How many countries are there in the world?

There 194 countries by popular count, which includes the Vatican City and Taiwan who are the only countries not part of the United Nations. By the U.S. dept. of state count there are 193 countries, because they consider Taiwan as part of China.

The GDP (gross domestic product, or the total value of good and services produced within one country in one year), ranges from 13,244,550 million, (U.S.) to 60 million, (Kiribati), which is number 181 on the International Monetary Fund list for 2006. Several countries are excluded from the list.

Comparatively Exxon Mobile * brought in 39.13 billion dollars of profit for 2006 alone, which would stand 67 on the GDP list just below Ecuador.


*Source: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/full_list/index.html


Random fact update - 10/16:

Speaking of the GDP in Kiribati, the game Second Life had an estimated real world GDP of 61 million. That's right, a computer game has a greater GDP then an entire nation. What's more is the figure is estimated to increase to between 500 and 600 million which is comparable to Grenada and Gambia, number 168 and 169 on the country GDP list.

Second life is not a game company. It's like The Sims on a much bigger scale. Individuals create there avatars then make transactions with the in game money called Lindens. The money is based on U.S. currency. The exchange rate even fluctuates as the in game free market pushes the currency to appreciate or depreciate.

It's quite the times we're living in, a third of the world lacks running water, while we're creating virtual worlds to entertain ourselves.