWE |
Swedish: Sverige – Konungariket Sverige | Stockholm Swedish: Stockholm |
9,971,638 | 450,295 km2 (173,860 sq mi) | Swedish krona | ||
Switzerland Swiss Confederation CHE |
German: Schweiz – Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft French: Suisse – Confédération suisse Italian: Svizzera – Confederazione Svizzera Romansh: Svizra – Confederaziun svizra |
Bern / Berne German: Bern French: Berne Italian and Romansh: Berna |
8,525,611 | 41,277 km2 (15,937 sq mi) | Swiss franc | ||
Turkey Republic of Turkey TUR |
Turkish: Türkiye – Türkiye Cumhuriyeti | Ankara Turkish: Ankara |
82,340,088 | 783,562 km2 (302,535 sq mi) | Turkish lira | ||
Ukraine UKR |
Ukrainian: Украïна (Ukraïna) |
Kyiv Ukrainian: Київ (Kyiv) |
44,246,156 | 603,550 km2 (233,032 sq mi) | Ukrainian hryvnia | ||
United Kingdom United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland GBR |
English: United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | London | 67,141,684 | 243,610 km2 (94,058 sq mi) | Sterling | ||
Vatican City Vatican City State VAT |
Italian: Città del Vaticano – Stato della Città del Vaticano Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae |
Vatican City Italian: Città del Vaticano |
801 | 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) | Euro |
Countries with Limited Recognition
The following five areas in Europe act like independent countries, but not all UN member states agree that they are fully independent. Some are recognized by a few countries, while others are not recognized by any UN member states. None of them are members of the UN, the Council of Europe, or the EU.
Flag | Map | English common and formal names | Status | Domestic common and formal names | Capital | Population | Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abkhazia Republic of Abkhazia |
Georgia claims this area. Five UN member states recognize Abkhazia as independent. | Abkhaz: Аҧсны - Аԥсны Аҳәынҭқарра (Apsny - Apsny Ahwyntqarra) Russian: Абхазия - Республика Абхазия (Abhaziya - Respublika Abkhaziya) |
Sukhumi Abkhaz: Аҟəа (Akwa) Russian: Суху́м(и) (Sukhum(i)) |
250,000 | 8,660 km2 (3,344 sq mi) | ||
Kosovo Republic of Kosovo |
Serbia claims this area. However, 102 UN member states recognize Kosovo as an independent country. | Albanian: Kosova / Kosovë – Republika e Kosovës Serbian: Косово – Република Косово (Kosovo – Republika Kosovo) |
Pristina Albanian: Prishtina, Prishtinë Serbian: Приштина (Priština) |
1,836,529 | 10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi) | ||
Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus |
The Republic of Cyprus claims this area. Only Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus as an independent country. | Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs – Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti | North Nicosia Turkish: Lefkoşa |
294,906 | 3,355 km2 (1,295 sq mi) | ||
South Ossetia Republic of South Ossetia |
Georgia claims this area. Five UN member states recognize South Ossetia as independent. | Ossetian: Хуссар Ирыстон – Республикӕ Хуссар Ирыстон (Khussar Iryston – Respublikæ Khussar Iryston) Russian: Южная Осетия – Республика Южная Осетия (Yuzhnaya Osetiya – Respublika Yuzhnaya Osetiya) |
Tskhinvali Ossetian: Цхинвал or Чъреба (Chreba) Russian: Цхинва́л(и) (Tskhinvál(i)) |
56,000 | 3,900 km2 (1,506 sq mi) | ||
Transnistria / Trans-Dniester Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic |
Moldova claims this area. It acts as an independent state but is only recognized by three non-UN states. | Romanian: Transnistria – Republica Moldovenească Nistreană Russian: Приднестровье – Приднестровская Молдавская Республика (Pridnestrov'ye – Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika) Ukrainian: Придністров'я – Придністровська Молдавська Республіка (Prydnistrovia – Pridnistrovska Moldavska Respublika) |
Tiraspol Romanian: Tiraspol Russian: Тираcполь (Tiraspol') Ukrainian: Тирасполь (Tyraspol) |
347,251 | 3,500 km2 (1,351 sq mi) |
Areas Not Fully Independent
Some areas in Europe are not independent countries. They are either dependent territories or have special political arrangements with a sovereign state.
Dependent Territories
These six European areas are considered dependent territories. This means they are governed by another country.
* | = Part of the EU, although there may be special arrangements |
Flag | Map | English common and formal names | Legal status | Domestic common and formal names | Capital | Population | Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akrotiri and Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia |
A British Overseas Territory. | English: Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Episkopi Cantonment | 15,700 | 254 km2 (98 sq mi) | ||
Faroe Islands / Faeroe Islands | A constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. | Faroese: Føroyar Danish: Færøerne |
Tórshavn Faroese: Tórshavn Danish: Thorshavn |
54,000 | 1,393 km2 (538 sq mi) | ||
Gibraltar | A British Overseas Territory. | English: Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 29,185 | 6.5 km2 (2.5 sq mi) | ||
Guernsey Bailiwick of Guernsey |
A Crown Dependency of the British Crown. | English: Guernsey – Bailiwick of Guernsey French: Guernesey – Bailliage de Guernesey Guernésiais: Guernési – Bailliage de Guernési |
Saint Peter Port French: Saint Pierre Port Guernésiais: Saint Pierre Port |
65,849 | 78 km2 (30 sq mi) | ||
Isle of Man | A Crown Dependency of the British Crown. | English: Isle of Man Manx: Mannin – Ellan Vannin |
Douglas Manx: Doolish |
86,866 | 572 km2 (221 sq mi) | ||
Jersey Bailiwick of Jersey |
A Crown Dependency of the British Crown. | English: Jersey – Bailiwick of Jersey French: Jersey – Bailliage de Jersey Jèrriais: Jèrri – Bailliage de Jèrri |
Saint Helier French: Saint-Hélier Jèrriais: Saint Hélyi |
96,513 | 118 km2 (46 sq mi) |
Areas with Special Arrangements
These places are considered part of their main country, but they have special political rules. These rules were often decided through international agreements.
* | = A part of the EU, although there may be some special arrangements. |
Flag | Map | English common and formal names | Legal status | Domestic common and formal names | Capital | Population | Area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Åland* Åland Islands |
This is a self-governing area of Finland. It has a lot of independence because of an agreement called the Åland crisis. | Swedish: Åland – Landskapet Åland | Mariehamn Swedish: Mariehamn |
27,500 | 6,787 km2 (2,620 sq mi) | ||
Northern Ireland | This is a part of the United Kingdom. Its local government was set up by the Good Friday Agreement. | English: Northern Ireland Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann Scots: Norlin Airlann |
Belfast | 1,810,863 | 14,130 km2 (5,456 sq mi) | ||
Svalbard | This is a special territory of Norway. Its status was decided by the Svalbard Treaty. | Norwegian: Svalbard | Longyearbyen Norwegian: Longyearbyen |
2,019 | 62,045 km2 (23,956 sq mi) |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:División política de Europa para niños
- International organisations in Europe
- Lists of European countries:
- by area
- by GDP
- by GDP per capita
- by GDP PPP
- by population
- List of former sovereign states in Europe
- Predecessors of sovereign states in Europe
- Regions of Europe