Which countries are competing at the Olympic Games in Tokyo?
THE Tokyo Olympics are just hours away from finally getting underway.
After being delayed for a year, the 2020 games are scheduled to take place between Friday, July 23 and Sunday, August 8.
Which countries compete at the Olympics?
A truly global spectacle, there’s no other sporting event on Earth that brings nations together like the Olympics.
And in terms of nations which are invited, EVERY country is invited to the four-yearly Games.
Over the past 30 years, participation has risen to record levels.
Back in 1989, there were 160 participating states in the Olympics which marked a new high for the time.
But this year in Japan, there will be a whopping 206.
Here’s a breakdown of each state that is allowed to compete, known as a National Olympic Committe (NOC):
- 193 UN Member states
- 1 UN Observer states (Palestine)
- 2 Partially recognised states (Kosovo, Taiwan)
- 1 One almost-independent state (Cook Islands, free association with New Zealand)
- 9 Dependent territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island, Bermuda, British Virgin Island, Cayman Islands, Aruba, Hong Kong)
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How can I watch the Olympics?
This year’s Olympics will be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK.
You can catch all of the action on the BBC throughout the fortnight.
The BBC iPlayer is where to head for streaming, while different events will be shown using the interactive red button service.