Countries that Have Ceased To Exist

There are at present 195 countries in the world, however, this figure has fluctuated throughout time. With new countries being created and others ceasing to exist, borders have rarely remained unaltered throughout history.

Many nations arose spontaneously as a result of a shared culture and language among a group of people. Other countries arose solely as a result of geographical layout. Some others were formed as a result of huge migrations, others as a result of the disintegration of larger empires or nations into smaller governments, and yet others as a result of wars and treaties.

List of Countries That Have Ceased To Exist

Austria-Hungary

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a monarchy that ruled over Hungary and Austria, as well as parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, and the Balkans. After the end of the First World War, the empire crumbled.

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia was an Eastern European country. In 1993, it was amicably divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Gran Colombia

Between 1819 and 1830, Gran Colombia was a South American country that included what is now Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. When Venezuela and Ecuador left the union, Gran Colombia ceased to exist.

Abyssinia

Abyssinia, often known as the Ethiopian Empire, was a northeast African empire. It was divided into Eritrea and Ethiopia in the early twentieth century.

Bengal

Bengal was an autonomous monarchy in southern Asia till 1539. Since then, the territory has been divided between Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.

Burma

Myanmar became the official name of Burma in 1989. Many countries, however, have yet to accept the shift. 

Catalonia

Catalonia was a Spanish autonomous territory. From 1932 to 1939, it was self-governing. 

Ceylon

Ceylon was a tropical island nation near the shore of India. In 1972, it was given the name Sri Lanka. 

Corsica

Throughout its history, this Island has been ruled by a variety of states, with numerous brief spells of freedom. Corsica is now a French department.

East Pakistan

From 1947 until 1971, this region was a Pakistani province. Bangladesh is now a sovereign nation.

Hawaii

Hawaii was not acknowledged as a separate country until the 1840s, despite being a monarchy for several years. In 1898, the country was included and attached by the USA (United States of America). 

New Granada

From 1819 until 1830, this American republic was a segment of Gran Colombia, then from 1830 to 1858, it was an autonomous country.  

Newfoundland

Newfoundland was a self-governing colony of Newfoundland from 1907 to 1949. In 1949, Newfoundland was annexed to Canada.

North and South Yemen

Yemen was divided into two different states in 1967. Later in the year of 1990, the two countries reunited to become Yemen.

Ottoman Empire

The Turkish Kingdom, also known as the Ottoman Kingdom, began around 1300 and grew to encompass sections of modern-day Hungary, the Balkans, Russia, Turkey, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. In 1923, the Ottoman Kingdom stopped existing when Turkey announced freedom from the empire’s remnants. 

Persia

The Persian Empire spanned the Sea of the Mediterranean all the way to India. Persia, as we know it now, was formed in the sixteenth century and eventually renamed Iran.

Wales, Scotland and England

Despite recent improvements in autonomy, Wales and Scotland were formerly sovereign countries that eventually joined the state of England to establish Great Britain. Later, the parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland passed an Act of Union to establish the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. However, after the Irish Independence, it has since been renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Soviet Socialist Republic Union (USSR)

This state was the most dominant communist country in the world for decades. When the USSR split, the countries of Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Lithuania, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were formed in 1991. 

The United Arab Republic

Syria and Egypt, two non-neighbouring countries, formed the Arab Republic Union in 1958. Syria left the coalition in 1961, although Egypt preserved the name Arab Republic United for another decade.

Tibet

Tibet, a kingdom founded in the seventh century, was overrun in 1950 by China. Since then, it has been referred to as China’s Autonomous Region of Xizang.

Conclusion

We developed a list of countries that ceased to exist to account for the changes in our world throughout time. There are between 195 and 207 countries, depending on how you count. The Holy See, which oversees Vatican City, and the State of Palestine are two non-member observer states in the UN. There are other six states that have partial recognition, such as Taiwan and Kosovo, as well as a number of self-declared countries.