List of sovereign states in the 1930s

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This is a list of sovereign states in the 1930s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1930 and 31 December 1939. It contains entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes widely recognized sovereign states, entities which were de facto sovereign but which were not widely recognized by other states, and 1 state which was initially unrecognized but then gained full recognition later in the decade.

Contents

Sovereign states

Name and capital cityInformation on status and recognition of sovereignty

A


Flag of Afghanistan (1929-1931).svgFlag of Afghanistan (1931-1973).svg Afghanistan – Kingdom of Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (from 27 September 1934).

Flag of Albania (1934-1939).svg Albania – Albanian Kingdom (to April 12, 1939)
Capital: Tirana
Widely recognized LON member state. Under occupation by Italy from April 12, 1939.

Flag of Andorra (end of the 19th century-c. 1930s).svg Andorra vlag 1939 2.svg Andorra – Principality of Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina – Argentine Republic
Capital: Buenos Aires
Widely recognized LON member state. Argentina was a federation of 15 provinces and 9 federal territories. [lower-alpha 1] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica. It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British crown colonies.

Red Red.svg Aussa Sultanate of Aussa (to 1936)
Capital: Aussa
Widely recognized state. Annexed into Italian East Africa.

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
Capital: Canberra
Widely recognized LON member state; Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories. [lower-alpha 2] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:

Australia administered two League of Nations mandates:

  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nauru (Administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom)
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg New Guinea

Flag of Austria.svgState flag of Austria (1934-1938).svgAustria(to March 12, 1938)
Capital: Vienna
Widely recognized LON member state. Annexed by Nazi Germany on March 12, 1938.

B


Flag of Belgium.svg  Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
Capital: Brussels
Widely recognized LON member state. Belgium had sovereignty over one colony and one concession:

Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate:


Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia

Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative)

Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg Brazil
Capital: Rio de Janeiro
Widely recognized independent state. Brazil was a federation of 20 states, one territory, and one federal district. [lower-alpha 3]

Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria – Kingdom of Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia
Widely recognized LON member state.

C


Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada – Dominion of Canada
Capital: Ottawa
Widely recognized LON member state; Commonwealth realm.

Flag of Chile.svg Chile
Capital: Santiago
  • Republic of Chile (to June 4, 1932)
  • Socialist Republic of Chile (from June 4 to September 13, 1932)
  • Republic of Chile (from September 13, 1932)
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on May 14, 1938.

Flag of the Republic of China.svg  China – Republic of China
Capital: Nanjing
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia – Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
Capital: San José
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Cuba (sky blue).svg  Cuba – Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia (to 14 March 1939)
Capital: Prague
Widely recognized LON member state. Under occupation by Nazi Germany from 15 May 1939. A government in exile was regarded as the legitimate government by the Allies.

D


Flag of the Free City of Danzig.svg  Danzig – Free City of Danzig (to 12 September 1939)
Capital: Danzig
Widely recognized independent state. Annexed by Nazi Germany from 12 September 1939.

Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Kingdom of Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen
Widely recognized LON member state. Denmark had sovereignty over one possession:

Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic – Third Dominican Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
Widely recognized LON member state.

E


Flag of Ecuador (1900-2009).svg Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
Capital: Quito
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from September 28, 1934.

Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt – Kingdom of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from May 26, 1937.

Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador
Capital: San Salvador
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on August 11, 1937.

Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia – Republic of Estonia
Capital: Tallinn
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg  Ethiopia – Ethiopian Empire (to 9 May 1936)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Widely recognized LON member state. Under occupation by Italy from May 9, 1936, and annexed into Italian East Africa from June 1, 1936.

F


Flag of Finland.svg  Finland – Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France – French Republic
Capital: Paris
Widely recognized LON member state. France administered the foreign affairs of the following colonies and protectorates:

France administered the following League of Nations mandates:


G


Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svgFlag of the German Reich (1933-1935).svgFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Germany
Capital: Berlin
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on October 19, 1933.

Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece
Capital: Athens
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on May 26, 1936.

H


Flag of Haiti (1859-1964).svg Haiti – Republic of Haiti
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Widely recognized LON member state under United States occupation to August 1, 1934.

Hatay flag.svg  Hatay – Hatay State (from 7 September 1938 to 7 July 1939)
Capital: Antakya
Widely recognized independent state. Annexed by Turkey from 7 July 1939.

Flag of Honduras (1866-1898).svg  Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on July 10, 1936.

Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946).svg  Hungary – Kingdom of Hungary
Capital: Budapest
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on April 11, 1939.

I


Flag of Iceland (1918-1944).svg  Iceland – Kingdom of Iceland
Capital: Reykjavik
Widely recognized independent state.

State Flag of Iran (1925).svg Persia / Iran
Capital: Tehran
  • Imperial State of Persia (to 21 March 1935)
  • Imperial State of Iran (from 21 March 1935)
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Iraq (1924-1959).svg Iraq – Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq (from 3 October 1932)
Capital: Baghdad
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from October 3, 1932.

Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland
Capital: Dublin
Widely recognized LON member state; Commonwealth realm.

Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy – Kingdom of Italy
Capital: Rome
Widely recognized LON member state under fascism; withdrew on December 11, 1937. Italy had sovereignty over two colonies (four colonies until January 1934 and three colonies until June 1936) and three concessions:

J


Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan – Empire of Japan
Capital: Tokyo
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on March 27, 1933. Japan had sovereignty over the following dependencies and concessions:

Japan administered one League of Nations mandate:


L


Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia – Republic of Latvia
Capital: Riga
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Capital: Monrovia
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Liechtenstein (1921-1937).svgFlag of Liechtenstein (1937-1982).svg Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
Capital: Vaduz
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania
Capital: Vilnius
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Capital: Luxembourg City
Widely recognized LON member state.

M


Flag of Mexico (1916-1934).svgFlag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg  Mexico – United Mexican States
Capital: Mexico City
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from September 12, 1931; declared a member on September 12, 1931. Mexico had sovereignty over one territory:

Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco – Principality of Monaco
Capital: Monaco City
Widely recognized independent state.

N


Flag of Nejd (1921).svgSaudi Arabia Flag Variant (1932).svgSaudi Arabia Flag Variant (1934).svgSaudi Arabia Flag Variant (1938).svg Nejd and Hejaz (personal union to 23 September 1932), Saudi Arabia (from September 23, 1932)
Capital: Riyadh
Widely recognized independent state. Nejd and Hejaz had sovereignty over one protectorate:
  • Flag of Asir 1927.svg Asir (to November 20, 1930)

Flag of Nepal (19th century-1962).svg Nepal – Kingdom of Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital: Amsterdam
Widely recognized LON member state. The Netherlands had sovereignty over three colonies:

Dominion of Newfoundland Red Ensign.svg  Newfoundland – Dominion of Newfoundland (de facto to February 16, 1934)
Capital: St. John's
Widely recognized independent state; de facto Commonwealth realm to February 16, 1934.

Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand – Dominion of New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
Widely recognized LON member state; Commonwealth realm. New Zealand had sovereignty over four dependent territories:

New Zealand administered one League of Nations mandate:


Flag of Nicaragua (1908-1971).svg  Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
Capital: Managua
Widely recognized LON member state under United States occupation to 1933; withdrew on June 27, 1936.

Flag of Norway.svg  Norway – Kingdom of Norway
Capital: Oslo
Widely recognized LON member state. Norway had sovereignty over three uninhabited possessions:

P


Flag of Panama.svg  Panama – Republic of Panama
Capital: Panama City
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Paraguay (1842-1954).svg  Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
Capital: Asunción
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on February 23, 1935.

Flag of Peru (1825-1884).svg  Peru – Peruvian Republic
Capital: Lima
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on April 8, 1939.

Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland – Republic of Poland (to 6 October 1939)
Capital: Warsaw
Widely recognized LON member state. Under occupation by Nazi Germany from 6 October 1939. A government in exile was regarded as the legitimate government by the Allies.

Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal
Capital: Lisbon
Widely recognized LON member state. The following are colonies and possession of Portugal:

R


Flag of Romania.svg  Romania – Kingdom of Romania
Capital: Bucharest
Widely recognized LON member state.

S


Flag of San Marino (1862-2011).svg  San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
Capital: San Marino
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg Siam / Thailand
Capital: Bangkok
  • Kingdom of Siam (to 23 June 1939)
  • Kingdom of Thailand (from 23 June 1939)
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa – Union of South Africa
Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Pietermaritzburg (archival), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Widely recognized LON member state; Commonwealth realm. South Africa administered one League of Nations mandate:

Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Capital: Moscow
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from September 18, 1934; expelled on December 14, 1939. The Soviet Union was a federation of seven (later 11) republics. [lower-alpha 5]

Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svgFlag of Spain 1931 1939.svg Flag of Spain (1938-1945).svg Spain
Capital: Madrid (1930–1936), Valencia (1936–1937), Barcelona (1937–1939)
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew in May 1939. Spain had sovereignty over the following colonies and protectorate:

Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Widely recognized LON member state.

Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
Capital: Bern
Widely recognized LON member state.

T


Flag of Tibet.svg Tibet
Capital: Lhasa
De facto independent state. Claimed by the Republic of China.

Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state from July 18, 1932.

U


Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital: London
Widely recognized LON member state. The United Kingdom had sovereignty over 62 colonies:

United Kingdom administered the following League of Nations mandates:


Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States – United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Widely recognized independent state. The United States had sovereignty over 21 territories:

Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay – Eastern Republic of Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo
Widely recognized LON member state.

V


Flag of the Vatican City (2023-present).svg  Vatican City – Vatican City State
Capital: Vatican City
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Venezuela (1905-1930).svgFlag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg Venezuela United States of Venezuela
Capital: Caracas
Widely recognized LON member state; withdrew on July 12, 1938.

Y


Flag of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.svg Yemen – Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
Capital: Sana'a
Widely recognized independent state.

Flag of Yugoslavia (1918-1943).svg  Yugoslavia – Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Capital: Belgrade
Widely recognized independent state.

Other entities

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


Kurdish flag (1932).png Ararat – Republic of Ararat (to September 17, 1930)
Capital: Kurdava
Unrecognized state.

Flag of Ukraine (1917-1921).svg  Carpatho-Ukraine (from March 15 to 15, 1939)
Capital: Khust
Unrecognized state. Occupied by Hungary on March 15, 1939.

Flag of Catalonia.svg Catalonia(from 14 to 17 April 1931 and from 6 to 7 October 1934)
Capital: Barcelona
Self-declared state in 1931; became an autonomous government within the Spanish Republic, named Generalitat of Catalonia, from April 17, 1931. Self-declared revolutionary state in 1934 during the Events of 6 October.

Flag of the Republic of China 1912-1928.svg China, Provisional Government of – Provisional Government of the Republic of China (from December 14, 1937)
Capital: Beiping
Unrecognized state. Puppet state of Japan.

CJZ1.svg China, Reformed Government of – Reformed Government of the Republic of China (from March 28, 1938)
Capital: Nanjing
Unrecognized state. Puppet state of Japan.

Red flag.svg Democratic Finland – Finnish Democratic Republic (from December 1, 1939)
Capital: Helsinki (official), Terijoki (de facto)
Partially recognized socialist republic. Puppet state of the Soviet Union.

Flag of the Republic of China 1912-1928.svg East Hebei – East Hebei Autonomous Council (from November 25, 1935 to February 1, 1938)
Capital: Tungchow
Unrecognized state. Puppet state of Japan.

Kokbayraq flag.svg East Turkestan – Turkish Islamic Republic of East Turkestan (from November 12, 1933 to February 6, 1934)
Capital: Kashgar
De facto unrecognized independent state. De jure regional province of China.

Chinese soviet flag.svg Jiangxi – Chinese Soviet Republic (from November 7, 1931 to September 22, 1937)
Capital: Ruijin (1931–1936), Bao'an (1936–1937), Yan'an (1937)
Unrecognized state.

Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg Korea, Provisional Government of – Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Capital-in-exile: Shanghai (to 1932), Hangzhou (1932–1935), Jiaxing (1935), Nanjing (1935–1937), Changsha (1937–1938), Canton (1938–1939), Qijiang (from 1939)
Partially recognized Korean government-in-exile.

Flag of Manchukuo.svg  Manchukuo (from February 18, 1932)
Capital: Xinjing
  • State of Manchuria (from February 18, 1932 to March 1, 1934)
  • Empire of Manchuria (from March 1, 1934)
Puppet state of Japan.

Flag of the Mengjiang.svg  Mengjiang – Mengjiang United Autonomous Government (from September 1, 1939)
Capital: Kalgan
Puppet state of Japan.

Flag of Mongolia 1924 (alternative).svg Mongolia – Mongolian People's Republic
Capital: Ulaanbataar
Satellite state of the Soviet Union.

Flag of Mongol Military Government (1936-1937).svg Mongol Union (from May 12, 1936 to September 1, 1939)
Capital: Hohhot
  • Mongol Military Government (from May 12, 1936 to October 27, 1937)
  • Mongol United Autonomous Government (from October 27, 1937 to September 1, 1939)
Puppet state of Japan. Became part of Mengjiang from September 1, 1939.

Flag of Jinbei.svg North Shanxi – North Shanxi Autonomous Government (from October 15, 1937 to September 1, 1939)
Capital: Datong
Puppet state of Japan. Became part of Mengjiang from September 1, 1939.

Flag of the Dadao Municipal Government of Shanghai.svg Shanghai – Great Way Municipal Government of Shanghai (from December 5, 1937 to May 3, 1938)
Capital: Pudong
Puppet government of Japan.

Flag of Slovakia (1939-1945).svg Slovakia – Slovak Republic (from March 14, 1939)
Capital: Bratislava
Client state of Nazi Germany recognized by several neutral states.

Flag of the Mengjiang.svg South Chahar – South Chahar Autonomous Government (from September 4, 1937 to September 1, 1939)
Capital: Kalgan
Puppet state of Japan. Became part of Mengjiang from September 1, 1939.

Flag of the Tuvan People's Republic (1930-1935).svgFlag of the Tuvan People's Republic (1933-1939).svg Tuva – Tuvan People's Republic
Capital: Khem-Beldyr (renamed Kyzyl in 1926)
Partially recognized socialist republic. Satellite state of the Soviet Union.

See also

Notes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribe (Native American)</span> Formal Native American tribe recognized by the American federal government

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References