There are 4 countries that officially start with the letter V: Vanuatu, Vatican City (Holy See), Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Full List With Key Facts
| Country | Continent | Capital | Approx. Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | Oceania | Port Vila | 320,000 |
| Vatican City | Europe | Vatican City | ~800 |
| Venezuela | South America | Caracas | 28 million |
| Vietnam | Asia | Hanoi | 98 million |
Countries in Focus
Vanuatu is a Pacific island nation made up of more than 80 islands, with travel details and cultural guides hosted on the official Vanuatu Tourism Portal, known for some of the highest levels of biodiversity per square kilometer in the Pacific region, plus active volcanoes like Mount Yasur, one of the most accessible active volcanoes on Earth.
Venezuela sits on the northern coast of South America and holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, though it has faced significant economic instability and political crisis over the past decade.
Vietnam is a long, narrow Southeast Asian country stretching along the South China Sea, known for its rapid economic growth and manufacturing sector over the last two decades.
Vatican City (Holy See) appears on both the "H" and "V" country lists depending on which name convention is used — "Holy See" is the formal diplomatic name (which you can read about in our guide to countries starting with H), while "Vatican City" refers to the physical city-state territory.
Why V Is One of the Rarest Starting Letters
Only four sovereign nations start with V, making it one of the least common starting letters for country names compared to the nine countries starting with L — comparable to letters like X, Q, and Z. This rarity is largely a linguistic accident, since V isn't a common starting sound in the indigenous or colonial-era naming conventions that produced most of the world's current country names.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries actually start with V?
Four, using standard sovereign-state lists — Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Vatican City (if counted under "V" rather than "H").
Is Vietnam larger than Venezuela?
By population, yes — Vietnam has around 98 million people compared to Venezuela's roughly 28 million, though Venezuela's land area is somewhat larger.
Are there any other territories starting with V that aren't full countries?
Yes — places like the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands start with V but are territories rather than independent sovereign nations.
Is Vanuatu part of a larger country?
No — Vanuatu is a fully independent sovereign nation, though it was historically administered jointly by Britain and France before gaining independence in 1980.
Do any V countries share a border?
No — none of the four V-countries are geographically adjacent to one another, since they're spread across South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
💡 The Takeaway
V is one of the rarest starting letters in the world, but its four countries span four different continents — a genuinely global spread for such a short list.
Curious about more country trivia by letter? Check out our list of countries starting with E, or browse our full library of guides, or check out our directory of the best AI tools.