List of sovereign states in 1981

tates With Wide Recognition

A

*flag|Afghanistan|1980 - Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
*flag|Albania|1946 - Socialist People's Republic of Albania
*flag|Algeria - People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
*flag|Andorra - Principality of Andorra
*flag|Angola - People's Republic of Angola
*flag|Antigua and Barbuda (from November 1)
*flag|Argentina - Argentine Republic
*flag|Australia - Commonwealth of Australia
*flag|Austria - Republic of Austria

B

*flag|The Bahamas - Commonwealth of the Bahamas
*flag|Bahrain|old - State of Bahrain
*flag|Bangladesh - People's Republic of Bangladesh
*"'flag|Barbados
*flag|Belgium|state - Kingdom of Belgium
*flag|Belize (from September 21)
*flag|Benin|1975 - People's Republic of Benin
*flag|Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan
*flag|Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia
*flag|Botswana - Republic of Botswana
*flag|Brazil|1968 - Federative Republic of Brazil
*flag|Bulgaria|1971 - People's Republic of Bulgaria
*flag|Burma - Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
*flagicon image|Flag of Burundi (1967).svg Burundi - Republic of Burundi

C

*flag|Cameroon - United Republic of Cameroon
*flag|Canada - Dominion of Canada
*flag|Cape Verde|1975 - Republic of Cape Verde
*"'flag|Central African Republic
*flag|Chad - Republic of Chad
*flag|Chile - Republic of Chile
*flag|China - People's Republic of China
*flag|Colombia - Republic of Colombia
*flag|Comoros|1978 - Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros
*flag|Congo|1970 - People's Republic of Congo
*flag|Costa Rica|state - Republic of Costa Rica
*flag|Cuba - Republic of Cuba
*flag|Cyprus - Republic of Cyprus
*flag|Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

D

*flag|Denmark - Kingdom of Denmark
*flag|Djibouti - Republic of Djibouti
*flagicon|Dominica|1978 flag|Dominica|1981 - Commonwealth of Dominica
*"'flag|Dominican Republic

E

*flag|Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador
*flag|Egypt|1972 - Arab Republic of Egypt
*flag|El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador
*flag|Equatorial Guinea - Republic of Equatorial Guinea
*flag|Ethiopia|1975 - Socialist Ethiopia

F

*flag|Fiji - Dominion of Fiji
*flag|Finland - Republic of Finland
*flag|France - French Republic

G

*flag|Gabon - Gabonese Republic
*flag|The Gambia - Republic of the Gambia
*flag|East Germany|name=Germany, East - German Democratic Republic
*flag|West Germany|name=Germany, West - Federal Republic of Germany
*flag|Ghana - Republic of Ghana
*flag|Greece - Hellenic Republic
*"'flag|Grenada
*flag|Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala
*flag|Guinea - Republic of Guinea
*flag|Guinea-Bissau - Republic of Guinea-Bissau
*flag|Guyana - Co-operative Republic of Guyana

H

*flag|Haiti|1964 - Republic of Haiti
*flag|Honduras - Republic of Honduras
*flag|Hungary - People's Republic of Hungary

I

*flag|Iceland - Republic of Iceland
*flag|India - Republic of India
*flag|Indonesia - Republic of Indonesia
*flag|Iran - Islamic Republic of Iran
*flag|Iraq|1963 - Republic of Iraq
*flag|Ireland - Republic of Ireland
*flag|Israel - State of Israel
*flag|Italy - Italian Republic
*flag|Ivory Coast - Republic of Ivory Coast

J

*"'flag|Jamaica
*"'flag|Japan|alt
*flag|Jordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

K

*Kampuchea (Disputed between two governments)
**flagicon|Cambodia|1979 People's Republic of Kampuchea
**flagicon|Cambodia|1975 Democratic Kampuchea
*flag|Kenya - Republic of Kenya
*flag|Kiribati - Republic of Kiribati
*flag|Korea, North - Democratic People's Republic of Korea
*flag|Korea, South - Republic of Korea
*flag|Kuwait - State of Kuwait

L

*flag|Laos - Lao People's Democratic Republic
*flag|Lebanon - Lebanese Republic
*flag|Lesotho|1966 - Kingdom of Lesotho
*flag|Liberia - Republic of Liberia
*flag|Libya - Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
*flag|Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein
*flag|Luxembourg - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

M

*flag|Madagascar - Democratic Republic of Madagascar
*flag|Malawi - Republic of Malawi
*"'flag|Malaysia
*flag|Maldives - Republic of Maldives
*flag|Mali - Republic of Mali
*flag|Malta - Republic of Malta
*flag|Mauritania - Islamic Republic of Mauritania
*flag|Mauritius
*flag|Mexico - United Mexican States
*flag|Monaco - Principality of Monaco
*flag|Mongolia|1949 - People's Republic of Mongolia
*flag|Morocco - Kingdom of Morocco
*flag|Mozambique|1975 - People's Republic of Mozambique

N

*flag|Nauru - Republic of Nauru
*flag|Nepal - Kingdom of Nepal
*flag|Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands
*flag|New Zealand - Dominion of New Zealand
*flag|Nicaragua - Republic of Nicaragua
*flag|Niger - Republic of Niger
*flag|Nigeria - Federal Republic of Nigeria
*flag|Norway - Kingdom of Norway

O

*flagicon image|Old Flag of Oman.svg Oman - Sultanate of Oman

P

*flag|Pakistan - Islamic Republic of Pakistan
*flag|Panama - Republic of Panama
*flag|Papua New Guinea - Independent State of Papua New Guinea
*flagicon image|Flag of Paraguay 1954.png Paraguay - Republic of Paraguay
*flag|Peru - Republic of Peru
*flagicon|Philippines|1919 flag|Philippines|1981 - Republic of the Philippines
*flag|Poland - People's Republic of Poland
*flag|Portugal - Portuguese Republic

Q

*flag|Qatar - State of Qatar

R

*flag|Romania|1965 - Socialist Republic of Romania
*flag|Rwanda|1962 - Rwandan Republic

*flagicon image|Flag of Saint Lucia 1979.svg Saint Lucia
*flagicon image|Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979).png Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
*flag|San Marino - Most Serene Republic of San Marino
*flag|São Tomé and Príncipe - Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
*flag|Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
*flag|Senegal - Republic of Senegal
*flag|Seychelles|1977 - Republic of Seychelles
*flag|Sierra Leone - Republic of Sierra Leone
*flag|Singapore - Republic of Singapore
*"'flag|Solomon Islands
*flag|Somalia - Somali Democratic Republic
*flag|South Africa|1928 - Republic of South Africa
*flag|Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
*flagicon image|Aguilucho1977.png flag|Spain - Kingdom of Spain
*flag|Sri Lanka - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
*flag|Sudan - Democratic Republic of the Sudan
*flag|Suriname - Republic of Suriname
*flag|Swaziland - Kingdom of Swaziland
*flag|Sweden - Kingdom of Sweden
*flag|Switzerland - Swiss Confederation
*flag|Syria - Syrian Arab Republic

T

*flag|Tanzania - United Republic of Tanzania
*flag|Thailand - Kingdom of Thailand
*flag|Togo - Togolese Republic
*flag|Tonga - Kingdom of Tonga
*flag|Trinidad and Tobago - Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
*flag|Tunisia|old - Republic of Tunisia
*flag|Turkey - Republic of Turkey
*"'flag|Tuvalu

U

*flag|Uganda - Republic of Uganda
*"'flag|United Arab Emirates
*flag|United Kingdom - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
*flag|United States - United States of America
*flag|Upper Volta - Republic of Upper Volta
*flag|Uruguay - Eastern Republic of Uruguay

V

*flag|Vanuatu - Republic of Vanuatu
*flag|Vatican City - State of the Vatican City
*flag|Venezuela|1930 - United States of Venezuela
*flag|Vietnam - Socialist Republic of Vietnam

W

*flag|Western Samoa - Independent State of Western Samoa

Y

*flag|North Yemen|name=Yemen, North - Yemen Arab Republic
*flag|South Yemen|name=Yemen, South - People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
*flag|SFR Yugoslavia|name=Yugoslavia - Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Z

*flag|Zaire - Republic of Zaire
*flagicon image|Old Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia - Republic of Zambia
*flag|Zimbabwe - Republic of Zimbabwe

tates Without Wide Recognition

*flag|Bophuthatswana - Republic of Bophuthatswana
*flag|Ciskei - Republic of Ciskei (from December 4)
*flagicon image|Rwenzururu flag.png Rwenzururu - Kingdom of Rwenzururu
*flag|Sahrawi Republic - Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic [Claims to be the legitimate government of Western Sahara. See Legal status of Western Sahara.]
*flag|Taiwan - Republic of China [See Political status of Taiwan and Legal status of Taiwan for details.]
*flag|Transkei - Republic of Transkei
*flag|Venda - Republic of Venda

United Nations Trust Territories

*flag|Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (administered by the United States)
**flag|Marshall Islands - Republic of the Marshall Islands
**flag|Micronesia - Federated States of Micronesia
**flag|Palau - Republic of Palau (from January 1)

Notes