How Many Countries Participate in the Sport of Basketball?
Basketball is a popular sport that is played all around the world and in countries of various levels of wealth, population and development. However, there are countries and regions of the world where basketball is more popular than in others. There are also more than 50 countries that are part of the International Basketball Federation, or FIBA.
FIBA is responsible for establishing official rules and governances for international and Olympic basketball events. FIBA is recognized as the official and sole reliable governing body by the International Olympic Committee.
FIBA regulates teams in numerous countries around the world, including France, Spain, Brazil, Lithuania, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, South Korea, Finland and many others. A total of 56 countries has participated in the FIBA World Cup.
As far as general worldwide popularity of the sport of basketball, some countries value the sport more than others. Popularity can be a relative term, but based on online searches performed in certain countries, a general popularity can be assessed. The United States ranks highest in basketball popularity, followed by the Philippines, Australia, Canada, Iraq and Mongolia. Of course, this is not a direct indication of the popularity of playing the sport, but rather the popularity of the sport itself, in terms of internet searches and desired information related to the subject of basketball.
