This is alist of sovereign states in the 1990s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1999. It contains 241 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status andrecognition of theirsovereignty. It includes 197 widely recognized sovereign states, 28 entities which claim an effective sovereignty but are consideredde facto dependencies of other powers by the general international community, 2 associated states, 14 states which were initially unrecognized but then gained full recognition later in the decade, and 1 state which was initially widely recognized but then lost full recognition later in the decade.[clarification needed]
| Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty | |
|---|---|---|
A[edit] | ||
 → → AfghanistanCapital:Kabul (to 26 September 1996),Mazar-i-Sharif (from 26 September 1996 to 25 May 1997),Taloqan (from 25 May 1997)
| Widely recognizedUN member state.[b] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Afghanistan and recognized as such by the UN, but only controlled a small portion of the country after 26 September 1996. | |
 → AlbaniaCapital:Tirana
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of AlgeriaCapital:Algiers | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Andorra – Principality of AndorraCapital:Andorra la Vella | Widely recognized independent state. ThePresident of France andBishop of Urgell wereex officioCo-Princes of Andorra.UN member state (from 28 July 1993). The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain. | |
 AngolaCapital:Luanda
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Antigua and BarbudaCapital:St. John's | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. Antigua and Barbuda had two dependencies,Barbuda andRedonda. | |
 Argentina – Argentine Republic[d]Capital:Buenos Aires | Widely recognizedUN member state. Argentina was afederation of22 provinces, two federal territories, and one federal territory.[e] It had a claim overArgentine Antarctica, which was suspended under theAntarctic Treaty. It also claimed theFalkland Islands andSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which wereBritish overseas territories. | |
 Armenia – Republic of Armenia(from 23 September 1991)[f]Capital:Yerevan | De facto independent state;claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991. Widely recognized (from 26 December 1991).[g]UN member state (from 2 March 1992). | |
 Australia – Commonwealth of AustraliaCapital:Canberra | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. Australia was afederation ofsix states and three territories.[h] It had sovereignty over the following external territories: | |
 Austria – Republic of AustriaCapital:Vienna | Widely recognizedUN member state.EU member (from 1 January 1995). Austria was afederation ofnine states.[i] | |
 Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan(from 30 August 1991)[j]Capital:Baku | De facto independent state;claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991. Widely recognized state from 26 December 1991;UN member state from 2 March 1992. Azerbaijan had one autonomous republic,Nakhchivan. It included the disputed region ofNagorno-Karabakh, where apartially recognized breakaway republic declared independence on 6 January 1992. | |
B[edit] | ||
 The Bahamas – Commonwealth of the BahamasCapital:Nassau | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. | |
 Bahrain – State of BahrainCapital:Manama | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Bangladesh – People's Republic of BangladeshCapital:Dhaka | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 BarbadosCapital:Bridgetown | Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm. | |
 Belgium – Kingdom of BelgiumCapital:Brussels | Widely recognizedUN member state.EEC member to 1 November 1993;EU member from 1 November 1993. Belgium was afederation ofthree communities and three regions.[k] | |
 BelizeCapital:Belmopan | Widely recognizedUN member state.[l]Commonwealth realm. | |
 → BeninCapital:Porto-Novo (official),Cotonou (seat of government)
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Bhutan – Kingdom of BhutanCapital:Thimphu | Widely recognizedUN member state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs, but effectively pursued an independent foreign policy. | |
 Bolivia – Republic of BoliviaCapital:Sucre (official),La Paz (administrative) | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Bosnia and Herzegovina(from 5 April 1992)Capital:Sarajevo
| De facto independent state.Claimed by Yugoslavia (to 28 April 1992). Widely recognized (from 7 April 1992).UN member state (from 22 May 1992). Much of thede jure territory of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the under control of the following self-declared entities which, although they did not claim independence, were effectively self-governing:
In addition, there were three states which had declared and establishedde facto independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina:
After theDayton Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina was afederation of two constituent entities: theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was itself a federation often cantons,[p] andRepublika Srpska. There was also a neutralBrčko District (from 5 March 1999). | |
 Botswana – Republic of BotswanaCapital:Gaborone | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Brazil – Federative Republic of BrazilCapital:Brasília | Widely recognizedUN member state; Brazil was afederation of26 states and one federal district.[q] | |
 Brunei – State of Brunei, Abode of PeaceCapital:Bandar Seri Begawan | Widely recognizedUN member state. Brunei claimed part of theSpratly Islands (disputed by thePeople's Republic of China, theRepublic of China,Vietnam, thePhilippines, andMalaysia). | |
 → BulgariaCapital:Sofia
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Burkina FasoCapital:Ouagadougou | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
| Burma →Myanmar | ||
 Burundi – Republic of BurundiCapital:Bujumbura | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → → Byelorussia /Belarus(from 27 July 1990)Capital:Minsk
| Widely recognizedUN member state.De facto independent state that was nominally a constituent state of the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991; widely recognized from 26 December 1991. | |
C[edit] | ||
| Cambodia →Kampuchea | ||
 Cameroon – Republic of CameroonCapital:Yaoundé | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 CanadaCapital:Ottawa | Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm. Canada was afederation often provinces and three territories.[s] | |
 → Cape Verde – Republic of Cape VerdeCapital:Praia | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Central African RepublicCapital:Bangui | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Chad – Republic of ChadCapital:N'Djamena | Widely-recognizedUN member state. | |
 Chile – Republic of ChileCapital:Santiago | Widely-recognizedUN member state; it had a claim overChilean Antarctic Territory which was suspended under theAntarctic Treaty. | |
 China – People's Republic of ChinaCapital:Beijing | Widely recognizedUN member state.[t] The People's Republic of China had five autonomous regions:Guangxi,Inner Mongolia,Ningxia,Xinjiang andTibet. Additionally, it had sovereignty over twospecial administrative regions: The People's Republic of China claimedTaiwan,Kinmen, theMatsu Islands,Pratas Island and the Vereker Banks, andItu Aba, all of which were governed by theRepublic of China. It also claimed theParacel Islands (disputed by theRepublic of China andVietnam), theSpratly Islands (disputed by theRepublic of China,Vietnam, thePhilippines,Malaysia andBrunei), andSouth Tibet (controlled by India). The People's Republic of China administeredAksai Chin and theTrans-Karakoram Tract, which were within the disputed region ofKashmir. | |
 Colombia – Republic of ColombiaCapital:Bogotá | Widely recognizedUN member state. Colombia administeredBajo Nuevo Bank andSerranilla Bank (disputed byNicaragua and the United States) | |
 → → Comoros –Federal Islamic Republic of the ComorosCapital:Moroni | Widely recognizedUN member state. The Comoros was a federation of three islands:Grande Comore,Mohéli, andAnjouan. Anjouan was ade facto independent state from 3 August 1997. Mohéli was ade facto independent state from 11 August 1997 to 1998. Comoros claimed sovereignty over theFrench overseas territories ofMayotte and theGlorioso Islands. It also claimedBanc du Geyser (disputed byMadagascar and France). | |
 → Congo /Congo, Republic of theCapital:Brazzaville | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the →Zaire | ||
 → Costa Rica – Republic of Costa RicaCapital:San José | Widely-recognizedUN member state. | |
| Côte d'Ivoire →Ivory Coast | ||
 Croatia – Republic of Croatia(from 25 June 1991)[v]Capital:Zagreb | De facto independent state.Claimed by Yugoslavia (to 28 April 1992). Widely recognized (from 15 January 1992). UN member state (from 22 May 1992). Croatia contained the following self-declared entities, all of which claimed to be part of Yugoslavia. Although they did not explicitly claim independence, they werede facto self-governing:
On 15 January 1996, the last of these entities came under the administration of theUnited Nations Transitional Authority for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium. It was reintegrated into Croatia on 15 January 1998. | |
 Cuba – Republic of CubaCapital:Havana | Widely recognizedUN member state; the Cuban area ofGuantánamo Bay was under the complete control of the United States. | |
 Cyprus – Republic of CyprusCapital:Nicosia | Widely recognizedUN member state.[w] The northeastern part of the island was thede facto independent state ofNorthern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. | |
 Czech Republic(from 1 January 1993)[x]Capital:Prague | Widely recognized independent state.[y]UN member state (from 19 January 1993). | |
| Czechoslovakia(to 31 December 1992) Capital:Prague
| Widely recognizedUN member state.[y] Czechoslovakia was afederation of two republics.[ab] | |
D[edit] | ||
 Denmark –Kingdom of DenmarkCapital:Copenhagen | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member to 1 November 1993.EU member (from 1 November 1993). TheDanish Realm also included two of its constituent states: | |
 Djibouti – Republic of DjiboutiCapital:Djibouti | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Dominica – Commonwealth of DominicaCapital:Roseau | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Dominican RepublicCapital:Santo Domingo | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
E[edit] | ||
 Ecuador – Republic of EcuadorCapital:Quito | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Egypt – Arab Republic of EgyptCapital:Cairo | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 El Salvador – Republic of El SalvadorCapital:San Salvador | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial GuineaCapital:Malabo | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Eritrea – State of Eritrea(from 24 May 1993)[15]Capital:Asmara | Widely recognized independent state.UN member state (from 28 May 1993). | |
 Estonia – Republic of Estonia(from 20 August 1991)Capital:Tallinn | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 6 September 1991. Widely recognized state from 6 September 1991;UN member state from 17 September 1991. | |
 → → EthiopiaCapital:Addis Ababa
| Widely recognizedUN member state. The province ofEritrea was under the control of a self-governing provisional government from 29 May 1991 to 23 May 1993. After 1995, Ethiopia was a federation ofnine regions and two chartered cities.[ad] | |
F[edit] | ||
 FijiCapital:Suva | Widely recognizedUN member state. Fiji had an autonomous dependency,Rotuma. | |
 Finland – Republic of FinlandCapital:Helsinki | Widely recognizedUN member state.EU member (from 1 January 1995). Finland had a neutral and demilitarised region: | |
 France – French RepublicCapital:Paris | Widely recognizedUN member state.EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993). France included fouroverseas departments:French Guiana,Guadeloupe,Martinique andRéunion. It also had sovereignty over the followingoverseas territories:
France also claimedBanc du Geyser (disputed byMadagascar and theComoros). | |
G[edit] | ||
 Gabon – Gabonese RepublicCapital:Libreville | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 The Gambia – Republic of the GambiaCapital:Banjul | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Georgia(from 9 April 1991)Capital:Tbilisi | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union until 26 December 1991. Widely recognized sovereign state from 26 December 1991;UN member state from 31 July 1992. Georgia had two autonomous republics:Adjara andAbkhazia. The latter republic was effectively self-governing from 30 September 1993 to 12 October 1999. After 12 October 1999, it was home to ade facto independent state. Georgia also included the disputed region ofSouth Ossetia, where an unrecognized recognized breakaway republic declared independence on 29 May 1992. | |
 Germany, East – German Democratic Republic(to 2 October 1990)[ai]Capital:East Berlin (disputed) | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Germany, West /Germany – Federal Republic of GermanyCapital:Bonn (to 20 June 1991, seat of government to 1999),Berlin (official, from 20 June 1991) | Widely recognizedUN member state.EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993). Germany was afederation ofsixteen states.[aj] | |
 Ghana – Republic of GhanaCapital:Accra | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Greece –Hellenic RepublicCapital:Athens | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993). Greece had sovereignty overMount Athos, an autonomous monastic state that was jointly governed by the multi-national "Holy Community" on the mountain and the Civil Governor appointed by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spiritually came under the direct jurisdiction of theEcumenical Patriarchate. | |
 GrenadaCapital:St. George's | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. Grenada had one autonomous dependency and it wasCarriacou and Petite Martinique. | |
 → Guatemala – Republic of GuatemalaCapital:Guatemala City | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Guinea – Republic of GuineaCapital:Conakry | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-BissauCapital:Bissau | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Guyana – Co-operative Republic of GuyanaCapital:Georgetown | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
H[edit] | ||
 Haiti – Republic of HaitiCapital:Port-au-Prince | Widely recognizedUN member state; Haiti claimed the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa Island. | |
| Holy See →Vatican City | ||
 Honduras – Republic of HondurasCapital:Tegucigalpa | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Hungary – Republic of HungaryCapital:Budapest | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
I[edit] | ||
 Iceland – Republic of IcelandCapital:Reykjavík | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 India – Republic of IndiaCapital:New Delhi | Widely recognizedUN member state; India was afederation oftwenty-five states and seven union territories.[ak] Indian sovereignty overSouth Tibet was disputed by China; India administered part of the disputed region ofKashmir as the state ofJammu and Kashmir. | |
 Indonesia – Republic of IndonesiaCapital:Jakarta | Widely recognizedUN member state. Indonesia had three special provinces:Aceh,Jakarta, andYogyakarta. | |
 Iran – Islamic Republic of IranCapital:Tehran | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → IraqCapital:Baghdad | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Ireland[al]Capital:Dublin | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member to 1 November 1993.EU member from 1 November 1993. Until 1 December 1998, Ireland claimedNorthern Ireland, which was controlled by theUnited Kingdom.[25] | |
 Israel – State of IsraelCapital:Jerusalem | Widely recognizedUN member state.[am] Israel occupiedEast Jerusalem, theGaza Strip theGolan Heights, theIsraeli Security Zone in Southern Lebanon, and theWest Bank. These areas were not generally recognized as being part of Israel. | |
 Italy – Italian RepublicCapital:Rome | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member. Italy had 5 autonomous regions and they were theAosta Valley,Friuli-Venezia Giulia,Sardinia,Sicily, andTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. | |
 Ivory CoastCapital:Yamoussoukro (official),Abidjan (seat of government)
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
J[edit] | ||
 JamaicaCapital:Kingston | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. | |
 → JapanCapital:Tokyo | Widely recognizedUN member state. Japan claimed theLiancourt Rocks, which were controlled bySouth Korea. | |
 Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of JordanCapital:Amman | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
K[edit] | ||
 → → Kampuchea /CambodiaCapital:Phnom Penh
| Widely recognizedUN member state.[ao] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Cambodia, despite being inexile until 15 March 1992. | |
 → → Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan(from 16 December 1991)[26]Capital:Alma-Ata (to 10 December 1997, renamedAlmaty in 1993),Aqmola (from 10 December 1997, renamedAstana in 1998) | De facto independent state;claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991. Widely recognized state from 26 December 1991;UN member state from 2 March 1992. | |
 Kenya – Republic of KenyaCapital:Nairobi | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Kiribati – Republic of KiribatiCapital:South Tarawa | Widely recognized independent state.UN member state (from 14 September 1999). | |
 → Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of KoreaCapital:Pyongyang | Widely recognized independent state.[ap]Permanent observer at theUN (to 17 September 1991).UN member state (from 17 September 1991). Claimed to be the sole legitimate government ofKorea. | |
 → Korea, South – Republic of KoreaCapital:Seoul | Widely recognized independent state.[aq]Permanent observer at theUN (to 17 September 1991).UN member state (from 17 September 1991). Claimed to be the sole legitimate government ofKorea. South Korea controlled theLiancourt Rocks, which were claimed byJapan. | |
 Kuwait – State of Kuwait(to 8 August 1990, from 27 February 1991)[ar]Capital:Kuwait City | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Kyrgyzstan(from 31 August 1991)Capital:Bishkek | De facto independent state;claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991. Widely recognized state from 26 December 1991;UN member state from 2 March 1992. | |
L[edit] | ||
 Laos – Lao People's Democratic RepublicCapital:Vientiane | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Latvia – Republic of Latvia(from 21 August 1991)[au]Capital:Riga | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 6 September 1991; widely recognized state from 6 September 1991 andUN member state from 17 September 1991. | |
 → Lebanon – Lebanese RepublicCapital:Beirut | Widely recognizedUN member state. Lebanon wasoccupied by Syria. Some ofSouthern Lebanon wasoccupied by Israel. | |
 Lesotho – Kingdom of LesothoCapital:Maseru | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Liberia – Republic of LiberiaCapital:Monrovia | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Libya – Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab JamahiriyaCapital:Tripoli | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Liechtenstein – Principality of LiechtensteinCapital:Vaduz | Widely recognized independent state.UN member state (from 18 September 1990).[y] The defense of Liechtenstein was the responsibility of Switzerland. | |
 Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania(from 11 March 1990)[av]Capital:Vilnius | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 6 September 1991. Widely recognized state from 6 September 1991;UN member state from 17 September 1991. | |
 Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of LuxembourgCapital:Luxembourg | Widely recognizedUN member state.EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993). | |
M[edit] | ||
 → → Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia[aw](from 8 September 1991)[ax]Capital:Skopje | De facto independent stateclaimed by Yugoslavia to 28 April 1992. Widely recognized UN member state from 8 April 1993.[ay] | |
 MadagascarCapital:Antananarivo
| Widely recognizedUN member state. Madagascar claimed the French possessions ofBassas da India,Europa Island,Glorioso Islands andJuan de Nova Island. It also claimedBanc du Geyser (disputed byComoros and France). | |
 Malawi – Republic of MalawiCapital:Lilongwe | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 MalaysiaCapital:Kuala Lumpur (official),Putrajaya (administrative, from 1999) | Widely recognizedUN member state. Malaysia was afederation ofthirteen states and two federal territories.[az] Malaysia claimed part of theSpratly Islands (disputed by thePeople's Republic of China, theRepublic of China,Vietnam, thePhilippines, andBrunei). | |
 Maldives – Republic of MaldivesCapital:Malé | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 MaliCapital:Bamako
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Malta – Republic of MaltaCapital:Valletta | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall IslandsCapital:Majuro | Widely recognized state under aCompact of Free Association with the United States;UN member state (from 17 September 1991). The Marshall Islands claimed the United States territory ofWake Island. | |
 Mauritania – Islamic Republic of MauritaniaCapital:Nouakchott | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 MauritiusCapital:Port Louis
| Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm (to 12 March 1992). Mauritius had three dependencies:Agalega Islands,Cargados Carajos andRodrigues. It claimed theBritish Indian Ocean Territory and the French territory ofTromelin Island. | |
 Mexico – United Mexican StatesCapital:Mexico City | Widely recognizedUN member state. Mexico was afederation of31 states and one federal district.[ba] | |
 Micronesia – Federated States of MicronesiaCapital:Palikir | Widely recognized state underCompact of Free Association with the United States.UN member state (from 17 September 1991). The FSM was afederation offour states.[bb] | |
 Moldova – Republic of Moldova(from 27 August 1991)[bc]Capital:Chișinău | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991; widely recognized state from 26 December 1991 andUN member state from 2 March 1992. Moldova had twoautonomous territorial units and they wereGagauzia andTransnistria. Both units (only Transnistria after 14 January 1995) were home tode facto independent statelets. | |
 Monaco – Principality of MonacoCapital:Monaco | Widely recognized independent state.Permanent observer at theUN (to 28 May 1993).UN member state (from 28 May 1993). The defense of Monaco was the responsibility of France. | |
 → MongoliaCapital:Ulaanbaatar
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Morocco – Kingdom of MoroccoCapital:Rabat | Widely recognizedUN member state. Morocco claimed sovereignty over and controlled most of the disputedWestern Sahara, which was home to thede facto independentSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco disputed the Spanish sovereignty overCeuta,Isla de Alborán,Isla Perejil,Islas Chafarinas,Melilla, andPeñón de Alhucemas. | |
 MozambiqueCapital:Maputo
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Myanmar – Union of Myanmar[be]Capital:Yangon | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
N[edit] | ||
 Namibia – Republic of Namibia(from 21 March 1990)[bf]Capital:Windhoek | Widely recognized independent state.UN member state (from 23 April 1990). | |
 Nauru – Republic of NauruCapital:Yaren (unofficial) | Widely recognized independent state.UN member state (from 14 September 1999). The defense of Nauru was the responsibility of Australia. | |
 Nepal – Kingdom of NepalCapital:Kathmandu | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Netherlands – Kingdom of the NetherlandsCapital:Amsterdam (official),The Hague (seat of government) | Widely recognizedUN member state. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consisted of three autonomous countries: The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole was a member of theEEC (to 1 November 1993) and theEU (from 1 November 1993), but Aruba and the Netherlands Antilleswere not. | |
 New ZealandCapital:Wellington | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. New Zealand had responsibilities for the two freeassociated states of: It also had sovereignty over two dependent territories:
The government of Tokelau claimedSwains Island, part ofAmerican Samoa (a U.S. dependence). New Zealand did not recognize this claim. | |
 Nicaragua – Republic of NicaraguaCapital:Managua | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Niger – Republic of NigerCapital:Niamey | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 NigeriaCapital:Lagos (to 12 December 1991),Abuja (from 12 December 1991)
| Widely recognizedUN member state. Nigeria was afederation of36 states and one federal territory.[bg] | |
 Norway – Kingdom of NorwayCapital:Oslo | Widely recognizedUN member state. Norway had two integral overseas areas:Jan Mayen andSvalbard. The latter of area had a special status due to theSpitsbergen Treaty. Norway had sovereignty over the following dependencies:
| |
O[edit] | ||
 → Oman – Sultanate of OmanCapital:Muscat | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
P[edit] | ||
 Pakistan – Islamic Republic of PakistanCapital:Islamabad | Widely recognizedUN member state. Pakistan was afederation offour provinces and four territories; it administered part of the disputed region ofKashmir as the territories ofAzad Kashmir and theNorthern Areas.[bh] | |
 Palau – Republic of Palau(from 1 October 1994)[bi]Capital:Koror | Widely recognized state underCompact of Free Association with the United States;UN member state from 15 December 1994. | |
 Panama – Republic of PanamaCapital:Panama City | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New GuineaCapital:Port Moresby | Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm. | |
 → Paraguay – Republic of ParaguayCapital:Asunción | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Peru – Republic of PeruCapital:Lima | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Philippines – Republic of the PhilippinesCapital:Manila | Widely recognizedUN member state. The Philippines had one autonomous region:Muslim Mindanao. The Philippines administeredScarborough Shoal, which was disputed by thePeople's Republic of China and theRepublic of China. It also claimed sovereignty over theSpratly Islands (disputed by thePeople's Republic of China, theRepublic of China,Vietnam,Brunei, andMalaysia) and the Malaysian territory ofSabah. | |
 Poland – Republic of PolandCapital:Warsaw | Widely recognizedUN member state. Poland's government was stillin exile until 22 December 1990. | |
 Portugal – Portuguese RepublicCapital:Lisbon | Widely recognizedUN member state.EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993). Portugal had two autonomous regions: theAzores andMadeira. Portugal had one Chinese territory which it administered as a dependency:
Portugal claimed sovereignty over the former colony ofPortuguese Timor (whichhad been annexed by Indonesia) until 25 October 1999. It also claimed the Spanish municipalities ofOlivenza andTáliga. | |
Q[edit] | ||
 Qatar – State of QatarCapital:Doha | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
R[edit] | ||
 → RomaniaCapital:Bucharest | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Russia – Russian Federation[bj](from 26 December 1991)[bk]Capital:Moscow | Widely recognizedUN member state from 26 December 1991.Russia was afederation of21 republics,49 oblasts,6 krais,2 federal cities,1 autonomous oblast, and10 autonomous okrugs.[bl] One of those republics,Tatarstan, declared state sovereignty on 6 November 1992 and was effectively self-governing until 15 February 1994. | |
 Rwanda[bm]Capital:Kigali
| Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
S[edit] | ||
 Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Kitts and NevisCapital:Basseterre | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. Saint Kitts and Nevis was afederation offourteen parishes within two islands.[bn]Nevis (which was one of the islands) had autonomy. | |
 Saint LuciaCapital:Castries | Widely recognizedUN member state;Commonwealth realm. | |
 Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCapital:Kingstown | Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm. | |
| Samoa →Western Samoa | ||
 San Marino – Republic of San MarinoCapital:San Marino | Widely recognized independent state;UN member state from 2 March 1992. | |
 São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and PríncipeCapital:São Tomé | Widely recognizedUN member state; São Tomé and Príncipe had one autonomous province and it wasPríncipe (from 29 April 1995). | |
 Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCapital:Riyadh | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Senegal – Republic of SenegalCapital:Dakar | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → SeychellesCapital:Victoria
| Widely recognizedUN member state; the Seychelles claimed theBritish Indian Ocean Territory and the French territories ofTromelin Island and theGlorioso Islands. | |
 Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra LeoneCapital:Freetown | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Singapore – Republic of SingaporeCapital:Singapore | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Slovakia – Slovak Republic(from 1 January 1993)[x]Capital:Bratislava | Widely recognized independent state.[y]UN member state (from 19 January 1993). | |
 Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia(from 25 June 1991)[v]Capital:Ljubljana | De facto independent stateclaimed by Yugoslavia (to 28 April 1992). Widely recognized (from 15 January 1992); UN member state (from 22 May 1992). | |
 Solomon IslandsCapital:Honiara | Widely recognizedUN member state.Commonwealth realm. | |
 SomaliaCapital:Mogadishu
| Widely recognizedUN member state. Somalia's internationally recognized government did not exercise full control over the country from 26 January 1991 to 18 November 1991. After 18 November 1991, Somalia did not have any recognized central government. Many areas of the country had no effective government at all or were ruled bylocal clans. During this period, Somalia included one state which wasde facto self-governing (although it did not claim independence from Somalia):
In addition, there were two states which had declared and establishedde facto independence from Somalia:Puntland (from 1 August 1998), andSomaliland (from 18 May 1991). | |
 → South Africa – Republic of South AfricaCapital:Pretoria (administrative),Cape Town (legislative),Bloemfontein (judicial) | Widely recognizedUN member state. South Africa had six autonomousbantustans: There were fourbantustans which were nominally independent: All ten bantustans were formally abolished when a new constitution took effect on 27 April 1994. South Africa administered oneLeague of Nations mandate:
| |
 Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(to 26 December 1991)[bk]Capital:Moscow | Widely recognizedUN member state. The Soviet Union was a federation of15 republics, two of which (Byelorussia andUkraine) wereUN members in their own right.[bq] | |
 Spain – Kingdom of SpainCapital:Madrid | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member (to 1 November 1993).EU member (from 1 November 1993); Spain was divided intoseventeen autonomous communities and two autonomous cities.[br] Its sovereignty overCeuta,Isla de Alborán,Isla Perejil,Islas Chafarinas,Melilla andPeñón de Alhucemas was disputed byMorocco. Its sovereignty overOlivenza andTáliga was disputed by Portugal. It claimed theBritish overseas territory of Gibraltar. | |
 Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaCapital:Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Sudan –Republic of the SudanCapital:Khartoum | Widely recognizedUN member state. After 1991, Sudan was afederation of30 states.[bs] | |
 Suriname – Republic of SurinameCapital:Paramaribo | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Swaziland – Kingdom of SwazilandCapital:Mbabane (administrative),Lobamba (royal and legislative) | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Sweden – Kingdom of SwedenCapital:Stockholm | Widely recognizedUN member state.EU member (from 1 January 1995). | |
 Switzerland – Swiss ConfederationCapital:Bern | Widely recognized independent state.Permanent observer at theUN. Switzerland was afederation of26 cantons.[bt] | |
 Syria –Syrian Arab RepublicCapital:Damascus | Widely recognizedUN member state. Syria included theGolan Heights, which were occupied byIsrael. It disputed the Turkish sovereignty overHatay Province. | |
T[edit] | ||
 → Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan(from 9 September 1991)[54]Capital:Dushanbe | De facto independent state;claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991. Widely recognized (from 26 December 1991).UN member state (from 2 March 1992). Tajikistan had one autonomous province:Gorno-Badakhshan. | |
 Tanzania – United Republic of TanzaniaCapital:Dar es Salaam (to February 1996, seat of government from February 1996),Dodoma (official, from February 1996) | Widely recognizedUN member state; Tanzania had one autonomous region and it wasZanzibar. | |
 Thailand – Kingdom of ThailandCapital:Bangkok | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Togo – Togolese RepublicCapital:Lomé | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Tonga – Kingdom of TongaCapital:Nukuʻalofa | Widely recognized independent state;UN member state (from 14 September 1999). | |
 Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and TobagoCapital:Port of Spain | Widely recognizedUN member state; Trinidad and Tobago had one autonomous island and it wasTobago. | |
 → Tunisia – Tunisian RepublicCapital:Tunis | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Turkey – Republic of TurkeyCapital:Ankara | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → → Turkmenistan(from 27 October 1991)[bu]Capital:Ashgabat | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991; widely recognized state from 26 December 1991 andUN member state from 2 March 1992. | |
U[edit] | ||
 Uganda – Republic of UgandaCapital:Kampala | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → → Ukraine(from 24 August 1991)[56]Capital:Kiev | Widely recognizedUN member state; claimed by the Soviet Union as a constituent republic until 26 December 1991. Widely recognized (from 26 December 1991); Ukraine had one autonomous republic and it wasCrimea. | |
 United Arab EmiratesCapital:Abu Dhabi | Widely recognizedUN member state. The United Arab Emirates was a federation ofseven emirates.[bv] | |
 United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandCapital:London | Widely recognizedUN member state;EEC member (to 1 November 1993) andEU member (from 1 November 1993). The United Kingdom was composed offour constituent countries:England,Northern Ireland (disputed byIreland until 1 December 1998),[25]Scotland, andWales. It had sovereignty over 16dependent territories and they were:
In addition, theBritish Monarch had direct sovereignty over three self-governingCrown dependencies: | |
 United States – United States of AmericaCapital:Washington, D.C. | Widely recognizedUN member state. The United States was afederation of50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory.[bw] It asserted sovereignty over the following inhabitedinsular areas:
The United States administered oneUnited Nations Trust Territory:
| |
 Uruguay – Eastern Republic of UruguayCapital:Montevideo | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan(from 31 August 1991)Capital:Tashkent | De facto independent stateclaimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991; widely recognized state from 26 December 1991 andUN member state from 2 March 1992. Uzbekistan had one autonomous region (or "republic"),Karakalpakstan. | |
V[edit] | ||
 Vanuatu – Republic of VanuatuCapital:Port Vila | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Vatican City – Vatican City StateCapital:Vatican City | Widely recognized independent state. Vatican City was administered by theHoly See, a sovereign entity recognized by a large number of countries and apermanent observer at theUnited Nations. The Holy See also administered a number ofextraterritorial properties in Italy. ThePope was theex officio head of state of Vatican City. | |
 VenezuelaCapital:Caracas
| Widely recognizedUN member state. Venezuela was afederation of23 states, three territories, one federal dependency, and one federal district.[by] | |
 Vietnam – Socialist Republic of VietnamCapital:Hanoi | Widely recognizedUN member state. Vietnam claimed sovereignty over theParacel Islands (disputed byChina andTaiwan) andSpratly Islands (disputed by thePeople's Republic of China, theRepublic of China,Brunei, thePhilippines, andMalaysia). | |
W[edit] | ||
 Western Samoa /SamoaCapital:Apia | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
Y[edit] | ||
 Yemen – Republic of Yemen(from 22 May 1990)[59]Capital:Sana'a | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Yemen, North – Yemen Arab Republic(to 22 May 1990)[59]Capital:Sana'a | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Yemen, SouthCapital:Aden
| Widely recognizedUN member state (to 22 May 1990).De facto independent state (from 7 July 1994). Claimed by Yemen. (from 7 July 1994). | |
 Yugoslavia – Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (to 27 April 1992)Capital:Belgrade[cb] | Widely recognized independent state andUN member state to 27 April 1992. Yugoslavia was afederation of six republics, four of which (Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,Macedonia, andSlovenia) declared independence in 1991 and 1992. The two remaining republics,Montenegro andSerbia, established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 27 April 1992. It claimed to continue Yugoslavia's international personality, but this claim was not widely recognized. | |
Z[edit] | ||
 → Zaire /Congo, Democratic Republic of theCapital:Kinshasa | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 → ZambiaCapital:Lusaka | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
 Zimbabwe – Republic of ZimbabweCapital:Harare | Widely recognizedUN member state. | |
| Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
|---|---|
 Serbia and Montenegro – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (from 27 April 1992)[cb]Capital:Belgrade | Widely recognized independent state from 27 April 1992. Serbia and Montenegro was afederation of two republics,Montenegro andSerbia. Serbia and Montenegro claimed to continue Yugoslavia's international personality, but this claim was not widely recognized. Serbia itself included two autonomous provinces, which wereVojvodina andKosovo and Metohija. The latter province was under the administration of theUnited Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo from 10 June 1999. |
 → → → TuvaluCapital:Funafuti | Widely recognized independent state andCommonwealth realm. |
| Name and capital city | Information on status and recognition of sovereignty |
|---|---|
 Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia(from 25 August 1990)[cd]Capital:Sukhumi | De facto independent state not recognized by any other state; claimed byGeorgia as theAutonomous Republic of Abkhazia. |
 → Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate of(from 26 September 1996)[ce]Capital:Kabul | Partially recognizedde facto independent state;[cf] claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Afghanistan, but this was not recognized by the UN or most countries. |
 Anjouan – State of Anjouan(from 3 August 1997)[cg]Capital:Mutsamudu | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by theComoros. |
 Bophuthatswana – Republic of Bophuthatswana(to 13 March 1994)[66]Capital:Mmabatho | Nominally independentSouth Africanbantustan.[ch] |
 Bougainville – Republic of Bougainville(from 17 May 1990 to 24 December 1998)[ci]Capital:Arawa | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed byPapua New Guinea. |
| Cambodia, State of(to 15 March 1992)[an] Capital:Phnom Penh | Partially recognizedde facto independent state.[ao] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Cambodia. |
 Chechnya(from 1 November 1991)Capital:Grozny (renamedDzhokhar-Ghala in 1996) | Partially recognizedde facto independent state;[ck] claimed by Russia as theRepublic of Chechnya. |
 Ciskei – Republic of Ciskei(to 13 March 1994)[72]Capital:Bisho | Nominally independentSouth Africanbantustan.[ch] |
 Cook IslandsCapital:Avarua | A state infree association withNew Zealand, recognized by China (from 25 July 1997). The Cook Islands is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity; it shares ahead of state with New Zealand as well as havingshared citizenship. |
 Gagauzia – Gagauz Republic(from 19 August 1990 to 14 January 1995)Capital:Comrat | De facto independent state; not recognized by any other state. Claimed by the Soviet Union until 26 December 1991 and byMoldova from 27 August 1991 to 14 January 1995. |
 Kosova – Republic of Kosova(from 22 September 1991 to 31 January 2000)Capital:Pristina | Partially recognizedde facto independent state; only recognized byAlbania. Claimed bySerbia. |
 Kunar – Islamic Emirate of Kunar(from January 1991 to 20 April 1991)Capital:Asadabad | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by Afghanistan. |
 Mindanao – Federal Republic of Mindanao(from 4 October to 6 October 1990)Capital:Cagayan de Oro (de facto) | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by thePhilippines. |
 Mohéli – Democratic Republic of Mohéli(from 11 August 1997)[cl]Capital:Fomboni | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by theComoros. |
 Nagorno-Karabakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic(from 6 January 1992)[cm]Capital:Stepanakert | De facto independent state; not recognized by any other state. Claimed byAzerbaijan. |
 NiueCapital:Alofi | A state infree association withNew Zealand. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It hadshared citizenship with New Zealand. |
 Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusCapital:Lefkoşa | Partially recognizedde facto independent state, recognized only by Turkey. Claimed by theRepublic of Cyprus. |
 Palestine – State of Palestine[cn]Capital:Ramallah (administrative),Gaza City (administrative),Jerusalem (claimed) | Disputed region consisting of three occupied territories: theWest Bank, theGaza Strip, andEast Jerusalem. The declaredState of Palestine, which claimed independence for all the Palestinian territories, was recognized by a large number of countries. In foreign relations, Palestine was represented by thePalestine Liberation Organization, which was apermanent observer at theUnited Nations. ThePalestinian National Authority (established on 4 May 1994) was an interim administrative body that exercised limited control over parts of theWest Bank and theGaza Strip. |
 Puntland – Puntland State of Somalia(from 1 August 1998)[co]Capital:Garowe | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed bySomalia. |
 Republika Srpska(from 7 April 1992 to 14 December 1995)Capital:Banja Luka | De facto independent state until 14 December 1995 not recognized by any other state; claimed byBosnia and Herzegovina and recognized as such by the UN. |
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicCapital:Bir Lehlou (official),Rabouni (seat of government-in-exile),El Aaiún (claimed) | Partially recognizedde facto independent state. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claimed the disputed territory ofWestern Sahara, most of which was under control ofMorocco. The territories under its control, the so-calledFree Zone, were claimed byMorocco. Its government resided in exile atTindouf inAlgeria. |
 → Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland(from 18 May 1991)[78]Capital:Hargeisa | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed bySomalia. |
 South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia(from 29 May 1992)[79]Capital:Tskhinvali | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed byGeorgia. |
 Taiwan – Republic of ChinaCapital:Taipei (seat of government),Nanjing (claimed)[80] | Partially recognizedde facto independent state butde jure widely recognizedUN member state.[t] The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China, but only administeredTaiwan,Kinmen, theMatsu Islands,Pratas Island andItu Aba. The Republic of China had territorial claims overMongolia; the Russian republic ofTuva; theSixty-Four Villages East of the River (administered by Russia); The majority ofGorno-Badakhshan (administered byTajikistan); The eastern tip of theWakhan Corridor (administered byAfghanistan); a small portion ofGilgit-Baltistan (administered by Pakistan and part of the disputedKashmir region);Aksai Chin (administered by thePeople's Republic of China and part of the disputedKashmir region); easternBhutan;South Tibet (controlled by India); andKachin State (administered byMyanmar). |
 Tamil EelamCapital:Trincomalee | Unrecognizedde facto self-governing entity. Claimed bySri Lanka. |
 Tatarstan – Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic(from 6 November 1992 to 15 February 1994)Capital:Kazan | De facto independent state.De facto part of theRussian Federation since 15 February 1994.De jure since March 2002. |
 Transkei – Republic of Transkei(to 27 April 1994)[cr][72]Capital:Umtata | Nominally independentSouth Africanbantustan (until 27 April 1994).[ch] |
 Transnistria(from 25 August 1991)Capital:Tiraspol
| De facto independent state not recognized by any other country; claimed by the Soviet Union to 26 December 1991 andMoldova from 27 August 1991. |
 Venda – Republic of Venda(to 27 April 1994)[ct]Capital:Thohoyandou | Nominally independentSouth Africanbantustan.[ch] |
 Vevčani – Republic of Vevčani(from 19 September 1991 to 8 April 1993)Capital:Vevčani | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed byMacedonia. |
 Western Bosnia – Republic of Western Bosnia(from 26 July 1995 to 7 August 1995)[cu] | De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed byBosnia and Herzegovina. |
Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent:
Antarctica as a whole had no government and no permanent population. Seven states claimed portions of Antarctica and five of these had reciprocally recognised one another's claims.[83] These claims, which were regulated by theAntarctic Treaty System, were neither recognised nor disputed by any other signatory state.[84]
East Timor wasoccupied and administered byIndonesia until October 1999 asTimor Timur, but this was not recognized by the United Nations, which considered it to be Portuguese territory under Indonesian occupation. In October 1999, Indonesia relinquished control over the territory to theUnited Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, which took over responsibility for it.Estonia was apart of the Soviet Union until August 1991, but its annexation was not widely recognized. Agovernment in exile claimed independence for Estonia until 15 September 1992, but aside from its embassies in the West it controlled no territory.
TheEuropean Union was asui generis supranational organisation which had 12 (later 15) member states. It was established on 1 November 1993. The member states had transferred a measure of their legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the institutions of the EU, and as such the EU had some elements of sovereignty, without generally being considered a sovereign state. The European Union did not claim to be a sovereign state and had only limited capacity for relations with other states.
Kosovo was a territory that was nominally part ofSerbia and Montenegro, but after 10 June 1999 came underUnited Nations administration as part of theUnited Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.Latvia was apart of the Soviet Union until 1991, but its annexation was not widely recognized. Agovernment in exile claimed independence for Latvia until 21 August 1991, but aside from its embassies in the West it controlled no territory.
Lithuania was apart of the Soviet Union until 1990, but its annexation was not widely recognized.Stasys Lozoraitis Jr. claimed independence for Lithuania until 6 September 1991, but aside from its embassies in the West it controlled no territory.
TheSovereign Military Order of Malta was an entity claiming sovereignty and (from 24 August 1994) aUnited Nations observer. The order had bi-lateral diplomatic relations with a large number of states, but had no territory other thanextraterritorial areas within Rome.[85] The order's Constitution stated: "The Order is a subject of international law and exercises sovereign functions."[86] Although the order frequently asserted its sovereignty, it did not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacked a defined territory. Since all its members were citizens of other states, almost all of them lived in their native countries, and those who resided in the order's extraterritorial properties in Rome did so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacked the characteristic of having a permanent population. TheUnited Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor was atransitional non-independent territorygoverned by the United Nations. It was neither sovereign nor under the sovereignty of any other state. It was established on 25 October 1999, following the end of theIndonesian occupation of East Timor.
West Berlin was a political enclave that was closely aligned with – but not actually a part of –West Germany. It consisted of three occupied sectors administered by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. West Berlin was incorporated into the reunified Germany on 3 October 1990.
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