List of historical unrecognized states
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These lists of historical unrecognized or partially recognized states or governments give an overview of extinct geopolitical entities that wished to be recognized as sovereign states, but did not enjoy worldwide diplomatic recognition. The entries listed here had de facto control over their claimed territory and were self-governing with a desire for full independence; or if they lacked such control over their territory, they were recognized by at least one other recognized nation.
Criteria for inclusion
The criteria for inclusion in this list are similar to those of the list of states with limited recognition. To be included here, a polity must have claimed sovereignty, has not had recognition by at least one widely accepted state for a significant portion of its de facto existence, and either:
- had a population and an organized government with a capacity to enter into relations with other states; or
- had de facto control over a territory or a significant portion of the territory of an otherwise-recognized sovereign state
Historic unrecognized or partially recognized states with de facto control over their territory
Africa
The total number of countries in the African continent varies due to the instability throughout the region. See the List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa article for a current list.
Great instability was created by graft under leaders in West Africa.[1]
Many leaders marginalised ethnic groups and fanned ethnic conflicts (some of which had been exacerbated, or even created, by colonial rule) for political gain. In many countries, the military was perceived as being the only group that could effectively maintain order, and it ruled many nations in Africa during the 1970s and early 1980s. During the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Africa had more than 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations. Border and territorial disputes were also common, with the European-imposed borders of many nations being widely contested through armed conflicts.
A variety of other causes have been blamed for Africa's political instability, including Cold War conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union, over-reliance on foreign aid,[2] as well as the policies of the International Monetary Fund.[3] When a country became independent for the first time, it would often align itself with one of the two superpowers in order to get support. Many countries in Northern Africa received Soviet military aid, while many in Central and Southern Africa were supported by the United States, France or both. The 1970s saw an escalation, as newly independent Angola and Mozambique aligned themselves with the Soviet Union, and the West and South Africa sought to contain Soviet influence by funding insurgency movements. There was a major famine in Ethiopia, when hundreds of thousands of people starved. Some claimed that Marxist/Soviet policies made the situation worse. The most devastating military conflict in modern independent Africa has been the Second Congo War; this conflict and its aftermath have killed an estimated 5.5 million people.[4] Since 2003 there has been an ongoing conflict in Darfur which has become a humanitarian disaster. Another notable tragic event is the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. AIDS in post-colonial Africa has also been a prevalent issue.
In the 21st century, however, the number of armed conflicts in Africa has steadily declined*. For instance, the civil war in Angola came to an end in 2002 after nearly 30 years. The improved stability and economic reforms have led to a great increase in foreign investment into many African nations, mainly from China,[5] which has spurred quick economic growth in many countries, seemingly ending decades of stagnation and decline. Several African economies were among the world's fastest growing as of 2011 and that growth continues through 2019.[6] A significant part of this growth can also be attributed to the facilitated diffusion of information technologies and specifically the mobile phone.
*While there is less armed conflict in Africa political violence increases. "Open-source conflict data is increasingly used to supplement reporting and analysis of trends in instability in Africa. A number of recent global reports, including the OECD States of Fragility 2016: Understanding Violence, use conflict data to show changes in conflict type, actors, tactics and intensity across and within countries over time".[7]
Antiquity to 19th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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814 BC–146 BC | Now part of Tunisia, Libya, Malta, Algeria, France, Italy, and Spain | |
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1795 | Now part of South Africa | A republic declared in revolt against the Dutch East India Company. It lasted 3 months before being re-incorporated into the Cape Colony. |
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Formed in rebellion to Dutch East India Company; it took 2 years to be incorporated into the Cape Colony, though this time under British rule. | ||
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1811–1816 | Now part of the United Kingdom | Declared by American whaler Jonathan Lambert and three others, who were the first permanent inhabitants of the modern day Tristan da Cunha islands in the South Atlantic. Lambert declared himself the sovereign of the islands. Annexed in 1816 by the Cape Colony under the United Kingdom to prevent France from obtaining the islands. |
Griqualand West | 1813 | Now part of South Africa | Enjoyed de facto independence since the founding of Griquatown in 1813, Griqualand West eventually proclaimed itself a British colony in 1873. It did not gain recognition by Britain nor the neighboring Cape Colony and was annexed in 1880. |
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1830 | A republic that existed only for a couple of months before joining with Winburg Republic. It was effectively a city-state. | |
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1836 | Established on land the Vet and Vaal Rivers donated to the Voortrekkers by Bataung Chief Makwana in 1836 in exchange for protection from neighboring Basotho tribes. Joined in union with the newly established Potchefstroom Republic in 1838 to form the Republic of Winburg-Potchefstroom. | |
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1838 | Formed from the union of the Potchefstroom Republic and the Winburg Republic in 1838; the nation lasted until Potchefstroom left the union to join with Pietermaritzburg. | |
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1839 | Established in 1839 by local Afrikaans-speaking Voortrekkers after the Battle of Blood River. This Boer Republic lasted for four years before being annexed by British troops under George Napier. | |
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1845 | A fort was established by a group of Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Hendrik Potgieter with the help of a Dutch merchant Gregorius Ohrig. The settlers arrived in 1845 and were decimated by malaria. Forced to abandon the area, the republic was officially abandoned in 1849. | |
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1847–1862 | Now independent | A collection of African American settlements in West Africa, sponsored by the American Colonization Society. The purpose of Liberia was to repatriate freed slaves back to Africa from the United States. The US government refused to recognize Liberia's independence until 1862, at the onset of the American Civil War. |
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1854–1857 | Now part of Liberia | An African American settlement in West Africa, whose independence was unrecognized by the United States. It joined the also unrecognized Liberia in 1857 in reaction to a native insurgency. |
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1854 | Now part of South Africa | A republic proclaimed by Andreas Theodorus Spies following a land purchase from the King of the Zulu, Mpande. It joined with the Lydenburg Republic in 1858. |
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1856 | A Boer republic which was created following the dissolution of the Andries-Ohringstad Republic. Eventually this nation expanded with the inclusion of the Utrecht Republic in 1858. The republic lasted until 1860 when it was incorporated into the South African Republic | |
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1857 | A small Boer Republic that joined with the South African Republic in 1864. The white settlers in Zoutpansberg had for many years a reputation for lawlessness, and were later regarded as typical "back velt Boers". Zoutpansberg contained a larger native population than any other region of the Transvaal. | |
Griqualand West | 1861 | Founded by Adam Kok III as a final resting place for Griqua people. The State suffered from a secret deal signed between the British Empire and Orange Free State causing unceasing instability. Although the reasons for its annexation are still debated, it was eventually integrated with the Cape Colony in 1880. | |
Klipdrift Republic | 1870 | A Republic proclaimed during a dispute over diamond mines near what would become Griqualand West. | |
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1882 | A Boer republic which existed briefly before its union with its neighboring Boer republic the State of Goshen. | |
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1872–1990 | Now part of Namibia | The Baster are a community of mixed race descent, who left the British ruled Cape Colony in 1868 and settled in a territory on a high plateau between the Namib- and Kalahari deserts in what is now central Namibia, where they founded the Free Republic of Rehoboth (Rehoboth Gebiet), in 1872. They adopted a constitution known in Afrikaans as the Vaderlike Wette (Paternal Laws), which still continues to govern the internal affairs of the Baster community into the 21st century. Since the independence of Namibia, in 1990, the new state confiscated all of their territory without compensation. |
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1882 | Now part of South Africa | A Boer Republic which merged with the Republic of Stellaland to form the United States of Stellaland in 1883. |
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1883 | A Boer republic which created from the union of neighboring Republic of Stellaland and State of Goshen. The republic lasted until it became a protectorate of the South African Republic on 10 September 1884 only to be annexed 6 days later. | |
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1884 | Created on 16 August 1884 with land donated by the Zulus through a treaty. The territory was part of the old Boer Republic of Natalia. The republic enjoyed independence until it was annexed by the South African Republic by its own request. | |
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1885–1889 | Now part of Sudan | Islamic state established during the Mahdist War by rebels. The rebellion failed and the state was dissolved. |
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1886 | Now part of South Africa | A Boer republic which declared its independence from lands formerly controlled by the Swazi king Mswati II. It was eventually incorporated into the South African Republic in 1891 on its own request. |
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1889 | Now part of Djibouti | Russian colony set up by Cossacks in East Africa. The colony was unsanctioned by the Russian government. The territory of New Moscow was under the ostensible rule of French Somaliland, who forced the colonists to surrender and deported them back to Russia. |
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1895–1920 | Now part of Somalia, Somaliland and Ethiopia | A state in Ciid-Nugaal wherein Diiriye Guure was king and his emir Mohammed Abdullah Hassan launched an armed resistance against colonial powers (specifically the United Kingdom, Italy, and Ethiopia) in Somalia. It was eventually defeated in 1920 by the British and Italians. |
20th and 21st centuries
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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1903–1908? | Now part of Morocco | A self-proclaimed monarchy declared by wealthy Frenchman Jacques Lebaudy, who wished to establish an imperial territory in Cape Judy. Lebaudy was backed by as many as 400 mercenaries and sixteen cannons. Lebaudy later relocated his court to the Savoy Hotel in London. His claim was recognized by no nation. |
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1914–1921 | A confederation of Berber tribesmen in the interior of Morocco, which resisted French conquest in the Middle Atlas mountains for several years. The confederacy was supported by the Central Powers following the outbreak of the First World War, and were only subdued after the Treaty of Versailles. | |
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1915–1916 | Now part of Sudan | A protectorate of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The Sultan, Ali Dinar, renounced his allegiance to the British Empire in support of the Ottoman Empire, after their entry into the First World War against Britain. The rebellion was put down in the 1916 Anglo-Egyptian Darfur Expedition. |
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1915–1917, 1923–1932, 1939–1951 | Now part of Libya and Niger | An Arab religious order that controlled much of Libya and northern Niger throughout the early 20th century. Fought against French colonial expansion in Niger during the Kaocen revolt. Fought against Italian colonization in three stages; the Senussi campaign of the First World War, with support from the Central Powers, especially the Ottoman Empire which previously ruled the area; the Second Italo-Senussi War, also known as the Pacification of Libya, in which brutal war crimes took place; and the North African campaign of the Second World War, specifically the Western Desert campaign. |
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1918–1923 | Now part of Libya | A republic proclaimed following the Paris Peace Conference; it disintegrated sometime in 1923 and was annexed into Italian Tripolitania. |
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1921–1926 | Now part of Morocco | An independent Berber republic declared following a rebellion against Spanish rule within the Rif region of northern Morocco. The republic was made up of a confederation of many Berber tribes. Defeated by Spain, with French military assistance, in the protracted Rif War. |
Western Galla Confederation | 1936 | Now part of Ethiopia | Rump Oromo state in western Ethiopia that was proclaimed following Italian victory in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Requested becoming a British mandate territory to avoid annexation into the Italian Empire, but was recognized by no country and occupied by the Italian army within the year. |
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1937–1941 | Occupied by Italy in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Despite lobbying by Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie from exile, only six nations did not recognize Italy's control over Ethiopia by 1937 (China, New Zealand, the Soviet Union, the Republic of Spain, Mexico, and the United States). During the East African campaign of the Second World War, the Allies' recognized Selassie and restored Ethiopia's full independence. | |
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1943 | A Tigrayan uprising known as the Woyane rebellion. After emperor Selassie was restored to power in Ethiopia in 1941, he attempted to centralize the still highly feudalistic country, resulting in an insurgency in the Tigray province. The rebels were not separatist, but instead sought regional autonomy and self-government. The rebellion was defeated with British air support. | |
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1959 | Now part of Tanzania | Latham Leslie-Moore, a retired civil servant, declared the secession of the "Sultanate of M'Simbati" from the then colony of Tanganyika. The "secession" was suppressed in 1962 by Tanzanian government troops. |
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1960–1963 | Now part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Declared secession during the Congo Crisis. Controlled the state of the same name within the former Belgian Congo after decolonisation. Although not recognised by any other country, Katanga received considerable financial, military and political support from Belgium, the Central African Federation, and Portugal. Lobbyists on behalf of Katanga also unsuccessfully attempted to bribe the government of Costa Rica in return for diplomatic recognition.[8] |
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1960–1962 | Declared secession during the Congo Crisis. Unlike Katanga, South Kasai did not fully secede from the Congo, instead seeking full autonomy. Its autonomy was not recognized by any nation, but it received some aid from foreign powers, especially Belgium. The official name of the country was the Mining State of South Kasai. | |
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1962–1982 | Now part of Uganda | A secessionist movement that began just before decolonisation in Uganda and continued for twenty years. Within colonial Uganda, several kingdoms were allowed to continue their existence as subnational entities with some autonomy. The people of the Rwenzururu region demanded separation from the Tooro Kingdom as their own monarchy, but were denied by the colonial government. The Rwenzururu kingdom declared its independence three months before Uganda's independence. After two decades of conflict, Rwenzururu became an autonomous kingdom within Uganda. |
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1964 | Now part of Tanzania | Following the 17 January 1964 coup which deposed the Sultan of Zanzibar, the revolutionary group purporting to represent the island's black majority proclaimed a People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba. It immediately made an offer of union with the government of Tanganyika. |
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1965–1979 | Now part of Zimbabwe | Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. Did not receive official recognition from any state. Had diplomatic relationship with South Africa which did not recognise Rhodesia to preserve its fragile positions with other nations, but frequently assisted the republic. Portugal also maintained informal relations until the Carnation Revolution of 1974. |
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1967–1970 | Now part of Nigeria | Majority Igbo state which seceded from post-independence Nigeria due to ethnic divisions, beginning the Nigerian Civil War. Controlled territory in eastern Nigeria, recognized by five states (Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zambia). |
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1967 | Occupied by Biafra in August, later given independence in September as a puppet state. Retaken by the Nigerian army one day after the declaration of independence. | |
Southern Sudan Provisional Government | 1967–1969 | Now part of South Sudan | An African insurgency formed mostly from the Anyanya movement during the First Sudanese Civil War, in rebellion against the predominantly Muslim, Arabic-speaking Sudanese government. The separatist movement was rife with political wrangling and ethnic tensions within its own ranks. The SSPG collapsed in 1969 and was reformed into the Nile Provisional Government. |
Nile Provisional Government (Nile Republic) | 1969–1970 | Formed out of the SSPG as an attempt to rebrand the nation from South Sudan to the Nile Republic. Collapsed after one year due to a coup. Following this, most of the separatists agreed to the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement, in which most of Anyanya agreed to recognize the Sudanese government in return for autonomy, ending the First Sudanese Civil War. | |
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1970–1977 | Now part of Nigeria | Micronation created by political activist Fela Kuti in defiance of the Nigerian military junta. Burned to the ground by the Nigerian Armed Forces in 1977. |
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1970–1989 | Now part of Namibia | Former apartheid Bantustan homelands, formed and recognized only by each other and South Africa. |
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1972–1994 | Now part of South Africa | |
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1972 | Now part of Burundi | A state declared by Hutu separatists inside the mountainous Vuzigo commune, between the Makamba and Lake Nyanza; lasted for little over a week. |
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1975 | Now part of Angola | Cabinda was a Portuguese protectorate known as the Portuguese Congo. During the Portuguese Colonial War period, the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) fought for the independence of Cabinda from the Portuguese. The independence was proclaimed on 1 August 1975. After the Angolan independence came in effect in November 1975, Cabinda was invaded by forces of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) with support of troops from Cuba. |
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1976–1994 | Now part of South Africa | Former apartheid Bantustan homelands, formed and recognized only by each other and South Africa. |
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1977–1994 | Former apartheid Bantustan homeland, formed and recognized only by each other and South Africa. Israel extended marginal recognition to Bophuthatswana by allowing both polities to build trade missions in Tel Aviv. In 1993 Bophuthatswana opened an information center in Latvia, so the Latvian song festival was also attended by a chorus of this country (Bop Arts Council Chorus).[citation needed] | |
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1979 | Now Zimbabwe | Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. Did not receive official recognition from any state. Had diplomatic relationship with South Africa which did not recognise Rhodesia to preserve its fragile positions with other nations, but frequently assisted the republic. Portugal also maintained informal relations until the Carnation Revolution of 1974. State received full international recognition after signing the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979 and became, on 18 April 1980, the independent Republic of Zimbabwe. |
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1979–1994 | Now part of South Africa | Former apartheid Bantustan homelands, formed and recognized only by each other and South Africa. |
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1979–1989 | Now part of Namibia | |
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1980–1989 | ||
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1989 | ||
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1993–2004 | Now part of Ethiopia | The government-in-exile of the Ethiopian Empire. A monarchist movement, formed 19 years after the Ethiopian monarchy was overthrown by the communist military junta known as the Derg in 1974. By 2004, the Crown Council redefined itself as no longer seeking political power, but instead focusing on cultural preservation. |
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1997–1998 | Now part of Comoros | Seceded in 1997 but quietly rejoined the next year. |
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1997, 2008 | Joined with Comoros, then seceded twice to gain independence. Anjouan rejoined Comoros after talks during the first secession. After the second event, the secessionist government was forcefully removed. | |
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1999 | Now part of Namibia | Secessionist movement that waged an insurrection in 1999 for control of the Caprivi Strip. The Caprivi Strip has no uniform ethnic group and has been subject to ethnic division, especially between the Mafwe, majority group in the Caprivi Strip, and the Ovambo, majority group in Namibia. |
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1998–1999 | Now part of Somalia | Briefly declared independent during the Somali Civil War. Led by General Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan, the former Somali minister of defense and son-in-law of Siad Barre, the previous military dictator of Somalia. Morgan was ousted by the Juba Valley Alliance a year later. |
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2007–2009 | Short-lived territory on the border between the Puntland state of Somalia, and Somaliland, and was proclaimed as a state independent of both. Quickly subsumed into Puntland. | |
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2011–2013 | Republic which claimed sovereignty over the Somali state of Jubaland. Following the capture of most of Jubaland by the Islamic militant group al-Shaabab, Kenya launched a counteroffensive and aided in setting up the republic from the former Jubaland administration. The action was condemned by Somalia. Azania reformed back into the Jubaland State of Somalia in 2013. | |
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2012 | Now part of Mali | Controlled territory in Northern Mali, it was unrecognized by any state. |
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2012–2017 | Now part of Somaliland | Declared an autonomous state in 2012. Ceased to function by 2015, and was reincorporated into Somaliland by 2017. |
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2015-2021 | Now an insurgency in Central African Republic | also known as Dar al-Kuti (French: Dar el-Kouti), was a partially-realized, self-declared autonomous region and proto-state internationally recognised as part of the Central African Republic. It was formed by the Muslim rebel movement Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) with support of other armed groups on 14 December 2015. On 10 April 2021 Kaga-Bandoro was recaptured by government forces. |
Americas
15th through 19th centuries
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Unknown - 1867 | Now part of Canada | Still claims to be an independent state |
Cañari | 500s-1533 | Now part of Ecuador | |
Council of Three Fires | 795 AD to 1783 | Now part of United States | Joined the Northwestern Confederacy |
Kingdom of Nicoya | 800 AD to 1600s | Now part of Costa Rica | |
Yalain | 1000-1697 | Now part of Guatemala | |
Tabasco | 1100-1519 | Now Part of Mexico | |
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1100-1521 | Now Part of Mexico | |
Lupaca Kingdom | 1150-1600 | Now part of Peru | |
Peten Itza kingdom | 1194-1697 | Now part of Belize and Guatemala | |
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1200's–1521 | Now part of Mexico | |
Chiefdom of Ameca | 1325–1522 | Now part of Mexico | |
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1348-1520 | Now part of Mexico | |
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1428-1521 | Now Part of Mexico | |
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1438-1533 | Now part of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Colombia | |
Muisca Confederation | 1450-1540 | Now part of Colombia | |
Tsenacommacah | 1500s-1677 | Now part of the United States | A.K.A the Powhatan Confederacy |
Klein-Venedig | 1528–1546 | Part of Venezuela and Colombia | Klein-Venedig (Little Venice) or Welserland (pronunciation [ˈvɛl.zɐ.lant]) was the most significant territory of the German colonization of the Americas, from 1528 to 1546, in which the Welser banking and patrician family of the Free Imperial Cities of Augsburg and Nuremberg obtained colonial rights in the Province of Venezuela in return for debts owed by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who was also King of Spain. In 1528, Charles V issued a charter by which the Welsers possessed the rights to explore, rule and colonize the area, also with the motivation of searching for the legendary golden city of El Dorado. |
Cacicazgo of Talamanca Later Kingdom of Talamanca | 1576 - 1862 then 1867- 1910 | Part of Costa Rica | |
Illinois Confederation | 1600's-1832 | Now part of the United States | |
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1680s-1862 | Now Part of the United States, France and Canada | |
Iron Confederacy | Before 1692-1850 | Now part of Canada | |
Seven Nations of Canada | 1700's-1836 | Now part of Canada | |
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1776–1783 (Internationally recognized in 1783) | Now independent | Thirteen British colonies declared themselves independent in 1776 during the American Revolution and united to form the United States of America, which was recognized following the Treaty of Paris of 1783. |
Northwestern Confederacy | 1783-1795 | Now part of the United States | |
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1777–1791 | Became the State of Vermont, territorial claims disputed by New York. | |
Watauga Association | 1772–1778 | Annexed into the State of North Carolina. | |
Trans-Oconee Republic | 1794-1794 | A short-lived, independent state west of the Oconee River (in the state of Georgia. Established by General Elijah Clarke in May 1794, it was an attempt to head off the new Federal government's ceding of lands claimed by Georgia back to the Creek. In September 1794, state and federal troops forced Clarke and his followers to surrender and leave the settlements. . | |
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1799–1802 | A Native American state in Spanish Florida; consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles. Disappeared when the Spaniards captured its founder, William Augustus Bowles and removed him to a prison in Cuba. | |
Republic of South Haiti | 1810 | Now part of Haiti | Haiti declared its independence in 1804 under Jean Jacques Dessalines. That same year, Dessalines declared himself Emperor. After his assassination in 1806, Haiti was divided between the Republic of Haiti in the south and the Kingdom of Haiti, under Henry Christophe, in the north. The situation was further complicated by the secession of South Haiti in the southwest corner of the country under André Rigaud in 1810. His own republic contained the former Maroon enclave of La Grande Anse under Goman, who was allied with King Henry. A few months after Rigaud seized power, he died, and South Haiti rejoined the Republic. In 1820, Henry Christophe committed suicide. Haiti was reunited soon afterwards. |
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Now part of the United States | Republic formed out of an Anglo-American rebellion in Spanish West Florida. Consisted of the part of Louisiana now known as the Florida Parishes. None of these Florida Parishes were in what today is the state of Florida. Against the wishes of most of its leaders, the republic was forced to acquiesce to American authority, and later annexed. | |
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1812 | Republic declared by mostly American insurgents against Spanish rule in East Florida, with the goal of annexation into the United States. The republic had the support of President James Monroe. A day after declaring independence, the insurgents surrendered their territory to the American army. The American government later disavowed their support of the insurgents and returned all captured land. | |
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1817 | Republic proclaimed by Gregor MacGregor, Scottish soldier and adventurer, after capturing Amelia Island in East Florida. The republic claimed all of West and East Florida, but in reality Amelia Island was the only territory it held. Following the failure of the Spanish to retake the island, it was occupied by the United States navy. The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, effective 1821, transferred West and East Florida to the United States. | |
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1819 | Now part of Mexico | was an 1819 attempt to take control of Spanish Texas by filibusters. It was led by James Long and successfully established a small independent government, known as the Republic of Texas (distinct from the later Republic of Texas created by the Texas Revolution). The expedition crumbled later in the year, as Spanish troops drove the invaders out. Long returned to Texas in 1820 and attempted to reestablish his control. In October 1821, Long was defeated by Spanish troops, captured and sent to Mexico City where he was killed by a guard. |
Republic of Tucumán | 1820 | Now part of Argentina | Now part of Argentine provinces of Catamarca, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán. |
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1820–1821 | Today the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes. | |
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1821–1837 | Now part of Honduras | A nonexistent territory claimed by Scottish adventurer Gregor MacGregor, who purported to be the chief of a fictional nation named Poyais. He used his false status to convince hundreds to invest in his invented country, many of whom decided to settle there. The majority of the settlers died after reaching "Poyais", which was actually an uninhabited jungle. MacGregor continued the Poyais scheme for over 16 years. |
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1827–1842 | Now divided between Canada and the United States | Within the provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec and the state of Maine. |
Republic of Indian Stream | 1832–1835 | Now part of the United States | Annexed by the United States. Within the state of New Hampshire. |
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1836–1845 | Part of Brazil | The state was proclaimed by the Farroupilha rebels during the Ragamuffin War in 1836. The rebellion eventually failed and republic was dissolved. It is currently the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. |
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1836–1839 | Now part of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Peru | The Peru–Bolivian Confederation (or Confederacy) was a confederate state that existed in South America between 1836 and 1839. Its first and only head of state, titled "Supreme Protector", was the Bolivian president, Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz. The confederation was a loose union between the states of Peru (by this time divided into a Republic of North Peru and a Republic of South Peru, which included the capital Tacna) and Bolivia. |
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1837–1838 | Now part of Canada | The self-proclaimed government was established on Navy Island in the Niagara River in the latter days of the Upper Canada Rebellion |
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1837–1838 | A government established on the aftermath of Rebellions of 1837 in Lower Canada. | |
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1837–1840 | Now part of Guatemala | The United Provinces of Central America were riven by strife for much of their existence. Guatemala’s ruling class was appalled by the thought of an illiterate and brutish peasant Governor Rafael Carrera, and led the six western provinces into secession. The new state of Los Altos, under Liberal leadership, appealed for recognition to the UPCA. In January 1840, Carrera reconquered Los Altos, and then defeated the UPCA's army in March, sounding the death knell for the United Provinces. Los Altos rebelled again when Carrera declared Guatemala an independent republic in 1847, but was again rapidly crushed. |
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1839 | Part of Brazil | Today's Santa Catarina. |
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1840 | Now part of the United States and Mexico. | Consisted of part of southern Texas and the 3 Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. |
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1841–1843, 1846–1848 | Part of Mexico | A state from 1841 to 1848, it was proclaimed after the Mexican government tried to centralize and tried to join the US during the Mexican–American War; it was rejected and joined a federal Mexico after the war ended. A revolt in Yucatán in 1916, led by Felipe Cerillo but with active Mayan involvement, effectively separated the region from the weak Mexican state. On 3 April 1916 Carillo declared the independence of the Socialist Republic of Yucatan, but the Republic failed to garner much support, and was quickly overrun by Mexican forces.[9][10] |
Adelsverein | 1842-1853 | now part of United States | |
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1847–1915 | Chan Santa Cruz was a Mayan territory in the southeast of what is now the Mexican state of Quintana Roo (within the Republic of Yucatán at the time). The local Mayan people revolted in 1847 following the Republic of Yucatán's second secession from Mexico, nearly driving all whites from the Yucatan peninsula in what became known as the Caste War. After being defeated, some rebel Maya established a stratified religious community in the jungle known as Chan Santa Cruz, which remained a base of operations for rebel Cruzobs for the next fifty years. After decades of campaigning on both sides, the Cruzobs recognized the Mexican government in 1915, though some settlements continued anti-Mexican resistance up until the 1930s and 40s. | |
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1846 | Now part of the United States | Formed during an Anglo-American revolt in Mexican California during the Mexican–American War. This "state" never actually possessed a high level of organization, and was only in existence for a matter of weeks before the rebels deferred to the US government and American troops. |
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The State of Deseret was formed by Mormons (Latter-day Saints) in 1849 before becoming Utah Territory in 1850. Advance Parties of Mormon Pioneers entered the Great Basin Area in 1846, and Vanguard Companys arrived in 1847. Believing they were leaving the borders of the United States. After the establishment of the Utah Territory in 1850, the Latter-day Saints did not relinquish the idea of a "State of Deseret". From 1862 to 1870, a group of Mormon elders under Young's leadership met as a shadow government after each session of the territorial legislature to ratify the new laws under the name of the "state of Deseret".[citation needed] Attempts were made in 1856, 1862, and 1872 to write a new state constitution under that name based on the new boundaries of the Utah Territory. | ||
Beaver Island | 1850–1856 | Mormon theocracy led by James Strang, who was declared king of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and whose branch was in opposition of Brigham Young and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in considering itself to be the sole legitimate successor of the Church of Christ organized by Joseph Smith. This “Strangite” faction controlled Beaver Island of Michigan until Strang was murdered in 1856, whereupon the Strangites were expelled from the area by neighbouring islanders. | |
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1852-1861 | Now part of Argentina | |
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1853–1854 | Now part of Mexico | The filibuster William Walker took control of La Paz, the capital of the sparsely populated Baja California, and 200 more men joined him. Walker declared La Paz the capital of a new Republic of Baja California, with himself as president and a constitution copied from that of Louisiana. Although he never gained control of Sonora, less than three months later, he pronounced Baja California part of the larger Republic of Sonora. |
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1854 | A lesser to William Walker's Republic of Baja California, it was a merger between that and Sonora. | |
Provisional Revolutionary Government of Cibao | 1857–1861 | Now part of Cibao within Dominican Republic (Spanish occupation of the Dominican Republic) (1861–65) |
On July 7, 1857, a popular civic-military movement broke out in Santiago with the purpose of overthrowing the government of the conservative president Buenaventura Báez. Immediately his spokesmen announced the integration of a revolutionary provisional government based in Santiago de los Caballeros. The Cibaenians launched a manifesto and expressed that they did it to "shake off the yoke of Mr. Báez's government that they do not know from now and declare themselves governed (until a congress elected by direct vote, constitute new powers) by a provisional revolutionary government, with its seat in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. "
As president of the anti-Báez and Santana provisional government was chosen to General José Desiderio Valverde, and the lawyer Benigno Filomeno Rojas, as vice president. Both counted on the support of the tobacco producers and the Cibaenian trade. Among its first measures was the organization of an armed movement to march to the city of Santo Domingo, in order to overthrow President Buenaventura Báez, who was prepared to resist. The troops of the provisional revolutionary government of the Cibao were commanded by General Juan Luis Franco Bidó. In a few days they surrounded the city of Santo Domingo, thus initiating a civil war. The hostilities lasted almost a year. The groups in conflict fought with all the means at their disposal to emerge victorious, increasing violence and destruction in the country. The triumph of the revolution was resounding, Báez renounced power and traveled to exile, but the project would be frustrated, since the liberal thinking of the Cibaenians would be overshadowed by the military figure of General Pedro Santana, who returned to the Presidency of the Republic in 1858 and ignored the liberal constitution of Moca. In this way, the revolution of July 7, 1857, ended and the liberal constitution of Moca was annulled. Santana returned to govern with the Constitution of 1854 that guaranteed an authoritarian government. The following day, July 8, 1857, the "Dominican Republic" awoke with two government administrations: the provisional revolutionary government of Cibao and the "government" of President Buenaventura Báez. On September 25, the provisional revolutionary Government of the Cibao summoned the country to elect the deputies as of December 7, 1857. At that time the women and men of greater intellectual capacity in the Cibao wished to produce a constitution that would allow an authentically democratic and representative government by the people . "The new constitution was drafted in Moca and proclaimed on February 19, 1858." That day, the Constituent Assembly meeting in Moca proclaimed the liberal constitution that repealed the conservative one of December 1854. Established public freedoms and abolished the death penalty for political reasons and enshrined as rights the freedom of expression, free transit and freedom of peaceful assembly. He did not re-elect the president in succession and absolute respect for civil liberties without restrictions, including freedom of expression. established that the capital of the so-called republic, outside the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. The constitution of Moca consecrated free transit and freedom of peaceful assembly. That the government would be civil, republican, popular, representative, elective and responsible, and every citizen with the right to vote could do it directly and secretly, instead of the indirect way as established by the previous constitutions. In addition, the governors of provinces could not be the commanders of arms as it was available until February 19, 1858. Under the constitution of Moca, the municipal power was restored and the Armed Forces were declared obedient to the civil power, without powers to deliberate and with the function of defending national sovereignty, public order, as well as observing and complying with the constitution and laws. It was established on a transitory basis that the next constitutional government was chosen by the members of the constituent assembly, which they did on March 1, 1858. The constituent assembly of Moca was integrated by the provisional government of Santiago, chaired by General José Desiderio Valverde, who convened on September 25, 1857, to elect deputies from December 7, 1857. For the assembly, the most enlightened women and men of the country were chosen, whose thought corresponded to the movement proclaimed by the revolution of July 7, 1857, to overthrow the government of Buenaventura Báez, which they described as a dictatorship. |
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1860–61 | Now part of the United States | Secessionist state established on December 20, 1860, when South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States. It lasted a month and a half before being a founding member of the Confederate States of America. |
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1861 | Secessionist republic declared January 11, 1861 when Alabama seceded from the United States. It only lasted a month before being a founding member of the Confederate States of America. | |
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1860–1862 | Now part of Argentina and Chile | Set up by a French adventurer who tried to gain legitimacy for his state, only to be denied. The self-proclaimed kingdom was mostly a legal fiction and did only loosely control a small portion of the territory it claimed. In fact the Mapuche warlords that submitted to it were totally autonomous, and used the kingdom only as pretext to obtain foreign support. It was conquered and partitioned by Chile and Argentina. |
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1861 | Now part of the United States | Secessionist state established January 10, 1861, when Florida seceded from the United States. Only lasted a month before being a founding member of the Confederate States of America. |
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Secessionist state formed on January 11, 1861, when Louisiana seceded from the United States. It only lasted two and a half weeks before joining the Confederate States of America on February 8, 1861. | ||
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Secessionist state established January 9, 1861 when Mississippi seceded from the United States. It only lasted a month before joining the Confederate States of America. | ||
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Texas seceded from the United States on February 1, 1861, and lasted as an independent state for a month before joining the Confederate States of America.
Not to be confused with the earlier (1836–1845), partially recognized Republic of Texas. | ||
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1861–1865 | Originally formed by seven southern states that seceded from the United States, it consisted of (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana). After the beginning of the American Civil War, the states of Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. Reintegrated back into the United States throughout the Reconstruction Era. | |
Republic of Manitobah | 1867–1869 | Now part of Canada | Within the province of Manitoba. |
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1868, 1898 | Now part of the United States | State declared during the Lares uprising against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico, following the repeated refusal of Spain to give the island autonomy. The uprising began in September in the town of Lares, where the rebels were defeated by November at the latest. The revolt succeeded in garnering limited political reforms.
A group of anti-Spanish rebels also declared independence in 1898 in the closure of the Puerto Rican campaign during the Spanish–American War, but were unable to secure independence. |
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1885 | Now part of Canada | A self-declared Métis territory formed during the North-West Rebellion. Led by Métis political leader Louis Riel, who had previously organized the Red River Rebellion in 1869. Defeated by the Canadian army after just over two months of fighting. Riel was later found guilty of high treason and hanged. |
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1886–1891 | Part of Amapa, Brazil | Established by French settlers in defiance of both France and Brazil. |
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1893–1895 | Part of Brazil | American James Harden-Hickey divorced his wife in 1893 (1894?) and announced his intention to move to India and take up a life of Hindu asceticism. On the trip there, a storm forced his ship aground on the island of Trinidad (no relation to the Caribbean Trinidad) in the South Atlantic. Seeing that the island was uninhabited, Harden-Hickey declared himself Prince James I of Trinidad and advertised for settlers in the London Times. The following year, the United Kingdom annexed the island in order to anchor a transatlantic telegraph cable. Prince James was encouraged, hoping that the cable would bring the attention he needed to start his reign. However, the plan was scrapped and Brazil annexed the island again in 1897. |
20th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Jungle Nation | 1899–1900 | Now part of Peru | It was proclaimed on 22 May 1899, by colonel Emilio Vizcarra, who then acquired the title of the Supreme Leader. The state was formed from the territory of Department of Loreto, Peru. It was reincorporated into Peru in 1900, shortly after the death of Vizcarra on 27 February 1900. |
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1899–1903 | Now part of Brazil | A trio of attempts to free Acre from Bolivia. Each attempt was defeated, but part of Acre was turned over to Brazilian control after the final attempt. |
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1925 | Now part of Panama | A short-lived state of the indigenous Guna people, which was declared in reaction to colonial persecution. Developed into the Guna Revolution against Panamanian authority. After just under two months, the Gunas agreed to revoke their declaration of independence in return for civil rights. |
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1967–1969 | Now a British overseas territory | Created due to opposition to a union with modern St. Kitts and Nevis. It ceased to exist after being occupied by the British Army. |
Provisional Government Committee of Rupununi | 1969 | Now part of Guyana | Secessionist government formed during the Rupununi Uprising, an insurrection aimed at breaking away from the newly independent state of Guyana, and becoming either an independent territory protected by Venezuela, or being directly incorporated into Venezuela. |
Republic of Airrecú | 1993 | Now part of Nicaragua | Relations between Costa Rica and Nicaragua have traditionally been strained. This situation was not improved when the Costa Rican government granted land rights to settlers along the San Juan River, which forms part of the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. A dispute ended with Costa Rica acknowledging that the territory in fact belonged to Nicaragua, and promised to remove the settlers. The settlers, however, refused to leave. In June 1993, they declared their independence as the Republic of Airrecú, which means "friendship" in a local Indian language. The Nicaraguan Army immediately descended upon the area and escorted the Republic into Costa Rica. |
Asia
Antiquity to 19th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Judean provisional government | 66-68 | Now part of Israel, Palestine and Jordan | The Judean provisional government was a short-lived de facto governing entity of Judea, which was established in the year 66 by Judean rebel forces of the Pharisee and Sadducee parties, and aimed to govern the Judean state. The government functioned until the Zealot Temple Siege in the year 68, when most of its leaders were massacred in the inter-rebel struggle. |
Palmyrene Empire | 270–273 | Now part of Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon | The Palmyrene Empire was a short-lived breakaway state from the Roman Empire resulting from the Crisis of the Third Century. Named after its capital city, Palmyra, it encompassed the Roman provinces of Syria Palaestina, Arabia Petraea, and Egypt, as well as large parts of Asia Minor. |
Piebald Horde | Late 15th Century-1602 | Now part of Russia | a confederation of Selkup and Ket tribes in the Ob and Tom river basins which existed in the 16th century, in what is called the Narym region. It was the eastern neighbor and ally of the Khanate of Sibir. |
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1777–1884 | Now part of Indonesia. | Established by Chinese in Indonesia as the Dutch began to conquer Indonesia to protect the ethnic Chinese; it was a tributary state of the Qing dynasty of China. When the Qing dynasty weakened, it was conquered by the Dutch, who added it to integrated it into the Dutch East Indies. |
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1851–1864 | Now part of the People's Republic of China. | This heterodox Christian secessionist state was established by the God Worshipping Society led by Hong Xiuquan who claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ. They incited the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing dynasty. After seizing some territories in southern China, they established their capital in Nanking and proclaimed the founding of the kingdom. However, the Tianjing incident caused a major setback for the kingdom, after infighting between their leaders the number of their supporters began to dwindle. This allowed the modernized Qing armies with the help of western aid to quash the rebellion. Although the Qing were victorious, the rebellion weakened the Qing empire and some Taiping remnants continued the fight in other rebellions and struggles against western powers. |
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1869 | Now part of Japan | Set up in Hokkaido by supporters of the Tokugawa clan following the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate after the Boshin War and Meiji Restoration; they received support from France, but only lasted five months. |
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1874–1904 | Now part of Indonesia | A sultanate in modern Indonesia, it was later conquered by the Dutch. |
Zheltuga Republic | 1883–1886 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | A proto-state set up by Russian and Chinese prospectors illegally mining on the Chinese side of the Amur River. The settlement was known for its lawlessness, housing escaped convicts, deserters from other mines, sex workers on the other side of the river (as women were not allowed in Zheltuga), and some punishments being carried out with spiked whips. Zheltuga was later discovered by the Chinese, resulting in the deportation of all Russians and the settlement being burned to the ground. |
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1888–1889 | Now part of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam | Marie-Charles David de Mayréna was born in France in 1842. He stopped in Vietnam 1884 and started a plantation. In 1888, the King of Siam began claiming territory west of French territory. Anxious, the Governor of the Indochinese Union agreed to Mayréna's proposed expedition to the interior. When Mayréna reached the central highlands, he organized the local tribes into the Kingdom of Sedang, and declared himself King Marie I. He offered to cede his kingdom to France in exchange for monopoly rights. When the French government declined, Mayréna approached the English at Hong Kong. When he was rebuffed there, Mayréna went to Belgium. In 1889, a Belgian financier named Somsy offered arms and money to Mayréna in exchange for mineral rights. The French Navy blockaded Vietnamese ports to prevent his return, and his arms were seized as contraband at Singapore. |
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1895 | Now part of the Republic of China | Declared independence upon the Japanese annexation of Taiwan following Chinese defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War. |
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1896–1897 | Now part of the Philippines | A revolutionary state that later became the First Philippine Republic |
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1897 | A revolutionary state that later became the First Philippine Republic. | |
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1898 | Succeeded by the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. | |
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Succeeded by the First Philippine Republic. | ||
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1898–1901 | On January 1, 1899, the Federal Republic of Negros was proclaimed as a State or Canton with two Provinces. Notice of its establishment was sent to General Aguinaldo. On March 4, the island of Negros was surrendered to U.S. forces.[11][12][13] | |
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1899–1902 | Existed as an unrecognized independent sovereign state from its declaration on June 12, 1898, up to the surrender of Géneral Miguel Malvar on April 16, 1902[14][15] It was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899, in Malolos, Bulacan, and pursued a protracted war against the United States following the 1898 cession of the Philippines to the U.S. by Spain. | |
Republic of Zamboanga | 1899–1903 | República de Zamboanga was a revolutionary republic, founded shortly after the collapse of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. |
20th and 21st centuries
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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1902–1906 | Now part of the Philippines. | Revolutionary body set up during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. |
Heavenly Kingdom of the Great Mingshun | 1903 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | An attempted Chinese Christian state that bore reference to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Its leaders wished to establish a Westernized constitutional monarchy, but were captured a few days before the main insurrection was set to occur. The kingdom lasted for three days. |
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1918 | Now part of Russia | In February 1918 the acting government of Yakutia proclaimed the independence of Yakutia in response to the Bolshevik seizure of power. This independent government was overthrown on July 1 |
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1911–1919, 1921–1924 |
Now part of Mongolia and Russia | In 1911, the 8th Bogd Gegeen of Outer Mongolia proclaimed independence from the Qing dynasty of China. After 1915 it became a de facto self-governing autonomous region under the suzerainty of the Republic of China. After rebelling against Chinese rule of 1919–1921, it reaffirmed its independence and became the predecessor of the Mongolian People's Republic. Internationally, territories held by this state were widely regarded as part of the Republic of China. |
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1912–1951 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | In 1913, the 13th Dalai Lama proclaimed independence from the Qing dynasty of China,[16] which was only recognized by the internationally unrecognized Mongolia.[17][18] However, there have been doubts over the authority of the Tibetan representative to sign the treaty, and thus its validity.[19] The following year, a treaty accepting Chinese suzerainty was signed and the border was adjusted in favor of British India.[20] The 14th Dalai Lama acknowledged Chinese sovereignty in the Seventeen Point Agreement of 1951,[21] but China continues to reject the 1914 treaty and claims South Tibet (now part of India's Arunachal Pradesh). Internationally, territories held by this state were widely regarded as part of China. |
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1917–1920 | Now part of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan | De facto self-governing autonomous region. |
State of Buryat-Mongolia | 1917–1921 | Now part of Russia | Established during the Russian Civil War. |
Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers, Soldiers, and the Landless in Latvia | 1917-1918 | Now part of Latvia | |
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1917–1921 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | Established during the Warlord Era. |
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1918–1919 | Now part of Azerbaijan | Established during the Russian Civil War, this state only lasted several months.[22] |
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1919 | now part of Azerbaijan | The Mughan Soviet Republic was a short-lived pro-Bolshevik state that existed in present-day southeastern Azerbaijan from March to June 1919. |
Provisional Government of the Far East | 1920 | now part of Russia | |
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1921 | Now mostly part of the Republic of Armenia | An anti-Soviet Armenian state which existed from 26 April until 13 July 1921, roughly corresponding with the territory that is now the present-day Armenian provinces of Vayots Dzor and Syunik, and some parts of the present-day Republic of Artsakh.[23] |
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1920 | Now independent | Lasted for 4 months at the end of World War I until dissolved by the French, who took control. |
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1920–1921 | Now Gilan province in Iran | Created by local guerilleros (Jangali) when Red Army troops entered Iran, but failed to spread the revolutionary movement over the whole of Iran. |
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1920-1922 | Now part of Russia | |
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1920-1924 | Now part of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan | |
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Now part of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan | ||
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1921–1924 | Now part of Iraq | Established by Kurdish nationalists following the collapse of Ottoman Turkey, but were defeated by Britain and incorporated into the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. |
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1921–1944 | Now part of Russia | Attempt by Tuvans to gain independence following centuries of Chinese rule and years of domination by Imperial Russia; it was put under Soviet control and later formally annexed. The Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic were the only countries to recognize its independence.[24][25] |
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1921–1945, 1953–1992 | Now independent | Was unrecognized by several countries from 1940 to 1960 due to being claimed as an integral part of the Republic of China.[26] |
File:File:Flag of Hejaz 1920.svg Sharifian Caliphate | 1924-1925 | Now part of Saudi Arabia | Sharifian Caliphate (Arabic: الخلافة الشريفية) was an Arab caliphate proclaimed by the Sharifian rulers of Hejaz in 1924, in lieu of the Ottoman Caliphate. According to The Times, Mehmed VI, the last Ottoman sultan and penultimate Ottoman caliph, sent a telegraph of support to Hussein after he had proclaimed himself caliph. Nevertheless, King Hussein's caliphate failed to receive wide recognition from the still-colonial Arab world and it was ended when the Hashemite family had to flee the Hejaz region after its capture by the Najdi Ikhwan forces of Ibn Saud (the founder of today's Saudi Arabia) in 1924–1925. |
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1927–1930 | Now part of Turkey | One of the first Kurdish republics in history, founded in Ağrı Province, Turkey. |
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1929 | Government set up in Kabul during the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929). Was not recognized by any country.[27] | |
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1930-1931 | Now part of Vietnam | |
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1931–1937 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | Recognised by the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a "rehearsal" of the PRC and a "cradle" in which the Communist Party seized power. |
Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet | 1931-1935 | Now part of People's Republic of China | |
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1932–1945 | Puppet state of the Empire of Japan ruled by the Puyi. Manchukuo was diplomatically recognised by El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Soviet Union, Italy, Spain, Nazi Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Vichy France, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, Croatia, China's Wang Jingwei government, Thailand, and the Philippines. The League of Nations never recognized Manchukuo's annexation by Japan. Manchukuo was occupied by the Soviet Red Army in 1945, ending its puppet state status. | |
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1932-1945 | Puppet state of the Empire of Japan | |
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1933–1934 | Set up as part of the movement for an independent Xinjiang. It was defeated by the Nationalists of the Republic of China. | |
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Formed following the Fujian Incident, when the former 19th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army broke with commander Chiang Kai-shek and declared a new government. Although originally enjoying popular support, the government lost favour and was crushed by Nationalist forces in 1934. | ||
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1935–1936 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | was a confederation of two ethnic minority governments established on May 30, 1935, including the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Geledesha and the Tibetan People's Republic |
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1937–1938 | The Great Way or Dadao Government, formally the Great Way Municipal Government of Shanghai, was a short-lived puppet government proclaimed in Pudong on December 5, 1937, to administer Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. | |
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1940–1945 | Puppet government of the Empire of Japan dissolved at the end of World War II. Recognized by the Empire of Japan and its allies. | |
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1943–1945 | Now the Philippines | The Second Philippine Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines or known in the Philippines as Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic, was a puppet state established on October 14, 1943, during the Japanese occupation. |
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1944–1949 | Now part of the People's Republic of China | Soviet satellite state set up in Xinjiang. The Soviets later turned against it and approved its incorporation by China. |
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1945 | During the World War II, the Japanese support in Inner Mongolia was established, and a new puppet state named Mengjiang was created. In August 1945, it was destroyed by Soviet and Mongolian troops. On September 9, 1945, the Sunid Yutsi held a Congress of People's Representatives and aimags khoshuns of Inner Mongolia. Held for three days, the Congress proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of Inner Mongolia and elected an interim government. In November, the Chinese Communist Party managed to bring the situation under control, and reorganized the Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Inner Mongolia in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Government. | |
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1945–1946 | Now part of Iran | Soviet puppet state set up in Iranian Azerbaijan but later reclaimed by Iran. |
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1946–1947 | Declared independence from Iran, but then occupied by Iran after the withdrawal of the Soviet Red Army from the north of the country. | |
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1947–1948 | Is now split up among Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India. | One of the largest client rulers during British India. At independence in 1947 the UK allowed the local rulers of the princely states to choose between joining India, Pakistan or to become independent. The Nizam of Hyderabad chose independence declaring Hyderabad a free, self-governing independent state but the Government of India, desirous of ending marginalization of the population under Nizam, refused to accept his point of view citing as reasons: Hyderabad being surrounded by India on all sides and not having an access to the sea. After extensive attempts by India to persuade the Nizam to accede to India failed, the Indian government finally launched a military operation named Operation Polo to overthrow his rule.[28] |
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1947–1949 | Now part of India and Myanmar including Kabaw Valley. | Manipur was a princely state in British India from 1891 to 1947.
It was granted independent on midnight of 14 August 1947, from 14 August 1947 to October 1949, the region was de jure independent before acceding to India on 15 October 1949. After intense diplomatic pressure, the Manipur King Bodhchandra Singh relented and acceded Manipur to India in 1949[29] following Manipur Merger Agreement.[30] |
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1947–1948 | Now part of Balochistan province in Pakistan | Kalat was a princely state in Baluchistan Agency, one of the agencies of British India. The Khan of Kalat declared his nation's independence on August 15, 1947, one day after India and Pakistan declared independence. From 15 August 1947 to 27 March 1948, the region was de facto independent before acceding to Pakistan on 27 March 1948. After intense diplomatic pressure, the Khan relented and acceded Kalat to Pakistan in 1948. |
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1949–1971 | Now widely recognized as the legitimate government of China | Recognised by the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc states from 1949, and the United Kingdom from 1950.[31] Not recognized by the United States or the Western Bloc until the 1970s. Territories held by the People's Republic of China are claimed by the rivaling Republic of China based in Taipei. See Dates of establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China for details. |
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1950 | Now part of Indonesia | The Moluccas formed part of the United States of Indonesia (27 December 1949 – 17 August 1950), but declared independence in April 1950 in reaction of centralizing tendencies from Jakarta. It was quickly conquered by Indonesian troops, but maintains a government in exile in the Netherlands. |
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1959–1963 | Now part of the Maldives | Attempted break-away state; it was supported by Britain briefly before being abandoned. |
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1954–1961 | Now part of India | Territory made up of two former exclaves of the Portuguese district of Daman (Portuguese India). In 1954, it was invaded and occupied by supporters of their integration in the Indian Union. Thereafter and until formal annexation by India in 1961, it enjoyed a de facto independence. Portugal continued to consider Dadra and Nagar Haveli as Portuguese territory until 1974. The native citizens of the territory continued to be entitled to the grant of Portuguese citizenship until 2006. |
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1961 | Now part of Timor-Leste | In early 1961 the Battle Office for the Liberation of Timor (Bureau de Luta pela Libertação de Timor) was formed under the leadership of Maoclao and backed by Indonesia. A republic was proclaimed in the border town of Batugade on 9 April 1961. It was quickly put down by Portuguese troops.[32] |
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1976–1999 | In 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor as towards on its declaration of independence as that country started an occupation and becoming the country's 27th province. However, United Nations did not recognize the claimants of its annexation and Portugal made as the legislative administrating power. | |
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1979–1984 | Now part of Lebanon | In 1976, as a result of the ongoing civil war, the Lebanese army began to break up. Major Saad Haddad, commanding an army battalion in the south which had been part of the Army of Free Lebanon, broke away and founded a group known as the Free Lebanon Army (FLA). The FLA fought against various groups including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Amal Movement and (after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon) the emerging Hezbollah. The 1978 Israeli invasion allowed the Free Lebanon Army to gain control over a much wider area in southern Lebanon. On April 18, 1979, Haddad proclaimed the area controlled by his force "Independent State of Free Lebanon" (Dawlet Lebnaan El Horr El Mest’ell) with the capital Beirut, though his actual headquarters were in Marjayoun. In May 1980, " Free Lebanon Army" was renamed "South Lebanon Army". The statehood claim was downplayed following the death of Haddad in 1984, though his successor Antouan Lahed continued to exercise some authority in Southern Lebanon until the year 2000. On 24 May 2000, following Israeli withdrawal and final collapse of the SLA, Lebanese forces occupied the small town Marjayoun, which was the "capital" of southern Lebanon. |
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1979–1992 | Now part of Cambodia | Khmer Rouge was ousted by Vietnam in 1979. Not recognized by the People's Republic of China, North Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, ASEAN countries and the UN. |
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1994–1998 | Rival government of the restored Kingdom of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge. Dissolved following the death of Pol Pot. | |
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1994 | Now part of Yemen | Breakaway state formed during the 1994 civil war in Yemen. It only lasted six weeks before being reconquered. |
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1996–2001 | Now part of Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan). | In 1996, The Taliban took control over Kabul but lost control of the regions they controlled in 2001. However, after the Fall of Kabul in 2021, the Taliban has restated its rule. |
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2004–2009 | Recaptured by Sri Lanka | After a 26-year Failed military campaign. Sri Lanka Military Starting their Offensive from 2005. Until Their 2008–09 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and Till their Last Day on May 18, 2009, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam self-declared Tamil Eelam ceased to exist. |
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2013 | Now part of the Philippines | Following their defeat in Zamboanga City by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on September 28, 2013, the Moro National Liberation Front self-declared Bangsamoro Republic ceased to exist. |
Europe
Antiquity to 19th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Gallic Confederation | 58–50 | Part of France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium | |
Boudica's Confederation | 60-61 | Part of United Kingdom | |
Gallic Empire | 260–274 | Part of France, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany | |
Brittanic Empire | 286–296 | Part of United Kingdom and France | a Roman naval commander, Carausius, declared himself emperor over Britain and northern Gaul. His Gallic territories were retaken by the western Caesar Constantius Chlorus in 293 |
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10th century – 1868 | Part of Spain and Portugal | De facto independent microstate on the border between Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal. By the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon, its territory was partitioned between Spain and Portugal. |
Miecław's State | 1037-1047 | Part of Poland | |
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1290-1320 1332-1357 |
Part of the United Kingdom | Till the Declaration of Arbroath, the Pope and the Kings of England refused to recognise Scotland as a Sovereign Nation. |
Duchy of Gniewkowo | 1373–1374 1375–1377 |
Part of Poland | |
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1736 | Part of France | Seceded from Republic of Genoa. |
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1742–1743 | Part of Finland | |
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1755–1769 | Part of France | Seceded from Republic of Genoa. Recognized only by Bey of Tunis.[33] |
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1789–1791 | Part of Belgium | Republic formed following the Liège Revolution. |
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1790 | Now Independent Belgium and Luxemburg | |
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1794–1796 | Part of France | Independent kingdom under British King George III, formed on the Irish model.[34][35] |
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1798–1801 | Part of Malta | Independent kingdom under Neapolitan King Ferdinand III. It was actually ruled by a provisional government set up by Saverio Cassar, after French troops on the island capitulated to rebels. It became part of the British protectorate of Malta in 1801. |
Republic of Connacht | 1798 | Part of Ireland | French client republic. |
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1798 | Part of Switzerland | Formerly a subject territory of Bern. The Lemanic Republic declared its independence in January 1798 before being incorporated into the Helvetic Republic as Canton of Léman (today: Vaud) in April of the same year. |
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1814 | Part of Denmark-Norway, then United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway | Norway declared its independence, as a result of the refusal of the Treaty of Kiel after the Napoleonic Wars, adopted a Constitution and elected Danish Prince Christian Frederik as its own king. Resulting to a short war with Sweden, leading to Norway accepting entering into a personal union with Sweden at the Convention of Moss. |
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1836–1962? | Part of Italy[36] | The Bertoleoni family claimed to be monarchs of an island off the northeast coast of Sardinia. |
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1848–1849 | Part of Italy | Following 1848 unrests, the republic was proclaimed in 1848 in the territories of Venetia with the capital Venice. Allied with the other Italian states against Austrian Empire, it eventually voted to federate under Kingdom of Sardinia, but it went back to independence after piedmontese defeat. Remaining only Venice and its lagoon under control, the republic surrendered after almost 5 months of siege and after 17 months of existence. |
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1848-1849 | Now part of Germany | was a short-lived proto-state which existed from 1848 to 1849. In one view, it was a revolutionary new created national state. According to another view, it was the reformed German Confederation. |
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1873–1874 | Part of Spain | In 1873 Cartagena was proclaimed as an independent canton, called the Canton of Cartagena. This proclamation started the Cantonal Revolution in Spain, during the First Spanish Republic. It was the beginning of the cantonalism, a movement that tried Spain become a federal state composed by cantons. Some cities and territories joined the cantonal cause and were declared independents too, but they surrendered a few days later. The only canton with an organized government as state, control on its territory and military power was Cartagena, which declared war and faced the Spanish central government during six months, until it was invaded. |
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1878–1886 | Part of Bulgaria | The Republic of Tamrash was a self-governing administrative structure of the Pomaks, living in the Tamrash region of the Rhodope Mountains. |
20th and 21st centuries
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Gurian Republic | 1902-1906 | Part of Georgia | The Gurian Republic or the Gurian peasant republic was an insurrection that took place in the western Georgian province Guria (then part of the Imperial Russia) prior to and during the Russian Revolution of 1905. Republic existed from the November 1905 to January 10, 1906. |
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1903 | Part of North Macedonia | Republic established in Kruševo, North Macedonia at the start of the Ilinden Uprising. It lasted solely 10 days, from the third to the thirteenth of August. It can be considered as one of the first modern governments with leftist views, as both the president, Nikola Karev and his co-writer of the Kruševo Manifesto, Nikola Kirov, were socialists and members of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party. |
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1903 | Part of Bulgaria and Turkey | |
Chita Republic, Krasnoyarsk Republic, Novorossiysk Republic, Sochi Republic, Stary Buyan Republic | 1905–1906 | Part of Russia | The Chita Republic was a workers and peasants' dictatory republic in Chita during the Russian Revolution of 1905, installed by actual seizure of power in Chita RSDLP Committee and the Council of Soldiers 'and Cossacks' Deputies in November 1905 – January 1906. The Krasnoyarsk Republic – government, organized by the Joint Board of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies in Krasnoyarsk during the First Russian Revolution. Lasted from 9 to 27 December 1905. The Novorossiysk Republic – the worker-peasant self-government established by the Council of Workers' Deputies in Novorossiysk December 12, 1905 lasted until 26 December of the same year. The Sochi Republic – political education social democratic sense, arising from the modern city of Sochi as a result of the revolutionary uprisings of 1905. Lasted from December 28, 1905, to January 5, 1906 (i.e., about 9 days). The Starobuyanskaya Republic – peasant self-government established during the First Russian Revolution in the village of Stary Buyan. Lasted from 12 to 26 November 1905. |
Liubotyn Republic and Shuliavka Republic | 1905 | Part of Ukraine | The Lyubotinskaya Republic – proclaimed in December 1905, independent workers' state in the armed insurrection of the workers and railwaymen in Lyubotin during the Russian Revolution of 1905. Republic existed from the December 26 to 30, 1905. The Shuliavka Republic was an early 20th-century worker-based quasi-government organization in the city of Kiev, Ukraine, whose main task was self-defence. The uprising lasted a total of four days, from December 12–16 (o.s., in the Gregorian Calendar, 26–29), 1905. |
Markovo Republic | 1905–1906 | Part of Russia | The Markovo Republic was a self-proclaimed peasant state, located in Russia, in the Volokolamsk area. It was proclaimed on October 18, 1905, when during the Russian Revolution of 1905 peasants took control of the local government in the village Markovo and 5 other villages. It had existed until July 18, 1906. |
Republic of Ostrowiec | Part of Poland | The Republic of Ostrowiec (Republika Ostrowiecka) – government set December 27, 1905 during the First Russian Revolution in cities Ostrowiec, Iłżę, Ćmielów and locality. Republic fell in the middle of January 1906. | |
Republic of Zagłębie and Republic of Sławków | 1905 | The Polish towns Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and Sławków were taken over by revolutionaries during the Russian Revolution of 1905. Both republics existed in November–December 1905, each about 10–12 days. | |
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1913 | Part of Greece | A small, short-lived republic from August 31 to October 25, 1913, at the end of the Second Balkan War when Western Thrace was then occupied by the Ottoman Empire. It was founded as a state with Ottoman support, in order to avoid Bulgarian rule after the Treaty of Bucharest, in which the Ottomans had not taken part. Under British pressure, the Balkan powers and the Ottomans signed the Treaty of Constantinople, which satisfied the Turkish claims to recognition of Eastern Thrace. The Ottomans withdrew their forces and by 25 October, the area was annexed by Bulgaria.[37][38] |
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1913–1914 | Part of Albania | The Republic of Central Albania was a republic declared following the pullout of Ottoman forces from the former Albanian Vilayet. Declared by Essad Pasha Toptani, the republic's existence came to an end when the troops of Wilhelm of Wied took control of the country. |
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1916 | The Republic of Ireland and part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | An independent republic covering the entire island of Ireland declared on 24 April 1916 during the Easter Rising; sent out a radio broadcast to the nations of Europe: "Irish Republic declared in Dublin today. Irish troops have captured city and are in full possession. Enemy cannot move in city. The whole country rising." The rebels surrendered on 29 April.[39] |
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1917–1918 | Disputed (Part of Russia, Internationally recognised as part of Ukraine) | Suppressed by the Red Army. |
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1917–1918 | Now part of Ukraine | Soviet Russia puppet state created on efforts of the local Bolsheviks and military support from Moscow and Petrograd. It was cleared out of Ukraine by the Ukrainian People's Republic with the help from Germany and Austria. |
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Now part of Estonia | In December 1917, a group of Russian sailors commandeered Naissaar and proclaimed an independent "socialist republic", under the leadership of Stepan Petrichenko. | |
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Part of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan (Russia) | Suppressed by the Red Army. | |
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1917–1922 | Part of Russia | Revolutionary soviet state led by Vladimir Lenin during the Russian civil war. |
Republic of Heinzenland | Part of Austria | was a short-lived and unrecognized nation in the region now known as the Austrian federal state of Burgenland, aimed at protecting the German-speaking population in Western Hungary | |
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Part of Ukraine and Moldova | Odessan Soviet Republic was a short-lived Soviet republic formed on January 31, 1918. It was disestablished on 13 March 1918. It was not recognized by any country.[citation needed] | |
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1918 | Part of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia (Vojvodina) and Montenegro (Boka Kotorska) | Temporary state of the Austro-Hungarian South Slavs, declared on October 29, 1918, and merged with the Kingdom of Serbia on December 1, 1918, into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) |
First Republic of Pińczów | Part of Poland | Area of Pińczów and the surrounding area which was captured at the end of 1918 for a period of six weeks by the city's inhabitants, led by Jan Lisowski, after the disarmament of the occupation troops without a fight. | |
Republic of Tarnobrzeg | 1918–1919 | Part of Poland | The Republic of Tarnobrzeg was proclaimed November 6, 1918 in the Polish town of Tarnobrzeg. Disestablished Spring 1919. |
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1918–1920 | Part of Russia | A territory in Russia, it was declared by Kuban Cossacks in 1918. It supported the White Movement and was overrun by the Bolsheviks in 1920. |
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1918–1919 | Part of Ukraine | Established in eastern Galicia leading to a losing war with Poland after which it was overrun by Poland and its government joined the Ukrainian People's Republic. |
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An association of 30 pro-Ukrainian villages, it planned to merge with the West Ukrainian People's Republic but was suppressed by Poland during the Polish-Ukrainian War | ||
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1918 | Part of Finland and Russia | Lasted only three months during the Finnish Civil War, but was recognized by Soviet Russia. |
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Part of Austria | Amidst the chaos in collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire the Vorarlbergers proclaimed themselves a separate non-Austrian, Germanic people and declared on 3 November 1918 the independence as Republic of Vorarlberg. The secession was blocked by the Allies and the new Austrian republican government. In April 1919, over 80% of the Vorarlbergers voted to secede from Austria and attach themselves to Switzerland, but they were again blocked.[40] | |
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Part of France | The Soviet Republic, existed in Alsace from 10 to 22 November 1918. | |
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Part of Romania, Serbia, and Hungary | Established in the Banat region of modern Serbia by members of ethnic groups in the region, it was only recognized by Hungary. It was invaded by Serbia and in 1919 partitioned between Hungary, Romania, and the newly created Yugoslavia. | |
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1918–1920 | Part of Russia (Rostov Oblast) | Republic was established on the historic territory of the Don Cossacks and was recognized by the Ukrainian State. In 1919 it was part of the Armed Forces of South Russia and eventually overran by Bolsheviks with its annexation to the Soviet Russia and decossackization. |
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1918 | Independent Belarus | Attempt by Belarusian nationalists but conquered by Soviet Union. Still exists today as a government-in-exile. |
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1918–1919 | Austria and part of the Czech Republic | Brief state declared following the collapse of Austria-Hungary. The Allies of World War I opposed it and it was succeeded by the First Austrian Republic. |
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1918–1923 | Part of Lithuania | In the chaos after World War I, responding to such situation the locals established a self-governing parish committee, often called the Republic of Perloja. The Republic of Perloja had its own court, police, prison, currency (Perloja litas), and an army of 300 men. |
Free State of Schwenten | 1919 | Part of Poland | |
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1919–1920 | Part of Russia | The Republic of North Ingria was a state of Ingrian Finns in the southern part of the Karelian Isthmus, which seceded from Bolshevist Russia after the October Revolution. Its aim was to be incorporated into Finland. It ruled parts of Ingria from 1919 until 1920. With the Peace Treaty of Tartu it was re-integrated into Russia. Established -January 23, 1919. Disestablished – December 5, 1920. |
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The Republic of Uhtua (or the Republic of East Karelia) was an unrecognized state, with the focus of a state led by Finns. It existed from 1919 to 1920, created out of five Volosts in the Kemsky uyezd of the Arkhangelsk Governorate, now in the Republic of Karelia. The capital of the republic was the village of Uhtua (now Kalevala). | ||
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part of Thuringia, Germany | The People's State of Reuss was a short-lived country in what is now Thuringia. The state was formed on 4 April 1919 after the reigning princes of the two Reuss principalities abdicated and elections were held in both states. It united with six other small states to form Thuringia, a member state of the Weimar Republic, on 1 May 1920. | |
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1919 | Part of Ukraine | A state formed from territory in the former Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen, it was invaded by the Hungarian Soviet Republic in June 1919 and then became part of the First Czechoslovak Republic. It originally intended to join the Western Ukrainian National Republic[41] |
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Part of Germany | The Bavarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Munich Soviet Republic was, as part of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the attempt to establish a socialist state in the form of a democratic workers' council republic in the Free State of Bavaria. It lasted four weeks. Another Republic that also existed for four weeks was the Bremen Soviet Republic.[42] | |
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Part of Slovakia | A pro-Hungarian puppet state set up by Red Guards from the Hungarian Soviet Republic in Upper Hungary. It lasted three weeks.[42] After a brief war it was returned to the authority of Czechoslovakia as promised by early peace agreements. | |
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Part of Slovenia[43] | Existed for six days. | |
Limerick Soviet | Part of Ireland | The Limerick Soviet (republic) was a self-declared Soviet Republic that existed from 15 to 27 April 1919. | |
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1919-1922 | ||
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1919–1923 | Part of Germany | The Free State Bottleneck (German: Freistaat Flaschenhals) was a short-lived quasi-state that existed from 10 January 1919 until 25 February 1923. It was formed out of part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau as a consequence of the occupation of the Rhineland following World War I. |
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1919 | Part of Portugal | A stated that established by monarchists trying to restore the monarchy. It was crushed by the Portuguese Army. |
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1919–1922 | The Republic of Ireland and part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | An unrecognized Irish nationalist state during the Irish War for Independence it ceased to exist following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which gave Southern Ireland independence as the Irish Free State while keeping Northern Ireland under British control. These terms caused much of the victorious Irish Republican Army to reject the treaty, leading to the Irish Civil War (1922–1923) between pro-treaty Free State forces and Anti-Treaty IRA, who viewed the dissolution of the Republic as illegal. |
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1919 | Now part of Ukraine | The Soviet Republic Ukrainian SSR existed from 1919 to 1991. It was not until 1945 when it was officially recognized as a founding member of the United Nations. It was created as another puppet state of the Soviet Russia. With the fall of the Soviet Union transitioned to Ukraine. |
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1920 | Now part of Ukraine | The Soviet Republic Galician SSR existed from July 8, 1920, to September 21, 1920, during the Polish-Soviet War within the area of the south-western front of the Red Army. |
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1920-1922 | Part of Lithuania and Belarus | was a short-lived puppet republic of Poland, that existed from 1920 to 1922, without an international recognition. It was founded on 12 October 1920, after Żeligowski's Mutiny, when soldiers of the Polish Army, mainly the 1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Infantry Division under Lucjan Żeligowski, fully supported by the Polish air force, cavalry and artillery, attacked Lithuania. It was incorporated into Poland on 18 April 1922. |
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1921 | Part of Austria and Hungary | State declared in the Burgenland state of Austria by ethnic Hungarians following the Treaty of Trianon, where Hungary was forced to surrender the territory. It was ceased to exist after a month when Austria annexed it. |
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Part of Croatia | Republic established in Labin, Croatia. | |
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Part of Hungary and Croatia | A Soviet-minded[vague] state set up by Hungarian communists fleeing the white terror following the collapse of the Hungarian Soviet Republic. It was supported by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes but was quickly re-conquered by Hungary. | |
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Part of Albania | Set up by Albanian Catholics trying to break away from Albania which was a mainly Muslim country. It was backed by Yugoslavia but only lasted three months. | |
Munster Republic | 1922 | Part of the Republic of Ireland | Though never independent it was the informal name given to Munster which was the base of Irish republicans aiming to create a United Ireland during the Irish Civil War. |
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1924-1925 | Part of Khabarovsk Krai | The Tungus Republic was a short-lived state started by the Tunguska uprising apart of the Yakut uprisings of the 1920s the state was ceded back to the USSR in 1925. |
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1936-1937 | Part of Spain | Established during the Spanish Civil War. |
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1939 | Part of Ukraine | Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from 30 December 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied and annexed by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939. |
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1939–1940 | Part of Russia | Puppet state of the Soviet Union led by Otto Wille Kuusinen. Finnish Democratic Republic was diplomatically recognised by USSR, Mongolia and Tuva,[44] latter two being Soviet satellite states. The League of Nations never recognized the Finnish Democratic Republic. Finnish Democratic Republic was merged in 1940 with the Karelian ASSR within the RSFSR to form the Karelo-Finnish SSR, a Soviet republic in its own right, after Finland had ceded the areas to the Soviet Union in the Moscow Peace Treaty. |
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1939–1945 | Part of Slovakia | Between 1939 and 1945, First Slovak Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany. |
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1940–1991 | Part of Estonia | A puppet state[45] which was created in 1940 and forcibly incorporated into Soviet Union. It was not recognized by the majority of Western countries. |
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Part of Latvia | ||
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Part of Lithuania | ||
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1941–1945 | Now two independent states, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina | Affiliated with the Third Reich. |
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1941 | Part of Ukraine | Proclaimed restoration of Ukrainian statehood by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists after the occupation of Lviv by Nazi Germany which immediately suppressed it. |
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1941-1949 | Part of Ukraine and Poland | Territories of Western Ukraine, controlled by Ukrainian Insurgent Army during the World War II. |
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1941 | Part of Serbia | Area briefly liberated by Yugoslav partisans after the Invasion of Yugoslavia; it was retaken by the German Army during the First anti-Partisan offensive. |
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1942–1943 | Part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia | Area liberated by Yugoslav partisans before being recaptured by the German Army. |
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1943–1945 | Part of Italy | German-dominated puppet state under Benito Mussolini, formed in the North of Italy after the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III signed an armistice with the Allies. |
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1944 | Part of France | On 3 July 1944, the Free Republic of Vercors was proclaimed, the first democratic territory in France since the beginning of the German occupation in 1940. The republic ceased to exist before the end of the month. |
Second Republic of Pińczów | 1944 | Part of Poland | Region in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship liberated by joint forces of Polish Resistance formations: Home Army, People's Army and Peasants' Battalions, during a period from July to August 1944.[46][47] |
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1975-1983 | Now Northern Cyprus De Jure Cyprus | |
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1990-1991 | Now de facto independent Transnistria, officially part of Moldova | |
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1990–1994 | Part of Moldova | Region in Moldova that declared its independence on 19 August 1991 following the attempted August coup in Moscow. Gagauzia was uncomfortable with the potential unification between Moldova and Romania. It was later reintegrated into Moldova as an autonomous region in 1994. |
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1991–2000 | Part of Russia | Reintegrated into the Russian Federation as the Chechen Republic |
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1991–1995 | Part of Croatia | Suppressed by Croatia. |
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1991–1992 | ||
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1992–1996 | Part of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Suppressed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. |
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1992–1995 | One of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Transformed into an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering 50% of the land with 90%+ ethnic Serbs. |
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1993–1995 | Part of Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, existed during the Bosnian War. Its leader was later convicted of war crimes. |
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1995–1998 | Part of Croatia | The UN gives Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia to Croatia. |
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2014 | Part of Ukraine | This republic was declared by an internet group on 16 April, but local Antimaidan protesters said they had not made such a declaration. Unlike in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk, pro-Russian protesters in Odessa said they wanted Odessa to be an autonomous region within Ukraine, rather than to join Russia. On 28 October, the SBU said they had foiled a plot to create a People's Republic in the region. They found a munitions cache, and arrested members of an alleged separatist group. They also said that Russian intelligence and security services were behind the plot. |
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2014 | Part of Ukraine | The Kharkov People's Republic was a short lived republic proclaimed on 7 April by protesters occupying the RSA building. However, later that day, Ukrainian special forces retook the building, thereby ending the control the protesters had had over the building. |
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2014–2015 | Part of Ukraine | Due to non-resolution to the war in Donbass, although Minsk Protocol/Minsk II are in effect. Both states attempted to form an unrecognised Confederation-like union known as Novorossiya based on a historical Russian region of the same name. This project was suspended however in 2015, and reverted as allied rebellious separatist People's Republics from Ukraine as since. |
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2014 | Disputed (Part of Russia, Internationally recognised as part of Ukraine) | As part of the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, on 17 March 2014 following the official announcement of the Crimean status referendum results, the Supreme Council of Crimea declared the formal independence of the Republic of Crimea, comprising the territories of both the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.[49] Russia officially recognised the Republic of Crimea 'as a sovereign and independent state' by decree[50] before approving the admission of Crimea and Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia.[51] |
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2017 | Part of Spain Declaration of independence suspended shortly after |
The Autonomous Community of Catalonia, today part of the Kingdom of Spain, historically have demanded Independence. After an unrecognized referendum without democratic guarantees that results in a majority of "yes",[52] a declaration of independence was passed in parliament, but it was suspended by parliament itself later to allow negotiations. Some claim eight seconds after it was declared.[53] The Spanish government has effectively since disbanded the self-proclaimed republic, and announced a new regional election instead. Some of the Catalan leadership went to jail according to the Spanish Constitution of 1978.[54] |
Oceania
19th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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Australian Empire | 1804 | Part of Australia | Declared by a group of rebels during the Castle Hill convict rebellion. The convicts elected Phillip Cunningham as the "King of the Australian Empire". The empire lasted around one day before the rebellion was put down. |
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1835–1840 | Part of New Zealand | Independence declared by British Resident James Busby and northern Māori tribal leaders as an attempt to safeguard British claims against French territorial expansion. Led to a formal treaty (the Treaty of Waitangi) between Māori leaders and the British crown in 1840. |
Kingdom of New Zealand | 1835–1843 | Declared by adventurer and New Zealand landowner Charles de Thierry, who, in order to convince the French government to appoint him as governor, falsely claimed that the Māori tribes had chosen him as their sovereign. He later "annexed" the island of Nuku Hiva for his kingdom. | |
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1868–1876 | Part of Chile | Formed by French sailor Jean-Baptiste Dutrou-Bornier, who bought up much of the severely depopulated Easter Island, and declared his indigenous wife to be its Queen. The kingdom ceased to exist after Dutrou-Bornier's death, with a remaining population of only 111 people. |
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1888–1914 | An independence movement in Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Due to a misunderstanding in the Chilean treaty of annexation, the islanders believed they retained their sovereignty. King Riro Kāinga attempted to negotiate the island's continued sovereignty with Chile, but died under mysterious circumstances. Several other Rapa Nuians declared themselves kings, such as Enrique Ika, Moisés Tuʻu Hereveri, and María Angata | |
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1888–1897 | Part of French Polynesia | A Polynesian kingdom that resisted the French annexation of the Leeward Islands. The King of Raiatea, Tamatoa VI, requested a French protectorate, but many of the lesser chiefs refused to comply with French authority and deposed Tamatoa. This led to a resistance government being set up with Queen Tuarii installed on the throne. |
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1888–1894 | A Polynesian kingdom that resisted the French annexation of the Leeward Islands. Queen Tehaapapa II acquiesced to French annexation, and like in Raiatea, an anti-French insurrection rose up to rally around a rebel government with the Queen's daughter, Teuhe, installed on the throne. | |
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1888–1895 | A Polynesian kingdom that resisted the French annexation of the Leeward Islands. Unlike in Raiatea and Huahine, Bora Bora remained officially neutral, but due to the war in the rest of the Leewards Islands, the French weren't able to take control over the kingdom until 1895. | |
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1889–1890 | Part of Vanuatu | Its independence guaranteed by France, this community of Melanesian natives and European settlers experimented with universal suffrage until France and Britain intervened in the New Hebrides.[55] |
20th century
Name | Period | Today | Notes |
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1972 | Part of Tonga, but claim disputed by Fiji and a Minerva "principality" group | Several previously unclaimed reefs that were occupied and raised in a minor way by a group of libertarian establishmentarians until Tonga laid claim to the territory. |
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1974 | Part of Vanuatu | Declared independence but was suppressed by the Anglo-French condominium. |
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1975–1976 | Part of Papua New Guinea | Seceded twice and returned after peace negotiations both times. |
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1980 | Part of Vanuatu | Opposed to the Anglo-French condominium that ruled it but which ended the secessionist state. |
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Central power of Vanuatu restored with assistance of army from Papua New Guinea. | ||
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1990–1998 | Part of Papua New Guinea | Signed a peace deal with Papua New Guinea giving the island autonomy pending an independence referendum within a decade. |
See also
References
- ^ Atuobi, Samuel Mondays. "Corruption and State Instability in West Africa: An Examination of Policy Options" (PDF). Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). p. 8. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
Until independence, the opportunities for self-enrichment were limited; the principal beneficiaries of colonial rule were the European elite, officials and businessmen, enjoying a lifestyle which the Africa elite aspired to emulate but were largely prevented from reaching. Independence unlocked the floodgate [of corruption]. Politicians used their public office to extract 'commissions' at every available opportunity. The common cut on government contracts in West Africa was 10 per cent. In numerous cases, prominent politicians simply looted the state treasury, transferring money to their private accounts.
- ^ Dambisa Moyo (2009). Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa. Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- ^ Mutize, Misheck. "Why South Africa shouldn't turn to the IMF for help". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ Rayner, Gordon (27 September 2011). "Is your mobile phone helping fund war in Congo?". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ Avi Brooks, Lonny (February 21, 2019). "The 21st century belongs to China—but the 22nd will be Africa's". Quartz.
- ^ "African Economic Outlook 2019". The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa.
- ^ "Less armed conflict but more political violence in Africa". The Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
- ^ Crellin, Zac (4 August 2016). "The conspiracy of Katangese nationalism". Pambazuka. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ Minahan, James (1 January 2002). Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: L-R. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313321115 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Footnotes to History- U to Z". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09.
- ^ Kalaw, Maximo Manguiat (1921). The Present Government of the Philippines. Oriental commercial. p. 148. ISBN 1-4067-4636-3.(Note: 1. The book cover incorrectly lists author as "Maximo M Lalaw", 2. Originally published in 1921 by The McCullough Printing Co., Manila)
- ^ Two-article series:
- "Pacete: The fate of the Federal Republic of Negros". Sun-Star Philippines.
- "Pacete: The fate of the Federal Republic of Negros 2". Sun-Star Philippines.
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