List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia

This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes both fully recognized states, states with limited recognition, and dependent territories of both Asian and non-Asian states. It lists 49 sovereign states and 6 dependent territories and other territories.

Geographical boundaries of Asia

The divisions between Kazakhstan, Russia and to a lesser extent Turkey (97% in Asia) all have territory in both Asia and Europe. Armenia and Cyprus are entirely in Western Asia but are sociopolitically European countries.

The division between Asia and Africa is usually considered to be the Suez Canal, placing the Sinai peninsula in Asia, and therefore Egypt may be included as an Asian state.

The division between Asia and Australasia (Oceania) is disputed, and placed somewhere between Java and New Guinea. Indonesia spans both areas, but is considered to be Asian. East Timor is sometimes considered to be part of Australasia, but due to its being surrounded by Indonesia and its once being part of Indonesia, it is considered Asian. Papua New Guinea is occasionally considered Asian by virtue of neighbouring Indonesia, but this is rare, and it is generally accepted to be part of Australasia. The division between Asia and North America is considered to be the Bering strait. Some of the Aleutian Islands may be considered as Asian.

Sovereign states

A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a population for whom it makes decisions in the national interest.^[1] According to the Montevideo convention, a state must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.^[2]

Recognized states

Flag	Map	English short and formal names [5][6][7]	Domestic short and formal names[5][6]	Capital [7][8][9]	Population[a][b] [10]	Area[a][b] [11]
		Afghanistan Islamic Republic of Afghanistan	Dari: جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان — افغانستان (Afghānestān — Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afghānestān) Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت — افغانستانت‎ (Afghān̄istān — Afghānistān Islāmī Jumhūrīyat)	Kabul Dari: کابل (Kābul) Pashto: کابل‎ (Kābul)	30,419,928	00652230 !652,230 km2 (251,827 sq mi)
		Armenia Republic of Armenia	Armenian: Հայաստան — Հայաստանի Հանրապետությու (Hayastan — Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun)	Yerevan Armenian: Երևան (Yerevan)	2,970,495	00029743 !29,743 km2 (11,484 sq mi)
		Azerbaijan[a][b] Republic of Azerbaijan	Azerbaijani: Azǝrbaycan — Azǝrbaycan Respublikası	Baku Azerbaijani: Bakı	9,493,600	00086600 !86,600 km2 (33,436 sq mi)
		Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain	Arabic: مملكة البحرين — البحرين‎ (Al Baḩrayn — Mamlakat al Baḩrayn)	Manama Arabic: المنامة‎ (Al Manāmah)	1,248,348	00000760 !760 km2 (293 sq mi)
		Bangladesh People's Republic of Bangladesh	Bengali: বাংলােদ — গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ (Bāṁlādesh — Gaṇaprajātantrī Bāṁlādesh)	Dhaka Bengali: ঢাকা (Ḍhākā)	161,083,804	00143998 !143,998 km2 (55,598 sq mi)
		Bhutan Kingdom of Bhutan	Dzongkha: འྲག་ཡ ఉ ལ — འྲག་གྷལ་ཁ (Druk Yul — Druk Gyalkhapb)	Thimphu Dzongkha: ཐིམ་ཕུ (Thimphu)	716,896	00038394 !38,394 km2 (14,824 sq mi)
		Brunei Brunei Darussalam	English: Brunei Darussalam Malay: Brunei — Negara Brunei Darussalam	Bandar Seri Begawan English: Bandar Seri Begawan Malay: Bandar Seri Begawan	408,786	00005765 !5,765 km2 (2,226 sq mi)
		Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia	Khmer: កមុពា — រពះាាាចរក កមុពា (Kâmpŭchéa — Preăhréachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchéa)	Phnom Penh Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ (Phnum Pénh)	14,952,665	00181035 !181,035 km2 (69,898 sq mi)
		China[b] People's Republic of China	Chinese: 中国 — 中华人民共和国 (Zhongguo — Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo)	Beijing Chinese: 北京 (Beijing)	1,343,239,923	09596961 !9,596,961 km2 (3,705,407 sq mi)
		Cyprus[b] Republic of Cyprus	Greek: Κύπρος — Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Kýpros — Kypriakí Dimokratí) Turkish: Kıbrıs — Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti	Nicosia Greek: Λευκωσία (Lefkosia) Turkish: Lefkoşa	1,138,071	00009251 !9,251 km2 (3,572 sq mi)
		[b][a]	)Sak'art'velo	Tbilisi / T'bilisi )T'bilisi	4,570,934	00069700 !69,700 km2 (26,911 sq mi)
		India Republic of India	English: India — Republic of India Hindi: भारत — भारत गणरा᭔य (Bhārat — Bhāratīya Gaṇarājya)	New Delhi English: New Delhi Hindi: नई दिल्ली (Naī Dillī)	1,205,073,612	03287263 !3,287,263 km2 (1,269,219 sq mi)
		Indonesia[a] Republic of Indonesia	Indonesian: Indonesia — Republik Indonesia	Jakarta Indonesian: Jakarta	248,645,008	01904569 !1,904,569 km2 (735,358 sq mi)
		Iran Islamic Republic of Iran	جمهوری اسلامی ایران (Īrān — Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Īrān)	Tehran Persian: تهران‎ (Tehrān)	78,868,711	01648195 !1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi)
		Iraq Republic of Iraq	Arabic: العراق — جمهورية العراق‎ (Al ‘Irāq — Jumhūrīyat al ‘Irāq)	Baghdad Arabic: بغداد‎ (Baghdād)	31,129,225	00438317 !438,317 km2 (169,235 sq mi)
		Israel State of Israel	Arabic: إسرائيل — دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل‎ (Isrā'īl — Dawlat Isrā'īl) Hebrew: יִשְרָאֵל — מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל ‎ (Yisra'el — Medinat Yisra'el)	Jerusalem (Claimed)[c] Hebrew: ירושלים‎ (Yerushalayim)	7,590,758	00020770 !20,770 km2 (8,019 sq mi)
		Japan	Japanese: 日本 — 日本国 (Nihon / Nippon — Nihon-koku / Nippon-koku)	Tokyo Japanese: 東京都 (Tokyo)	127,368,088	00377915 !377,915 km2 (145,914 sq mi)
		Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan	Arabic: اﻷرُدن — المملكة الأردنية الهاشميه‎ (Al Urdun — Al Mamlakah al Urdunīyah al Hāshimīyah)	Amman Arabic: عمان‎ (Ammān)	6,508,887	00089342 !89,342 km2 (34,495 sq mi)
		Kazakhstan[a] Republic of Kazakhstan	Kazakh: Қазақстан — Қазақстан Республикасы (Qazaqstan — Qazaqstan Respūblīkasy) Russian: Казахстан — Республика Казахстан (Kazahstan — Respublika Kazahstan)	Astana Kazakh: Астана Russian: Астана (Astana)	17,522,010	02724900 !2,724,900 km2 (1,052,090 sq mi)
		Korea, North Democratic People's Republic of Korea	Korean: 조선 — 조선 민주주의 인민 공화국 (Chosŏn — Chosŏn-minjujuŭi-inmin-konghwaguk)	Pyongyang Korean: 평양 (Phyŏngyang)	24,589,122	00120538 !120,538 km2 (46,540 sq mi)
		Korea, South Republic of Korea	Korean: 한국 — 대한 민국 (Han’guk — Taehan Min’guk)	Seoul Korean: 서울 (Seoul)	48,860,500	00099720 !99,720 km2 (38,502 sq mi)
		Kuwait State of Kuwait	Arabic: دولة الكويت — اﻟﻜﻮﻳ‎ (Al Kuwayt — Dawlat al Kuwayt)	Kuwait City Arabic: الكويت‎ (Al Kuwayt)	2,646,314	00017818 !17,818 km2 (6,880 sq mi)
		Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz Republic	Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан — Кыргыз Республикасы (Kyrgyzstan — Kyrgyz Respublikasy) Russian: Кыргызстан — Кыргызская Республика (Kyrgyzstan — Kyrgyzskaja Respublika)	Bishkek Kyrgyz: Бишкек (Bishkek) Russian: Бишкек (Biškek)	5,496,737	00199951 !199,951 km2 (77,202 sq mi)
		Laos Lao People's Democratic Republic	Lao: ສາທາລະນະລດປະຊາທ ັ ປະໄຕປະຊາຊ ິ ນລາວ (Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxôn Lao)	Vientiane Lao: ວຽງຈັນ (Viangchan)	6,586,266	00236800 !236,800 km2 (91,429 sq mi)
		Lebanon Lebanese Republic	Arabic: لبنان — الجمهورية اللبنانية‎ (Lubnān — Al Jumhūrīyah al Lubnānīyah)	Beirut Arabic: بيروت‎ (Bayrūt)	4,140,289	00010400 !10,400 km2 (4,015 sq mi)
		Malaysia	Malay: Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur[d] Malay: Kuala Lumpur	29,179,952	00329847 !329,847 km2 (127,355 sq mi)
		Maldives Republic of Maldives	Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ — ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ (Dhivehi Raajje — Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa)	Malé / Male' Dhivehi: މާލެ (Maale)	394,451	00000298 !298 km2 (115 sq mi)
		Mongolia	Mongolian: Монго — Монгол улс (Mongol — Mongol uls)	Ulaanbaatar Mongolian: Улаанбаатар (Ulaanbaatar)	3,179,997	01564116 !1,564,116 km2 (603,909 sq mi)
		Myanmar Republic of The Union of Myanmar	Burmese: မြန်မာပြည် — ပြည်ထောင်စု သမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်‌ (Myanma — Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw)	Nay Pyi Taw Burmese: နေပြည်တော် (Nay Pyi Taw)	54,584,650	00676578 !676,578 km2 (261,228 sq mi)
		Nepal Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal	Nepali: नपाल — सघीय लोकताि᭠ᮢक गणत᭠ᮢ न ं पाल (Nepāl — Saṁghīya Loktāntrik Ganạ tantra Nepāl)	Kathmandu Nepali: काठमाडौं (Kāṭhmāḍauṁ)	29,890,686	00147181 !147,181 km2 (56,827 sq mi)
		Oman Sultanate of Oman	Arabic: عُمان — سلطنة عُمان‎ (‘Umān — Salţanat ‘Umān)	Muscat Arabic: مسقط‎ (Masqaţ)	3,090,150	00309500 !309,500 km2 (119,499 sq mi)
		Pakistan Islamic Republic of Pakistan	English: Pakistan — Islamic Republic of Pakistan Urdu: پَاکِسْتَان — اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکستان‎ (Pākistān — Jamhūryat Islāmī Pākistān)	Islamabad English: Islamabad Urdu: اسلام آباد‎ (Islāmābād)	190,291,129	00796095 !796,095 km2 (307,374 sq mi)
		Palestine State of Palestine	Arabic: فلسطين — دولة فلسـطين‎ (Filastīn — As-Sulta Al-Wataniyya Al-Filastīniyya)	Jerusalem (claimed)[12] Ramallah(de facto)	4,225,710[10]	00006220 !6,220 km2 (2,402 sq mi)[11]
		Philippines Republic of the Philippines	English: Philippines — Republic of the Philippines Tagalog: Pilipinas — Republika ng Pilipinas	Manila English: Manila Tagalog: Maynila	103,775,002	00300000 !300,000 km2 (115,831 sq mi)
		Qatar State of Qatar	Arabic: قطر — دولة قطر‎ (Qatar — Dawlat Qatar)	Doha Arabic: الدوحة‎ (Ad Dawḩah)	1,951,591	00011586 !11,586 km2 (4,473 sq mi)
		Russia[a] Russian Federation	Russian: Росси́я — Российская Федерация (Rossija — Rossijskaja Federacija)	Moscow Russian: Москва (Moskva)	142,517,670	17098242 !17,098,242 km2 (6,601,668 sq mi)
		Saudi Arabia Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	Arabic: السعودية — المملكة العربية السعودية‎ (As Su‘ūdīya — Al Mamlakah al ‘Arabīyah as Su‘ūdīyah)	Riyadh Arabic: الرياض‎ (Ar Riyāḑ)	26,534,504	02149690 !2,149,690 km2 (830,000 sq mi)
		Singapore Republic of Singapore	Chinese: 新加坡 — 新加坡共和国 Xinjiapo — Xinjiapo Gongheguo English: Singapore — Republic of Singapore Malay: Singapura — Republik Singapura Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் — சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு (Chiṅkappūr — Chiṅkappūr Kuṭiyarachu)	Singapore Chinese: 新加坡 Xinjiapo English: Singapore Malay: Singapura Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் (Chiṅkappūr)	5,353,494	00000697 !697 km2 (269 sq mi)
		Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka	Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා — ශ්රී ලංකා ප්රජාතාන්ත්රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය (Shrī Laṁkā — Shrī Laṁkā Prajātāntrika Samājavādī Janarajaya) Tamil: இலᾱைக — இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சமத்துவ குடியரசு (Ilaṅkai — Ilaṅkai Jaṉanāyaka Choṣhalichak Kuṭiyarachu)	Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර ක ෝට්ටේ (Shrī Jayavardhanapura Koṭṭe) Tamil: ஶ்ரீ ஜெயவர்த்தனபுர கோட்டை (Shrī Jĕyavarttaṉapura Koṭṭai)	21,481,334	00065610 !65,610 km2 (25,332 sq mi)
		Syria Syrian Arab Republic	Arabic: ﺔُﺳ ِﻮرَا / ﺳ ِﻮر — جمهورية سوريا العربية‎ (Sūrīyah / Sūriyā — Al Jumhūrīyah al ‘Arabīyah as Sūrīyah)	Damascus Arabic: دمشق‎ (Dimashq)	22,530,746	00185180 !185,180 km2 (71,498 sq mi)
		Tajikistan Republic of Tajikistan	Tajik: Тоҷикистон — Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон (Tojikiston — Jumhurii Tojikiston)	Dushanbe Tajik: Душанбе (Dushanbe)	7,768,385	00143100 !143,100 km2 (55,251 sq mi)
		Thailand Kingdom of Thailand	Thai: ประเทศไทย — ราชอาณาจักรไทย (Prathet Thai — Ratcha Anachak Thai)	Bangkok Thai: กรุงเทพฯ (Krung Thep)	67,091,089	00513120 !513,120 km2 (198,117 sq mi)
		Timor-Leste/East Timor[a] Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste	Portuguese: Timor-Leste — República Democrática de Timor-Leste Tetum: Timor Lorosa'e — Repúblika Demokrátika Timor Lorosa'e	Dili Portuguese: Dili Tetum: Dili	1,143,667	00014874 !14,874 km2 (5,743 sq mi)
		Turkey[a] Republic of Turkey	Turkish: Türkiye — Türkiye Cumhuriyeti	Ankara Turkish: Ankara	79,749,461	00783562 !783,562 km2 (302,535 sq mi)
		Turkmenistan	Turkmen: Türkmenistan	Ashgabat Turkmen: Aşgabat	5,054,828	00488100 !488,100 km2 (188,456 sq mi)
		United Arab Emirates	Arabic: اﻹﻣﺎرا — دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة‎ (Al Imārāt — Al Imārāt al ‘Arabīyah al Muttaḩidah)	Abu Dhabi Arabic: أبوظبي‎ (Abu Dhabi)	5,314,317	00083600 !83,600 km2 (32,278 sq mi)
		Uzbekistan Republic of Uzbekistan	Uzbek: O‘zbekiston — O‘zbekiston Respublikasi	Tashkent Uzbek: Toshkent	28,394,180	00447400 !447,400 km2 (172,742 sq mi)
		Vietnam / Viet Nam Socialist Republic of Vietnam	Vietnamese: Việt Nam — Cộng Hòa Xã Hội Chủ Nghĩa Việt Nam	Hanoi Vietnamese: Hà Nội	91,519,289	00331210 !331,210 km2 (127,881 sq mi)
		Yemen Republic of Yemen	Arabic: اليمن — الجمهورية اليمنية‎ (Al Yaman — Al Jumhūrīyah al Yamanīyah)	Sana'a Arabic: صنعاء‎ (Şan‘ā’)	24,771,809	00527968 !527,968 km2 (203,850 sq mi)

Partially recognized and unrecognized states

The five states in this list have varying levels of recognition, but are not members of the United Nations. All are defined as states by the declarative theory of statehood.

Flag	Map	English short and formal names	Status	Domestic short and formal names	Capital	Population	Area
		Abkhazia Republic of Abkhazia[13]	Claimed as an [15].four UN states Recognised by [14]	Abkhaz: Аҧсуа (Apswa)[13]	Sukhumi / Sukhum[13] Abkhaz: Аҟəа (Akwa)	250,000[16]	8,660 km2 (3,344 sq mi)[14]
		Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh Republic[17]	Claimed as part of Azerbaijan.[18] Recognised only by 3 non-UN states.	Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ — Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ Հանրապետություն (Lernayin Gharabaghi — Lernayin Gharabaghi Hanrapetut’yun)[17]	Stepanakert[17] Armenian: Ստեփանակերտ (Khankendi)	141,400[19]	7,000 km2 (2,703 sq mi)[20]
		Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus[21]	Claimed as part of the Republic of Cyprus. Recognised only by Turkey.[21]	Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs — Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti	Nicosia Turkish: Lefkoşa[22]	285,356[23]	3,355 km2 (1,295 sq mi)[11]
		South Ossetia Republic of South Ossetia	Claimed as . four UN states Recognised by [24]	Ossetian: Хуссар Ирыстон — Республикæ Хуссар Ирыстон (Khussar Iryston — Respublikæ Khussar Iryston) Russian: Южная Осетия — Республика Южная Осетия (Yuzhnaya Osetiya — Respublika Yuzhnaya Osetiya)	Tskhinvali[24] Ossetian: Цхинвал or Чъреба (Chreba)	70,000[24]	3,900 km2 (1,506 sq mi)[25]
		Taiwan Republic of China[7][26]	Claimed as a province of the People's Republic of China, the government of Taiwan has not renounced claims over the mainland and is recognised as the government of China by 21 UN member states and the Holy See.	Traditional Chinese: 臺灣/台灣 — 中華民國 (Táiwān — Zhōnghuá Mínguó)	Taipei[7][8]	23,071,779[10]	35,980 km2 (13,892 sq mi)[11]

Dependent territories and other territories

The six entities in this list are either subject to a state they are not part of, or have a special political arrangement that was decided through an international agreement.

Flag	Map	English short and formal names	Status[27]	Domestic short and formal names	Capital	Population	Area[11]
		Akrotiri and Dhekelia The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	British overseas territory	English: Akrotiri and Dhekelia — Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Episkopi Cantonment English: Episkopi Cantonment[8]	15,700[10][e]	254 km2 (98 sq mi)
		British Indian Ocean Territory[5][7]	British overseas territory	English: British Indian Ocean Territory	—	4,000[28][f]	54,400 km2 (21,004 sq mi)
		Christmas Island Territory of Christmas Island[5]	Territory of Australia	English: Christmas Island — Territory of Christmas Island	Flying Fish Cove[7] / The Settlement[8]	1,402[10]	135 km2 (52 sq mi)
		Cocos (Keeling) Islands Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands[5]	Territory of Australia	English: Cocos (Keeling) Islands — Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands	West Island[8] / Bantam[7]	596[10]	14 km2 (5 sq mi)
		Hong Kong Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China[7]	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China	Chinese: 香港 — 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區 English: Hong Kong — Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China	Hong Kong[7]	7,122,508[10]	1,104 km2 (426 sq mi)
		Macau / Macao Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China/Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China[7]	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China	Chinese: 澳門 — 中華人民共和國澳門特別行政區 Portuguese: Macau — Região Administrativa Especial de Macau da República Popular da China	Macau / Macao[7]	573,003[10]	28.2 km2 (10.9 sq mi)

See also

• List of Asian countries by GDP

Notes

References