List of countries in the 1940s

This is a list of countries in the 1940s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1940 and 31 December 1949. It contains 106 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 99 widely recognized sovereign states, six entities which were "de facto" sovereign but which were not widely recognized by other states.
Academic datasets differ in terms of the number of states in the 1940s. At the start of the 1940s, the lowest estimate of the number of states is in the mid-50s whereas the highest is in the low-70s. At the end of the 1940s, the lowest estimate is in the mid-70s while the highest is in the mid-80s.
Other entities.
Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent: