191 Member States of the United Nations
First posted 02 August 1996 at 2255 GMT
Last updated 27 September 2002 at 1525 GMT
SINGAPORE -- Of the 192 independent sovereign states in the world
today, all but one are member states of the United Nations.
191 member states of the United Nations
All but one of the 192 independent sovereign states in the world are
members of the United Nations. The only state which is not
a member is:
Additions since 1990
In 1945, the United Nations was created with 51 member states.
In 1950, the United Nations had 60 member states; in 1960, it had
99; in 1970, it had 127; in 1980, it had 154; and in
1989, there were 157 member states of the United Nations.
Beginning in 1990, the number of member states expanded rapidly, and
there are now is at 191 member states. The following changes have
occurred in the United Nations membership since 1 January 1990:
Namibia
On 23 April 1990, the United Nations admitted as a new Member State
the State of Namibia.
Yemen
On 22 May 1990, the two countries of Yemen and Democratic Yemen
merged and were then represented as one Member State with the name
"Yemen".
Liechtenstein
On 18 September 1990, the United Nations admitted as a new Member State
the State of Liechtenstein.
Germany
Since 18 September 1973, both the Federal Republic of Germany and
the German Democratic Republic were admitted as Member States of the United
Nations. Through the accession of the German
Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany, effective from
3 October 1990, the two German States united to form one sovereign
State.
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
North Korea
South Korea
On 17 September 1991, the United Nations admitted as new Members the
States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea and the Republic of Korea..
Belarus
On 19 September 1991, the Member State of Byelorussia informed the
United Nations that it had changed its name to "Belarus".
Soviet Union
Russia
Since 1945, the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics was an original Member State of the United Nations. As of 24 December 1991,
the membership of the Soviet Union in the Security Council and all other
United Nations organs was continued by the Russian Federation.
San Marino
On 2 March 1992, the United Nations admitted as a new Members State the
State of San Marino.
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Between March and July 1992, the United Nations admitted as new Members States the
former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan.
Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Since 1945, Czechoslovakia was an original
Member State of the United Nations. In December, 1992, the state
ceased to exist and the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic became successor
States. On 19 January 1993, the United Nations admitted as new
Member States both the Czech Republic and the Slovakia.
Eritrea
Monaco
On 28 May 1993, the United Nations admitted as new Member States
the States of Eritrea and Monaco.
Andorra
On 28 July 1993, the United Nations admitted as a new Member State
the State of Andorra.
Tonga
On 14 September 1999, the United Nations admitted as a new Member
State the State of Tonga.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Slovenia
Macedonia
Yugoslavia
Since 1945, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
("Yugoslavia") was an
original Member State of the United Nations. In 1991, the state
began to dissolve into several different states. On 22 May 1992,
the United Nations admitted as new
members:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Slovenia
On 8 April 1993, the United Nations admitted as a new member:
- Macedonia ("The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia")
The remaining part of Yugoslavia organized itself as the states of
Serbia and Montenegro, and, although they claimed to be the sole
successor to Yugoslavia, they were not recognized as a state until the
year 2000.
On 1 November 2000, the states of Serbia and Montenegro changed
their status to a single state and their name to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. Then the United Nations admitted the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
as a new Member State and terminated the status of the old Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a Member State.
Palau
On 15 December 1994, the United Nations admitted as new Member States
the State of Palau.
Kiribati
Nauru
On 14 September 1999, the United Nations admitted as new Member States
the States of Kiribati and Nauru.
Switzerland
On 10 September 2002, the first day of the 57th session of the
United Nations, Switzerland was admitted as a member.
East Timor / Timor-Leste
On 20-May-02, East Timor became the 192nd independent state and was recognized
immediately by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and most other states.
Within
hours of its independence, the country
applied for membership in the United Nations. On 23-May-02, the 15-member
UN Security Council, whose presidency was then held by Singapore,
approved the resolution without a vote. On 27-Sep-02, the General Assembly voted on the
application without opposition to admit Timor-Leste as the 191st member
state.
Further information
|
