There are currently 50 internationaly recognised sovereign states in (or partially in) Europe.
A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a geographic area. A state usually includes the set of institutions that claim the authority to make the rules that govern the exercise of coercive violence for the people of the society in that territory, though its status as a state often depends in part on being recognised by a number of other states as having internal and external sovereignty over it. In sociology, the state is normally identified with these institutions: in Max Weber's influential definition, it is that organisation that has a "monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory," which may include the armed forces, civil service or state bureaucracy, courts, and police.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon Scottish Gaelic: An Rìoghachd Aonaichte na Breatainn Mhòr agus Eirinn a Tuath Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann Scots: Unitit Kinrick o Graet Breetain an Northren Ireland Cornish: An Rywvaneth Unys a Vreten Veur hag Iwerdhon Glédh
^ ab The terms Republic of Ireland and Poblacht na hÉireann are not long-form names and are used only as a legal description meant to differentiate the state from the island.
^ The Netherlands is also known in the short form as Holland, but this is the improper form for the name of the whole country as it refers only to a small region inside the country. See Netherlands (terminology).
^ abcd The United Kingdom is often abbreviated UK. It is composed of the constituent countriesEngland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and controls the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain (often shortened as Britain), which is sometimes used synonymously with the United Kingdom.
^De facto independent republic with international recognition by many states. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on 18 February 2008. It is listed as unrecognised until it is recognised by the United Nations.
^De facto independent republic, with no international recognition. It is located entirely within the internationaly recognised borders of Azerbaijan.
^De facto independent republic, with no international recognition. It is located within the internationaly recognised borders of Moldova.
