Top 30 Countries That No Longer Exist

Top 30 Countries That No Longer Exist

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the nations, countries, and states that fell, split up, or were dissolved. To be clear, were talking about in the last 300 years or so - otherwise, wed be here all day.

#30: New Granada

South American independence went through many stages. New Granada was originally part of the Viceroyalty of Peru before becoming a viceroyalty itself. Designated as the New Kingdom of Granada, the country corresponded primarily with modern day Colombia, though it also extended into current Venezuela and Panama at various points. Independence movements had New Granada declare itself a republic at one time, as well as calling themselves the United Provinces of New Granada. However, frequent infighting led to New Granada being reconquered by Spain several times, with the final time in 1816. They would achieve their independence soon afterwards, but under a different name - more on that later.

#29: El Stronato

From 1954 to 1989, Paraguay was dominated by a dictatorship run by Alfredo Stroessner. Paraguay had suffered under dictatorships before, four in fact, but this was the longest. Stroessners rule, known as El Stronato or El Stronismo, was marked by extreme wealth inequality, oppression, and the extrajudicial killing of his enemies. El Stronato lasted for so long in part due to Stroessners political savvy, as well as his alliances with powerful backers, like Brazil and the United States, with the latter supporting him due to his anti-communist sentiments. Stroessner was overthrown in a military coup in 1989 led by General Andrés Rodríguez, who was later elected president and instituted sweeping reforms.

#28: Corsican Republic

Given that its an island in the Mediterranean, Corsica has been ruled by a lot of countries over the centuries. In the mid 18th century, the Corsicans, led by Pasquale Paoli, declared independence from the Republic of Genoa. The Corsicans formed their own government, created a university and army, and minted their own coinage. However, after only around 14 years of self rule, Genoa sold their claim over the island to France, leading to the French conquest of Corsica. The Corsican Republic may have been short lived, but calls for Corsican independence continue today. Additionally, its Enlightenment-inspired republican ideals also helped inspire other independence movements, including certain British colonists in North America.

#27: Kingdom of Two Sicilies

We can hear you asking, how do you get a kingdom with more than one Sicily? Well, this 19th century nation was formed from the union of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples. However, the Kingdom of Naples, which consisted of most of southern Italy, was still officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily - hence the name. Confusing moniker aside, the Kingdom of Two Sicilies was prosperous in its time, being the largest of the Italian states before the peninsula was unified. However, the king was overthrown in 1860 and a referendum was held to join the Kingdom of Sardinia, creating the Kingdom of Italy.

#26: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

For over 200 years, much of Eastern Europe was united into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Formed from the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland, Poland-Lithuania was ahead of its time in several ways. It had a forerunner to modern constitutional monarchy, and enjoyed greater religious tolerance and diversity than most European states during the 16th through 18th centuries. However, the Commonwealth ultimately met its end after a period of decline. Its attempts to strengthen itself with democratic reforms only caused its neighbors to invade and carve it up to act against what one Russian statesman called the contagion of democratic ideas

#25: Hawaiian Kingdom

Established in 1795, the Hawaiian Kingdom was created after King Kamehameha I of the island of Hawaii conquered most of the other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. The kingdom immediately found itself as the waypoint between both sides of the Pacific. Foreign influence came with both upsides and downsides. Mostly downsides. Although the Hawaiians getting their own written language and greater rights for women were nice, the introduction of a host of new diseases killing off most of the native Hawaiians and foreigners buying up all the land were not. In 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was dissolved after a U.S.-backed coup led to a brief republic and then the United States annexing the islands entirely.

#24: Kingdom of Bora Bora

The island that bears the name Bora Bora once ruled over a group of its neighboring islands including Maupihaa, Maupiti, Tupai, Motu One, and Manuae. The kingdom was created in the early 19th century and lasted until 1888. That year, Bora Bora was annexed by France after some of their neighboring islands sought to become French protectorates. Hmm, a group of Pacific islands annexed by a Western powerthat sounds awfully familiarAnyway, the Kingdom technically persisted until 1895, when its final ruler Teriimaevarua III abdicated and Bora Bora became part of French Polynesia.

#23: Union of Burma

Youve probably heard of Burma, but dont panic if you cant remember where. In addition to their famous pythons, Burma was well-known as a British protectorate. Originally a province of the larger British India, Burma obtained its independence in 1948, becoming the Union of Burma. Initially a parliamentary republic, Burma became a socialist republic in 1968, before becoming the modern, military-ruled republic of Myanmar in 1989. Throughout the Union of Burmas history, and indeed continuing today as Myanmar, the country has been marred by an almost constant state of civil war. So while the Union of Burma may be gone, the internal strife that began during its inception has remained long after it.

#22: Newfoundland

As any Canadian will tell you, Newfoundland and its history are a bitodd. Originally a British colony, Newfoundland obtained self-governing status in 1854. Unlike its neighbors to the west, Newfoundland, and Labrador which is on the mainland, elected not to join Canadaat first. They remained a self-governing colony until 1907, when they were reclassified as a dominion of the British Empire. They continued to remain relatively independent before the Great Depression ruined everything, because of course it did. Newfoundlands economy got so bad in fact that they elected to give up self-governance in 1934 to have the British do it instead - making them the only country to ever give up democracyon purpose. They did elect to join Canada finally in 1949 though.

#21: Ethiopian Empire a.k.a. Abyssinia

Despite coming to an end in 1974, the Ethiopian Empire, historically called Abyssinia, had existed since the 13th century. This Christian African nations longevity is incredibly impressive, considering its hostile neighbors and the interest of European colonial powers in the last few centuries. The Ethiopian Empire fought two wars with Italy, one of which it won, and the other it lost. However, that wasnt the end of the Empire, as its lands and emperor returned following Italys defeat in WWII. The country remained until its government was toppled in 1974 in a military coup, which established a socialist government under the Derg, a military junta.

#20: Tripolitania

This region has changed hands many times throughout its long history. It belonged to ancient Carthage before falling to the Roman Empire, then came under the control of the Vandals and later the Byzantine Empire. It eventually became part of the Ottoman Empire, but enjoyed independence under the Karamanli dynasty from 1711 until 1835. After it was captured by Italy, it declared independence again as the short-lived Tripolitanian Republic from 1918 to 1922. However, Italy soon reasserted control, and Tripolitania was an Italian colony until 1934. Today, the area is part of Libya, with Tripoli serving as the nations capital.

#19: Italian Social Republic [Republic of Salò]

The official classification of this republic was always dubious. The ISR was an Italian fascist state and a puppet regime of Nazi Germany. In 1943 during World War II, Italy switched allegiances, signing an armistice with the Allies. German forces reacted by freeing the deposed Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, who worked with the Nazi Empire and established the Italian Social Republic on September 23. Its power was limited, and it wasnt recognized by most countries. The republic collapsed towards the end of April, 1945, when the Italian resistance movement captured Mussolini and a number of his ministers. Mussolini was executed the next day, and the Republics Minister of Defense quickly surrendered.

#18: Catalonia

In the medieval period, the Principality of Catalonia was an autonomous region ruled by a composite monarchy called the Crown of Aragon, which controlled territory throughout the Mediterranean. Catalonia revolted and became a republic in 1641, although it was short-lived. In 1714, Philip V won the War of the Spanish Succession and made Catalonia part of Spain. While it regained some autonomy in the early 20th century, Catalonia was crushed again under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Its remained under Spanish control ever since, although it regained self-government in the late 1970s with Spains transition to democracy. Nonetheless, the Catalan independence movement continues to fight for Catalonias secession.

#17: Republic of Texas

Today, Texas is the second-largest and second-most populous US state. But the region was originally colonized by the Spanish, becoming part of Mexico in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence. Over the next decade, American colonists and Tejanos clashed with the Mexican government. One bone of contention was the governments increasing centralization; another was what American arrivals saw as their right to own slaves, despite Mexico banning the practice. In 1836 this led to the Texas Revolution, and independence as the Republic of Texas. The Mexican Congress refused to acknowledge the transition, with both sides arguing over borders, and the native Comanches literally caught in the middle. In 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming its 28th state - and sparking the MexicanAmerican War.

#16: Gran Colombia

In the early 19th century, Venezuelan military leader Simón Bolívar liberated much of South America from Spanish control. He dreamt of one great, unified country, which was founded in 1819 as Colombia - now known as Gran Colombia to distinguish it from the modern-day Republic of Colombia. It encompassed much of southern Central America and northern South America. For a short time, it was powerful and prosperous, but soon fell victim to political power plays. Bolívar and former war ally Francisco de Paula Santander became public rivals in a fight between centralism and federalism. Political instability resulted in the states dissolution in 1831, and the area was split into the modern countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and eventually, Panama.

#15: Bengal

Today, Bengal is an area encompassing West Bengal of India and Bangladesh. In ancient times however, a series of powerful kingdoms ruled the region, with strong militaries and extensive trade networks. The Greeks referred to the area as Gangaridai. In the 16th century the region became a part of the Mughal Empire and prospered as a rich trading power, described as the Paradise of the Nations. During this time, Bengal encompassed 12% of the entire worlds GDP. It then fell under British rule in 1757 and was split between India and Pakistan in 1946 in the wake of the Indian independence movement. Following the Bangladesh War of Independence, East Bengal of Pakistan became modern day Bangladesh.

#14: Republic of Vietnam

In the years following World War II, colonial rule began to end worldwide, but not without a fight. In 1945, revolutionary H Chí Minh declared independence from France, proclaiming the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In response. France fought back tooth and nail to hold onto its territory. With Frances support, the State of Vietnam was established in the south in 1949; in 1955 it became the Republic of Vietnam. The conflict culminated in the Vietnam War, with the US backing the south against the norths communist government. The north won, and the Fall of Saigon in 1975 signalled the end of the Republic.

#13: Austria-Hungary

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Austro-Hungarian Empire ruled much of Central Europe. A dual monarchy between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, the multinational state began with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and was ruled by the House of Habsburg. It was a major global exporter of the time, building and shipping industrial appliances and components for power plants. While unpopular with Hungarians, Austria-Hungary flourished until it declared war on the Kingdom of Serbia on July 28, 1914. This officially started World War I, and Austria-Hungary fought as a Central Power. They obviously lost, and the empire was dissolved into the Kingdom of Hungary and the First Austrian Republic.

#12: Kingdom of Sikkim

To the north of West Bengal is the Indian state of Sikkim, with a population of just 610,000 people. Back in 1642, Sikkim was a hereditary monarchy known as Dremoshong. It was founded by the Namgyal dynasty and ruled by Buddhist monarchs known as Chogyal. In the late 19th century, it became a British protectorate, then in 1950 an Indian one with Indias independence from Britain. Over the next decades, it became one of the richest regions of the Himalayas. However, political turmoil upheaved the kingdom in the early 1970s, and on April 14, 1975, a near-unanimous referendum abolished the monarchy and turned Sikkim into an Indian state.

#11: Weimar Republic

From 1919-33, Germany was unofficially called the Weimar Republic, and officially Deutsches Reich. Formed between the Second and Third Reichs, this attempt at a republic was doomed from the start. At the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties on Germany, which contributed to issues with hyperinflation and warring Communist and right-wing nationalist paramilitary movements. It wasnt all bad, though, as the government ended up helping German currency and railways, and got out of most of the imposed restrictions from the Treaty. But it was all for naught, however, because after the Reichstag fire, a certain Chancellor influenced the government to call a state of emergency, effectively ending the republic and beginning Germanys Nazi period.

#10: Tibet

The area of Tibet was once held by the short-lived Tibetan Empire, which was established in the early 7th century and dissolved in 842. Following its collapse, Tibet became a series of smaller territories, with the central portion of the country run by various forms of Tibetan governments. The Chinese Qing dynasty took control over the area in the 1720s, but Tibet won back its independence with the Xinhai Revolution in 1911. However, that only lasted until October 24, 1950, when China invaded and annexed Tibet. The native Tibetan government remained in place, but this was squashed following the failed uprising of 1959. Ever since, Tibet has remained under Chinese control.

#9: East Germany

After World War II, Germany was reeling from their losses, and their territory was divided up by the Allies. West Germany ultimately stayed connected with the rest of Western Europe. East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, or GDR, was snatched up by the USSR as a Soviet Satellite state, and occupied by Soviet forces for decades. They built the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop emigration, and killed many defectors. Despite having the best economy of the Eastern Bloc states, it was a grim situation. The Berlin Wall finally came down in 1989, and a year later, as the USSR was dying, the GDR was absorbed into a unified democratic Germany.

#8: Prussia

Wow, Germanys had a lot of names! This iteration was called Prussia. Starting out as a duchy, it became a kingdom in 1701 under Frederick I, and became famous for its military strength, most notably under Frederick the Great and Otto von Bismarck. At its peak, Prussia covered parts of what are now 8 European countries. After German unification in 1871, Prussia was the largest state in the German Empire, but ceased to be a kingdom after WWI. It later lost independence after the Weimar Republic dismissed Prussias cabinet, and by 1934, their powers had been completely stripped by the Nazis. After WWII, the Allies effectively dissolved Prussia, with Poland and the USSR taking the spoils and kicking the Germans out.

#7: United Arab Republic

This ill-fated project was a union between Egypt and Syria. The United Arab Republic, or UAR, was the first move towards eventually forming a larger pan-Arab state. It was also an attempt to subdue that pesky Communist influence in the area. The project was short-lived though, as Syria became independent again in 1961 after a coup détat. Egypt kept the name UAR for another 10 years before realizing they werent united with anyone. They officially changed back to Egypt in 1971, shortly after the death of their president and founder of the UAR, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

#6: Ceylon

Just off the coast of India, Ceylon was the converted name given to Sri Lanka after the Portuguese landed there in the early 16th century. Like a lot of countries during the Age of Discovery and New Imperialism, Ceylon went through its fair share of European overlords, ending with the British, who consolidated rule over the island starting in 1815. Fast-forward to 1948, and Ceylon became a dominion, fully independent of Britain, but still recognizing the British monarch. It stayed this way until 1972, when it became a republic and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. Today, parliament plans to erase most references to the countrys old name.

#5: Czechoslovakia

After the Central Powers were defeated at the end of WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved and split into a bunch of successor states. One of these was Czechoslovakia, one of the few countries in Europe that was a democratic republic at the time. They had a good thing going until the Nazis gobbled it up, and later, of course, the Soviets. During the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czechs deposed their government and restored their democracy, but things werent all rosy. By 1993, nationalist tensions between Czechs and Slovaks caused the country to peacefully split into two: the Czech Republic in the West, and Slovakia in the East, effectively making them... Czechmates.

#4: Rhodesia

Starting out as the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and named after Cecil Rhodes, the British businessman who exploited the region, this southeast African state had a history mired in blood. In 1965, the minority whites signed a declaration of independence from the UK, which was declared illegal, as Britain only allowed the majority to make such a declaration. After British sanctions, and a 15 year civil war between Robert Mugabes ZANU, Joshua Nkomos ZAPU, and Ian Smiths Rhodesian government, Rhodesia buckled: universal suffrage was granted and the state was named Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Elections were held in 1980, and Robert Mugabe and ZANU won. The European name of Rhodesia was replaced with just Zimbabwe, and Mugabe has been in control, first as Prime Minister and now as President, ever since.

#3: Ottoman Empire

With an over 600-year existence, the Ottoman Empires run was one of the longest in history. They officially ended the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire by taking Constantinople, annexed much of the Middle East under Suleiman I, dominated the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and were instrumental in causing European nations to modernize their weaponry. They had a good run, barring multiple genocides, but political ineptitude, internal revolts, and the sheer vastness of the Empire caused it to decline. Allied with Germany during WWI, the loss saw the Empire dismantled. With the Turkish War of Independence, the sultanate was abolished and the Republic of Turkey took the Empires place, while its legacy was whittled down.

#2: Yugoslavia

Along with Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was another remnant of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Unlike its peer, which adopted democracy, Yugoslavia became a Kingdom. That kingdom was invaded by the Nazis in 1941, as was the trend in Europe. At the end of WWII, it became a socialist federal republic unaffiliated with the USSR, under the leadership of Josip Tito. It was a federation of 6 different republics that, after Titos death in 1980, wanted independence because of ethnic differences. Some republics declared independence in the early 1990s, effectively dissolving Yugoslavia into what is today 7 different countries, including Croatia, and Serbia. The story doesnt end there though, as the Yugoslav Wars unfortunately continued throughout the 1990s.

#1: Soviet Union

The latter half of the 20th century saw the planet turn into a chessboard with America on one side and the Soviet Union, the largest state in the world, on the other and that division still exists today. Along with the United States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR influenced world politics to such an extent that the effects can still be felt in our modern world, with areas like Asia, South America, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caribbean all feeling the effects. Ultimately, because of economic failure, most Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe replaced their Communist governments, and eventually the USSRs republics followed suit in the 90s. They are now 15 independent states, including the territory that is Russia, or the Russian Federation, which is the USSRs legal successor.

Is there an ex-country we forgot? Dont panic - tell us your picks in the comments!