According to article 1 of the Montevideo convention on the rights and obligations of States signed at Montevideo, Uruguay on December 26, 1933, a state is a subject of international law (a state with complete sovereignty security) must meet the following criteria: stable population, defined territory, government, and ability to participate in international relations.
In practice, several countries claim to be independent but one is not internationally recognized as a political entity, or is widely recognized but has insufficient government powers.
There are a few things that are absolutely essential for each independent country, which distinguish it from others: national flag, national anthem, coat of arms, capital, citizens’ passports, language, currency, ISO country code, international phone code, country domain name. These attributes define the personality of the nation, making it recognizable all over the world and widely used in real life.
The world today has a total of 204 countries.
However, if these countries are included, there are a total of 204 countries in the world today. That includes: