A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games. They may nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games. NOCs also promote the development of athletes and training of coaches and officials at a national level within their geographies.
As of 2011, there are 204 NOCs, representing both sovereign nations and other geographical areas. 192 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have IOC-recognized National Olympic Committees (the exception being South Sudan, which gained its independence on 9 July 2011, and does not yet have a National Olympic Committee), as do 12 other territories:
- Taiwan designated as Chinese Taipei by the IOC
- Palestinian Authority, designated as Palestine by the IOC
- Four territories of the United States: American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands (designated just Virgin Islands by the IOC)
- Three British Overseas Territories: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and Cayman Islands
- One territory from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean: Aruba. The Netherlands Antilles lost its status in July 2011 as a result of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010.
- Hong Kong, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
- Cook Islands, an associated state of New Zealand
Prior to 1996, rules for recognising separate countries at the IOC were not as strict as those for the United Nations, which allowed several dependent territories, such as Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong to field teams separately from their parent nation. Following an amendment to the Olympic Charter in 1996, NOC recognition can only be granted after recognition as an independent country by the UN. As such, dependent territories such as Gibraltar, Macau and the Faroe Islands cannot be recognised by the IOC, and athletes from those territories can only participate in the Olympics as part of their parent nation's national team. However, the rule does not apply retroactively, so dependent territories which were recognised before the rule change are allowed to continue sending separate teams to the Olympics.
The NOCs are all members of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), which is also split among five continental associations:
| Continent | Association | NOCs | Oldest NOC | Newest NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa | 53 | Egypt (1910) | Eritrea (1999) | |
| America | Pan American Sports Organization | 41 | United States (1894) | Dominica (1993) Saint Kitts and Nevis (1993) Saint Lucia (1993) |
|
| Asia | Olympic Council of Asia | 44 | Japan (1912) | Timor-Leste (2003) | |
| Europe | European Olympic Committees | 49 | France (1894) | Montenegro (2007) | |
| Oceania | Oceania National Olympic Committees | 17 | Australia (1895) | Tuvalu (2007) | |
See the article for each continental association for the complete lists of all NOCs.
Read more about National Olympic Committee: List of NOCs By Recognition Date, Unrecognized National Olympic Committees
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