Government-in-exile

A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their native country and regain power. They are distinguished from rump states in the sense that a rump state still controls at least part of its previous territory, whereas a government in exile has lost all its territory.

Governments in exile frequently occur during wartime occupation. For example, during the German expansion of the Second World War, numerous European governments and monarchs were forced to seek refuge in the United Kingdom rather than face destruction at the hands of Nazi Germany.

Current governments in exile

Governments in exile often have little or no recognition from other powers. Governments in exile currently include:

Deposed governments of current states

The list below includes governments in exile that have been created by deposed governments/rulers who claim to still be the legitimate authority of a territory they once controlled (or were elected as the legitimate government of).

Name	Exile since	Country controlling its claimed territory	Information	References
Belarusian National Republic	1920	Republic of Belarus	It is currently led by Ivonka Survilla in Toronto, Canada in a council of 14 called the Rada. See History of Belarus
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma	1990	Union of Myanmar	Currently led by Sein Win. It is composed of members of parliament elected in 1990 but not allowed by the military to take office. It is based in Rockville, Maryland, U.S.A.
Crown Council of Ethiopia	1993	Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia	The Crown Council of Ethiopia, led by H.I.H Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie and based in the Washington D.C. area, claims that the Emperor is still the legal head of Ethiopia.
Monarchy of Iran	1979	Islamic Republic of Iran	The Monarchy of Iran, led by Reza Pahlavi and currently living in Potomac, Maryland, U.S.A.
Monarchy of Lao	1975	Lao People's Democratic Republic	The Royal Lao Government in Exile, based in Paris, France
Republic of China	1949	People's Republic of China	The Republic of China government, retreated to Taiwan, a Japanese territory occupied by Allied Powers, in 1949 after being defeated by People's Republic of China and currently administering Taiwan per San Francisco Peace Treaty Article 21. The ROC government claims Taiwan to be a part of its territorial sovereignty.

Alternative governments of current states

The list below consists of governments that have been created in exile by political organisations and opposition parties that aspire to become a territory’s actual governing authority, and have been created as alternatives to the government currently in control of the territory.

Name	Year of claimed exile	Government presently controlling claimed territory	Note	References
Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea	2003	Republic of Equatorial Guinea	The Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea proclaimed Severo Moto "President of Equatorial Guinea" in Madrid, Spain.
Government of Free Vietnam	1975	Socialist Republic of Vietnam	Based in Garden Grove, California and Missouri City, Texas, USA. Since 1995, has claimed to be a continuation of the Republic of Vietnam

Subnational governments

The list below refers to entities which currently function as independent states, but are claimed by the governments in exile to de jure form part of a different political entity.

Name	Exile since	Country controlling its claimed territory	Information	References
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia	1993	Republic of Abkhazia	A Georgian provincial government whose territory is currently under the control of Abkhaz separatists. It is led by Malkhaz Akishbaia.
Provisional Administration of South Ossetia	2008	Republic of South Ossetia	A Georgian provincial administration whose territory is currently under the control of South Ossetian separatists. It is led by Dmitry Sanakoyev.

Separatist governments

The list below includes governments in exile of territories which are not fully independent today, but have been subsumed by a different political entity.

Name	Exile since	Country controlling its claimed territory	Information	References
Republic of Ambazonia	2004	Republic of Cameroon	Former British Mandate territory of Southern Cameroons. Declared independence on Dec 31 1999.
Biafran Government in Exile	2007	Federal Republic of Nigeria	Seeking to reestablish the Republic of Biafra. Declared independence on August 28, 2007. It is based in Washington, DC.
Republic of Cabinda	1975	Republic of Angola	Based in Kinshasa, the Cabinda was invaded by Angola in the year 1975. Cabinda had been a Portuguese protectorate, while Angola had been a colony.
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	2000	Russian Federation	The government is largely based in Western Europe, Arab nations, and the United States. Some members are fighting in the rebel movement against the Russian Army.
Coptic Pharaonic Republic	1992	Arab Republic of Egypt	Government for the Coptic people in Egypt.
Republic of Serbian Krajina	2005	Republic of Croatia	Reconstituted on 26 February 2005 in Belgrade, Serbia by the remains of the Government of the Republic of Serbian Krajina after Croatian forces pushed out the internationally unrecognized entity in 1995 during Operation Storm at the end of the Croatian War of Independence.
File:Shanstateflag.png Interim Government of Federated Shan States	2005	Union of Myanmar	Aims to set up an independent state for the Shan ethnic group in territory currently controlled by Burma/Myanmar.
Republic of the South Moluccas	1950	Republic of Indonesia	The Republik Maluku Selatan, from the South Moluccas, Indonesia, have been exiled in the Netherlands since 1950.
Central Tibetan Administration	1959	People's Republic of China	The Central Tibetan Administration of the Dalai Lama, a government in exile (based in Dharamsala, India), which claims to represent the people of Tibet.
The Government in Exile of East Turkestan Republic	2004	People's Republic of China	Seeking independence for East Turkestan from the People's Republic of China.
Western Kurdistan Government in Exile	2004	Syrian Arab Republic	Aims to create a Kurdish state in Syria, currently based in London, UK.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	1976	Kingdom of Morocco	Is headquartered in the Tindouf region in Algeria but controlling what it calls the "Free Zone" in the eastern part of Western Sahara. Claims de jure sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara.

Actions of governments in exile

International law recognizes that governments in exile may undertake many types of actions in the conduct of their daily affairs. These actions include:

• becoming a party to a bilateral or international treaty
• amending or revising its own constitution
• maintaining military forces
• retaining (or "newly obtaining") diplomatic recognition by sovereign states
• issuing identity cards
• allowing the formation of new political parties
• instituting democratic reforms
• holding elections
• allowing for direct (or more broadly-based) elections of its government officers, etc.

However, none of these actions can serve to legitimatize a government in exile to become the internationally recognized legal government of its current locality. By definition, a government in exile is spoken of in terms of its native country, hence it must return to its native country and regain power there in order to obtain legitimacy as the legal government of that geographic area.

Past governments in exile

Name	Exiled/ Created(*) since	Defunct/ Reestablished(*)/ Integrated(°) since	Country controlling its claimed territory	Information	References
Dutch Republic	1795	1814°	Batavian Republic	between 1795 and 1814 the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile lived in London following a French Invasion led by William V, Prince of Orange. Ultimately they returned to create the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815.
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea	1919*	1948°	Empire of Japan	Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing. It was created in 1919 after March 1st Movement. After Japan’s defeat in World War II President Syngman Rhee became the first president of the First Republic of South Korea
Revolutionary Government of Angola	1962*	1992°	Republic of Angola	The Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile, founded in 1962 and based in Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa. The military branch known as the National Liberation Front of Angola was recognized as a political party in 1992 and holds three seats in Angola’s parliament.
Estonian Government in Exile	1953*	1992°	Soviet Union	The Estonian Government in Exile was formally declared governmental authority of the Republic of Estonia in exile, existing from 1953 until the reestablishment of Estonian sovereignty over Estonian territory in 1992. It traced its legitimacy through constitutional succession to the last Estonian government in power prior to the Soviet invasion in 1940.
Second Spanish Republic	1939	1977	Spanish State	Spanish Republican government in Exile after Francisco Franco's coup d'état. Based in Mexico City from 1939 to 1946 when it was moved to Paris where it lasted until Franco's death.
Democratic Republic of Georgia	1921	1954	Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic	Government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in Exile after the Soviet invasion of Georgia of 1921 and based in Leuville-sur-Orge, France.
Ukrainian National Republic	1920	1992	Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Second Polish Republic Czechoslovak Republic Kingdom of Romania	Government of the Ukrainian People's Republic in Exile after the Soviet invasion of Ukraine in 1920.
Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front	1976*	2005	Republic of Indonesia	The Free Aceh Movement, a government in exile for the Aceh special territory of Indonesia, is headquartered in Sweden, which had surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing following the 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government.
Bongo Doit Partir	1998	2009	Gabon	Translated name: "Bongo must go". Founded by Daniel Mengara, this organization proclaimed itself the legitimate government of Gabon in opposition to president Omar Bongo. After Bongo's death in June 2009, Mengara returned to Gabon in order to participate in the country's elections.
Confederate Government of Missouri	1861	1865	United States of America (Union)	Missouri had both Union and Confederate Governments, but the Confederate Government of Missouri was an exiled government, eventually governing out of Marshall, Texas.
Kingdom of Hawaii	1893	1895	Republic of Hawaii	The queen of Hawaii Liliuokalani was overthrown in 1893 by descendents of Christian missionaries who established the Republic of Hawaii after failing to annex Hawaii to the United States. During this time members of the former government reassembled, after a failed insurgency in 1895 the queen formally disbanded the kingdom.

World War II and Cold war

Many countries established a government in exile after loss of sovereignty in connection with World War II:

• Belgium (invaded 10 May 1940)
• Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile (established in 1940 by Beneš and recognised by the British and other United Nations governments)
• Estonian Government in Exile (1953–92), in Sweden after incorporation of Estonia into the USSR; however had not received recognition by any state.
• Free France (after June 1940 to 1944)
• Vichy France, exiled to Sigmaringen, Germany on 7 September, 1944 till 22 April, 1945.
• Greece (invaded 28 October 1940)
• Luxembourg (invaded 10 May 1940)
• Lithuania (invaded 1940, was recognized as de jure government by the United States until it regained independence)
• Netherlands (invaded 10 May 1940, see Dutch government in exile)
• Norway (invaded 9 April 1940)
• Poland (invaded 1 September 1939) After WWII, the Polish government-in-exile remained in exile as a result of the Soviet occupation. Ireland, Spain and the Vatican were the last nations that ceased to recognize the government by 1979. The government dissolved itself after formally recognising the newly elected Polish president Lech Wałęsa and Poland's government in 1990.
• Yugoslavia (invaded 6 April 1941)
• Philippine Commonwealth (invaded 9 December 1941)

The Provisional Government of Free India (1942–45) was established by Indian nationalists in exile during the war.

Other exiled leaders in Britain included King Zog of Albania and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

Notable examples of occupied countries which retained partial sovereignty through their overseas territories included Belgium, Vichy France and Free France.

The Danish exception

The Occupation of Denmark (9 April 1940) was administered by the German Foreign Office, contrary to other occupied lands that were under military administration. Denmark did not establish a government in exile, although there was an Association of Free Danes established in London. King Christian X and his government remained in Denmark, and functioned comparatively independently for the first three years of German occupation. Meanwhile, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands were occupied by the Allies, and effectively separated from the Danish crown. (See British occupation of the Faroe Islands, Iceland during World War II, and History of Greenland during World War II)

Persian Gulf War

Following the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and senior members of his government fled to Saudi Arabia, where they set up a government-in-exile operating out of a luxury hotel in Dhahran. The Kuwaiti government-in-exile was far more affluent than most other such governments, having full disposal of the very considerable Kuwaiti assets in western banks - of which it made use to conduct a massive propaganda campaign denouncing the Iraqi occupation and mobilising public opinion in the West in favor of war with Iraq. In March 1991, following the American victory in the Persian Gulf War, the Sheikh and his government were able to return to Kuwait.

Lists

• List of unrecognized countries
• List of historical unrecognized countries
• List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
• List of historical autonomist and secessionist movements
• List of territorial disputes
• United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories

See also

• Continuity of government
• Exilarchy
• Provisional government
• Micronation
• Shadow government
• Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization