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How Many Countries Are in the Americas? 35 States — North, South and the Caribbean

By · Updated 26 October 2026 · Guide · 6 minute read · Auf Deutsch lesen

The Americas have 35 states with a UN seat: 23 in North America in the broad sense – Canada, the United States, Mexico, seven Central American states and 13 island states of the Caribbean – and twelve in South America. On top come 16 dependent territories from Greenland to the Falkland Islands, which are separate shapes on maps. Below is every country by region, exactly as it sits on our globe.

The number: 35 – or 23 and 12?

In the Americas it is not the number of states that is disputed but the number of continents. If you went to school in Germany or the United States, you learned seven continents with North and South America; if you went to school in Buenos Aires, you learned five – with a single "América". Both models are in use, and depending on which one you follow you get two numbers or one:

NumberWho counts this wayWhat is included
35United NationsAll UN member states of the Americas region, from Canada to Chile. Latest member: Saint Kitts and Nevis, 1983.
23 + 12Seven-continent model (USA, Germany)North America in the broad sense (mainland, Central America, Caribbean) and South America counted separately.
3 + 7 + 13 + 12UN statistics (M49), our globeFour sub-regions: Northern America (Canada, USA, Mexico), Central America, Caribbean, South America. The UN files Mexico under Central America, our map under North America.
51Our globe35 states + 16 dependent territories with their own ISO code and shape: Greenland, Bermuda, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, twelve Caribbean islands, the Falkland Islands.
55+Geographic lists+ the French overseas departments Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana and the Dutch Caribbean municipalities Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba – part of France and the Netherlands on our map.

For everyday use: 35 countries – 23 in North and Central America with the Caribbean, 12 in South America. Whoever says "every country in the Americas" usually means these 35.

Every country in the Americas by region

The grouping follows the map data of our globe (Natural Earth) with four regions that match UN statistics – with one difference: Mexico sits in North America for us, in Central America in UN statistics. Territories without UN membership are marked.

North America (3 states + Bermuda, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon (not a UN member))

Central America (7 states)

Caribbean (13 states + Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands (not a UN member))

South America (12 states + Falkland Islands (not a UN member))

The edge cases

The Americas in numbers

RecordCountryNote
Largest areaCanadaAbout 9.98 million km² – the second-largest country in the world after Russia.
Most peopleUnited StatesAbout 340 million people; Brazil follows with about 212 million.
Smallest areaSaint Kitts and Nevis261 km² – the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Youngest stateSaint Kitts and NevisIndependent since 19 September 1983, UN member since 23 September 1983.
Landlocked states2Bolivia and Paraguay – the only countries in the Americas without a coastline.
Island states13All the states of the Caribbean, from the Bahamas to Trinidad and Tobago. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share Hispaniola.

What counts as visited – and how to really "have" the Americas

The rule is the same as everywhere: under the strict rule a country counts after a night's stay, under the middle rule once you have left the transit area, under the loose rule even on a layover – the three rules in detail. The Americas have two traps of their own: the cruise that "does" three Caribbean islands in a day without anyone leaving the port – and the connection in Miami or Panama City, which is a country under the loose rule and none under the strict one.

That is why the Americas titles in Love the World are built by region: "Latin America Heart" for five South American countries, "Caribbean Sun" for three Caribbean island states, "Land Bridge" for three Central American countries – and "Crossing the Equator" for one country in each hemisphere, which Colombia and Peru alone cannot deliver: both lie on both sides of the equator. Each of the 51 shapes above gets its own entry stamp, Greenland, Puerto Rico and both halves of Saint Martin included, because maps show territories, not memberships. See how the app works, or continue with Asia, Europe and Africa.

Sources and transparency: Memberships according to the list of UN member states; regions according to the UN Statistics Division (M49); the five continents of the Olympic rings according to the IOC. The country list comes from the map data of our own app (Natural Earth, 236 territories). This text comes from the team behind Love the World; we earn nothing from any organisation named. Links retrieved 26 October 2026.

Sources (retrieved 26 October 2026): UN member states · UN Statistics Division M49 · IOC: the Olympic rings · Natural Earth

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in the Americas (2026)?

35 states are UN members: 23 in North and Central America including the Caribbean, and 12 in South America. On top come 16 dependent territories such as Greenland, Puerto Rico or the Falkland Islands, which appear on maps as separate areas.

How many countries are in North America?

In the broad sense 23: Canada, the United States and Mexico, plus seven Central American states and 13 island states of the Caribbean. In the narrow sense – the mainland from Mexico northwards – three.

How many countries are in South America?

Twelve: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. French Guiana belongs to France, the Falkland Islands to the United Kingdom.

Is America one continent or two?

It depends on the model: in the United States and the German-speaking world, North and South America are two continents (seven-continent model). In Latin America and in the Olympic rings, "America" is a single continent. UN statistics list one region, the Americas, with four sub-regions.

Is Greenland part of the Americas?

Geographically yes: the largest island in the world sits on the North American plate. Politically it belongs to Denmark with extensive self-government and has its own ISO code (GL) – a separate shape on maps and in our app.

What is the smallest country in the Americas?

Saint Kitts and Nevis at 261 square kilometres – the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere and also the youngest: independent since 1983.

51 territories in the Americas, one passport — for encounters, not trips

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