Some latest Important Informations about world

How Many Countries are in hte world?

There are 195 countries in the world today.

Unless you don't count Taiwan

Taiwan is not considered an official country by many, which would bring the count down to 194 countries. Although Taiwan operates as an independent country, many countries (including the U.S.) do not officially recognize it as one. Because the People's Republic of China considers Taiwan a breakaway province of China, countries who wish to maintain diplomatic relations with China have had to sever their formal relations with Taiwan (more than 100 countries, however, have unofficial relations with Taiwan).

How many countries belong to the United Nations?


192 countries are UN members. The exceptions are Taiwan (in 1971, the UN ousted Taiwan and replaced it with the People's Republic of China) and Vatican City. Kosovo is not yet a member. The newest UN members are Switzerland (2002) and Montenegro (2006).

What are the world's newest countries?

The world's newest country is Kosovo, which became a country in February 2008, after splitting off from Serbia. Before that, the newest country was Montenegro, which became a nation in 2006 after also gaining independence from Serbia. Since 1990, 28 new nations have come into being. Many of these emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union (14 countries) and the breakup of the former Yugoslavia (7 countries). See our Guide to New Nations.

Are there still any countries that have colonies?

There are 61 colonies or territories in the world. Eight countries maintain them: Australia (6), Denmark (2), Netherlands (2), France (16), New Zealand (3), Norway (3), the United Kingdom (15), and the United States (14). See Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies for a list of the world's colonies and what countries administrate them, p. 663.

Are there still territories in the world that are claimed by more than one country?


There are six major disputed territories in the world: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, Western Sahara, and Antarctica (about a dozen nations have laid claims to portions of it). In addition, there are innumerable other territorial disputes throughout the world, many of which had resulted in ongoing armed conflicts.


Which and where are the most Holy Places in the world?

Throughout the world are places of special significance to different religious groups. Here's just a sampling of the world's sacred spots.

The Holy Landa collective name for Israel, Jordan, and Egyptis a place of pilgrimage for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

The Ganges River in India is sacred to Hindus
. They drink its water, bathe in it, and scatter the ashes of their dead in it.

Mount Fuji, in Japan, is sacred to the Buddhist and Shinto religions.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are a holy place for some Native American people,who travel there in quest of a vision, a moment of peace and oneness with the universe. Vision quests last four days and four nights.

Mount Fai Shan is China's sacred mountain. It is thought to be a center of living energya holy place for Taoists and Buddhists.

The Sacred Mosque in Mecca Saudi Arabia, is sacred to Muslims. Muslims around the world face in the direction of Mecca five times a day to pray.

Lourdes, France, is the home of a Roman Catholic shrine where the Virgin Mary was said to appear to St. Bernadette.

Kairouan, Tunisia, became one of Islam's holy cities when, according to legend, a spring opened up at the feet of a holy leader, revealing a golden chalice last seen in Mecca.

Which are the Top Ten Organized Religions of the World?

Statistics of the world's religions are only very rough approximations. Aside from Christianity, few religions, if any, attempt to keep statistical records; and even Protestants and Catholics employ different methods of counting members.
Religion Members Percentage
Christianity 2.1 billion 33.0%
Islam 1.5 billion 21%
Hinduism 900 million 14%
Buddhism 376 million 6%
Sikhism 23 million 0.36%
Judaism 14 million 0.22%
Bahaism 7 million 0.1%
Confucianism 6.3 million 0.1%
Jainism 4.2 million 0.1%
Shintoism 4 million 0.0%