List of former European colonies

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2023)

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This is a list of former European colonies.

## North America[edit]

### Northern and Central America[edit]

#### Denmark[edit]

* Greenland
* Danish West Indies

#### France[edit]

* New France
* Newfoundland
* Île-Royale (Cape Breton Island)
* Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
* Acadia
* Quebec
* Guadeloupe

#### Great Britain[edit]

* British America (New Britain)
* Canada
* Island of St. John
* Rupert's Land (A private estate stretching from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and from the prairies to the Arctic Circle.[1])
* Lower Canada
* Province of Quebec
* Upper Canada
* Newfoundland Colony
* "Thirteen Colonies"
* New England Colonies:
* Province of Massachusetts Bay
* Province of New Hampshire
* Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
* Connecticut Colony
* Province of New York
* Province of New Jersey
* Province of Pennsylvania
* Delaware Colony
* Province of Maryland
* Colony of Virginia
* Province of North Carolina
* Province of South Carolina
* Province of Georgia
* Other North American colonies
* Province of East Florida
* Province of West Florida
* Indian Reserve
* Middle Colonies
* Chesapeake Colonies
* Southern Colonies
* Oregon Country (disputed with France)
* British Honduras
* Mosquito Coast
* Bay Islands

#### Iceland[edit]

* Greenland
* Vinland (Newfoundland?)

#### Netherlands[edit]

* New Netherland (Nieuw-Amsterdam / New York)

#### Norway[edit]

* Iceland
* Greenland

#### Portugal[edit]

* Claim to Labrador
* Claim and settlement in Terra Nova (Newfoundland)

#### Russia[edit]

* Fort Ross, California
* Kauai
* Russian Alaska

#### Scotland[edit]

* Nova Scotia

#### Spain[edit]

* México (1521)
* Viceroyalty of New Spain (1535–1821)
* Las Californias
* Nuevo Reino de León
* Nuevo Santander
* Nueva Vizcaya
* Santa Fe de Nuevo México
* Nueva Extremadura
* Nueva Galicia
* Captaincy General of Cuba
* Puerto Rico
* Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
* Captaincy General of Guatemala
* Costa Rica
* El Salvador
* East Florida and West Florida
* Settlement at Nootka, near Vancouver Island, Canada

#### Sweden[edit]

* New Sweden

#### Sweden-Norway[edit]

* Sverdrup Islands (Claimed) (1902–1905)

### Caribbean[edit]

#### Brandenburg[edit]

* St Thomas

#### Courland[edit]

* New Courland (Tobago)

#### Denmark-Norway[edit]

* Saint John
* Saint Thomas
* Saint Croix

#### France[edit]

* Anguilla
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Dominica
* Grenada
* Montserrat
* Nevis
* Saint Christophe (St Kitts)
* Saint Croix
* Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola)
* Sainte-Lucia (St Lucia)
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Sint Eustatius
* Tobago

#### Knights of Malta[edit]

* Saint Barthélemy
* Saint Martin
* Saint Christopher (St Kitts)
* Saint Croix
* Tortuga (off coast of Haiti)

#### Netherlands[edit]

* Anegada
* New Walcheren (Tobago)
* Saint Croix
* Tortola
* Virgin Gorda

#### Portugal[edit]

* Barbados

#### Scotland[edit]

* Caledonia (Gulf of Darién)

#### Spain[edit]

* Belize
* Jamaica
* Spanish West Indies
* The Bahamas
* Cuba
* Hispaniola
* Puerto Rico
* Trinidad

#### Sweden[edit]

* Saint-Barthélemy

#### Sweden-Norway[edit]

* Cooper Island
* Saint-Barthélemy (1814–1878)

#### United Kingdom[edit]

* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Jamaica
* Leeward Islands
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Dominica
* Saint Christopher (St Kitts)-Nevis
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Windward Islands
* Grenada
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

## South America[edit]

### Portugal[edit]

* Brazil
* Cisplatina (Uruguay)
* Sacramento
* Misiones Orientales

### Spain[edit]

* Kingdom of Tierra Firme (1498-1537)
* Governorate of New Andalusia (1501-1513)
* Governorate of Castilla de Oro (1514-1539)
* Governorate of New Castile (1529-1542)
* Governorate of New Toledo (1529-1542)
* Governorate of New León (1529-1539)
* Governorate of New Andalusia (1534-1617)
* Viceroyalty of Peru (1542-1824)
* New Kingdom of Granada (1538-1717) (1723-1739)
* Real Audiencia of Panamá (1538-1717) (1723-1739)
* Governorate of Terra Australis (1539-1555)
* Captaincy General of Chile (1541-1818)
* Real Audiencia of Lima (1542-1821)
* Governorate of the Río de la Plata (1549-1776)
* Real Audiencia of Charcas (1559-1776)
* Real Audiencia of Quito (1563-1717) (1723-1739)
* Real Audiencia of Concepción (1565-1575)
* Governorate of Guayrá (1617-1776)
* Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires (1661-1671)
* Real Audiencia of Cuzco (1787-1825)
* Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717-1723) (1739-1810) (1815-1822)
* Real Audiencia of Panamá (1717-1723) (1739-1752)
* Real Audiencia of Quito (1717-1723) (1739-1822)
* Captaincy General of Venezuela (1777-1824)
* Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (1776-1814)
* Governorate of Paraguay (1776-1782)
* Real Audiencia of Charcas (1776-1821)
* Upper Peru (1821-1825)

### Netherlands[edit]

* Berbice (Guyana)
* Demerara
* Dutch colonisation of the Guianas, overview
* Surinam (Suriname)
* Essequibo
* New Holland (Brazil – Half the captaincies)

### Augsburg/Nuremberg[edit]

* Welserland (Venezuela)

### France[edit]

* Brazil (Rio de Janeiro briefly, and São Luís briefly)

(see France Antarctique and France Équinoxiale)

* Iles Malouines (Falkland Islands)

### United Kingdom[edit]

* British Guiana
* Berbice, Essequibo, Demerara
* Surinam

### Sweden-Norway[edit]

* Grytviken (1904–1905)

## Africa[edit]

### Belgium[edit]

* Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
* Lado Enclave
* Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi)

### Brandenburg[edit]

* Arguin (in Mauritania)
* Brandenburger Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

### Courland[edit]

* St. Andrews Island (in the Gambia)

### Denmark-Norway[edit]

* Danish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

### France[edit]

* Albreda (in The Gambia)
* Comoros
* French Dahomey (Benin)
* French Algeria
* French Cameroon (91% of modern Cameroon)
* French Chad
* French Congo (Republic of the Congo)
* French Guinea (Guinea)
* French Upper Volta (Republic of Upper Volta, Burkina Faso)
* French Somaliland (Djibouti)
* French Sudan (Mali)
* French Togoland (Togo)
* French Madagascar
* Gabon
* Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
* Colonial Mauritania
* French protectorate in Morocco (89% of Morocco)
* Oubangui-Chari (Central African Republic)
* Senegal
* Senegambia and Niger
* Upper Senegal and Niger
* Colony of Niger
* French protectorate of Tunisia

### Germany[edit]

* German East Africa (Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania)
* German South-West Africa (Namibia)
* Kamerun (split between Cameroon and Nigeria)
* Togoland (split between Togo and Ghana)
* Wituland (Lamu Island, owned by Kenya)

### Hospitaller Malta[edit]

* Tripoli

### Italy[edit]

* Italian East Africa
* Italian Eritrea
* Italian Somaliland (now Somalia)
* Italian Libya

### Netherlands[edit]

* Arguin Island (in Mauritania)
* Dutch Cape Colony
* Dutch Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana, including El Mina)
* Dutch Loango-Angola (Luanda, Sonyo and Cabinda)
* Gorée (Senegal)
* Moçambique (Delagoa Bay)
* São Tomé
* South Africa
* Mauritius

### Portugal[edit]

* Ajuda (Whydah, in Benin)
* Portuguese Angola
* Annobón
* Cabinda
* Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
* Ceuta
* Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá
* Gorée (in Senegal)
* Malindi
* Mombasa
* Algarve Ultramar (Morocco)
* Agadir
* Alcacer Ceguer
* Arzila
* Azamor
* Mazagan
* Mogador
* Safim
* Nigeria (Lagos area)
* Mozambique
* Portuguese Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana)
* Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau)
* Quíloa
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Tangier
* Zanzibar
* Ziguinchor

### Russia[edit]

* Sagallo

### Spain[edit]

* Bona
* Bougie
* Jerba
* Fernando Po and Annobon (insular Equatorial Guinea)
* Oran
* Port Guinea
* Río Muni (mainland Equatorial Guinea)
* Spanish Protectorate in Morocco
* Spanish West Africa
* Río de Oro
* Saguia el-Hamra
* Tarfaya Strip
* Ifni

### Sweden[edit]

* Swedish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

### United Kingdom[edit]

* Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Sudan)
* Basutoland (Lesotho)
* Balleland (Benin)
* Bechuanaland (Botswana)
* British East Africa (Kenya)
* British Somaliland (Somaliland)
* British Togoland (eastern Ghana)
* British Cameroon (split between Nigeria and Cameroon)
* British Mauritius
* British Egypt
* Khedivate of Egypt
* Sultanate of Egypt
* Kingdom of Egypt
* Gambia Colony and Protectorate
* Gold Coast (Ghana)
* Colonial Nigeria
* Niger Coast Protectorate
* Northern Nigeria Protectorate
* Southern Nigeria Protectorate
* Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
* Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
* Nyasaland (Malawi)
* Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate
* Union of South Africa
* British Cape Colony
* Natal Colony
* Orange River Colony
* Transvaal Colony
* South West Africa (Namibia)
* Walvis Bay
* Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
* Swaziland (Eswatini)
* Tanganyika Territory (mainland Tanzania)
* Uganda Protectorate
* Sultanate of Zanzibar (insular Tanzania)

## West Asia[edit]

### France[edit]

* Syria
* Lebanon

### Netherlands[edit]

* Jemen, Al Mukha (Mocca)
* Mesopotamia (Iraq, Al Basrah)

### Portugal[edit]

* Aden
* Bandar Abbas (Iran)
* Hormuz
* Manama (Bahrain)
* Muharraq Island (Bahrain)
* Muscat (Oman)
* Qeshm

### United Kingdom[edit]

* Aden Protectorate
* Bahrain
* Cyprus
* Mandatory Iraq
* Sheikhdom of Kuwait
* Muscat and Oman
* Palestine
* Qatar
* South Arabia
* Emirate of Transjordan
* Trucial States

## South Asia[edit]

### Indian Ocean Area[edit]

#### France[edit]

* French Comoros
* Isle de France (now Mauritius)
* French Madagascar
* French Seychelles

#### Netherlands[edit]

* Dutch Mauritius (now Mauritius)

#### Portugal[edit]

* Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep)
* Maldive Islands
* Socotra

#### Austria[edit]

* Banquibazar & Cabelon
* Nicobar Islands

#### United Kingdom[edit]

* Mauritius
* Seychelles
* Maldives

### Mainland[edit]

#### Denmark-Norway[edit]

* Frederik Oerne Islands (Nicobar Islands)
* Serampore
* Tranquebar

#### France[edit]

* French India
* Pondicherry
* Karikal
* Yanaon
* Mahé
* Chandernagore

#### Netherlands[edit]

* Dutch Bengal
* Ceylon
* Dutch India (Dutch Bengal, Suratte, Malabar, Coromandel)

#### Portugal[edit]

* Bombay
* Calicut
* Cambay
* Cannanore
* Ceilão
* Chaul
* Chittagong
* Cochin
* Dadra and Nagar Haveli
* Daman and Diu
* Goa
* Hughli
* Masulipatnam
* Mangalore
* Surat
* Syriam

#### Sweden[edit]

* Parangipettai

#### United Kingdom[edit]

* Territories of the EIC till 1858
* Territories of the British Raj after 1858

## Asia-Pacific[edit]

### Austria[edit]

* North Borneo
* Tianjin

### Belgium[edit]

* Tianjin (concession territory)

### France[edit]

* East Asia
* Kwang-Chou-Wan (廣州灣) leased territory, now the city of Zhanjiang (Guangdong province)
* French settlements (French Concession of Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, and Hankou)
* French zone of influence officially recognized by China over the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong
* Indochina
* Cambodia
* Laos
* Vietnam
* Annam
* Cochinchina
* Tonkin
* New Hebrides (Vanuatu, condominium with Britain)

### Germany[edit]

* Bismarck Archipelago
* Caroline Islands (Karolinen)
* German New Guinea
* Gilbert Islands
* German Samoa
* Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory
* Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* North Solomon Islands
* Northern Marianas Islands (Marianen)
* Palau
* Tianjin

### Italy[edit]

* Tianjin (concession)

### Netherlands[edit]

* Burma (Myanmar) (Mrohaung (Arakan), Siriangh, Syriam, Ava, Martaban)
* Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
* Dutch New Guinea (Western Part of Papua, Indonesia)
* Malacca
* Dutch Formosa
* Dejima

### Portugal[edit]

* Flores
* Macau
* Malacca
* Moluccas
* Ambon
* Ternate
* Tidore
* Portuguese Timor (Timor-Leste)
* Portuguese Nagasaki
* Solor

### Spain[edit]

* Spanish East Indies
* Philippines
* Marianas Islands
* Guam
* Northern Marianas Islands
* Caroline Islands
* Marshall Islands

### United Kingdom[edit]

* Australia
* New South Wales
* Queensland
* South Australia
* Swan River Colony/Western Australia
* Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
* Victoria
* British Solomon Islands
* British Western Pacific Territories
* Christmas Island
* Cocos Islands
* Colonial Fiji
* Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Kiribati & Tuvalu)
* Hawaii (formerly Sandwich Islands)
* Kingdom of Rarotonga (Cook Islands)
* New Hebrides (Vanuatu, condominium with France)
* New Zealand
* Auckland Islands
* Niue
* Norfolk Island
* Territory of Papua and New Guinea
* Territory of New Guinea
* Western Samoa
* Phoenix Islands (part of Kiribati)
* Solomon Islands
* Territory of Papua
* Tokelau
* Tonga
* Southeast Asia
* Malaysia
* British Malaya
* Federated Malay States
* Straits Settlements
* Unfederated Malay States
* British Borneo
* North Borneo
* Kingdom of Sarawak
* Brunei
* Bonin Islands (Japan)
* Singapore
* China
* Hong Kong
* Jiujiang (British concession territory)
* Weihaiwei (leased to the British government)
* Shanghai International Settlement (merger of the British and American concessions and residency in Shanghai)
* Tianjin (British concession territory)
* Canton (British concession territory)

## Antarctic[edit]

### France[edit]

* Adélie Land
* Amsterdam Island (New Amsterdam)
* Crozet Islands
* French Southern and Antarctic Lands
* Kerguelen Islands
* Saint Paul Island

### Germany[edit]

* New Swabia

### Norway[edit]

* Bouvet Island
* Peter I Island
* Queen Maud Land

### Spain[edit]

* Governorate of Terra Australis (1539-1555)

### United Kingdom[edit]

* British Antarctic Territory
* Falkland Islands Dependencies
* South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

## Europe[edit]

### Denmark[edit]

See also: Danish overseas colonies

* Iceland

### Italy[edit]

See also: Colonia (Roman), Venetian Empire, and Genoese Empire

* Albania
* Dodecanese

### Spain[edit]

* Spanish Netherlands
* Franche-Comté
* Kingdom of Portugal
* Duchy of Milan
* Kingdom of Naples
* Kingdom of Sicily

### United Kingdom[edit]

See also: British Empire

* Corsica (the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom was a protectorate of Britain, now part of France)
* Cyprus
* Ionian islands (now part of Greece)
* Ireland
* Kingdom of Hanover
* Malta
* Menorca (now part of Spain)
* Heligoland (now part of Germany)

## See also[edit]

* Austrian colonial policy
* Belgian colonial empire
* British colonial empire
* Danish colonial empire
* Dutch colonial empire
* French colonial empire
* German colonial empire
* List of former German colonies
* Italian colonial empire
* Portuguese colonial empire
* Evolution of the Portuguese Empire
* Russian colonial empire
* Spanish colonial empire
* Swedish colonial empire

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Rupert's Land | the Canadian Encyclopedia".