How many are there currently in the world?

There are currently a total of 196 countries in the world.

This is according to the United Nations, which defines a country as "a political and geopolitical entity that is considered to be a state."

Of these 196 countries, 193 are member states of the UN, while 3 are observer states: the Vatican City, the State of Palestine, and the Cook Islands.

The most recent additions to the list of countries were South Sudan in 2011 and Montenegro in 2006.