Nation-building is a long evolutionary process, and in most cases the date of a country's "formation" cannot be objectively determined; e.g., the fact that England and France were sovereign kingdoms on equal footing in the medieval period does not prejudice the fact that England is not now a sovereign state (having passed sovereignty to Great Britain in 1707), while France is a Republic founded in 1870 (though the term France generally refers to the current French Fifth Republic government, formed in 1958).
An unambiguous measure is the date of national constitutions; but as constitutions are an almost entirely modern concept, all formation dates by that criterion are modern or early modern (the oldest extant constitution being that of San Marino, dating to 1600).
Countries by Date of National Constitution
Pre-1940
1940–1949
1950–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000–2009
2010–present
Independence dates for widely recognized states earlier than 1919 should be treated with caution, since prior to the founding of the League of Nations, there was no international body to recognize nationhood, and independence had no meaning beyond mutual recognition of de facto sovereigns (the role of the League of Nations was effectively taken over by the United Nations after the Second World War). See also: disputed territories.
Many countries have some remote (or fantastically remote) symbolic foundation date as part of their national mythology, sometimes artificially inflating a country's "age" for reasons of nationalism, sometimes merely gesturing at a long and gradual process of the formalizing national identity. Such dates do not reflect the formation of a state (an independent political entity).[citation needed]
The following list contains the formation dates of countries with a short description of formation events. For a more detailed description of a country's formation and history, please see the main article for that country.
Lalla Maghnia treaty between French administration in Algeria and the Sherifian empire, the treaty confirms the Sherifian acquisitions in 1813, the Moulouya river is no longer the border between the two territories and is relocated to Oued Kiss. Algerian territory no longer comprises Oujda and Figuig
5 July 1962
Algeria reclaims sovereignty over the entire Algerian territory upon independence from France
The Abbasid Caliphate built the city of Baghdad along the Tigris in the 8th century as its capital, and the city became the leading metropolis of the Arab and Muslim world for five centuries
The current form of government was established in 1987, as a compromise between different versions of the previous constitutions and patterned after the 1935 Commonwealth constitution
With the Paris Peace Treaty, Hungary loses all territories that were regained with the First and Second Vienna Awards and during World War II, thus it returns to the 1937 borders (except for three villages in the northwest given to Czechoslovakia).
Iceland becomes sovereign and independent from Denmark as the Kingdom of Iceland but retains a personal union with the King of Denmark.
1 September 1972
No territorial changes on land have taken place, however the expansion of the Exclusive Economic Zone was such an important change in territory for Iceland that it merits a special inclusion here.
1 July 1845
The Althingi resumes meeting after hiatus since 1799.
The Peace treaty with Italy officially determines the boundaries of the Republic of Italy. The Italian Constitution of 1948 implements it at articles 10 and 117.
Dinastical unification of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by the Catholic Monarchs. The governments, institutions, and legal traditions of each kingdom remained independent of each other; alien laws (Leyes de extranjeria) determined that the national of one kingdom was a foreigner in the other Crowns/States.[36]
The Kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland were united in a personal union when James VI, King of Scots inherited the crowns of England and Ireland; each country nevertheless remained a separate political entity and retained its separate political, legal and religious institutions.[37][38]
1 2 3 The date of formation of the current states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is subject to an international dispute. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all maintain that they were illegally occupied by the Soviet Union, and that the current states are direct continuations of the pre-WWII states, which continued to exist through governments-in-exile. Russia maintains that the current three states are legally distinct entities newly created after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. All three states were admitted the UN as independent nations, not successor states of the USSR. For more information, see State continuity of the Baltic states.
Balfour Declaration of 1926 — Great Britain and the Dominions are "autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs"
27 July 1938
Governor-General ceases to represent the British Government and becomes the personal representative of the King.
After the USSR ceased to exist, the Russian Federation became an independent state and was recognized by the international community as the successor state of the USSR.
Dinastical unification of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by the Catholic Monarchs. The governments, institutions, and legal traditions of each kingdom remained independent of each other; alien laws (Leyes de extranjeria) determined that the national of one kingdom was a foreigner in the other Crowns/States.[36]
The Kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland were united in a personal union when James VI, King of Scots inherited the crowns of England and Ireland; each country nevertheless remained a separate political entity and retained its separate political, legal and religious institutions.[37][38]
In this list, "date of last subordination" refers to the last date of control by an external government. The list shows large groupings associated with the dates of independence from decolonization (e.g. 41 current states gained control of sovereignty from the United Kingdom and France between 1956 and 1966) or dissolution of a political union (e.g. 18 current states gained control of sovereignty from the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia between 1990 and 1992). In other cases, a sovereign state submitted to foreign military occupation or political subjugation for a period of time and later regained its independence (e.g. 6 current states gained control of sovereignty from Nazi Germany between 1944 and 1945).
Dates refer to de facto rule or occupation of the major territory, whether or not legitimized by international recognition.
In a union such as Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, or the Kalmar Union, one of the constituents can be considered the dominant power – generally where the seat of government was located. The United Kingdom is a particularly complicated case. If England is viewed as the dominant member, then history can be traced from Roman conquest, Saxon invasions, 10th-century unification, and the 1066 Norman Conquest before the union of England and Scotland in 1707. However, if viewed from a Scottish perspective, an unbroken history of sovereignty can be traced from unification in 843 through the 1707 union with England (with a brief annexation by England from 1657 to 1660). Some Scots view the 1707 union as a ceding of sovereignty to England.[50]
There are cases where a state is completely extinguished or abolished without having any successor states. Cases like this occur when, for example, one state is annexed or conquered by another and ceases to exist even in nominal form (i.e. not even a "government in exile" is established). The most recent case in human history is the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), which was completely abolished after the German reunification. Modern Germany is a continuation of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), it is not a successor state.
The Holy Roman Empire is not considered a state by modern historians, but a political entity bringing together several sovereign states in a confederation.
The concept of sovereign state should not be confused with that of nation (for example there are even stateless nations). This list has the date of creation of current sovereign states but not of nations. The historiography of some nations, such as the Bulgarians, even separates the different states founded by these nations (for example First, Second and Third Bulgarian State)
1996–2001: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan 1992–2002: Islamic State of Afghanistan (controlled only a small part of the country from 1996 to 2001, but still recognized by the UN and most of the world's countries as the legitimate government of Afghanistan)
Albania is a unitary parliamentary republic, which is mostly Islamic, for a long time Albania was a colony of the Ottoman Turkish Empire and then inherited the religion of the empire, Albanian nationalists believe in the idea of "Greater Albania" where Albania would encompass lands of Kosovo and Montenegro with a Muslim majority, this idea has existed since the Ottoman Turkish empire.
Albania and Kosovo are close countries, Albania helped Kosovo in the war, but Kosovo continued to be the poorest region in the Balkans.
The Argentine Republic took a very radical step when Argentina elected Javier Milei as president of the country in 2023.
Argentina has claimed Falkland Island from the UK, the Argentina says the island is called Islas Malvinas.
There is great controversy about its discovery and subsequent colonization by Europeans. At various times it had French, British, Spanish and Argentine settlements. The United Kingdom reasserted its control over the archipelago in 1833, although Argentina maintains its claim to the islands. In April 1982, Argentine forces temporarily occupied the territory. British administration was restored two months later, at the end of the Falklands War.
The Paraguayan war lasted from 1864 to 1870. As of 2024[update], it was last South American conflict involving Argentina.
The archipelago of Tierra del Fogo is claimed by both Chile and the Argentine Republic
Armenia has the region of Nagorno-Karabakh as autonomous, seeking its independence from Armenia
A maior parte de Nagorno-Karabakh foi governada por armênios étnicos sob a dissidente República de Artsakh - também conhecida como República de Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) - desde o fim da primeira Guerra de Nagorno-Karabakh entre a Armênia e o Azerbaijão em 1994 até o anúncio do dissolução da república em setembro de 2023. Representantes de ambos os lados mantiveram inúmeras conversações de paz inconclusivas mediadas pelo Grupo de Minsk da OSCE sobre o status disputado da região, com sua população de maioria armênia ao longo do tempo defendendo de diversas maneiras a independência de Artsakh de ambos os estados ou sua integração na Arménia.
the last important event in australia was the Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia, during the Victorian Gold Rush. It culminated in the Battle of Eureka Stockade, which took place on 3 December 1854 in Ballarat between rebels and colonial forces from Australia.
The fighting left at least 27 dead and many injured, with the majority of victims being rebels. There was an earlier period, beginning in 1851, of peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience on the Victorian goldfields. Miners had several complaints, mainly the cost of mining licenses and the unofficial way in which the system was applied.
1625–1966: Part of the British Empire as its West Indies Claimed by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century. c. 1200–c.1500 AD: Inhabited by the Kalinago c. 800–c. 1200 AD: Inhabited by the Saladoids Archeological evidence suggests humans may have first settled or visited the island circa 1600 BC.
Autonomous since at least the 10th century.[67] Unified 1634, after the Battle of Five Lamas. Early history is sketchy, but may have been part of Kamarupa kingdom, and may have been occupied by Tibetan-Mongol forces ca. 10th century.[68]
1885–1966: Part of the British Empire as Bechuanaland Protectorate 600 AD: Bantu-speaking peoples first moved into the country from the north The territory of Botswana has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Era. The original inhabitants of southern Africa were the San and Khoi peoples.
The PRC government in Beijing considers itself the successor of the Republic of China (1912–1949) which legally inherited the whole of China from the Qing dynasty. The ROC government in Taipei denies the legitimacy of the PRC and considers itself the sole legitimate government of the whole of China.
1975–2001: Federal and Islamic Republic of Comoros 1886–1975: part of the French Empire c.1000 BC: when the archipelago was first inhabited. The Comoros have been inhabited by various groups throughout this time.
Since 2.2 million BC, India has been settled starting with Hominins who were from Africa by the expansion of civilization with the Madrasian and Soanian cultures.[86]:147[87][88]:167–170
1963–1964: Kenya (monarchy) 1920–1963: Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, part of the British Empire 1895–1920: East Africa Protectorate, part of the British Empire c.1st century AD: The Kenyan coast had served host to communities of ironworkers and communities of Bantu subsistence farmers, hunters, and fishers who supported the economy with agriculture, fishing, metal production, and trade with foreign countries. These communities formed the earliest city-states (like Mombasa and Malindi) in the region which were collectively known as Azania.[93] As city-states settled on the coast, several nomadic tribes inhabited the rest of what is today Kenya. What is now Kenya has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period.
1968–1992: Mauritius, independent state (monarchy) 1814–1968: British Mauritius, part of the British Empire 1710–1814: Isle de France, part of the French Empire 1638–1710: Dutch Mauritius, part of the Dutch Empire The island of Mauritius was uninhabited before its first recorded visit by the Dutch in the late 16th century. The name Dina Arobi has been associated with Arab sailors, but this is speculative, as the name is evidently of Sankritic origin (dwip (island) > diba > dina).
Autonomous throughout its recorded history, and certainly since its 1768 unification.[100] The ancient Maurya Empire occupied southern Nepal, but not the core Kathmandu valley.[citation needed]
1900-1914: Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate were British protectorates in Nigeria during the period of colonization of the African continent, dividing Nigeria into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in this region of Africa.
1154-1624: Nabhani Dynasty they were rulers of Oman from 1154 until 1624, when the Yaruba dynasty came to power. One of its most visible legacies is Bahla Fort, a large complex of mud-brick buildings on stone foundations that is registered as a UNESCO world heritage site. The Nabhanid dynasty may be a possible ancestor of the Nabhan family , a family of Syrian and Lebanese descent that has influential members in the United States, some of whom immigrated and settled in New York City in the mid-20th century, and some who have influence in Brazil.
Previously occupied by Great Seljuq Empire, Ottoman Empire, Portugal (1508–1650), etc.
1993–present: Russian Federation (a federal state, currently have 85 federal subjects. Two federal subjects are not internationally recognized as part of Russia.)
1689-1782: British West Indies and French West Indies In the 18th century it was owned by Britain and France, who claimed it as an island of the French and East Indies, and Britain claimed it as part of the British West Indies.
1833-1959: British Windwar Islands was an administrative grouping of British colonies in the Windward Islands of the West Indies, existing from 1833 until 31 December 1959 and consisting of the islands of Grenada, Saint Lucia
War in Saint Vicent: Os habitantes indígenas das ilhas de São Vicente e Granadinas eram vários grupos ameríndios . A chegada dos europeus no início do século XVI não levou a um assentamento de longo prazo, apenas em 1717 os franceses ocuparam a ilha de Barrouallie , embora os ingleses tenham reivindicado São Vicente em 1627. O Tratado de Paris (1763) viu São Vicente ... Vincent cedeu à Grã-Bretanha . Os atritos com os britânicos levaram à Primeira e à Segunda Guerra do Caribe em meados do século XVIII
German colony 1900 to 1914; occupied by New Zealand 1914; Trust Territory first of the League of Nations, then of the United Nations and administered by New Zealand, 1920 to 1962.
1739: Brief occupation by the Papal States 1503: Brief occupation by Rimini 1243: The people of San Marino established the positions of Captains Regent (Capitani Reggenti) as a joint heads of state Before 1243: Part of the Roman Empire[citation needed]
After King Kashta ("the Kushite") invaded Egypt in the eighth century BC, the Kushite kings ruled as pharaohs of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt for a century before being defeated and driven out by the Assyrians. Later ruled by the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and then as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 1899–1956.
No exact date for consolidation of Sweden. The beginning of the reign of the first Swedish king proven to have existed historically dates from circa 970 AD. The Kalmar Union (1397–1523) was a personal union of Scandinavian states (Denmark, Sweden and Norway). In states in personal unions their sovereignties and international identity remain intact, just sharing the same head of state.)
1920–1923: Ottoman Empire, occupied by Greece, Italy, France, United Kingdom and Armenia (Treaty of Sèvres) (Republican Turks, led by General Mustafa Kemal Atatürk initiate the Turkish War of Independence to expel foreign occupation troops and at the same time wage a civil war against Turkish monarchists, seen as collaborationists by the republicans). 1299–1920: Ottoman Empire (The Sultanate of Rum became divided in several Turkic principalities, called beyliks, the Ottoman beylik conquered and unified all beyliks in Anatolia. Also conquered Constantinople. From 1453, one of the titles used by the Ottoman Sultans was "Caesar of Rome" (Turkish: Kayser-i Rum), part of their titles until the Ottoman Empire ended in 1923. However, this title was never recognized by Europeans.) 1261–1453: Part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) (Unlike many kingdoms and empires, the Eastern Roman Empire [and the Roman Empire before it] technically wasn't a hereditary monarchy; there were no formal succession laws in place to specify who was to succeed as emperor. As such, there cannot be a legitimate pretender to the Byzantine throne as the possibility of a true "rightful emperor" died with the empire and its institutions in 1453.) 1204–1261: Divided in Latin Empire, Empire of Nicaea, Empire of Trebizond and the Sultanate of Rum.(The Empire of Nicaea is considered the legitimate continuation of the Byzantine Empire because it managed to retake Constantinople.) 1077–1308: Sultanate of Rum, part of the Seljuk Empire 395–1204: Part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) 168 BC – 395 AD: Part of the Roman Republic (later the Roman Empire) 131 BC–64 BC: Western regions are part of the Roman Republic. Eastern regions divided in many kingdoms. 301 BC–131 BC: Divided in many kingdoms, like the Kingdom of Cappadocia, Galatia, Kingdom of Pontus, Kingdom of Pergamon and the Seleucid Empire 306 BC–301 BC: Antigonid dynasty 334–306 BC: Macedonian Empire 550–334 BC: Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian Empire 609 BCE–550 BCE: Lydia conquers all the west of Anatolia. The eastern regions falls under the rule of the Median Empire 707 BCE–609 BCE: Divided in many states, like Lydia, Lycia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Mushki, etc. Eastern regions falls under the rule of the Assyrians. 1178 BCE–707 BCE: Divided in many states, like Lydia, Lycia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Tabal, Mushki, etc. Around 900 BCE the Greeks began to establish colonies on the coast. 1325 BCE–1178 BCE: Hittite Empire 1400 BCE–1325 BCE: Hittite Empire and Arzawa (a "kingdom" or a federation of local powers, Troy was one of the members) c. 1600 BCE–1400 BCE: Hittite Empire and many small states in the west. Assuwa, a confederation (or league) of 22 ancient Anatolian states, was formed some time before 1400 BC, when it was defeated by the Hittite Empire. Troy was one of the members of the confederation c.2000 BCE–1600 BCE: The territory that today is Turkey was inhabited by Hattian, Hittite, Hurrian, Luwian and Anatolian tribes . The small state of Pala was established c.2550 BCE–2000 BCE: The territory that today is Turkey was inhabited by Hattian, Hurrian and Anatolian tribes c.3500 BCE–2550 BCE: The territory that today is Turkey was inhabited by Hattian and Hurrian tribes From 10,000 BC humans has been settled making first states as Indo-Europeans, including Phrygia and Thrace.
1776–present: United States of America (a federal state, originally the federation had 13 federated states [ States of the United States ], currently have 50 federated states and 1 federal district, with the last state to be admitted in the Union being Hawaii, admitted in 1959; The U.S. also currently administers three territories in the Caribbean Sea and eleven in the Pacific Ocean.)
↑ Listed are the six UN member states with limited recognition: China (Bhutan neither recognizes PRC nor ROC; the ROC was recognized as a sovereign country by just 13 countries and Vatican City/Holy See as of April 2022,[1] Israel (not recognized by 32 members), North and South Korea (no mutual recognition), Armenia (not recognized by Pakistan) and Cyprus (not recognized by Turkey).
↑ See the Declaration of independence article: "... the state from which the territory wishes to secede may regard the declaration as rebellion, which may lead to a war of independence or a constitutional settlement to resolve the crisis."
1 2 3 4 5 According to the Badinter Arbitration Committee, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was dissolved into five states. This is the result when the Serb-dominated Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) was formed on 27 April 1992 as a rump state, consisting only of the former Socialist Republics of Serbia and Montenegro. Its government claimed continuity to the former country, however, the international community refused to recognize it as such. The stance of the international community was that Yugoslavia had dissolved into its separate states. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was prevented by a UN resolution on 22 September 1992 from continuing to occupy the United Nations seat as successor state to SFRY. This question was important for claims on SFRY's international assets, including embassies in many countries. Only in 1996 had the FRY abandoned its claim to continuity from the SFRY. The FRY was dominated by Slobodan Milošević and his political allies. This was reaffirmed in the Succession Agreement signed in June 2001.
↑ The Faroe Islands and Greenland were administered by Denmark until 24 March 1948 and 1 May 1979 respectively. They are now autonomous countries with home rule, but remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
1 2 3 The annexation of the Baltic states in 1940 is considered an illegal occupation by the current governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by a number of Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, who assert that the states were independent countries occupied by the Soviet Union. The three corresponding Soviet republics were officially sovereign entities in a federation, according to Article 76 of the Constitution of the Soviet Union. However, the Soviet Union was heavily centralized and was de facto a single federal state and the three states consider the corresponding Soviet republics to have been illegitimate entities.
1 2 3 The breaking-through of the Channel Tunnel on 31 October 1990 created a new land border between the UK and France.[29] However, the Channel Tunnel runs underwater and did not change the above-ground territory of either nation.
↑ France swapped a small area of land with Andorra in 2001 to allow Andorra to construct the Envalira Tunnel access bridge.
↑ Prior to 1999, the Constitution of Ireland claimed that "The national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland", but that its laws were only valid in the counties of the Republic.
↑ East Timor had been under Indonesian occupation since 1975, but this occupation was not recognized by the wider global community.
↑ The breaking-through of the Channel Tunnel on 31 October 1990 created a new land border between the UK and France.[29] However, the Channel Tunnel runs underwater and did not change the above-ground territory of either nation.
↑ France swapped a small area of land with Andorra in 2001 to allow Andorra to construct the Envalira Tunnel access bridge.
↑ Baikonur is treated as a federal subject of Russia, but its exact status is a topic of dispute between the two countries.[49]
↑ Full sovereignty. Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Canada becomes completely sovereign, having consulates and embassies in other countries
↑ The Kingdom of Chile (Patria Vieja) became an extinct state after its reconquest by Spain. Modern state of Chile dates from 1818
↑ People's Republic of China consider itself the successor state of the Republic of China, the latter considers itself the successor state of the Qing Empire, and through the mandate of heaven all Chinese imperial states considered themselves successors to previous dynasties, with the Shang dynasty being historically the first non-legendary dynasty of that country.
↑ Egypt is one of the oldest nations in the world, its national identity dating back to the First Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. But it is important to stress the difference between state and nation. As a state the nation lost its sovereignty and was conquered by other states several times in History. The current Egyptian state, as an independent sovereign state, dates from 1922
↑ Zagwe was one of the kingdoms that emerged from the collapse of the Kingdom of Aksum, that became an extinct or abolished state in 960 AD. It is the direct historical predecessor of the Ethiopian Empire, regardless of the Solomonic dynasty of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum having overthrown the Zagwe dynasty in 1270 and assumed their throne. Dynastic lineages are irrelevant to current international law, mainly because of the fact of the majority of the states in the current world scenario are republics.
↑ Iran is one of the oldest nations in the world, its national identity dating back to the Median Empire and the Achaemenid Empire. But it is important to stress the difference between state and nation. As a state the nation lost its sovereignty and was conquered by other states several times in History. The current Iranian state, as an independent state in a contiguous way, dates from 1501
↑ Montenegrins date their national identity to the founding of Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro in 1516. However, the Montenegrin state became an extinct state at the time of the Podgorica Assembly, which led to the annexation and extinction of the Kingdom of Montenegro by the Kingdom of Serbia. The current Montenegrin state emerged in 2006 after separating from Serbia.
↑ The region was conquered by Portuguese forces under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque in 1507, and remained under Portuguese control until they were expelled by the Ya'rubids.
↑ The First Philippine Republic was an unrecognized state and became an extinct state after being terminated by the United States. Modern state of Philippines dates from 1946. However, Filipinos celebrate their independence date on June 12 (the date of establishment of the First Philippine Republic) in order to avoid celebrating their national date on the same day that their former colonizers (the USA) celebrate their national date (July 4).
↑ Russia dates its national identity back to the Kievan Rus, medieval state that was extinguished when it was conquered by the Mongols of the Golden Horde. A new Russian state arose and existed continuously and without loss of sovereignty from 1480 until 1922, when of its own accord it ceased to be a sovereign state and became a subnational unit of the Soviet Union. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the nation again had a sovereign state, with the current Russian sovereign state dating back to 1991. The Russian Federation is regarded as the successor state to the former Soviet Union, inheriting its seat as a UN member state, after a letter by president Boris Yeltsin was received by the secretary-general Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.
↑ Saudi Arabia dates its national identity from the establishment of the Emirate of Diriya (First Saudi State), however this state later became extinct, as did the Emirate of Nejd (the Second Saudi State). The current and Third Saudi State came into being in 1903 when it separated from the Emirate of Jabal Shammar. Through wars of conquest it conquered other states and made a real union with Hejaz before adopting the current name Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932
↑ Serbia consider itself as the successor state of Yugoslavia. The current Serbian state emerged in 1878, after independence de jure from the Ottoman Empire. Other Serbian states existed before this date, but ceased to exist due to the conquest of other states. It is important not to confuse the concept of state with that of the nation, as a nation the Serbian people have existed since the Middle Ages, and just like other ethnic groups (such as the Greeks, Jews, Egyptians, etc.) it went through periods of its history in which it was a Stateless nation
↑ During the Visigoth kingdom of Toledo, the names of the Visigoth kingdom (Regnum Gothorum) and Spain (Hispaniae or Spaniae) were used more and more frequently as synonymous terms, beginning to have not only a geographical meaning, but also a political one (especially since the year 624, when Swinthila finally defeated the Byzantines and the Visigoths dominated the entire Iberian Peninsula). Historiographers of the time such as Isidore of Seville, Julian of Toledo, John of Biclaro, as well as from abroad, the Franks Gregory of Tours, Fredegar, or Pope Leo II, referred to the Visigoth kingdom or its kings, as Hispania or kings of Hispania. On the other hand, there was an adoption by the Visigoths of the Hispano-Roman culture, with a progressive intention to merge the Gothic and Hispano-Roman societies into a common one, politically (kingdom administered from the capital of Toledo, and in accordance with Roman ecclesiastical power through the Councils of Toledo), religiously (Reccared I converted from Arianism to Chalcedonian Christianity in 589), common legislation (Code of Leovigild, and later Visigothic Code), militarily (army composed of Hispano-Romans and Visigoths), with a monetary unit (Visigothic royal currency from 580 to 710), and linguistically (Visigoths spoke Latin), taking advantage of the pre-existing cohesion left by the Hispania of the Roman Empire.[109]Spain is a unitary state that emerged from the political union by incorporating union of different states throughout history. Using the modern criteria of the United Nations, which considers the date of admission of other states that emerged from political unions (such as Tanzania, Malaysia and Yemen) as the date of the oldest predecessor state to be admitted, it will soon be seen that the oldest state that merged to form modern Spain is the Kingdom of León, one of the states in personal union that integrated the Crown of Castile, with such state dating its origins directly from the Kingdom of Asturias. Spain was until 1715 a composite monarchy, i.e. several small states in personal union, only passing through a political union in 1715 with the Nueva Planta decrees
↑ During Napoleon's invasion of Spain, Spain was a governorship of France. In fear of invasion, the King of Portugal went to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.
↑ Sudan dates its national identity to the Kingdom of Kerma, Kingdom of Kush and other ancient kingdoms that existed in its territory, i.e Nubia (mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts). However, as an independent sovereign state, the current Sudanese state dates back to 1956.
↑ By uniting with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic into a political union, the Second Syrian Republic ceased to exist as a sovereign state and became an extinct state, with Syria becoming a subnational unit of the United Arab Republic. The current Syrian state emerged as a new state when it broke up politically in 1961. However, Syrians celebrate April 17 as their independence day, as it was on April 17, 1946 that the nation ceased to be a colony of France.
↑ The Republic of Turkey is the successor state of the Ottoman Empire. Despite being known in English as the Turkish War of Independence, Turks call it in their language Kurtuluş Savaşı (lit. Liberation War). "War of Independence" in Turkish is "bağımsızlık savaşı". The country's national date is the Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı), which commemorates the change of government regime from a monarchy to a republic.
↑ Ukraine dates its national identity back to the Kievan Rus, however this state became an extinct state when it was conquered by the Mongols of the Golden Horde. Another state with historical importance for Ukrainians in their national identity is the medieval Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which however also became an extinct state. In the 17th century the Ukrainian nation established another Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, however this state became extinct upon being conquered by the Russian Empire. Between 1917 and 1919, two new Ukrainian states was established, being unified in 1919 but again lost its sovereignty by becoming a subnational unit of the Soviet Union. The current Ukrainian sovereign state dates from 1991, emerging after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
↑ The United Kingdom is a unitary state that emerged from the political union by incorporating union of different states throughout history. Northern Ireland has been part of this political union since 1922, when the rest of Ireland separated from the United Kingdom. Ireland had united with Great Britain in 1800 to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Kingdom of Great Britain itself emerged from the political union between the Kingdom of England (which had already conquered and annexed the Principality of Wales centuries before) and the Kingdom of Scotland. Using the modern criteria of the United Nations, which considers the date of admission of other states that emerged from political unions (such as Tanzania, Malaysia and Yemen) as the date of the oldest predecessor state to be admitted, it will soon be seen that of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (today subnational units and not sovereign countries) the oldest is Scotland (unified in 843), which dates its origin to the Dál Riata, which conquered the existing small Pictish states in future Scotland to form the Kingdom of Scotland, which existed until 1707 when it merged with England (originated in 927, when the various Anglo-Saxon kings swore their allegiance to Æthelstan of Wessex (r. 924–939), unifying most of modern England under a single king
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A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase, it comes from the old meaning of "wealth", which is "well-being", and is itself a loose translation of the Latin res publica. The term literally meant "common well-being". In the 17th century, the definition of "commonwealth" expanded from its original sense of "public welfare" or "commonweal" to mean "a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people; a republic or democratic state".
The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics were national-based administrative units of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The Soviet Union was formed in 1922 by a treaty between the Soviet republics of Byelorussia, Russian SFSR (RSFSR), Transcaucasian Federation, and Ukraine, by which they became its constituent republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate authority over other people in order to establish a law or change existing laws. In political theory, sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme legitimate authority over some polity. In international law, sovereignty is the exercise of power by a state. De jure sovereignty refers to the legal right to do so; de facto sovereignty refers to the factual ability to do so. This can become an issue of special concern upon the failure of the usual expectation that de jure and de facto sovereignty exist at the place and time of concern, and reside within the same organization.
Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law, binding, as such, on the United Nations as an authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. As a principle of international law the right of self-determination recognized in the 1960s concerns the colonial context of territories' right to independence or another outcome of decolonization. The principle does not state how the decision is to be made, nor what the outcome should be, whether it be independence, federation, protection, some form of autonomy or full assimilation. The internationally recognized right of self-determination does not include a right to an independent state for every ethnic group within a former colonial territory. While there is ongoing discussion about the rights of minorities and indigenous people who are denied political participation in representative governments and consequently suffer systematic violations of human rights as a group, no right to secession is recognized under international law.
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of a dependent territory or colony. The commemoration of the independence day of a country or nation celebrates when a country is free from all forms of colonialism; free to build a country or nation without any interference from other nations.
Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession. A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal is the creation of a new state or entity independent of the group or territory from which it seceded. Threats of secession can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.
A federation is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision, neither by the component states nor the federal political body.
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state that has Charles III as its monarch and head of state. All the realms are equal with and independent of the others, though one person, resident in the United Kingdom, acts as monarch of each. The phrase Commonwealth realm is an informal description not used in any law.
A confederation is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as defence, foreign relations, internal trade or currency, with the central government being required to provide support for all its members. Confederalism represents a main form of intergovernmentalism, defined as any form of interaction around states that takes place on the basis of sovereign independence or government.
Succession of states is a concept in international relations regarding a successor state that has become a sovereign state over a territory that was previously under the sovereignty of another state. The theory has its roots in 19th-century diplomacy. A successor state often acquires a new international legal personality, which is distinct from a continuing state, also known as a continuator or historical heir, which despite change to its borders retains the same legal personality and possess all its existing rights and obligations.
German Reich was the constitutional name for the German nation state as it existed from 18 January 1871 to 30 April 1945. The Reich became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty entirely from a continuing unitary German Volk, with that authority and sovereignty being exercised at any one time over a unitary German "state territory" with variable boundaries and extent. Although commonly translated as "German Empire", the word Reich here better translates as "realm" or territorial "reach", in that the term does not in itself have monarchical connotations.
An associated state is the minor partner or dependent territory in a formal, free relationship between a political territory and a major party—usually a larger nation.
The decolonisation of Africa was a series of political developments in Africa that spanned from the mid-1950s to 1975, during the Cold War. Colonial governments gave way to sovereign states in a process often marred by violence, political turmoil, widespread unrest, and organised revolts. Major events of decolonisation of Africa include the Mau Mau rebellion, the Algerian War, the Congo Crisis, the Angolan War of Independence, the Zanzibar Revolution, and the events leading to the Nigerian Civil War.[1][2][3][4][5]
The decolonization of the Americas occurred over several centuries as most of the countries in the Americas gained their independence from European rule. The American Revolution was the first in the Americas, and the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was a victory against a great power, aided by France and Spain, Britain's enemies. The French Revolution in Europe followed, and collectively these events had profound effects on the Spanish, Portuguese, and French colonies in the Americas. A revolutionary wave followed, resulting in the creation of several independent countries in Latin America. The Haitian Revolution lasted from 1791 to 1804 and resulted in the independence of the French slave colony. The Peninsular War with France, which resulted from the Napoleonic occupation of Spain, caused Spanish Creoles in Spanish America to question their allegiance to Spain, stoking independence movements that culminated in various Spanish American wars of independence (1808–33), which were primarily fought between opposing groups of colonists and only secondarily against Spanish forces. At the same time, the Portuguese monarchy fled to Brazil during the French invasion of Portugal. After the royal court returned to Lisbon, the prince regent, Pedro, remained in Brazil and in 1822 successfully declared himself emperor of a newly independent Brazilian Empire.
The three Baltic countries, or the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – are held to have continued as legal entities under international law while under the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991, as well as during the German occupation in 1941–1944/1945. The prevailing opinion accepts the Baltic thesis of illegal occupation and the actions of the USSR are regarded as contrary to international law in general and to the bilateral treaties between the USSR and the three Baltic countries in particular.
The Estonian Sovereignty Declaration, fully: Declaration on the Sovereignty of the Estonian SSR, was issued on 16 November 1988 during the Singing Revolution in the Estonian SSR. The declaration asserted Estonia's sovereignty and the supremacy of the Estonian laws over the laws of the Soviet Union. Estonia's newly elected parliament also laid claim to all natural resources: land, inland waters, forests, mineral deposits and to the means of industrial production, agriculture, construction, state banks, transportation, municipal services, etc. within Estonia's borders.
Relevant events began regarding the Baltic states and the Soviet Union when, following Bolshevist Russia's conflict with the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—several peace treaties were signed with Russia and its successor, the Soviet Union. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Soviet Union and all three Baltic States further signed non-aggression treaties. The Soviet Union also confirmed that it would adhere to the Kellogg–Briand Pact with regard to its neighbors, including Estonia and Latvia, and entered into a convention defining "aggression" that included all three Baltic countries.
The decolonisation of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of several nation-states in the region.
Dissolution in politics is when a state, institution, nation, or administrative region dissolves or ceases to exist, usually separating into two or more entities, or being annexed. This can be carried out through armed conflict, legal means, diplomacy, or a combination of all or any of the three. It is similar to dissolution in the legal sense.
↑ "Country Profile: Philippines"(PDF). Federal Research Division of the U.S. Library of Congress. March 2006. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 10, 2012. said: "The Philippines attained independence from Spain on 12 June 1898, and from the United States on 4 July 1946.". Other sources (e.g. The CIA Factbook ) say that the Philippine Islands were ceded to the US by Spain in 1898 following the Spanish–American War.
↑ Bautista 2009: "Although by today's standards the 1898 annexation of the Philippines by the U.S. was unlawful, it does not follow that the U.S. claims of sovereignty are unfounded. Under the doctrine of intertemporal law, 'a juridical fact must be appreciated in light of the law contemporary with it, and not the law in force at the time when a dispute in regard to it arises or falls to be settled.' Thus, the legality of any act should be determined in accordance with the law of the time the act was committed, and not by reference to law as it might have become at a later date.'"
↑ Deeley, Furness, and Schofield (2001) The International Boundaries of East Timor p. 8
↑ Tuchscherer, Michel (2000-07-01). "Chronologie du Yémen (1506-1635)". Arabian Humanities. Revue internationale d'archéologie et de sciences sociales sur la péninsule Arabique/International Journal of Archaeology and Social Sciences in the Arabian Peninsula (in French) (8). doi:10.4000/cy.11. ISSN1248-0568.
↑ Finlayson, Christopher (2021). He Kupu Taurangi: Treaty settlements and the future of Aotearoa New Zealand. Huia Publishers. p.14. ISBN978-1-77550-615-7. OCLC1238026659.
↑ The Regency of Algiers ceased to exist and became an extinct or abolished state when France conquered Algeria. The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is a new state that emerged after separating from the French Republic
↑ Howe, G. Melvyn; Dowsett, Charles James Frank; Mints, Aleksey Aleksandrovich; Suny, Ronald Grigor (23 April 2019). "Armenia: Independence". Britannica.com.
↑ "Federation". australia.gov.au. Australian Government.
↑ Rose, Leo E. (1977). The Politics of Bhutan. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p.24. ISBN0-8014-0909-8. [T]here can be no doubt that since at least the tenth century no external power has controlled Bhutan, although there have been periods when various of its neighbors have been able to exert a strong cultural and/or political influence there.
1 2 A. Berhe. (2003). Revisiting resistance in Italian-occupied Ethiopia: the Patriots' Movement (1936–1941) and the redefinition of post-war Ethiopia. African dynamics, ISSN1568-1777; vol. 2. Brill, Leiden, ISBN90-04-12624-4.
↑ Chauhan, Partha R. (2010). "The Indian Subcontinent and 'Out of Africa 1'". In Fleagle, John G.; Shea, John J.; Grine, Frederick E.; Baden, Andrea L.; Leakey, Richard E. (eds.). Out of Africa I: The First Hominin Colonization of Eurasia. Springer Science & Business Media. pp.145–164. ISBN978-90-481-9036-2.
↑ "Colonization". The African-American Mosaic. Library of Congress. July 5, 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-25. Liberia ... was neither a sovereign power nor a bona fide colony of any sovereign nation. ... the United States refused to claim sovereignty over Liberia.
↑ At the end of World War II, the region was abandoned by the Italians. The French and British occupy the region militarily, with the French settling in Fezzan, the British in Tripolitania and the Emirate of Cyrenaica being established as an independent country. King Idris I unified the country on December 24, 1951, uniting the territories into a single federal state, named the United Kingdom of Libya, later becoming the unitary Kingdom of Libya
↑ The independent government of the Moroccan Sultan still existed, in nominal form, during the period when the country was a protectorate of European colonial powers. Source: Treaty of Fes
↑ Rose, Leo E.; Margaret W. Fisher (1970). The Politics of Nepal. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p.xi. ISBN0-8014-0574-2. Nepal is of special interest, partly because it is an Asian country that was never reduced to colonial status.
↑ "Gathering the Jewels". Early Neanderthal jaw fragment, c. 230,000 years old. Culturenet Cymru. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
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