List of sovereign states in 1972

A

• Afghanistan – Kingdom of Afghanistan
• Albania – People's Republic of Albania
• Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
• Andorra – Principality of Andorra
• Argentina – Argentine Republic
• Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
• Austria – Republic of Austria

B

• Bahrain – State of Bahrain
• Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh
• Barbados – Barbados
• Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
• Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
• Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia
• Botswana – Republic of Botswana
• Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
• Bulgaria – People's Republic of Bulgaria
• Burma – Union of Burma
• Burundi – Republic of Burundi

C

• Cambodia – Khmer Republic
• Cameroon – Federal Republic of Cameroon (to June 2)
  • United Republic of Cameroon (from June 2)
• Canada – Dominion of Canada
• Central African Republic – Central African Republic
• Ceylon – Dominion of Ceylon (renamed to Sri Lanka on May 22)
• Chad – Republic of Chad
• Chile – Republic of Chile
• People's Republic of China – People's Republic of China
• Republic of China – Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Colombia – Republic of Colombia
• Congo – People's Republic of Congo
• Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
• Cuba – Republic of Cuba
• Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
• Czechoslovakia – Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

D

• Dahomey – Republic of Dahomey
• Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
• Dominican Republic – Dominican Republic

E

• Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
• Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
• El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
• Ethiopia – Empire of Ethiopia
• Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea

F

• Fiji – Dominion of Fiji
• Finland – Republic of Finland
• France – French Republic

G

• Gabon – Gabonese Republic
• Gambia – Republic of the Gambia
• East Germany – German Democratic Republic
• West Germany – Federal Republic of Germany
• Ghana – Republic of Ghana
• Greece – Kingdom of Greece
• Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
• Guinea – Republic of Guinea
• Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana

H

• Haiti – Republic of Haiti
• Honduras – Republic of Honduras
• Hungary – People's Republic of Hungary

I

• Iceland – Republic of Iceland
• India – Republic of India
• Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
• Iran – Kingdom of Iran
• Iraq – Republic of Iraq
• Ireland – Republic of Ireland
• Israel – State of Israel
• Italy – Italian Republic
• Ivory Coast – Republic of Ivory Coast

J

• Jamaica – Jamaica
• Japan – Japan
• Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

K

• Kenya – Republic of Kenya
• North Korea – Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• South Korea – Republic of Korea
• Kuwait – State of Kuwait

L

• Laos – Kingdom of Laos
• Lebanon – Lebanese Republic
• Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
• Liberia – Republic of Liberia
• Libya – Libyan Arab Republic
• Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

M

• Malagasy Republic – Malagasy Republic
• Malawi – Republic of Malawi
• Malaysia – Malaysia
• Maldives – Republic of Maldives
• Mali – Republic of Mali
• Malta – State of Malta
• Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
• Mauritius – Mauritius
• Mexico – United Mexican States
• Monaco – Principality of Monaco
• Mongolia – People's Republic of Mongolia
• Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco

N

• Nauru – Republic of Nauru
• Nepal – Kingdom of Nepal
• Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
• New Zealand – Dominion of New Zealand
• Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
• Niger – Republic of Niger
• Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Norway – Kingdom of Norway

O

• Oman – Sultanate of Oman

P

• Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Panama – Republic of Panama
• Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
• Peru – Peruvian Republic
• Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
• Poland – People's Republic of Poland
• Portugal – Portuguese Republic

Q

• Qatar – State of Qatar

R

• Ras al-Khaimah – Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah (until February 11)
• Romania – Socialist Republic of Romania
• Rwanda – Rwandan Republic

S

• San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
• Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Senegal – Republic of Senegal
• Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
• Sikkim – Kingdom of Sikkim
• Singapore – Republic of Singapore
• Somalia – Somali Republic
• South Africa – Republic of South Africa
• Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
• Spain – Spanish State
• Sri Lanka – Republic of Sri Lanka (from May 22)
• Sudan – Democratic Republic of the Sudan
• Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
• Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
• Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
• Syria – Syrian Arab Republic

T

• Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
• Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
• Togo – Togolese Republic
• Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
• Tunisia – Tunisian Republic
• Turkey – Republic of Turkey
• Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago

U

• Uganda – Republic of Uganda
• United Arab Emirates – United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States – United States of America
• Upper Volta – Republic of Upper Volta
• Uruguay – Eastern Republic of Uruguay

V

• Vatican City – State of the Vatican City
• Venezuela – United States of Venezuela
• North Vietnam – Democratic Republic of Vietnam
• South Vietnam – Republic of Vietnam

W

• Western Samoa – Independent State of Western Samoa

Y

• North Yemen – Yemen Arab Republic
• South Yemen – People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
• Yugoslavia – Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Z

• Zaire – Republic of Zaire
• Zambia – Republic of Zambia