Member countries of UNESCO

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The abbreviation stands for "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization". It was founded in 1945 to promote peace and security through international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. Its main goal is to contribute to building a culture of peace, eradicating poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through its programs and activities.

A total of 195 countries with a combined population of 8.10 billion currently belong to UNESCO.

Official website: www.unesco.org/en

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Convert km² to square miles

Country	Commencement	Population	Area
Afghanistan	1948	42.65 M	653,000 km²
Albania	1958	2.38 M	29,000 km²
Algeria	1962	46.81 M	2,382,000 km²
Argentina	1948	45.70 M	2,780,000 km²
Australia	1946	27.20 M	7,741,000 km²
Austria	1948	9.18 M	84,000 km²
Bangladesh	1972	173.56 M	148,000 km²
Barbados	1968	0.28 M	430 km²
Belarus	1954	9.13 M	208,000 km²
Belgium	1946	11.86 M	31,000 km²
Bolivia	1946	12.41 M	1,099,000 km²
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1993	3.16 M	51,000 km²
Brazil	1946	212.00 M	8,516,000 km²
Bulgaria	1956	6.44 M	111,000 km²
Burundi	1962	14.05 M	28,000 km²
Cambodia	1951	17.64 M	181,000 km²
Cameroon	1960	29.12 M	475,000 km²
Canada	1946	41.29 M	9,985,000 km²
Chad	1960	20.30 M	1,284,000 km²
Chile	1953	19.76 M	757,000 km²
China	1971	1,408.98 M	9,563,000 km²
Colombia	1947	52.89 M	1,142,000 km²
Congo (Dem. Republic)	1960	109.28 M	2,345,000 km²
Costa Rica	1950	5.13 M	51,000 km²
Cuba	1947	10.98 M	110,000 km²
Czechia	1993	10.91 M	79,000 km²
Denmark	1946	5.98 M	43,000 km²
Dominican Republic	1946	11.43 M	49,000 km²
Ecuador	1947	18.14 M	256,000 km²
Egypt	1946	116.54 M	1,001,000 km²
El Salvador	1948	6.34 M	21,000 km²
Ethiopia	1995	132.06 M	1,104,000 km²
Finland	1956	5.62 M	338,000 km²
France	1946	68.55 M	549,000 km²
Georgia	1992	3.70 M	70,000 km²
Germany	1951	83.52 M	358,000 km²
Ghana	1958	34.43 M	239,000 km²
Greece	1946	10.41 M	132,000 km²
Guatemala	1950	18.41 M	109,000 km²
Haiti	1946	11.77 M	28,000 km²
Hungary	1948	9.56 M	93,000 km²
Iceland	1964	0.39 M	103,000 km²
India	1946	1,450.94 M	3,287,000 km²
Indonesia	1950	283.49 M	1,914,000 km²
Iran	1948	91.57 M	1,648,000 km²
Ireland	1961	5.40 M	70,000 km²
Israel	1949	9.97 M	22,000 km²
Italy	1948	58.95 M	301,000 km²
Jamaica	1962	2.84 M	11,000 km²
Japan	1951	123.98 M	378,000 km²
Kazakhstan	1992	20.59 M	2,725,000 km²
Kenya	1964	56.43 M	580,000 km²
Madagascar	1960	31.96 M	587,000 km²
Malaysia	1958	35.56 M	330,000 km²
Malta	1965	0.57 M	320 km²
Mexico	1946	130.86 M	1,964,000 km²
Moldova	1992	2.40 M	34,000 km²
Monaco	1949	0.04 M	2 km²
Mongolia	1962	3.52 M	1,564,000 km²
Montenegro	2007	0.62 M	14,000 km²
Morocco	1956	38.08 M	447,000 km²
Netherlands	1947	17.99 M	42,000 km²
New Zealand	1946	5.29 M	268,000 km²
Nigeria	1960	232.68 M	924,000 km²
North Korea	1974	26.50 M	121,000 km²
Norway	1946	5.57 M	385,000 km²
Pakistan	1949	251.27 M	796,000 km²
Philippines	1946	115.84 M	300,000 km²
Poland	1946	36.56 M	313,000 km²
Portugal	1965	10.69 M	92,000 km²
Romania	1956	19.05 M	238,000 km²
Russia	1954	143.53 M	17,098,000 km²
Saudi Arabia	1946	35.30 M	2,150,000 km²
Serbia	2000	6.59 M	88,000 km²
Seychelles	1976	0.12 M	460 km²
Singapore	1965	6.04 M	719 km²
Somalia	1960	19.01 M	638,000 km²
South Africa	1946	64.01 M	1,219,000 km²
South Korea	1950	51.75 M	100,000 km²
Spain	1953	48.85 M	506,000 km²
Sri Lanka	1949	21.92 M	66,000 km²
Sudan	1956	50.45 M	1,879,000 km²
Sweden	1950	10.57 M	447,000 km²
Switzerland	1949	9.01 M	41,000 km²
Thailand	1949	71.67 M	513,000 km²
Turkey	1946	85.52 M	785,000 km²
Ukraine	1954	37.86 M	604,000 km²
United Arab Emirates	1972	10.99 M	84,000 km²
United Kingdom	1946	69.23 M	244,000 km²
United States	1946	340.11 M	9,525,000 km²
Venezuela	1946	28.41 M	912,000 km²
Vietnam	1951	100.99 M	331,000 km²
Zimbabwe	1980	16.63 M	391,000 km²

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This is a shortened overview that only includes the most important countries. Click here for the complete table with all available data from 195 countries.

Areas of Responsibility

UNESCO has a broad mandate, and its work covers a wide range of areas. Its main areas of focus include the promotion of education, the protection of cultural heritage and freedom of expression, the promotion of scientific research, and the support of free media. UNESCO also addresses issues of gender equality, social inclusion and the protection of human rights.

Preservation of the world cultural heritage

UNESCO's well-known mission is to identify and protect World Heritage Sites, which are sites of cultural or natural significance considered to be of universal value to humanity. The organization works with countries to identify and nominate sites that meet the criteria for World Heritage status and provides technical and financial assistance for their conservation and management. UNESCO also works to promote cultural diversity and to protect and promote cultural expressions throughout the world.

Management

UNESCO is governed by a General Conference, which meets every two years and is attended by representatives of all member states. The organization is headed by a Director-General, each elected for a four-year term.