How Many Countries are There in the World

Although there is no universal agreement on what constitutes a “country,” it is generally accepted that a state must be a sovereign unit with a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the ability to enter into agreements with other states in order to be considered a country. Even if these prerequisites are met, globally recognised independence is not guaranteed, and a territorial entity declaring itself an independent country is not necessarily accepted by the rest of the world.

Different Systems of Governance in the World 

Presidential System

These are governance systems in which a president serves as the active head of the executive branch and is elected and re-elected without the approval of the legislature. The president is both the head of state and the head of government in full presidential systems. In most circumstances, there is no prime minister, and if there is one, he or she serves at the president’s discretion.

Semi-presidential systems

A president and a head of government, frequently but not exclusively referred to as a prime minister, are always present under semi-presidential regimes. The president has true executive authority in such systems, although the prime minister can also act as the head of government.

Premier-Presidential Systems

The president appoints the prime minister and cabinet with the approval of parliament, but only parliament has the power to remove them from office through a vote of no confidence. The president has no authority to remove the prime minister or the government.

President-Parliamentary Systems

The president is the head of state, and the prime minister is the head of government, albeit the latter works more closely with the former than in a premier-presidential system. The president appoints the prime minister and cabinet without a vote of confidence in parliament, but they must have the support of a parliamentary majority. A prime minister or their cabinet can be removed from power by either the president or the parliament through a vote of no confidence.

Parliamentary and Related Systems

The head of government in a parliamentary republic is chosen or nominated by the legislature and is also accountable to it. The head of state is usually referred to as a president, and is distinct from the head of government (in fully parliamentary republics), serving a mostly ceremonial and apolitical role. The prime minister, chancellor, or premier is the title given to the head of government in these systems. In mixed republican and directorial republican systems, the president acts as both the head of government and the head of state.

Full Parliamentary Republican Systems

The head of state is directly elected by people in some full parliamentary systems. Other classification methods, on the other hand, would classify these systems as semi-presidential (despite their weak presidency). In full parliamentary republican systems without a directly elected head of state, the president is usually appointed by an electoral college or a vote in the legislature.

Parliamentary Republics with an Executive Presidency

An executive president, who serves as both head of state and head of government, is chosen by the legislature or by voters after candidates are nominated by the legislature, and they must maintain the legislature’s confidence to remain in office. In this system, “presidents” act similarly to prime ministers in other parliamentary systems.

Assembly-Independent Republican Systems

The legislature elects a combined head of state and head of government (typically titled president) who is immune from a vote of no confidence (as is their cabinet), allowing them to function more independently of the legislature. They might or might not be elected to the legislature.

Directorial Republican Systems

A council exercises the powers and ceremonial functions of both the head of state and the head of government in a directorial system. Although the parliament elects the council, it is not subject to parliamentary confidence throughout its limited term.

Some Facts About Countries in the World

With over 194 countries in the world, it’s tempting to assume that “country” means a huge land area with a significant population. However, some countries are so small that cities within other countries appear to be giants in comparison. Many countries in the globe have an area of less than 400 square kilometres, mostly in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The world’s ten tiniest countries cover a total area of 1491.4 km2, which is less than the area of Houston, Texas (1625.2 km2).Many of the world’s tiniest countries are found on coral atolls in tropical settings, and some are being swallowed by the sea as a result of global warming.Some of the world’s countries are only one square mile in size.

The Vatican City, Monaco, and Nauru are among the world’s tiniest nations.

Asia is the world’s largest continent by land area, with a total area of 44,579,000 square kilometres. This region accounts for around 30% of the world’s total land area. Furthermore, Asia has a population of 4.5 billion people, accounting for 60% of the global population. Asia is made up of 48 different countries.Russia is not just Asia’s largest country, but also the world’s largest country. It has a total area of 17,075,200 square kilometres (6,612,100 square miles) and 144,463,451 inhabitants. Moscow is the Russian capital. Because of its size, the country spans 11 different time zones.

Conclusion

By approving its Constitution, any country that is a member of the United Nations can join WHO. Other countries may be admitted as members if their applications are approved by the World Health Assembly with a simple majority vote. On the application of the Member or other authority responsible for their international relations, territories that are not responsible for the conduct of their foreign relations may be accepted as Associate Members. WHO members are divided into groups based on their geographic distribution (194 Member States).