List of sovereign states in the 1940s
Under Construction
This is a list of sovereign states in the 1940s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1940 and 31 December 1949. It contains 106 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 99 widely recognized sovereign states, 6 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.
Sovereign states
Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty | |
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Afghanistan - Kingdom of Afghanistan Capital: Kabul |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 19 November 1946). | |
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Albania (from 20 October 1944) Capital: Tirana
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Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Andorra - Principality of Andorra Capital: Andorra la Vella |
Widely recognized independent state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain. | |
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Argentina - Argentine Republic Capital: Buenos Aires |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 27 December 1945). Argentina was a federation of 23 provinces and 10 federal territories.[1] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica (from 1942). It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories. | |
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Australia - Commonwealth of Australia Capital: Canberra |
Widely recognized independent state. Dominion of the British Empire (to 9 October 1942). LON member state (to 20 April 1946).UN member state (from 1 November 1945).Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories.[2] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:
Australia administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory:
Australia administered two United Nations Trust Territories:
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Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium (to 17 May 1940, from 3 September 1944) Capital: Brussels |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 27 December 1945). Belgium had sovereignty over one colony:
Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory: | |
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Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan (from 8 August 1949) Capital: Punakha |
Widely recognized independent state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs. | |
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Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative) |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 14 November 1945) | |
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Brazil - Republic of the United States of Brazil Capital: Rio de Janeiro |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945). Brazil was a federation of 20 states, five territories, and one federal district.[3] | |
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Bulgaria Capital: Sofia
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Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). | |
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Burma - Union of Burma (from 4 January 1948) Capital: Rangoon |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 19 April 1948) | |
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Canada - Dominion of Canada Capital: Ottawa |
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 9 November 1945). Commonwealth realm. Canada was a federation of ten provinces and two territories.[4] | |
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Ceylon - Dominion of Ceylon (from 4 February 1948) Capital: Colombo |
Widely recognized independent state. Commonwealth realm. | |
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Chile - Republic of Chile Capital: Santiago |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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China, People's Republic of - People's Republic of China (from 1 October 1949) Capital: Beijing |
Partially recognized de facto independent state. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered the mainland. It also claimed the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and South Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, South Vietnam, and the Philippines), and South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency). | |
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China, Republic of - Republic of China Capital: Chunking (to 2 September 1945), Nanking (from 2 September 1945 to 7 December 1949), Taipei (from 7 Dec 1949) |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945). The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered Taiwan, Hainan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, the Pratas Islands, Itu Aba, and portions of Yunnan Province. The Republic of China had territorial claims over Mongolia; the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River (administered by the Soviet Union); The majority of Gorno-Badakhshan (administered by the Soviet Union); The eastern tip of the Wakhan Corridor (administered by Afghanistan); part of the disputed Kashmir region; eastern Bhutan; South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency); and Kachin State (administered by Burma). | |
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Colombia - Republic of Colombia Capital: Bogotá |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 5 November 1945). Colombia claimed Quita Sueño Bank, Roncador Bank, and Serrana Bank (disputed by the United States); Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States); and Serranilla Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States) | |
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Costa Rica - Republic of Costa Rica Capital: San José |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 2 November 1945) | |
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Cuba - Republic of Cuba Capital: Havana |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 2 November 1945). The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay was under the permanent control of the United States. | |
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Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovak Republic (from 3 April 1945) Capital: Prague |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945).[5] | |
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Denmark - Kingdom of Denmark (to 9 April 1940, from 5 May 1945) Capital: Copenhagen |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1940). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Dominican Republic Capital: Santo Domingo |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador Capital: Quito |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 21 December 1945) | |
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Egypt - Kingdom of Egypt Capital: Cairo |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador Capital: San Salvador |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Estonia - Republic of Estonia (to June 17, 1940) Capital: Tallinn |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to June 17, 1940). | |
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Finland - Republic of Finland Capital: Helsinki |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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France Capital: Paris (dejure from 22 Jun 1940 to 20 Aug 1944), Vichy (defacto from 22 Jun 1940 to 20 Aug 1944)
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Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 18 April 1941 and from 20 August 1944 to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Germany Capital: Berlin
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Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Greece - Kingdom of Greece (to 23 April 1941, From October 13, 1944) Capital: Athens |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to April 1941, from Oct 13 1944 to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 25 October 1945) | |
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Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala Capital: Guatemala City |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 November 1945) | |
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Haiti - Republic of Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to April 1942). UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Honduras - Republic of Honduras Capital: Tegucigalpa |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 17 December 1945) | |
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Hungary Capital: Budapest
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Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Iceland Capital: Reykjavík
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Widely recognized independent state. In personal union with Denmark to 17 June 1944. UN member state (from 19 November 1946) | |
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Iran - Imperial State of Iran Capital: Tehran |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 12 November 1945) | |
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Iraq - Kingdom of Iraq Capital: Baghdad |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 21 December 1945) | |
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Ireland Capital: Dublin |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). | |
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Italy Capital: Rome (to September 1943, from February 1944), Brindisi (from September 1943, to February 1944)
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Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Japan - Empire of Japan Capital: Tokyo |
Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Latvia - Republic of Latvia (to 17 August 1940) Capital: Riga |
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 5 August 1940) and in exile (to 20 April 1946). Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile. | |
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Liberia - Republic of Liberia Capital: Monrovia |
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 2 November 1945) | |
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Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein Capital: Vaduz |
Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Lithuania - Republic of Lithuania (to 15 Jun 1940) Capital: Vilnius |
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 5 August 1940) and in exile (to 20 April 1946). Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile. | |
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Luxembourg - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944) Capital: Luxembourg City |
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944 to 20 April 1946) and in exile (from 10 May 1940, to 11 Sept 1944). Conquered by a Nazi offensive but maintained a government in exile based in London. UN member state (from 24 October 1945) | |
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Mexico - United Mexican States Capital: Mexico City |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 17 Nov 1945) | |
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Monaco - Principality of Monaco Capital: Monaco |
Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Mongolia - Mongolian People's Republic Capital: Ulan Bator |
Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Nepal - Kingdom of Nepal Capital: Kathmandu |
Widely recognized independent state. | |
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Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 10 Dec 1945). Under occupation by Germany from 10 May 1940 to 5 May 1945. | |
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New Zealand - Dominion of New Zealand Capital: Wellington |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945). Dominion of the British Empire until 25 Nov 1947. | |
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Nicaragua - Republic of Nicaragua Capital: Managua |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945). | |
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Norway - Kingdom of Norway Capital: Oslo |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945).
Under occupation by Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945. | |
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Pakistan - Dominion of Pakistan (from 14 Aug 1947) Capital: Karachi |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 30 September 1947). | |
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Panama - Republic of Panama Capital: Panama City |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 13 Nov 1945). | |
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Paraguay - Republic of Paraguay Capital: Asunción |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945). | |
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Peru - Peruvian Republic Capital: Lima |
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 31 Oct 1945). | |
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Philippine Commonwealth Capital: Manila (from 14 Oct 1943 to 3 Mar 1945)
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Widely recognized independent state. Under Japanese Occupation from 3 Jan 1942 - 17 Aug 1945 during which a puppet government was established on 14 Oct 1943. Resistance by Philippine Guerrillas continued until the puppet regieme's fall on 17 Oct 1945. UN member state (from 24 October 1945). | |
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Second Philippine Republic (from 14 Oct 1943 to 17 Aug 1945) Capital: Manila (from 14 Oct 1943 to 3 Mar 1945) Baguio(from 3 Mar 1945) |
de facto independent country, considered to be a puppet state of Japan. | |
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Poland - Poland (from 31 Dec 1944) Capital: Warsaw |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945). | |
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Portugal - Portuguese Republic Capital: Lisbon |
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). | |
R Romania - Kingdom of Romania (to 30 Dec 1947) | ||
Other entitiesExcluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent:
Notes
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