Count: 0 — There are no sovereign European countries whose English short name begins with the letter Y. This conclusion follows standard international references (UN member-state lists, ISO 3166 country names, Eurostat and the CIA World Factbook). Note that the only widely recognized country beginning with Y today is Yemen, which is in Western Asia, and that Yugoslavia once matched the criterion historically before it dissolved in the 1990s.

Understand that the absence results from naming conventions, history and standardized English usage. Country names in Europe derive from a wide range of languages and historical developments, and none of the current sovereign states adopted an English short name starting with Y. Include transcontinental states in Europe when compiling regional lists (for example, Russia and Turkey), and observe that none of those start with Y either. Rely on authoritative sources such as the United Nations, ISO 3166 and the CIA World Factbook to confirm the empty result and to avoid adding inaccurate or obscure entries.

Consider near-misses and practical alternatives for A–Z projects. Use the historical example Yugoslavia as a valid past entry if you document its dissolution and successor states. Use capitals or subnational names that start with Y (for example, Yerevan, the capital of Armenia) only if your scope allows cities or regions rather than sovereign states. If you need an entry for Y in a complete A–Z, expand the scope to include dependent territories, historical countries, or worldwide lists (Yemen), and verify every item against UN, Eurostat or national statistical office data to keep the list accurate and authoritative.