Countries That Start With W: Are There Any?

If you are searching for countries that start with W, the answer is surprisingly simple:

There are no sovereign United Nations member states whose English names begin with the letter W.

The United Nations currently has 193 member states, according to the United Nations, and none has a standard English country name beginning with W.

That does not mean world geography is empty under this letter. Several well-known places beginning with W can make the answer seem more complicated than it first appears.

Wales is a country within the United Kingdom, but it is not a separate sovereign state.

Western Sahara is listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory whose political status remains unresolved.

Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity in the South Pacific rather than an independent sovereign country.

So, if by “country” we mean an independent sovereign state, the answer remains:

Zero countries start with W.

How Many Countries Start With W?

There are 0 sovereign UN member countries beginning with W.

Name	What Is It?	Region	Independent Sovereign State?
Wales	Country within the United Kingdom	Europe	No
Western Sahara	UN-listed Non-Self-Governing Territory	Northwest Africa	No
Wallis and Futuna	French overseas collectivity	South Pacific	No

The official UN Member States directory moves alphabetically from Vanuatu, Venezuela and Viet Nam to Yemen without a W section containing any member state.

There is an important distinction here. Some government geographic directories include Wales, Wallis and Futuna, and Western Sahara under W because those directories cover both countries and territories. The UK’s geographical names list is one example.

That does not mean all three have the same political status.

Why Are There No Sovereign Countries That Start With W?

There is no geographic rule that prevents a country’s name from beginning with W.

The absence of W countries is simply a result of how modern state names developed and how those names are standardized in English.

Names of countries come from many sources: indigenous languages, dynasties, geographic features, colonial histories, older kingdoms, ethnic groups, translations and systems of transliteration. After centuries of political and linguistic change, no current sovereign UN member state’s standard English name happens to begin with W.

W is therefore part of a small group of letters that produce unusual answers in alphabetical geography.

For example, countries that start with O produce only one answer: Oman.

The letter D presents the opposite type of problem. Depending on how formal country names are alphabetized, different lists can produce different totals. Our guide to countries that start with D explains why.

With W, the sovereign-state answer is much clearer:

There are none.

Does Wales Count as a Country That Starts With W?

Wales is a country, but it is not an independent sovereign state.

This distinction explains why Wales is often the first answer people think of when asked for a country beginning with W.

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

Wales therefore has a genuine national identity and country status within the United Kingdom.

However, the sovereign state represented internationally and at the United Nations is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Question	Answer
Is Wales called a country?	Yes
Is Wales part of the United Kingdom?	Yes
Is Wales an independent sovereign state?	No
Is Wales a separate UN member?	No
Does Wales begin with W?	Yes

A Short History of Wales

Wales has a distinct history, language, cultural identity and political tradition extending back many centuries.

The relationship between Wales and England developed over a long period, and legislation during the Tudor era brought Wales into a more integrated legal and administrative system with England.

Modern Wales nevertheless maintains its own devolved political institutions.

The Welsh Government makes policies and decisions for Wales across devolved areas including health, education, transport, planning, culture, agriculture, local government and the Welsh language.

This combination of national identity and shared sovereignty is why both of the following statements can be correct:

Wales is a country.

Wales is not an independent sovereign state.

Is Western Sahara a Country That Starts With W?

Western Sahara begins with W, but its international political status remains unresolved and it is not a United Nations member state.

The United Nations Decolonization programme lists Western Sahara as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.

The territory has remained on the UN list since 1963, when Spain transmitted information concerning what was then Spanish Sahara.

The same UN source gives Western Sahara a land area of approximately 266,000 square kilometers.

Key distinction: Western Sahara starts with W, but it should not simply be presented as another sovereign W country. The United Nations continues to treat it as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.

A Brief History of Western Sahara

Western Sahara was formerly administered by Spain and was commonly known as Spanish Sahara.

As decolonization accelerated during the twentieth century, the future status of the territory became an international issue.

In 1975, the International Court of Justice considered questions about Western Sahara’s status before Spanish colonization and historical legal ties involving Morocco and the Mauritanian entity.

In its Advisory Opinion of October 16, 1975, the International Court of Justice concluded that Western Sahara had not been terra nullius at the time of Spanish colonization.

The Court found evidence of certain legal ties between groups in the territory and neighboring political entities, but it did not find territorial sovereignty ties that displaced the principle of self-determination.

That legal history remains important when explaining why Western Sahara cannot accurately be treated as an ordinary undisputed sovereign country in an alphabetical list.

Western Sahara and MINURSO

In 1991, the United Nations established the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, commonly known as MINURSO.

According to the UN Peacekeeping MINURSO fact sheet, the mission was created to support settlement proposals and a ceasefire involving Morocco and the Frente Polisario.

The UN states that the ceasefire broke down in 2020, while MINURSO has continued operating and working to reduce tensions.

Is Wallis and Futuna a Country?

No. Wallis and Futuna is not an independent sovereign country.

Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity located in the South Pacific Ocean.

An official overview from the French state administration in Wallis and Futuna explains that the territory consists principally of Wallis, Futuna and Alofi.

The territory covers about 142 square kilometers. Wallis lies relatively close to Samoa, while Futuna is closer to Fiji.

Although the territory begins with W, it remains under French sovereignty and is therefore not counted as a separate sovereign country.

A Brief History of Wallis and Futuna

The islands have deep Polynesian roots and long-standing cultural connections with other Pacific societies.

European involvement increased significantly during the nineteenth century, and Wallis and Futuna eventually entered into a French protectorate arrangement.

A major political change occurred after a referendum held on December 27, 1959, when voters approved integration into the French Republic under an overseas territorial framework.

The legal foundation was established by the French law of July 29, 1961.

The statute identifies Wallis, Futuna, Alofi and their dependent islets as the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands and confirms French nationality for people originating from the territory.

Traditional Government in Wallis and Futuna

One particularly unusual feature of Wallis and Futuna is the continuing role of traditional political institutions alongside the French administrative system.

The territory has three traditional kingdoms:

• Uvea on Wallis
• Alo on Futuna
• Sigave on Futuna

The official territorial administration explains that traditional rulers and councils continue to participate within local institutional life in its overview of Wallis and Futuna’s institutional organization.

That makes Wallis and Futuna politically and culturally distinctive, but it does not make it an independent sovereign state.

Wales vs Western Sahara vs Wallis and Futuna

These are the three names most likely to create confusion when someone searches for countries beginning with W.

They do not, however, have equivalent political statuses.

Name	Location	Status	Separate UN Member?
Wales	Europe	Country within the United Kingdom	No
Western Sahara	Northwest Africa	UN-listed Non-Self-Governing Territory; status unresolved	No
Wallis and Futuna	South Pacific	French overseas collectivity	No

The simplest way to remember the distinction is:

• Wales is a country within another sovereign state.
• Western Sahara is a territory with unresolved political status.
• Wallis and Futuna is an overseas collectivity of France.

Are There Any UN Member States Starting With W?

No.

There is currently no sovereign UN member state whose standard English name begins with W.

This is the most consistent definition to use when answering geography quizzes or compiling an alphabetical list of the world’s independent countries.

Are There Any Countries Ending With W?

No current UN member state’s standard English short name ends with W either.

The letter W is therefore unusually rare in modern English country names.

It appears much more frequently in the names of cities, territories, regions, states and other geographic areas.

Places That Start With W but Are Not Sovereign Countries

Although no sovereign country begins with W, there are many important geographic names that do.

Place	What Is It?	Location
Wales	Country within the UK	Europe
Western Sahara	Non-Self-Governing Territory	Africa
Wallis and Futuna	French overseas collectivity	South Pacific
Washington	US state	United States
Western Australia	Australian state	Australia
Wellington	Capital city	New Zealand
Warsaw	Capital city	Poland
Winnipeg	City	Canada
Wuhan	City	China
Windhoek	Capital city	Namibia

This is why the question “What places start with W?” produces many answers, even though “What sovereign countries start with W?” produces none.

Capital Cities That Start With W

While no sovereign country begins with W, several national capitals do.

• Warsaw – capital of Poland
• Wellington – capital of New Zealand
• Windhoek – capital of Namibia

This makes W much more common among cities than among sovereign country names.

Why Does Wales Cause Confusion in Country Lists?

The main reason is that the word country does not always mean exactly the same thing.

In many international datasets, a country means a sovereign state capable of holding independent international membership.

In other contexts, the word can describe a historically, culturally and politically distinct nation that forms part of a larger sovereign state.

Wales fits the second definition.

That is why someone saying “Wales is a country” is not necessarily contradicting someone who says “there are no sovereign countries beginning with W.”

They are using different definitions of the same word.

Frequently Asked Questions About Countries That Start With W

Lastly

If by “country” you mean an independent sovereign state, there are no countries that start with W.

None of the world’s 193 United Nations member states has a standard English name beginning with that letter.

Three W names nevertheless deserve special explanation:

• Wales is a country within the United Kingdom, but it is not a separate sovereign state.
• Western Sahara is listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory and has an unresolved political status.
• Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity rather than an independent country.

Name	Starts With W?	A Country in Some Contexts?	Sovereign UN Member?
Wales	Yes	Yes	No
Western Sahara	Yes	Status unresolved	No
Wallis and Futuna	Yes	No	No

In one sentence: There are no sovereign UN member countries beginning with W, although Wales, Western Sahara, and Wallis and Futuna are important W geographic names with very different political statuses.

Facts and political-status descriptions in this guide were reviewed against United Nations, UK government, Welsh Government, International Court of Justice, UN Peacekeeping and official French territorial sources in September 2026. Authority sources are linked directly within the relevant sections above.