List of sovereign states in the 1940s

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This is a list of sovereign states in the 1940s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1940 and 31 December 1949. It contains 106 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 99 widely recognized sovereign states, six entities[which?] which were de facto sovereign but which were not widely recognized by other states.

Academic datasets differ in terms of the number of states in the 1940s.[1] At the start of the 1940s, the lowest estimate of the number of states is in the mid-50s whereas the highest is in the low-70s.[1] At the end of the 1940s, the lowest estimate is in the mid-70s while the highest is in the mid-80s.[1]

Contents

* Sovereign states
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* P
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* Y

* Other entities
* See also
* Notes

## Sovereign states

[edit]

Name and capital city  | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty

|

* * *

### A

[edit]

* * *

Afghanistan – Kingdom of Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 19 November 1946).

* * *

→  Albania (from 20 October 1944)
Capital: Tirana

* Democratic Government of Albania (from 20 October 1944 to 11 January 1946)
* People's Republic of Albania (from 11 January 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state under Italian occupation to 8 September 1943 and German occupation from 8 September 1943 to 29 November 1944.

* * *

Andorra – Principality of Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella | Widely recognized independent state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain.

* * *

Argentina – Argentine Republic
Capital: Buenos Aires | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 27 December 1945. Argentina was a federation of 23 provinces and 10 federal territories.[a] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica (from 1942). It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories.

* * *

Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
Capital: Canberra | Widely recognized independent state. Dominion of the British Empire to 9 October 1942. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 1 November 1945. Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories.[b] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:

* Australian Antarctic Territory
* Heard Island and McDonald Islands (from 26 December 1947)
* Norfolk Island

Australia administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory:

* New Guinea[2] (to 6 November 1949)

Australia administered two United Nations Trust Territories:

* Nauru (with New Zealand and the United Kingdom)
* Papua and New Guinea (from 6 November 1949)

* * *

### B

[edit]

* * *

Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium (to 17 May 1940, from 3 September 1944)
Capital: Brussels | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. Had a government in exile from October 1940 to September 1944. UN member state from 27 December 1945. Belgium had sovereignty over one colony:

* Belgian Congo

Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate / United Nations trust territory:

* Ruanda-Urundi (LON mandate became UN trust territory from December 13, 1946)

* * *

Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan (from 8 August 1949)
Capital: Punakha | Widely recognized independent state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs.

* * *

Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia
Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative) | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 14 November 1945.

* * *

Brazil
Capital: Rio de Janeiro

* Estado Novo (to 31 January 1946)
* Fourth Brazilian Republic (from 18 September 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Brazil was a federation of 20 states, five territories, and one federal district.[c]

* * *

→  →  Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia

* Kingdom of Bulgaria (to 15 September 1946)
* People's Republic of Bulgaria (from 15 September 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946.

* * *

Burma – Union of Burma (from 4 January 1948)
Capital: Rangoon | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 19 April 1948.

* * *

### C

[edit]

* * *

Canada – Dominion of Canada
Capital: Ottawa | Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 9 November 1945. Commonwealth realm. Canada was a federation of ten provinces and two territories.[d]

* * *

Ceylon – Dominion of Ceylon (from 4 February 1948)
Capital: Colombo | Widely recognized independent state. Commonwealth realm.

* * *

Chile – Republic of Chile
Capital: Santiago | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

China, People's Republic of (from 1 October 1949)
Capital: Beijing

* People's Republic of China (from 1 October 1949)

| Partially recognized de facto independent state. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered the mainland. It also claimed the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and South Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, South Vietnam, and the Philippines), and South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency).

* * *

China, Republic of
Capital: Nanking (to 2 September 1945), Chunking (from 2 September 1945 to 7 December 1949), Taipei (from 7 Dec 1949)

* Republic of China (mainland) (to 1 October 1949)
* Republic of China (Taiwan) (from 1 October 1949)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered Taiwan, Hainan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, Pratas Island, Itu Aba, and portions of Yunnan Province. The Republic of China had territorial claims over Mongolia; the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River (administered by the Soviet Union); The majority of Gorno-Badakhshan (administered by the Soviet Union); The eastern tip of the Wakhan Corridor (administered by Afghanistan); part of the disputed Kashmir region; eastern Bhutan; South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency); and Kachin State (administered by Burma).

* * *

Colombia – Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 5 November 1945. Colombia claimed Quita Sueño Bank, Roncador Bank, and Serrana Bank (disputed by the United States); Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States); and Serranilla Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States)

* * *

Costa Rica
Capital: San José

* First Republic of Costa Rica (to 24 April 1948)
* Second Republic of Costa Rica (from 24 April 1948)

| Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 2 November 1945.

* * *

Cuba – Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana | Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 20 April 1946 and UN member state from 2 November 1945. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay was under the total control of the United States.

* * *

Czechoslovakia (from April 3, 1945)
Capital: Prague

* Third Czechoslovak Republic (from April 3, 1945 to February 25, 1948)
* Fourth Czechoslovak Republic (from February 25, 1948)

| Widely recognized independent state under German occupation to 8 May 1945. UN member state from 24 October 1945.[e]

* * *

### D

[edit]

* * *

Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark (to 9 April 1940, from 5 May 1945)
Capital: Copenhagen | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1940. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

Dominican Republic – Third Dominican Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

### E

[edit]

* * *

Ecuador
Capital: Quito

* Republic of Ecuador (to 1 June 1944)
* Republic of Ecuador (from 1 June 1944)

| Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 9 April 1946 and UN member state from 21 December 1945, The country was under Peruvian occupation from July 23, 1941 to February 12, 1942.

* * *

Egypt – Kingdom of Egypt
Capital: Cairo | Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 9 April 1946 and UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
Capital: San Salvador | Widely recognized independent state; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

Estonia – Republic of Estonia (to June 17, 1940)
Capital: Tallinn | Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to June 17, 1940. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

* * *

Ethiopia – Ethiopian Empire (from 5 May, 1941)
Capital: Addis Ababa | Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 24 October 1945; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

### F

[edit]

* * *

Finland – Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946.

* * *

France
Capital: Paris (de jure), Vichy (de facto from 22 June 1940 to 20 August 1944) Algiers (de facto from 3 June to 31 August 1944)

* French Republic (to 22 June 1940)
* French State (from 22 June 1940 to 20 August 1944)
* Provisional Government of the French Republic (from 20 August 1944 to 14 October 1946)
* French Republic (from 14 October 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 18 April 1941 and from 20 August 1944 to 9 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. France administered the foreign affairs of the following protectorate:

* Saar (from 15 December 1947)

* * *

### G

[edit]

* * *

Germany (to 8 May 1945)
Capital: Berlin

* German Reich (to 26 June 1943)
* Greater German Reich (from 26 June 1943 to 8 May 1945)

| Widely recognized independent state to 8 May 1945.

* * *

Germany, East – German Democratic Republic (from 7 October 1949)
Capital: East Berlin (disputed) | Widely recognized state under Soviet occupation.

* * *

Germany, West – Federal Republic of Germany (from 23 May 1949)
Capital: Bonn | Widely-recognized state under Allied occupation. West Germany was a federation of twelve states.[3]

* * *

Greece – Kingdom of Greece (to 23 April 1941, From October 13, 1944)
Capital: Athens | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to April 1941, from Oct 13 1944 to 20 April 1946. Had a government in exile from April 1941 to October 1944. UN member state from 25 October 1945.

* * *

Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 November 1945)

* * *

### H

[edit]

* * *

Haiti – Republic of Haiti
Capital: Port-au-Prince | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to April 1942. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

→  Honduras – Republic of Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 17 December 1945.

* * *

→  →  Hungary
Capital: Budapest

* Kingdom of Hungary (to 1 February 1946)
* Hungarian Republic (from 1 February 1946 to 20 August 1949)
* Hungarian People's Republic (from 20 August 1949)

| Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Hyderabad – State of Hyderabad (from 15 August 1947 to 17 December 1948)
Capital: Hyderabad

* * *

### I

[edit]

* * *

Iceland
Capital: Reykjavík

* Kingdom of Iceland (to 17 June 1944)
* Iceland (from 17 June 1944)

| Widely recognized independent state. In personal union with Denmark to 17 June 1944. UN member state from 19 November 1946.

* * *

India – Union of India (from 15 August 1947)
Capital: New Delhi | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state. Commonwealth realm.

* * *

Indonesia (from 17 August 1945)
Capital: Djakarta

* Republic of Indonesia (from 17 August 1945 to 27 December 1949)
* United States of Indonesia (from 27 December 1949)

| Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Iran – Imperial State of Iran
Capital: Tehran | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 12 November 1945)

* * *

Iraq – Kingdom of Iraq
Capital: Baghdad | Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946; UN member state from 21 December 1945.

* * *

Ireland
Capital: Dublin | Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946.

* * *

Israel – State of Israel (from 14 May 1948)
Capital: Jerusalem | Widely-recognized UN member state from 11 May 1949.[f]

* * *

Italian Social Republic (from September 1943 to May 1945)
Capital: Salò | Puppet state of Germany, independent to the Kingdom of Italy.

* * *

→  Italy
Capital: Rome (to September 1943, from February 1944), Brindisi (from September 1943 to February 1944)

* Kingdom of Italy (to 2 June 1946)
* Italian Republic (from 2 June 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state under fascism to 3 September 1943.

### J

[edit]

* * *

Japan
Capital: Tokyo

* Empire of Japan (to 2 May 1947)
* Japan (from 2 May 1947)

| Widely recognized independent state under Allied occupation from 2 September 1945.

* * *

### K

[edit]

* * *

Kalat – Khanate of Kalat from (15 August 1947 until 27 March 1948)
Capital: Kalat, Balochistan

* * *

Korea – People's Republic of Korea (from 12 September 1945 to 1948)
Capital: Seoul

* * *

Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea (from 9 September 1948)
Capital: Pyongyang | Widely recognized independent state.[g] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.

* * *

→  →  Korea, South – Republic of Korea (from 17 August 1948)
Capital: Seoul | Widely recognized independent state.[h] Permanent observer at the UN. Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.

* * *

### L

[edit]

* * *

Latvia – Republic of Latvia (to 17 August 1940)
Capital: Riga | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 5 August 1940 and in exile to 20 April 1946. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

* * *

Lebanon – Lebanese Republic (from 22 November 1943)
Capital: Beirut | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 1945.

* * *

Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Capital: Monrovia | Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 2 November 1945.

* * *

Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
Capital: Vaduz | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania (to 15 June 1940)
Capital: Vilnius | Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 5 August 1940 and in exile to 20 April 1946. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

* * *

Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (to 10 May 1940, from 11 September 1944)
Capital: Luxembourg City | Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944 to 20 April 1946 and in exile from 10 May 1940 to 11 Sept 1944. Conquered by a German offensive but maintained a government in exile based in London and a UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

### M

[edit]

* * *

Mexico – United Mexican States
Capital: Mexico City | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 17 November 1945.

* * *

Monaco – Principality of Monaco
Capital: Monaco | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

→  →  Mongolia – Mongolian People's Republic
Capital: Ulaanbaatar | Widely recognized independent state from January 5, 1946.

* * *

Muscat and Oman – Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
Capital: Muscat | De jure independent state. De facto a British protectorate.

* * *

### N

[edit]

* * *

Nepal – Kingdom of Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands (to 15 May 1940, from 5 May 1945)
Capital: Amsterdam | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 10 December 1945. Under occupation by Germany from 10 May 1940 to 5 May 1945.

* * *

New Zealand
Capital: Wellington

* Dominion of New Zealand (to 25 November 1947)
* Dominion of New Zealand (from 25 November 1947)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Dominion of the British Empire until 25 Nov 1947. Commonwealth realm.

* * *

Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
Capital: Managua | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945).

* * *

Norway – Kingdom of Norway
Capital: Oslo | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Under occupation by Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.

* * *

### P

[edit]

* * *

Pakistan – Dominion of Pakistan (from 14 Aug 1947)
Capital: Karachi | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 30 September 1947). Commonwealth realm.

* * *

Panama – Republic of Panama
Capital: Panama City | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 13 November 1945.

* * *

Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
Capital: Asunción | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 Oct 1945.

* * *

Peru
Capital: Lima

* Peruvian Republic (to October 27, 1948)
* Peruvian Republic (from October 27, 1948)

| Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 31 Oct 1945.

* * *

Philippine Commonwealth
Capital: Manila

* Republic of the Philippines (from 4 Jul 1946)

| Widely recognized independent state from 4 Jul 1946. UN member state from 24 Oct 1945. The commonwealth was under Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945. The Philippine Government went into exile during that same time.

* * *

Second Philippine Republic (from 14 October 1943 to 17 August 1945)
Capital: Manila (from 14 October 1943 to 3 March 1945) Baguio (from 3 March 1945) | De facto independent state; considered to be a puppet state of Japan.

* * *

Poland
Capital: Warsaw

* Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland (from 31 December 1944 to 28 June 1945)
* Provisional Government of National Unity (from 28 June 1945 to 19 January 1947)
* Polish People's Republic (from 19 January 1947)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Poland's government was still in exile.

* * *

Portugal – Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946.

### R

[edit]

* * *

→  Romania
Capital: Bucharest

* Kingdom of Romania (to 30 Dec 1947)
* Romanian People's Republic (from 30 Dec 1947)

| Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

### S

[edit]

* * *

San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
Capital: City of San Marino | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh | Widely recognized independent state; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

* * *

Sikkim – Kingdom of Sikkim (from 15 August 1947)
Capital: Gangtok | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

South Africa – Union of South Africa
Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 17 November 1945. Commonwealth realm.

* * *

Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Capital: Moscow | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. The Soviet Union was a federation of 11 (later 15) republics.[i]

* * *

→  Spain – Spanish State
Capital: Madrid | Widely recognized independent state. Spain had sovereignty over the following overseas provinces:

* →  Ifni (Colony)
* →  Spanish Guinea (Colony)
* →  Spanish Sahara (Colony)
* →  Spanish West Africa (Colony from July 20, 1946)
* Spanish Morocco (Protectorate)

* * *

Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state.

* * *

Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
Capital: Bern | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state. Permanent observer at the UN.

* * *

Syria – Syrian Republic (from January 1 1944)
Capital: Damascus | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

### T

[edit]

Thailand / Siam
Capital: Bangkok

* Kingdom of Thailand (to 7 September 1945, from 11 May 1949)
* Kingdom of Siam (from 7 September 1945 to 11 May 1949)

| Widely recognized independent state. LON member state. UN member state from 16 December 1946.

* * *

Tibet
Capital: Lhasa | De facto independent state. Claimed by the Republic of China and by the People's Republic of China.

* * *

Transjordan / Jordan (from 25 May 1946)
Capital: Amman

* Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (from 25 May 1946 to April 1949)
* Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (from 3 April 1949)

| Widely-recognized independent state.

* * *

Trieste – Free Territory of Trieste (from May 25, 1946)
Capital: Trieste | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Tripura – Kingdom of Tripura (from 13 August 1947 to September 9, 1949)
Capital: Agartala | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to October 4, 1945. UN member state from October 4, 1945.

* * *

### U

[edit]

* * *

United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital: London | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to October 4, 1945. UN member state from October 4, 1945. The United Kingdom was composed of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom had sovereignty over:

* Aden – Aden Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
* Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Condominium of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egypt)
* Bahama Islands (Crown colony)
* Bahrain – State of Bahrain (Protectorate)
* Barbados (Crown colony)
* Basutoland – Territory of Basutoland (Crown colony)
* Bechuanaland – Bechuanaland Protectorate (Protectorate)
* Bermuda (Crown colony)
* Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan (Independent state under Treaty of Punakha to August 8, 1949)
* British Guiana (Crown colony)
* British Honduras (Crown colony)
* British Leeward Islands – Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands (Crown colony)
* British Somaliland – British Somaliland Protectorate (Protectorate)
* British Western Pacific Territories (Crown colony)
* British Windward Islands – Federal Colony of the Windward Islands (Crown colony)
* Brunei – State of Brunei[4] (Protectorate to April 1, 1942, from June 14, 1945)
* Burma (Crown colony to 1942, from March 27, 1945 to January 4, 1948)
* Ceylon (Crown colony)
* Cyprus (Crown colony)
* Cyrenaica (Occupied territory)
* Eritrea (Occupied territory)
* Falkland Islands (Crown colony)
* Faroe Islands (Occupied territory, from April 12, 1940 to September 16, 1945)
* Federated Malay States[5] (Protectorate to February 15, 1942, from September 12, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Gambia – Gambia Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
* Gibraltar (Crown colony)
* Gold Coast (Crown colony)
* Guernsey – Bailiwick of Guernsey[6] (Crown dependency, from May 9, 1945)
* Heard Island and McDonald Islands (uninhabited possession)
* Hong Kong[7] (Crown colony to December 28, 1941, from August 28, 1945)
* India – Indian Empire (Crown colony to August 15, 1947) [UN from October 30, 1945]
* Isle of Man (Crown dependency)
* Italian Somaliland (Occupied territory from February 26, 1941)
* Jamaica (Crown colony)
* Jersey – Bailiwick of Jersey[8] (Crown dependency, from May 9, 1945)
* Johor[9] – State of Johor Darul Ta'zim (Protectorate to February 16, 1942, from September 12, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Kedah[10] – State of Kedah Darul Aman (Protectorate to February 16, 1942, from September 8, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Kelantan[11] – State of Kelantan Darul Naim (Protectorate to February 16, 1942, from September 8, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Kenya – Kenya Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
* Kuwait – State of Kuwait (Protectorate)
* Labuan[12] (Crown colony from April 1, 1946 to July 15, 1946)
* Malaya (Protectorate from February 1, 1948)
* Malayan Union (Colony from April 1, 1946 to January 31, 1948)
* Maldive Islands – Sultanate of the Maldive Islands (Protectorate)
* →  Malta (Crown colony)
* Mauritius (Crown colony)
* Muscat and Oman – Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (State under the informal protection)
* Newfoundland – Dominion of Newfoundland (Crown colony, to 31 March, 1949)
* Nigeria – Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (Crown colony and protectorate)
* North Borneo[13] (Protectorate to January 2, 1942, from September 10, 1945 until July 15, 1946 when the protectorate became a crown colony)
* Northern Rhodesia – Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (Protectorate)
* Nyasaland – Nyasaland Protectorate (Protectorate)
* Perlis[14] – State of Perlis Indera Kayangan (Protectorate to February 16, 1942, from September 8, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* →  Qatar – State of Qatar (Protectorate)
* Saint Helena (Crown colony)
* →  Sarawak – Kingdom of Sarawak[15] (Protectorate to 1941, from September 10, 1945 to April 1, 1946 when the protectorate became a crown colony)
* Seychelles (Crown colony)
* Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
* Sikkim (Independent state under the Treaty of Tumlong until August 15, 1947)
* Singapore (Crown colony from April 1, 1946)
* South Orkney Islands (Uninhabited possession)
* Southern Rhodesia – Colony of Southern Rhodesia (Crown colony)
* South Shetland Islands (Uninhabited possession)
* Straits Settlements[16] (Crown colony to 1941, from September 12, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Suez Canal Zone (Crown colony)
* Swaziland – Swaziland Protectorate (Protectorate)
* Terengganu[17] – State of Terengganu Darul Iman (Protectorate to 1942, from September 8, 1945 to April 1, 1946)
* Tientsin (Concession until 1945)
* Trinidad and Tobago (Crown colony)
* Tripolitania (Occupied territory from October 23, 1942)
* Trucial States (Protectorate)
* Uganda (Protectorate)
* Zanzibar – Sultanate of Zanzibar (Protectorate)

* * *

United States – United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C. | Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 4, 1945. The United States had sovereignty over:

* Alaska – Alaska Territory (Territory)
* American Samoa – Territory of American Samoa (Territory)
* Baker Island (uninhabited territory)
* Bonin Islands (Occupied territory, from September 3, 1945)
* Clipperton Island (Occupied territory, to 1945)
* →  Guam – Territory of Guam[18] (unincorporated territory to December 10, 1941, from August 10, 1944)
* Hawaii – Territory of Hawaii (unincorporated territory)
* Howland Island (uninhabited territory)
* Jarvis Island (uninhabited territory)
* Johnston Atoll (uninhabited territory)
* Kingman Reef (uninhabited territory)
* Southern Korea (occupied territory, from 1945 to 17 August 1948)
* Midway Atoll (uninhabited territory)
* Navassa Island (uninhabited territory)
* Palmyra Atoll (unincorporated organized territory)
* Panama Canal Zone (Territory)
* Philippine Commonwealth[19] (unincorporated organized commonwealth to March 12, 1942, from February 27, 1945 to July 4, 1946)
* Puerto Rico (Territory)
* Ryukyu Islands – United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands (Occupied territory, from April 3, 1945)
* United States Virgin Islands (Territory)
* Volcano Islands (Occupied territory, from September 3, 1945)
* Wake Island (uninhabited territory, from September 4, 1945)

* * *

Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo | Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to December 18, 1945. UN member state from December 18, 1945.

* * *

### V

[edit]

* * *

Vatican City – Vatican City State
Capital: Vatican City | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

Venezuela – United States of Venezuela
Capital: Caracas | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

### Y

[edit]

* * *

Yemen – Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
Capital: Sana'a | Widely recognized independent state.

* * *

→  →  Yugoslavia (to April 6, 1941, from November 29, 1943)
Capital: Belgrade

* Kingdom of Yugoslavia (to April 6, 1941)
* Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (from November 29, 1943 to November 29, 1945)
* Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (from November 29, 1945)

| Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 24, 1945. Under occupation by Nazi Germany from April 6, 1941 to May 25, 1945. A government in exile was regarded as the legitimate government by the Allies.

* * *

## Other entities

[edit]

Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent:

* Allied-occupied Austria (from 27 April 1945) was divided into four zones of occupation by France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union.
* Allied-occupied Germany (1945–1949) was divided into four zones of occupation by France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union.
* Burma – State of Burma (from 1 August 1943 to 19 August 1945) was organized and recognized by Japanese military during the Japanese occupation. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* China, Provisional Government of – Provisional Government of the Republic of China (to 30 March 1940) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during Second Sino-Japanese War.
* China, Reformed Government of – Reformed Government of the Republic of China (to 30 March 1940) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during Second Sino-Japanese War.
* Croatia – Independent State of Croatia (from 10 April 1941 to 25 May 1945) was organized and recognized by German military authority during the invasion of Yugoslavia. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* East Turkestan, officially the East Turkestan Republic, existed from November 12, 1944 to December 22, 1949, when it was conquered by China.
* Estonia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
* Kampuchea – Kingdom of Kampuchea (from March 9, 1945 to August 15, 1945) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during the Japanese coup d'etat in French Indochina. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
* Lithuania was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
* Luang Prabang – Kingdom of Luang Prabang (from March 9, 1945 to October 12, 1945) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during the Japanese coup d'etat in French Indochina. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* Manchukuo – Empire of Manchuria (to August, 1945) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority after Mukden Incident. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* Mengjiang – Mongol Military Government (to August, 1945)
Capital: Kalgan was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during Second Sino-Japanese War. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* National Government of the Republic of China – National Government of the Republic of China (from 30 March 1940 to August 16, 1945) was organized and recognized by Japanese military, combined Reformed Government and Provisional Government together. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* Provisional Government of Free India (from October 21, 1943 to August 18, 1945) was organized and recognized by Indian nationalists in-exile during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* The Saudi Arabian–Iraqi neutral zone was a strip of neutral territory between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
* The Saudi Arabian–Kuwaiti neutral zone was a strip of neutral territory between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
* Slovakia – Slovak Republic (to April 4, 1945) was organized and recognized by German military after Munich Agreement. Recognized by Axis powers member states. Recognized by Axis powers member states and several neutral states.
* The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was an entity claiming sovereignty. The order had bi-lateral diplomatic relations with a large number of states, but had no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome.[20] Although the order frequently asserted its sovereignty, it did not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacked a defined territory. Since all its members were citizens of other states, almost all of them lived in their native countries, and those who resided in the order's extraterritorial properties in Rome did so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacked the characteristic of having a permanent population.
* Tangier was an international zone under the joint administration of France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal and Belgium.
* →  Vietnam – Empire of Vietnam (from March 11, 1945 to August 25, 1945) was organized and recognized by Japan military authority during the Japanese coup d'etat in French Indochina. Recognized by Axis powers member states.
* West Berlin from 23 May 1949 was a political enclave that was closely aligned with – but not actually a part of – West Germany. It consisted of three occupied sectors administered by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 23 Provinces: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut (from 15 June 1955), Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa (from 15 June 1955), Jujuy, La Pampa (renamed Eva Perón from 29 January 1952 to 27 April 1956), La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones (from 1953), Neuquén (from 15 June 1955), Presidente Juan Perón (from 10 August 1951, renamed Chaco on 27 April 1956), Río Negro (from 15 June 1955), Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz (from 1957), Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán. 10 Territories: Buenos Aires, Chaco (to 10 August 1951, renamed Presidente Juan Perón in 1950), Chubut (to 15 June 1955), Formosa (to 15 June 1955), Misiones (to 1953), Neuquén (to 15 June 1955), Río Negro (to 15 June 1955), Santa Cruz (to 1957), Tierra del Fuego.
2. ^ 6 States: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia. 3 Territories: Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Northern Territory.
3. ^ 20 states: Alagoas, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe. 5 territories: Acre, Amapá (from September 13, 1943), Fernando de Noronha (from February 9, 1942), Iguaçu (from September 13, 1943 to September 18, 1946), Ponta Porã (from September 13, 1943 to September 18, 1946), Guaporé (from September 13, 1943), Rio Branco (from September 13, 1943). 1 federal district: Federal District.
4. ^ 10 Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan. 2 Territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon.
5. ^ Owing to a dispute over lands seized during World War II, Liechtenstein and Czechoslovakia did not recognize each other.
6. ^ Israel was recognized by Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Lebanon, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, or Yemen.
7. ^ North Korea was not recognized by the Estonian exile government, France, Japan, or South Korea.
8. ^ South Korea was not recognized by the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Romania or North Korea.
9. ^ Byelorussian SSR, Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Uzbek SSR, Turkmen SSR, Tajik SSR, Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Georgian SSR, Kazakh SSR, Kirghiz SSR, Moldavian SSR (from August 2, 1940), Lithuanian SSR (from August 3, 1940), Latvian SSR (from August 5, 1940), Estonian SSR (from August 6, 1940).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Butcher, Charles R.; Griffiths, Ryan D. (2020-03-03). "States and their international relations since 1816: introducing version 2 of the International System(s) Dataset (ISD)". International Interactions. 46 (2): 301. doi:10.1080/03050629.2020.1707199. ISSN 0305-0629.
2. ^ New Guinea was under Japanese occupation from January 1941 to August 15, 1945.
3. ^ 12 States: Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
4. ^ Brunei was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
5. ^ The Federated Malay States were under Japanese occupation from February 15, 1942 to September 12, 1945.
6. ^ Guernsey is part of the Channel Islands and was under German occupation from June 9, 1940 until it was liberated on May 9, 1945.
7. ^ Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation from December 28, 1941 to August 28, 1945.
8. ^ Jersey is part of the Channel Islands and was under German occupation from June 9, 1940 until it was liberated on May 9, 1945.
9. ^ Johor was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
10. ^ Kedah was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
11. ^ Kelantan was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
12. ^ Labuan was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
13. ^ North Borneo was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
14. ^ Perlis was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
15. ^ Sarawak was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
16. ^ The Straits Settlements were under Japanese occupation from February 15, 1942 to September 12, 1945.
17. ^ Terenggaru was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
18. ^ Guam was under Japanese occupation from December 10, 1941 to August 10, 1944.
19. ^ The Philippines were under Japanese occupation from 1942 to August 21, 1945, The commonwealth also had a government in exile during that same time.
20. ^ Bilateral relations with countries Archived 2008-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 2009-12-22

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