List of former sovereign states
A historical state or historical sovereign state is a state that once existed, but have since been dissolved due to conflict, war, rebellion or uprising.
This page lists sovereign states, countries, nations, empires or territories that have ceased to exist as political entities, grouped geographically and by constitutional nature.
Criteria for inclusion
The criteria for inclusion in this list is similar to that of the List of states with limited recognition. To be included here, a polity must have claimed statehood and either:
- had de facto control over a territory, a population, a government, a capacity to enter into relations with other states, or
- have been recognised as a state by at least one other state.
For purposes of this list, the cutoff between medieval and early modern states is the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Ancient and medieval states
- List of sovereign states in the 35th century BC
- List of Bronze Age states
- List of Classical Age states
- List of Iron Age states
- List of states during Late Antiquity
- List of states during the Middle Ages
Modern states and territories by geography
Africa
Morocco (Maghreb al-Aksa)
- Saadi principality of Sus and Tagmadert (independence recognized in 1527 through the treaty of Tadla, reunified with Morocco after the Saadi dynasty overthrew the Wattasid dynasty in 1549)
- Naqsid principality of Tetouan (independence from Morocco in 1597, annexed to Morocco in 1673)
- Republic of Bou Regreg (independence from Morocco in 1627, annexed to Morocco in 1668)
Egypt and Sudan
- Sultanate of Sennar – annexed by Egypt in 1821
- Sultanate of Darfur – annexed by Egypt in 1874
Modern Algeria (Central Maghreb)
- Kingdom of Tlemcen (independence from the Almohad Empire in 1235, annexed to the Regency of Algiers in 1556)
Sub-Saharan Africa
Horn of Africa
- Adal Sultanate 1415–1559
- Ajuran Sultanate 13th century–17th century
- Aussa Sultanate 1734–?
- Sultanate of Hobyo 1878–early 20th century
- Majeerteen Sultanate mid-18th century–early 20th century
- Marehan Sultanate 17th–19th century
- Sultanate of Mogadishu 12th–16th century, absorbed into Ajuran Sultanate
- Warsangali Sultanate (1298–1886), (1897–1960)
Western Africa
- Biafra (c. 1967–c. 1970)
- Kingdom of Mali (c. 1230–c. 1600)
- Songhai Empire (c. 1340–1591, annexed by Morocco)
- Jolof Empire (1350–1549)
- Empire of Great Fulo (Denanke Kingdom) (1490–1776)
- Sultanate of Damagaram (1731–1851)
- Aro Confederacy – fell to the United Kingdom in 1902
- Ashanti Empire – fell to the United Kingdom in 1900
- Bamana Empire (1712–1861)
- Benin – fell in 1897 to the United Kingdom
- Bundu – fell to France in 1851
- Dahomey – conquered by France in 1894
- Dendi – annexed by France 1901
- Fante Confederacy – 1874, to the United Kingdom
- Fulani Empire – annexed by France and the United Kingdom in 1903
- Futa Jallon – fell to France in 1896
- Futa Toro (1725–1861)
- Kaabu (1537–1867)
- Republic of Maryland (1854–1857)
- Mossi States – conquered by France 1894–95
- Oyo Empire – made a British protectorate in 1888
- Kingdom of Sine – became a French protectorate
- Toucouleur Empire – fell to France in 1890
- Wassoulou Empire – annexed by France in 1898
African Great Lakes
- Buganda 14th century until made a British protectorate in 1894, within Uganda, revolt 1897–98
- Bunyoro 13th century until made a British protectorate in 1897
- Ankole Made a British protectorate in 1901
- Toro Kingdom 1830–1876
- Busoga
- Kingdom of Rwanda 11th century until made a German protectorate in 1894
- Kingdom of Burundi 1680?–1885, part of German East Africa in 1899; independent kingdom 1962–1966 when republic declared
- Wituland Sultanate 1858–1885 – became German and then British protectorate
- Pemba mid-13th century
- Sultanate of Zanzibar, pre-1503/4, 1856–1890, 1963–1964
- People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba 1964 – merged to form Tanzania
- Merina Kingdom 1540–1897 (Madagascar)
- Tanganyika 1961–1962 – merged to form Tanzania
Central Africa
- Kanem-Borno (11th century to 1900)
- Ouaddai – fell to France in 1912
- Baguirmi – fell to France in 1897
- Anziku – became a French protectorate in 1875
- Kongo – annexed by Portugal in 1914
- Matamba (1631–1744)
- Ndongo – fell to Portugal in 1671
- Kasanje – annexed by Portugal in 1910
- Kuba – fell to Belgium in 1900
- Kazembe
- Yeke – fell to Belgium in 1891
- Luba – fell to Belgium in 1889
- Lunda – annexed by Belgium, Portugal and United Kingdom in 1887
Southern Africa
- Barotseland – annexed by United Kingdom in 1900
- South African Republic (Transvaal) – 1856–1877, 1881–1902
- Orange Free State 1854–1902
- Kingdom of Butua 1450–c. 1683
- Matabeleland ?–1891 – became British protectorate
- Gaza Empire 1824–1895 – fell to Portugal
- Kingdom of Mutapa (1430–1760)
- Zulu Kingdom – 1816–1897, fell to United Kingdom
- Basutoland ? – 1868, to the United Kingdom
- Mthwakazi 1830s–1889 – became British protectorate
- Rozvi Empire 1684–1834
Asia
Central Asia
- In Afghanistan
- Durrani Empire (1747–1823)
East Asia
- Tibetan States (900–1240, 1300–1620)
- Tibet under Ganden Phodrang Govt. (1644–1720)
- Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864)
- Republic of Ezo (1869)
- Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1879)
- Republic of Formosa (1895, Taiwan)
- Korean Empire (1897–1910)
- Tibet (1912–51)
- Mongolian People's Republic (1924–1992)
- Hunan Soviet in a continental Chinese province (1927)
- Manchukuo (1932–1945)
- Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi Province (1931–1937)
- Tuvan People's Republic (1921–1944)t
West Asia
Anatolia
- Ottoman Empire (c. 1281–1923)
Mesopotamia
- Kingdom of Kurdistan (1922–1924)
- Kingdom of Iraq (1921–1958)
- Arab Federation (1958)
Persia
- Persian Soviet Socialist Republic in Gilan (Iran) (1920–1921)
- Republic of Mahabad (1946–1947)
Levant
- Kingdom of Arab Syria (1920)
- Alawite State in coastal Syria (1920–1936 under French mandate of Syria)
- Jabal el Druze (state) (1921–1936 under French mandate of Syria)
- State of Aleppo (1920–1925 under French mandate of Syria)
- State of Damascus (1920–1925 under French mandate of Syria)
Arabian Peninsula
- Emirate of Diriyah (1744–1812)
- Emirate of Nejd (1812–1891)
- Trucial States (1820–1971)
- Muscat and Oman (1820–1970)
- Emirate of Jabal Shammar (1836–1921)
- Idrisid Emirate of Asir (1906–1934)
- Emirate of Nejd and Hasa (1902–1921)
- Sultanate of Nejd (1921–1925)
- Kingdom of Hejaz (1916–1925)
- Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz (1926–1932)
- Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1962)
- Federation of Arab Emirates of the South 1959–1962
- Yemen Arab Republic (1962–1990)
- Federation of South Arabia (1962–1967)
- People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990)
- Republic of Kuwait (1990)
- Democratic Republic of Yemen (1994)
South Asia
In the Indian subcontinent:
- Chola Dynasty (300 BCE–1279)
- Mughal Empire (1526–1857)
- Maratha Empire (1674–1820)
- Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi dynasty, 1490–1686)
- Sikh Empire (1799–1849)
- Kashmir and Jammu (1846 – 1953)
- Sikkim (1642–1853, 1890–1975)
- United Suvadive Republic (1959–1963)
- Kingdom of Mysore (1399–1947)
- Hyderabad (1724–1948)
- Travancore (1500s–1947)
- Cochin State (circa 12th–century–1947)
- Kharan (1697–1948)
- Las Bela (1742–1948)
- Makran (18th century – 1948)
- Pandyan Dynasty (before 500 BC–16th century AD)
- Manipur (before 33 AD–1948)
- British Raj (1858–1948)
Southeast Asia
- In Indonesia (Dutch East indies) :
- Sultanate of Mataram 1588–1681
- Sultanate of Aceh 1496–1903
- Sultanate of Banten 1527–1813
- Sultanate of Cirebon 1445–1677
- Sultanate of Demak 1475–1548
- Kingdom of Pajang 1568–1586
- Sultanate of Palembang ?–1821
- Republic of Lanfang 1777–1884
- In Malaysia :
- Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1941, 1945–1946
- Sultanate of Malacca 1400–1511
- Pattani kingdom 1516–1902
- In Burma (Myanmar)
- Mon kingdoms (9th–11th, 13th–16th, 18th centuries)
- Ava (1364–1555)
- Pegu (1287–1539, 1747–1757)
- Mrauk U (1434–1784)
- Taungoo Dynasty (1486–1752, 2nd Empire)
- Konbaung Dynasty (1752–1885, 3rd Empire)
- Shan States (1287–1557)
- Arakan (1287–1784)
- In the Philippines
- Sultanate of Maguindanao 1500–1888
- Sultanate of Sulu 1457–1917
- Kingdom of Maynila 1500s–1571
- Confederation of Madya-as 1200s–1569
- Kingdom of Tondo unknown–1589
- Kingdom of Namayan 13th century–1571
- Kingdom of Taytay, Palawan (Existing centuries earlier than 1521 when it was discovered by Magellan's men. Remained until early 1800s.)
- In Indochina :
- Champa kingdom 192–1832
- North Vietnam 1945–1976
- South Vietnam 1954–1975
Europe
Nordic countries
In the Nordic countries, unions were personal, not unitary
- Finnish Democratic Republic (1939–1940)
- Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic in southern Finland (1918)
- Kingdom of Finland (1742)
- Kingdom of Finland (1918) (1918–1919)
- Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944)
- Kalmar Union (1397–1523, intermittent)
- Denmark–Norway (1524–1814)
- Kingdom of Norway (1814)
- Union between Sweden and Norway (1814–1905)
- Marstrand Free Port (1775–1794)
Modern France
- Kingdom of Brittany (818–913)
- Duchy of Brittany (939–1532)
- Kingdom of France (843–1792) (1814/15–1848)
- French First Republic (1792–1804)
- First French Empire (1804–1814/15)
- French Second Republic (1848–1852)
- Second French Empire (1852–1870)
- French Third Republic (1870–1940)
- Vichy France (1940–1944)
- French Fourth Republic (1946–1958)
- Kingdom of Corsica (1736)
- Corsican Republic (1755–1769)
- Anglo-Corsican Kingdom (1794–1796)
- County of Foix (1010–1607)
- Free States of Menton and Roquebrune (1848–1860)
Modern Germany
- Holy Roman Empire (843–1806)
- Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813)
- German Confederation (1815–1866)
- North German Federation (1867–1871)
- German Empire (1871–1918)
- Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
- Nazi Germany (Third Reich 1933–1945)
- German Democratic Republic (1949–1990) (also called GDR, DDR, East Germany or Eastern Germany), its states acceded to Federal Republic of Germany in 1990
- Alsace-Lorraine (1918)
- Alsace Soviet Republic (1918)
- Anhalt (Duchy 1863–1918)
- Anhalt-Bernburg (Duchy 1803–1863, inherited by the Duke of Anhalt-Dessau)
- Anhalt-Dessau (Duchy 1807–1863)
- Anhalt-Köthen (Duchy 1807–1847, inherited by the Duke of Anhalt-Dessau)
- Baden (Grand Duchy – 1806–1918)
- Free State of Bavaria (Kingdom – 1806–1918)
- Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919)
- Bremen
- Brunswick
- Frankfurt (Free Imperial City of Frankfurt (HRE), before 1806; City of Frankfurt, 1815–1866)
- Hamburg (Free city until today)
- Kingdom of Hanover (1814–1866)
- Hesse-Darmstadt
- Hesse-Homburg
- Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) (Electorate, 1803–1807, 1813–1866)
- Hohenzollern-Hechingen
- Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
- Holstein
- Lippe
- Lübeck (Free city 1226–1937)
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Nassau
- Oldenburg
- Pomerania
- Prussia (1525–1947)
- Duchy of Prussia (1525–1618)
- Brandenburg-Prussia (1618–1701)
- Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918)
- Reuss
- Saxe-Altenburg
- Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
- Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- Saxe-Gotha
- Saxe-Hildburghausen
- Saxe-Lauenburg (or Duchy of Lauenburg)
- Saxe-Meiningen
- Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
- Saxony (Kingdom – 1806–1918)
- Schaumburg-Lippe
- Schleswig
- Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
- Waldeck
- Württemberg (Kingdom – 1806–1918)
Italy
- Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC)
- Roman Empire (27 BC – 395 AD)
- Western Roman Empire (285–476)
- Cisalpine Republic (1797–1802)
- Cispadane Republic (1796–1797)
- Republic of Cospaia (1440–1826)
- Sovereign Principality of Elba (1814–1815)
- Kingdom of Etruria (1801–1807)
- Gozitan Nation (1798–1801)
- Italian Republic (Napoleonic) (1802–1805)
- Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) (1805–1814)
- Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (1815–1866)
- Duchy of Lucca (1815–1847)
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta (1530–1798)
- Duchy of Mantua (1273–1707)
- Duchy of Massa and Carrara (15th to 19th centuries)
- Duchy of Milan (1395–1797)
- Duchy of Modena (1452–1796, 1815–1859)
- Kingdom of Naples (1285–1816)
- Duchy of Parma (1545–1859)
- Papal States (752–1870)
- Roman Republic (19th century) (1849)
- Kingdom of Sardinia (1324–1861)
- Kingdom of Sicily (1130–1816)
- Transpadane Republic (1796–1797)
- Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1569–1801, 1815–1859)
- Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1815–1860)
- Free Territory of Trieste (1947–1954)
- Republic of Venice (697–1797)
- Republic of Genoa (1095–1797)
Modern United Kingdom
- Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800)
- Kingdom of England (927–1707)
- Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800)
- Wessex (519–927)
- Mercia (527–918)
- Kingdom of East Anglia (532–918)
- Kingdom of Northumbria (653–954)
- Kingdom of Scotland (843–1707)
- Commonwealth of England (1649–1653) and (1659–1660)
- The Protectorate (1653–1659)
- Danelaw
- Ulster
- Dal Riata (Ireland and Scotland)
- Pictland
- Gwynedd
Significant territory changes occurred in the overseas possessions of the UK, referred to as the British Empire at times during the period 1497–1997.
Ireland
- Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541)
- Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1801)
- Kingdom of Uí Failghe
- Kingdom of Leinster
- Kingdom of Connacht
- Republic of Connacht (1798)
- Irish Republic (1919–1922) – see also Southern Ireland (1921–1922)
- Irish Free State (1922–1937)
- Kingdom of Ulster
- Dal Riata (Ireland and Scotland)
Low Countries
- Prince-Bishopric of Liège (972–1795) annexed by France in 1795.
- United Belgian States (1789–1790)
- Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (1581–1795) (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden/Provinciën) Independence from Spain after Eighty Years' War in 1581, conquered by France 1795.
- Batavian Republic (1795–1806) (Bataafse Republiek) France's vassal state.
- Kingdom of Holland (1806–1810) (Koninkrijk Holland/Royaume d'Hollande) Ruled by Louis Bonaparte, annexed by France 1810.
Modern Poland
- Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
- Lemko-Rusyn Republic (1918–1920)
- Duchy of Warsaw (1807–1815)
- Free City of Danzig (1807–1815) (1920–1939)
- Galician Soviet Socialist Republic (1920)
- Republic of Kraków (1815–1846)
- Second Polish Republic (1918–1939)
- People's Republic of Poland (1944–1989)
Baltic countries
- Grand Duchy of Lithuania (13th century–1795)
- Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
- Republic of Central Lithuania (1920–1922)
- Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1561–1795)
- Republic of Perloja (1918–1923)
Romania
- Dacia, kingdom 82 BC – 106 AD, province of Roman Empire 106 – 275 AD
- Principality of Moldavia (1346–1859)
- Principality of Wallachia (1330–1859)
- United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859–1881)
- Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)
- People's Republic of Romania (1947–1965)
- Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989)
Russia
- Kievan Rus' (1120–1250)
- Golden Horde (1320–1547)
- Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721)
- Russian Empire (1721–1917)
- Russian Republic (1917)
- Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1917–1991)
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)
- Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991, founding United Nations member)
- Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991, founding United Nations member)
- Soviet Republic of Naissaar on an Estonian Baltic island (1917–1918)
Hungary
- Kingdom of Hungary (1000–1918)
- Hungarian People's Republic (1918–March 1919, August 1919 – 1920)
- Hungarian Soviet Republic (March 1919–August 1919)
- Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)
- Republic of Hungary (1946–1949)
- People's Republic of Hungary (1949–1989)
The Czech Republic and Slovakia
- Samo's Realm (623–658)
- Great Moravia (830–900)
- Kingdom of Bohemia (1198–1918)
- Slovak Soviet Republic (1919)
- First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)
- Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–1939)
- Third Czechoslovak Republic (1945–1948)
- Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1960–1989)
- Czechoslovak Federative Republic (1990–1990)
- Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (1990–1992)
Balkans
Antiquity
- Ancient Macedonia (808–323 BC)
- Antigonid Empire, Seleucid Empire, Ptolemaic Empire (323–30 BC)
Since Middle Ages
- Byzantine Empire (c. 330–1453)
- First Bulgarian Empire (681–1018)
- Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396)
- Principality of Serbia (768–1101)
- Grand Principality of Serbia (1101–1217)
- Republic of Venice (1205–1797)
- Kingdom of Serbia (1217–1346)
- Ottoman Empire (c. 1281–1923)
- Serbian Empire (1346–1371)
- Principality of Zeta (1371–1514)
- Serbian Despotate (1402–1459)
- Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)
- Habsburg Empire, Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary (1527–1918)
- Kingdom of Bosnia (1377–1463)
- Republic of Ragusa (1358–1808)
- Principality of Serbia (1817–1882)
- Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918)
- First French Empire (Illyrian Provinces) (1809–1812)
- Principality of Montenegro (1852–1910)
- Kingdom of Montenegro (1910–1918)
- State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (1918)
- Republic of Prekmurje (1919)
- Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1943)
- Free State of Fiume (1920–1924)
- Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945)
- Free Territory of Trieste (1947–1954)
- Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1943–1992)
- Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2003)
- Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)
- Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)
- Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)
- People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
- Septinsular Republic (1800–1815)
- United States of the Ionian Islands (1815–1864)
- First Hellenic Republic (1828–1832)
- Strandzha commune (1903)
- Kingdom of Greece (1832–1924, 1935–1941, 1944–1974)
- Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935)
- Hellenic State (1941–1944)
- Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)
- People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1991)
Caucasus
- Kingdom of Armenia (570 BC – 428 AD)
- Kingdom of Armenia (885–1045)
- Kingdom of Georgia (1008–1466)
- Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (February 1918 – May 1918)
- Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)
- First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)
- Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (1918–1920)
- Republic of Mountainous Armenia (April 1921 – July 1921)
Iberia
- Kingdom of Navarre (824–1620)
- Kingdom of Galicia (410–1833)
- Crown of Aragon (1162–1716)
- Crown of Castile (1230–1715)
- Emirate of Granada (1238–1492)
- County of Portugal (County of Portucale) (868–1139)
- Kingdom of Portugal (1139–1249)
- Kingdom of the Algarve (Al-Gharb al-Andalus) (…–1249)
- Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves (1249–1910)
- Republic of Galicia (1931)
North America
Name | Location | Origin | Fate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Indigenous peoples of the Americas | The whole of North America (including the Inuit of the Arctic). | Native Americans in the United States and the First Nations of Canada had established varying levels of governmental organization before contact with Europeans. The most advanced civilizations of North America were represented by the indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America. | All the native peoples were eventually incorporated into the United States, Mexico, Canada and Central America, but many retain various levels of self-government and autonomy within those nations. | |
Cahokia | Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and parts of Ohio. | The population of the town at Cahokia exploded circa 1050 AD, indicating the establishment of a large "chiefdom". | The population of Cahokia dispersed in the 14th century, indicating the decline of the Cahokia "chiefdom". | Other political bodies existed in the Mississippian culture; the Mississippian culture article has a list of Known Mississippian Chiefdoms. |
Huron Confederacy | Central Ontario. | Confederacy of five Iroquoian tribes and several smaller groups. Controlled trade in corn and furs in the upper Great Lakes area and sporadically through the Ottawa and St. Lawrence River valleys. | The Hurons were dispersed by the Iroquois in 1649. Many fled to the northern Lake Michigan region and Quebec, while a large group joined the Iroquois. | |
Iroquois Confederacy | Upstate New York and surrounding areas. | Formed before European contact; arguably as early as 31 August 1142, though also likely sometime in the 15th to 17th centuries. | The Treaty of Canandaigua, signed in 1794, established relations between the United States government and the Iroquois; the treaty is still in force, though the Confederacy is no longer effectively an independent nation. | |
Cherokee Nation | Originally in the southeastern United States, primarily Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and parts of Alabama and Tennessee. Parts of The Nation (and its government structures) ended up in present-day Oklahoma. | The original Cherokee Nation was unified from an interrelated society of city-states in the late 18th century. They enjoyed relatively peaceful relations with the Spanish, British, French, and later (with the exception of the Chickamauga factions), to the USA. | The modern Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians are the three federally recognized tribal successors to the original Cherokee Nation, being somewhat autonomous within the United States. | |
Vermont Republic | State of Vermont. | Organized by Moses Robinson, Thomas Chittenden, and others in 1777 from territory claimed by New York and New Hampshire. | Admitted as a state to the United States of America in 1791. They were originally a part of British North America via the newly conquered province of Quebec. | Originally known as Republic of New Connecticut, it had the first written national constitution in North America. |
State of Franklin | Northeastern part of the Washington District, North Carolina (easternmost Tennessee). | Seceded from North Carolina 23 August 1784. | Government was largely abandoned and the area officially re-incorporated into North Carolina in 1789. | Applied for admission to the United States as a separate state. Whether Franklin considered itself independent of the United States is unclear. |
State of Muskogee | Western Florida, near Tallahassee, might have claimed parts of Georgia (U.S. state) and Alabama. | Creek and Seminole Indians under English adventurer William Augustus Bowles declared independence in 1799. | Annexed by Spain in 1803. | |
First Mexican Empire | All of modern-day Mexico, parts of modern-day United States (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas with parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma) and Central America (without Panama). | After independence from the Kingdom of Spain, Mexico decided on a monarchical system of government, backed by Mexican conservatives and some liberals. A European prince was sought, but Spain prohibited any from taking the throne. Agustín I, in the meantime, was proclaimed emperor of Mexico in 1821. | In December 1822, Generals Antonio López de Santa Anna and Guadalupe Victoria wrote and signed the Plan of Casa Mata, an agreement between the two generals, amongst other Mexican generals, governors, and high-ranking governmental officials, to abolish the monarchy and replace it with the United Mexican States, which was done in 1823. | Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, head of the Second Mexican Empire, adopted Agustin's grandsons. Their descendants live in exile. |
Republic of West Florida | Gulf Coast of the United States, parts of present-day Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. | Rebelled and declared independence from Spain on 3 September 1810. | The Republic lasted only 90 days. It was annexed by proclamation of U.S. President James Madison and was helped by the U.S. Army to annex it into the U.S. upon its entry to Baton Rouge on December 10, 1810. | West Florida was split between the Territory of Orleans and the Mobile District. Spain formally relinquished its claim under the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819. |
Republic of Indian Stream | Pittsburg, New Hampshire | Formed 9 July 1832 in territory claimed by both the United States and the United Kingdom, where the treaty description of the border was unclear. | Voted to annex to the United States in 1835, Britain relinquished claim in January 1836, and U.S. jurisdiction was acknowledged around May 1836. The Webster–Ashburton Treaty in 1842 settled several U.S.-British border disputes dating from 1783, including the division of the former area of Indian Stream. | |
Republic of Texas | Texas and some surrounding territory. | Seceded from Mexico in 1836. | Voluntarily annexed to the United States and admitted as a state in 1845. | Annexation to the U.S. triggered the Mexican–American War the next year 1846. |
California Republic | California, though based in Northern California. | American settlers declared independence from Mexico in June 1846. | Skirmish controlled by U.S. Navy in July 1846 after the United States' occupation of present-day California. | The area of influence was confined to Sonoma, California, 30 miles north of San Francisco; it did not cover the large area that became the present-day state of California in 1850. |
Alta California | Southern California, centered in San Jose and Santa Barbara. | After U.S. occupation of Los Angeles in 1846, the Californios revolted and defeated an American force on 30 September 1846, and organized a government and an army. | Signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo accepting American sovereignty over California on 2 February 1848. | By November 1846, the Californios had gained back control of all the territory south of San Francisco, leaving America in control of just San Diego and Monterey.[1] |
Confederate States of America | Southeastern United States of America, from Texas to Virginia. Political factions in the "border states" of Kentucky and Missouri declared themselves parts of the Confederacy and controlled small portions of those states early in the war. The major Indian tribes in Oklahoma signed an alliance with the Confederacy, and participated in its military efforts. | Declared secession from the United States of America in 1861. | Reintegrated into the United States of America in 1865. Reconstruction ended in 1876, U.S. troops withdrew as an occupation force in 1877. | South Carolina was the first state to declare secession, on December 20, 1860. |
Second Mexican Empire | Modern day Mexico | Mexico's second monarchy was formed when Napoleon III set Maximilian I, of the House of Habsburg, on the throne of Mexico in 1864. His consort was Carlota of Mexico, a Belgian princess. France occupied Mexico, starting in 1861. Many Mexicans, including the nobility, backed his government. | Maximiliano's rule was blemished by constant conflict. Liberals found backing from United States after the Civil War in 1865, and the French withdrew in 1867, leaving Maximilian and his supporters on their own. Maximilian was captured and, on orders of Benito Juárez, executed in the Cerro de las Campanas near Querétaro. | |
Republic of Manitoba | Manitoba | Founded in June 1867 by Thomas Spence at the town of Portage la Prairie in Rupert's Land or the "Northwest Territories". | By late spring 1868, the Republic had been informed by the Colonial Office in London that its government had no power. The Province of Manitoba was organized within Canada on 12 May 1870, and promised the Metis people of Manitoba an autonomous government. | |
The Great Republic of Rough and Ready | Northern California | Hoping to avoid paying a recently introduced tax on new mining claims, in April 1850 residents of the town of Rough and Ready drew up articles of secession, forming the "Great Republic of Rough and Ready." | The new country lasted only three months, until an Independence Day change of heart convinced the miners to vote themselves back into the union. | |
Dominion of Newfoundland | Newfoundland and Labrador. | A former Crown Colony which had rejected confederation with Canada in 1869, the Dominion of Newfoundland was established on 26 September 1907. | Newfoundland entered into confederation with Canada on 31 March 1949, becoming a province. | In 1934, Newfoundland voluntarily gave up self-government and reverted to direct control from London. |
Olmec nation | In and around Veracruz and Tabasco. | Arose approximately 1200 BC. | Decline through approximately 400 BC. | First people to use zero. |
Toltec kingdom/empire | Central Mexico. | sometime after 750. | Destroyed by Chichimeca ("barbarian") invasions around 12th century AD. | |
Aztec Empire | Central Mexico, might extended northward to present-day U.S. by the Mexican border, and southward towards Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras). | 1325, founded Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City). | 1521, conquered by Hernán Cortés. When he and his crew first arrived in 1519, it was thought to be the world's largest city. | |
Tlaxcala nation | Tlaxcala, Mexico, north of Mexico City. | unknown (present in 1521). | Absorbed by Spanish conquest into New Spain. | Never conquered by Aztec Empire, assisted Hernán Cortés in his campaign against the Aztecs in 1520. |
Zapotec kingdom | Oaxaca and surrounding areas of southern Mexico. | unknown (present in 1521). | Submitted to Spain in 1551 after previous resistance against the Spaniards. | |
Maya civilization | Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize. | Political structures formed by about 250 AD. | Last Mayan kingdom conquered on 13 March 1697 by the Spaniards, and later the British in Belize. | Mayan political structures tended to center around the person of the king; even when one king conquered another, the result was usually a tributary arrangement, and the identity of the conquered kingdom persisted. |
Northern America | Viceroyalty of New Spain and Captaincy General of Guatemala | Withdrew from Spain on November 6, 1813. | It became the Mexican Empire. | The United Provinces of Central America seceded from Mexico one year later (1814). |
Republic of the Rio Grande | Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas, and the U.S. state of Texas along the Rio Grande. | Withdrew from Mexico on 17 January 1840. | General Canales, commander of the forces of the Republic of the Rio Grande, accepted a command in the Mexican Army on 6 November 1840. | The Republic of the Rio Grande claimed territory north to the Nueces River and the upper Medina River, territory also claimed by the Republic of Texas by 1845. |
Republic of Yucatán | Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (The modern states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo) were later separated from the state of Yucatán. | Declared independence 1840, due to dislike of centralization of Mexican government. | Resolved differences with central government and rejoined partially to Mexico in December 1843 with self-government. Rejoined Mexico to obtain assistance against Mayans in the Caste War of Yucatán, treaty signed 17 August 1848. | Republic of Yucatán declared neutrality in Mexican–American War 1846–48. |
United Provinces of Central America | Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica with a southern portion of Chiapas, Mexico. | Formed in aftermath of independence from Spain in 1823. | Confederation dissolved civil war in 1840. | Attempts were made to reunite in 1842–44, 1852, the 1880s, 1896–98 and 1921–22. |
Chan Santa Cruz | Quintana Roo Territory. | Formed during the Caste War of Yucatán, named about 1850. | The eponymous capital was conquered by Mexico on 5 May 1901, though low-level fighting persisted for another 10 years. | Withdrawal of British recognition and end of trade with Belize in 1893 led to eventual reconquest by Mexico. |
Republic of Sonora | Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora | Declared an independent state by filibuster William Walker January 10, 1854. | Disestablished May 8, 1854. | After he was captured William Walker was put on trial in California and acquitted by the jury. |
Oceania
- Tuʻi Tonga Empire (c. 450–1865)
- Kingdom of Bora Bora (till 1888 or 1895)
- Kingdom of Raiatea (till 1888, French protectorate since 1880)
- Kingdom of Huahine (till 1895, French protectorate since 1888)
- Kingdom of Tahiti (1788/91–1880, French protectorate since 1842)
- Kingdom of Rurutu (till 1900, French protectorate since 1888)
- Kingdom of Rimatara (till 1901, French protectorate since 1888)
- Kingdom of Tahuata (till 1880, French protectorate since 1842)
- Kingdom of Rapa Iti (till 1881, kingship continued to 1887)
- Kingdom of Mangareva (till 1881, French protectorate since 1844/1871)
- Taiohae Kingdom of Nuku Hiva (till 1901, sovereignty ceded to France in 1842)
- British Solomon Islands (1893–1978)
- Kingdom of Fiji (1871–1874)
- Colonial Fiji (1874–1970)
- Dominion of Fiji (1970–1987)
- Kingdom of Hawaii (1795–1893)
- Provisional Government of Hawaii (1893–1894)
- Republic of Hawaii (1894–1898)
- Patu-iki or Kingdom of Niue (c. 1700–1900)
- Kingdom of Rarotonga (1858–1893)
- Cook Islands Federation (1893–1901)
- Saudeleur Dynasty (ca. 1100 – ca. 1628)
- Kingdom of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) (till 1888)
- New Hebrides (1906–1980)
- Kingdom of Nauru (till 1888)
- German New Guinea – German protectorate from 1884 until conquered by Australia in 1914; now part of Papua New Guinea.
- German Samoa – German protectorate from 1900 until conquered by New Zealand in 1914. Became independent as Western Samoa in 1961; renamed Samoa in 1997.
- Gilbert and Ellice Islands – British protectorate, later colony, dissolved 1976. Gilbert Islands became independent as Kiribatiin 1979 and Ellice Islands became independent as Tuvalu in 1978.
- Netherlands East Indies – A collection of Dutch colonies, officially since the end of the Napoleonic Wars, up to 1799 controlled by the Dutch East India Company but occupied and administered by the British in an interregnum during the Napoleonic Wars under the authority of the Kew Letters. Became independent as Indonesia in 1945.
- Netherlands New Guinea – adjacent to the Netherlands East Indies until 1949, became part of Indonesia in 1963 as Irian Jaya.
- New Hebrides – An Anglo-French condominium until 1980. Became independent as Vanuatu.
- North Borneo – British colony, became part of Malaysia in 1963.
- Territory of Papua – British colony from 1884 until 1949, when it merged with the former German New Guinea to form Territory of Papua and New Guinea, which became independent as Papua New Guinea in 1975.
- Portuguese Timor – The eastern half of the island of Timor was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when independence was declared as East Timor. Indonesian troops seized the country in that same year, but it finally became independent in 2002. It is now called Timor-Leste.
- Kingdom of Sarawak – Independent 1842, became a British protectorate 1888–1946.
- The Straits Settlements – British colony until 1946. Singapore separated out, the rest united with the Federated Malay States and the five Unfederated Malay States to form Malayan Union.
- Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (also known as United States Pacific Trust Territory) – Joint dependency of the USA and United Nations from 1947 until 1986. Now divided into Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, and the US dependency of the Northern Marianas.
- The British colonies of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania all united to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
South America
Name | Location | Origin | Fate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republic of Acre | present-day state of Acre, Brazil. | Created 1899 declaring independence from Bolivia. | Annexed by Brazil in the Treaty of Petrópolis. | Three attempts at independence in 1899, 1900, and 1903. |
Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia | present-day Eastern Patagonia in Argentina, and the Araucanía in Chile. | Created 1860 by the French lawyer Orelie-Antoine de Tounens who was appointed king by indigenous Mapuches. | It never controlled its vast territory and was an unrecognized state. Lost the only portion of land under its control, Perquenco, in 1862 to Chile. | The micronation was allied with Napoleon III of France. |
Kingdom of Chimor | Indigenous people of northern Peru and Ecuador. | unknown (present in 1531). | Incorporated into the Inca Empire in the 1470s. | Chimors or the Chim migrated from Colombia over 1,000 years ago. |
Gran Colombia | present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama. | Created 1819 during wars for independence from Spain. | Broke apart in 1830, formally dissolved in 1831. Successor states were Colombia, which included present-day Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. | Its official name was República de Colombia: there never was a state called "Greater Colombia" or "Gran Colombia"; this is an addition by later historians in order to distinguish it from the present-day Republic of Colombia. Although the literal translation is "Great Colombia", historians have traditionally chosen to translate it as "Greater Colombia". |
Inca Empire | large parts of modern Ecuador, Peru, western and south central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and north-central Chile, and southern Colombia. | around 1197 | Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. | Its capital was in Cuzco, Peru. |
Peru-Bolivian Confederation | Approximately present-day Peru and Bolivia, plus some of northern Chile and other territories. | Created 1836 through union of Republic of North Peru, Republic of South Peru, and Bolivia. | Dissolved as a result of the War of the Confederation, 1839. | Another conflict, the War of the Pacific followed in the 1870s. The Chileans defeated the Bolivians and Peruvians. Chile annexed the Arica and Tacna provinces in 1881, but returned Tacna to Peru in 1928. |
Modern states and territories by type
Former colonies, possessions, protectorates and territories
These were all colonies, League of Nations mandates, or United Nations trust territories, most of which were renamed after their independence.
Africa
- Afars and Issas – French territory between 1967 and 1977, called French Somaliland before that. Became independent as Djibouti.
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan – Condominium ruled jointly by the United Kingdom and Egypt. Became independent as Sudan in 1956 (and South Sudan from Sudan in 2011).
- Basutoland – Since 1868 a British protectorate, later colony (governed from South Africa). Became independent as Lesotho in 1966.
- Bechuanaland – Since 1884 a British protectorate, later colony (governed from South Africa). Became independent as Botswana in 1966.
- Belgian Congo – Belgian colony from 1908 until 1960, when the it became independent as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- British East Africa – British territory. Became Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Had own currency (British East African Shilling). Territory broke into new countries in 1960.
- Congo Free State – Name of the state owned from 1884 by King Léopold II of Belgium, later mostly annexed by his country in 1908, when it became known as Belgian Congo.
- Dahomey – This African kingdom was acquired by France. In 1904, it was made part of the French West African federation. It became independent in 1960, changing its name in 1975 to Benin.
- Dutch Gold Coast – A colony of the Netherlands from 1598 to 1872, when it was ceded to the United Kingdom.
- French Equatorial Africa – A French federation of colonies, formed in 1910, containing the colonies of Gabon, Middle Congo, Chad and Ubangi-Shari. Each of these states became independent in 1960 (Ubangi-Shari as the Central African Republic).
- French Somaliland – became Afars and Issas then independent Djibouti in 1977, disputed by Somalia.
- French Sudan – A French colony, part of the French West African federation since 1904. In 1959 it formed the independent Mali Federation together with Senegal, which fell apart in 1960, after which the country was renamed Mali.
- French West Africa – dissolved into Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Niger, Guinea, Dahomey, Mauritania.
- German East Africa – became Tanganyika, now part of Tanzania, went to British rule during World War I (1914–18); and Ruanda-Urundi (see below)
- German South-West Africa – A German colony from 1884 to 1915, after which it became South African held territory until 1990, when the country became independent as Namibia by 1990.
- Gold Coast – A British colony since 1874, it became independent as Ghana in 1957.
- Italian East Africa – Italian colonies of Eritrea and Italian Somaliland together with occupied Ethiopia. Italy invaded and occupied Ethiopia from 1936 to 1944.
- Italian North Africa – became Libya in 1951, occupied by British and French troops after Italy's defeat in World War II.
- Middle Congo – A French colony, previously named French Congo, became independent as the Republic of the Congo in 1960.
- Northern Rhodesia – became Zambia in 1964.
- Nyasaland – British protectorate, previously called British Central Africa, it was renamed Nyasaland in 1907. It became part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953, and became independent as Malawi in 1964.
- Orange River Sovereignty – became the Orange Free State in 1854.
- Oubangui-Chari, also spelled Ubangi-Shari – part of French Equatorial Africa (above), became Central African Republic in 1960.
- Rio Muni – Former Spanish colony, then part of territory of Spanish Guinea until 1968. Became independent as Equatorial Guinea.
- Portuguese Congo – became Cabinda Province.
- Portuguese East Africa – became Mozambique in 1975.
- Portuguese Guinea – became Guinea-Bissau in 1974.
- Portuguese West Africa – became Angola in 1975.
- Rhodesia – name for Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) while unilaterally claiming independence, 1965–1979.
- Ruanda-Urundi – UN Trusteeship (Belgian) until 1962. Became independent as Burundi and Rwanda.
- South-West Africa – In 1915, South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa, which it held under mandate until 1922, after which they remained ruling the territory until its independence in 1990 as Namibia (since 1994 also including Walvisbaai).
- Southern Rhodesia – British colony, unilaterally declared itself independent as Rhodesia in 1965, renamed Zimbabwe Rhodesia 1979, then gained international recognition as Zimbabwe 1980.
- Spanish Guinea – became Equatorial Guinea. Consisted of two former colonies of Rio Muni and Fernando Po.
- Spanish Sahara – now generally known as Western Sahara, but claimed by and divided between Morocco and Mauritania in 1976, later entirely by Morocco. The issues of sovereignty and international recognition have yet to be resolved.
- Tanganyika – British territory until 1961. From then independent until 1964, when it became part of Tanzania.
- Tripolitania – Italian colony, 1927–1934, absorbed by Italian Libya
- Liberia – American colony, 1822–1847, regulated by the American Colonization Society for former slaves.
Asia
- British India – became India and Pakistan in 1947 (and Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971).
- French India (including Mahé, Pondichéry, Karikal and Yanaon) – became part of India in 1950.
- French Indochina – French territory until 1949–1954. Became independent as Cambodia, Laos and Việt Nam, while the exclave of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan became part of China in 1946.
- Gwadar – colony of Muscat and Oman, became part of Pakistan in 1958.
- Hong Kong – colony of the United Kingdom, sovereignty transferred to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997, as a "Special Administrative Region".
- Indian princely states: over 550 principalities which were protectorates of the British crown were merged with the successor states of British India in the years after independence in 1947.
- Macao – colony of Portugal, sovereignty transferred to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999, as a "Special Administrative Region".
- Portuguese India (including Goa, Daman and Diu) – became part of India in 1961.
- Shamian Island – jointly owned by Britain and France, transferred to China in 1946.
- Protectorate of South Arabia – Federation until 1967, consisting of British colony of Aden and numerous protectorates. Became independent as People's Republic of Yemen (from 1970 People's Democratic Republic of Yemen) known as 'South Yemen'.
Europe
- Dodecanese – Italian colony taken from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, transferred to Greece in 1947.
- Heligoland – British colony taken from Denmark in 1807, given to Germany in 1890 in exchange for Zanzibar.
- United States of the Ionian Islands – British protected state, which had been ruled by Napoleonic France from 1797 until 1815, given to Greece in 1864.
- Malta – British protectorate, later a colony from 1800 to 1964.
- Minorca – British colony returned to Spain in 1810. Nearby Majorca and the Balearic Isles was occupied by Napoleonic France from 1801 to 1815, also returned to Spain.
North America
- British America – British interests in North America (now generally parts of the United States and Canada) until 1783 when Britain accepted the United States as independent. The Maritime Provinces of Canada are the descending colonies of what was then the British Colonies of America.
- British Honduras – became Belize in 1981, disputed by Guatemala.
- British Leeward Islands – British colony between 1833 and 1958. Joined West Indies Federation in 1958. Now divided into the countries of Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis, and the dependencies of Anguilla, Montserrat and British Virgin Islands.
- British North America – Some British interests in North America after the territory of the 13 former colonies became recognized as a new independent country, the USA, in 1783 (note: the colonies in question were, at the time of independence, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia; the land of the nominally newly independent territory included a number of Native American nations; also, entities that were already no longer colonies before independence included East Jersey, West Jersey, New Netherland, New Sweden, and Plymouth Colony.)
- British Windward Islands – British colony between 1833 and 1958. Joined West Indies Federation in 1958. Now divided into Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Danish West Indies – Danish colony, sold in 1917 to the United States. Now known as the United States Virgin Islands.
- Mosquito Coast – British colony 1834–1894, when it became part of Nicaragua.
- New France was conquered by the United Kingdom; various parts of it later became part of Canada and the United States.
- New Netherland – A Dutch colony in the present-day United States, mainly in and around the state of New York. It was conquered by England in 1664.
- Panama Canal Zone – US administered until 1979. Became part of Panama.
- The British colonies of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Upper Canada and Lower Canada (later, the Province of Canada), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, plus the territory of Rupert's Land, spent much time reorganizing themselves into various patterns; they all eventually became part of Canada.
Oceania
- German New Guinea – protectorate from 1884 until conquered by Australia in 1914, now part of Papua New Guinea.
- German Samoa – protectorate from 1900 until conquered by New Zealand in 1914, became independent as Western Samoa in 1961, renamed Samoa in 1997.
- Gilbert and Ellice Islands – British protectorate, later colony, dissolved 1976. Gilbert Islands became independent as Kiribati in 1979 and Ellice Islands became independent as Tuvalu in 1978.
- Netherlands East Indies – A collection of Dutch colonies, officially since the end of the Napoleonic Wars, up to 1799 controlled by the Dutch East India Company but occupied and administered by the British in an interregnum during the Napoleonic Wars under the authority of the Kew Letters. Became independent as Indonesia in 1945.
- Netherlands New Guinea – adjacent to the Netherlands East Indies until 1949, became part of Indonesia in 1963 as Irian Jaya.
- New Hebrides – An Anglo-French condominium until 1980. Became independent as Vanuatu.
- North Borneo – British colony, became part of Malaysia in 1963.
- Okinawa – administered by the United States from 1945 to 1972, when the island chain (Ryukyu Islands) was returned to Japan.
- Territory of Papua – British colony from 1884 until 1949, when it merged with the former German New Guinea to form Territory of Papua and New Guinea, which became independent as Papua New Guinea in 1975.
- Portuguese Timor – The eastern side of the island of Timor was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when independence was declared as East Timor. Indonesian troops seized the country, but the country was finally declared independent in 2002.
- Kingdom of Sarawak – Independent 1842, became a British protectorate 1888–1946.
- The Straits Settlements – British colony until 1946. Singapore separated out, the rest united with the Federated Malay States and the five Unfederated Malay States to form Malayan Union.
- Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (also known as United States Pacific Trust Territory) – Joint dependency of the USA and United Nations from 1947 until 1986. Now divided into Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, and the US dependency of the Northern Marianas.
- The British colonies of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania all united to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
South America
- British Guiana – became Guyana in 1966, disputed by Venezuela.
- New Granada – A Spanish colony made up by present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela (which then included Trinidad and western Guyana). It was established in 1717 and dissolved in 1810 when Venezuela declared its independence.
- Surinam – A Dutch colony that became Suriname in 1975.
Dismembered countries
These states are now dissolved into a number of states, none of which retain the old name.
- Austria-Hungary – This double monarchy was formed in 1867 from the Habsburg empire, having an Austrian and a Hungarian part. In 1918, the empire was split into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia (itself later dismembered), Poland and Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; itself later dismembered). Also the Lemko-Rusyn Republic, ceded to Poland.
- British India was partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan in 1947, while at the same time the larger British Indian Empire was dissolved, creating for a time some new independent states, notably Hyderabad. The secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971 brought another new country into existence.
- Federal Republic of Central America also incorrectly known in English as United States of Central America – independent 1823; fell apart into separate states in civil war 1838–1840.
- Czechoslovakia – State created from parts of Austria-Hungary, which dissolved after World War I. During 1939 – 1945 was dismembered into Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Slovak State. In 1993 the country voluntarily split into two parts, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
- Gran Colombia – Simón Bolívar forged this state from parts of the Spanish Empire. It split into Venezuela, New Granada and Ecuador. In 1863 New Granada changed its name to Colombia, and Panama gained its independence from it in 1903.
- Mali Federation – In 1959 formed by Senegal and French Sudan, both parts of French West Africa, as an independent nation. It fell apart in 1960 into Senegal and Mali.
- Peru-Bolivian Confederacy – A union formed in 1836 by Peru and Bolivia and which lasted until 1839.
- Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (or The Commonwealth of the Two Nations) partitioned in 1772, 1793 and 1795 in three rounds among Russia, Prussia and Austria. These lands are further distributed today among Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
- Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also known as Central African Federation) – This was a union of Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia into a British self-governing dominion, founded in 1953. It fell apart in 1964 with the independence of Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
- Senegambia – Loose confederation between African countries of Senegal and the Gambia that existed from 1982 to 1989.
- Serbia and Montenegro – Loose state union of the two remaining republics of the former Yugoslavia that was founded in 2003. Both countries became independent following the May 2006 referendum which decided in favor of the secession of Montenegro.
- Soviet Union, more formally known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (or USSR). Formed in 1922. Dissolved 1991–1992 into its constituent republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
- United Arab Republic – A union formed by Egypt and Syria in 1958, later to include North Yemen in 1960. It was dissolved in 1961, though Egypt used the name until 1971. Other Pan-Arab unity agreements with Iraq and Jordan of the 1950s failed.
- United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830) (Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden/Royaume-Uni des Pays-Bas) created during the Congress of Vienna in 1815, dissolved to Belgium (revolted 1830), Luxembourg (left 1835, but the personal union with the King as Grand Duke lasted until 1890) and Netherlands.
- United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (1815–1822) (Reino Unido de Portugal, Brasil e Algarves/Royaume-Uni de Portugal, Brésil et des Algarves) created in 1815 when Brazil was upgraded to the rank of kingdom, once the Portuguese royal family was living in Rio de Janeiro since 1809. This country was dissolved in 1822 when Brazil became independent.
- West Indies Federation – Federal state created by the United Kingdom in 1958 which encompassed most of its possessions in the Caribbean. The federation collapsed after Jamaica voted to separate.
- Tu'i Tonga – Lost states such as Samoa, Fiji, and other parts of Polynesia to foreign powers (Britain, France, Germany and the United States) by 1900.
- Yugoslavia – State created from parts of Austria-Hungary and Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro in 1918. Re-created after World War II and dissolved in 1991.[2] (Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in June 1991, Macedonia in September 1991, Bosnia and Herzegovina in April 1992. In 1992 Serbia and Montenegro founded a new country, FR Yugoslavia, that was later, in 2003, renamed into Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia and Montenegro itself was dismembered into its constituent republics of Serbia and Montenegro in June, 2006.
Nominally independent homelands of South Africa
Four of the homelands, or bantustans, for black South Africans, were granted nominal independence from South Africa. Not recognised by other nations, these puppet states were re-incorporated in 1994.
- Bophuthatswana – Declared independent in 1977, reincorporated in 1994.
- Ciskei – Declared independent in 1981, reincorporated in 1994.
- Transkei – Declared independent in 1976, reincorporated in 1994.
- Venda – Declared independent in 1979, reincorporated in 1994.
Secessionist states
These nations declared themselves independent, but failed to achieve it in fact or did not seek permanent independence and were either re-incorporated into the mother country or incorporated into another country.
- Republic of Acre – Declared independence from Bolivia in 1899. Annexed by Brazil in 1903.
- Bavarian Soviet Republic – Proclaimed independent in April 1919, reincorporated into Germany four weeks later.
- Biafra – Declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. Defeated and reincorporated in 1970.
- California – declared independence from Mexico in June 1846, claimed by U.S. Navy for United States in July 1846.
- California – Mexico's commander in California, Pío Pico, abandoned the Californios, Mexicans living in California, who organized an army to defend themselves from the United States. The Californios defeated an American force in Los Angeles on September 30, 1846, and signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo accepting American sovereignty over California on February 2, 1848.
- Carpatho-Ukraine – declared independence from Czechoslovakia in 1939, but was annexed by Hungary within a few days.
- Cartagena Canton – the haven city of Cartagena, Spain seceded from the First Spanish Republic in 1873.
- Catalan Republic (April 14–April 17, 1931).
- Chechnya – Virtually independent from Russia from 1996 as Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, however the country was recognized only by Taliban. After terrorist attacks in 1999 the republic was returned to Russia's control in the Second Chechen War.
- Confederate States of America – Declared its independence from the United States in 1861, reincorporated, 1861–1865.
- Corsican Republic – Seceded from Genoa in 1755, annexed by France in 1769.
- Anglo-Corsican Kingdom (1794–1796)
- Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945)
- Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, declared independence from Ukraine in 1992 but soon settled for being an autonomous republic within Ukraine.
- Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia – Separated from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, reincorporated into the country in 1994.
- Cruzob, achieved independence from Mexico in 1856, but was reannexed in 1901.
- Ezo – declared independence from Japan in 1868 after the defeat of the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War until it was reincorporated into Japan in 1869
- Republic of Formosa – Lasted from May to October 1895 after the island was ceded by China to Japan and the local gentry and officials declared a tributary republic in a failed attempt to avert Japanese annexation.
- Green Ukraine – Declared independence from Far Eastern Republic in 1920, dissolved in 1922.
- Italian Social Republic (1943–1945)
- Katanga – Declared its independence of the newly formed Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960, was incorporated again into the country in 1963.
- Manitoba – short-lived republic led by Thomas Spence, declared after the Hudson's Bay Company gave up Rupert's Land and before the government of Canada took control (1867).
- Red River Rebellion – provisional government in Rupert's Land, led by Louis Riel in (1869–1870).
- Rif Republic 1921–1926
- Republic of the Rio Grande ('Republic of Texas') declared independence in 1840, brought back into Mexico by force less than a year later, encompassed the land of the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and parts of the United States state of Texas.
- Republic of Serbian Krajina – declared independence from Croatia in 1991, reincorporated into the country in 1995.
- South Kasai – declared independence from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in June 1960, reincorporated into the country in December 1961.
- Slovak Soviet Republic – Proclaimed independent in July 1919, incorporated into Czechoslovakia three weeks later.
- Republika Srpska – Separated from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, reincorporated into the country in 1995.
- Republic of Texas – Gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. Annexed by the United States in 1845.
- Principality of Trinidad – Declared independence in 1893, claimed by United Kingdom in 1895, but incorporated by Brazil.
- Republic of Prekmurje (1919)
- Ukrainian People's Republic – declared independence after the Russian Revolution of 1917, but fell to the Soviet Union in 1920.
Annexed countries
These nations, once separate, are now part of another country. Cases of voluntary accession are included.
- Republic of Alsace-Lorraine – Formed after the collapse of the German Empire at the end of World War I, 11 days later it was occupied by and incorporated in France.
- British Somaliland – became part of Somalia, but has since asserted its independence as the Somaliland republic.
- Regency of Carnaro in 1919 and Free State of Fiume 1920–1924, two short-lived states in the port city of Fiume/Rijeka proclaimed by Gabriele D'Annunzio. Following World War I, the city was disputed between Italy and Yugoslavia, and eventually captured by Italy in 1921. The city passed to Yugoslavia after World War II and is now in Croatia.
- Chan Santa Cruz Maya state in eastern Yucatán Peninsula, recognized as independent nation by British Empire in the 1850s; now part of Mexico.
- Cospaia – A tiny republic which lasted for centuries before being divided between Tuscany and the Papal States in 1826.
- Couto Mixto – A tiny 10th century border territory that was split between Spain and Portugal in 1864–8.
- Crete – autonomous under Ottoman suzerainty in 1898, unilaterally declared union with Greece in 1908, which was recognized in 1913.
- Eastern Rumelia – province of the Ottoman Empire unified with Bulgaria in 1885
- Germany was enlarged twice since the 1950s, growing from 10 to 16 federal states:
- the Saarland, a French protectorate, joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957
- the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1990 joined the Federal Republic of Germany (until then known as West Germany), but not as a whole, divided in five newly recreated states (Bundesländer).
- Far Eastern Republic – puppet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, 1920–1922
- Franceville – Independent in 1889, later governed by France and Britain as part of the New Hebrides; now part of Vanuatu.
- Republic of Hatay – Part of the Mandate of Syria that became part of Turkey; independent 1938–1939
- The Kingdom of Hawaii was unified in 1810 under Kamehameha I, and was recognized by the United States as an independent nation from 1826 until January 17, 1893. Following the overthrow of the monarchy it existed as the independent Republic of Hawaii until annexation by the United States in 1898. Became the territory, and then the state, of Hawaii.
- Indian Princely States
- Republic of Indian Stream – 1832–1835, now part of U.S.
- Italian Somaliland – Became part of Somalia.
- Kalat – 1666 to 1955, became part of Pakistan.
- Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic – annexed by Russia, upon the collapse of the Soviet Union became the autonomous Republic of Karelia. Never independent.
- Manchukuo – Japanese puppet state in Manchuria from 1931 until 1945. Reincorporated into China in 1945.
- Free States of Menton and Roquebrune – Seceded from Monaco in 1848, under nominal protection of the Kingdom of Sardinia, then annexed by France in 1861.
- Moldavia – Now divided among Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.
- Moresnet – 1816–1920, A tiny European territory that endured for a hundred years before definitively becoming part of Belgium.
- Natalia Republic – 1839–1843, was quickly made into a British colony
- Newfoundland – Existed as an autonomous colony of the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1907, then a sovereign dominion until 1934 when it reverted to a crown colony. It joined in Confederation with Canada in 1949.
- Orange Free State – This country was independent from 1854 to 1900, when it was incorporated into South Africa. It was one of two Boer republics, along with the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic).
- Islands of Refreshment – The islands of Tristan da Cunha were settled in 1810 and declared independence in 1811. Annexed by the United Kingdom in 1815.
- Ryukyu Kingdom – established in 1429, recognized by China as of 1372 as Chūzan; conquered by Japan's Satsuma Domain in 1609; formally annexed in 1879, following the Meiji Restoration.
- Kingdom of Sikkim merged with India in 1975.
- State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs – created in 1918 and joined Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after existing for just one month.
- South Yemen (People's Democratic Republic of Yemen) and North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic) in 1990 united to form Yemen
- Islamic Republic of Tatarstan – 1992 until annexed by the Russian Federation in 1994.
- Republic of Texas – Annexed by United States in 1846.
- Tibet – A unified Tibetan empire was created in the 8th century. Mongol conquests in the 13th century made Tibet part of a Mongol-ruled Chinese empire, and four centuries later the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty formed a patron-priest relationship with Tibet's spiritual rulers.[3] In 1914, China refused to ratify a treaty which would have granted China suzerainty over "Inner Tibet" and "Outer Tibet," establishing direct rule over the former and leaving the latter autonomous.[4] In 1950, a Chinese army invaded Tibet. The region remains under Chinese control.
- Transvaal Republic (South African Republic) – Independent country before becoming part of the British Empire during the Second Boer War in 1902 and is currently part of South Africa. It was one of two Boer republics, the other was the Orange Free State.
- Transylvania – Semi-independent before becoming part of Austria-Hungary. Became part of Romania after World War I.
- Tuva
- Urjanchai Republic 1911–1914, annexed by Russia
- Tuvan People's Republic (Tannu Tuva), 1921–1944, annexed by Soviet Union, founding member of Russian Federation in 1992
- Vermont Republic – Republic of Vermont existed from 1777 until 1791, when Vermont became the 14th state of the United States.
- Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) – conquered by the North Vietnam in 1975, which then ruled the South through the Vietcong, or Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. North and South were merged in 1976 to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
- Wallachia – United with Moldavia to form Romania in 1859.
- Republic of West Florida (1810)
- Republic of Yucatán 1823, 1841–1848; became part of Mexico
- Zanzibar – Zanzibar merged in 1964 with Tanganyika to become Tanzania. Zanzibar was not annexed, but joined through a free referendum.
See also
- List of Bronze Age states (c.3300–1200 BC)
- List of Iron Age states (c.1200–600 BC)
- List of Classical Age states (c.600 BC–200 AD)
- List of states during Late Antiquity (c.200–700)
- List of states during the Middle Ages (c.700–1500)
- List of countries
- List of former national capitals
- List of historic states of Italy
- List of historic states of Russia
- List of historic states of Germany
- Former countries in Europe after 1815
- List of largest empires
- List of micronations
- Timeline of sovereign states in Europe
Notes
- ↑ Californios
- ↑ The Opinions of the Badinter Arbitration Committee: A Second Breath for the Self-Determination of Peoples
- ↑ http://www.fpif.org/pdf/vol5/09iftibet.pdf
- ↑ The Simla Convention (1914) and its appendix identified Tibet as "under the suzerainty of China.....[forming] part of Chinese territory;" China refused to ratify however and instead Britain and Tibet alone signed and ratified three treaties recognizing Tibet's autonomy but not China's claims [Article 2, Note 2].
References
- Harding, Les. Dead Countries of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Aden to Zululand. Scarecrow Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8108-3445-6