New countries are emerging with alarming regularity. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were only a few dozen independent sovereign states on the planet. And today there are already almost 200 of them! Once a country has been formed, it will last for a long time, so the disappearance of a country is extremely rare. Behind last century There were very few such cases. But if a country breaks up, then it completely disappears from the face of the Earth: along with the flag, the government and everything else. Below are ten of the most famous countries, which once existed and flourished, but ceased to exist for one reason or another.
10. German Democratic Republic(GDR), 1949-1990
Created after World War II in a sector controlled by the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic was best known for its Wall and its tendency to shoot people who tried to cross it.
The wall was demolished with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. After its demolition, Germany reunited and became a whole state again. However, at first, because the German Democratic Republic was quite poor, unification with the rest of Germany nearly bankrupted the country. At the moment, everything is fine in Germany.
9. Czechoslovakia, 1918-1992
Founded on the ruins of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia was one of the most vibrant democracies in Europe before World War II. Betrayed by England and France in 1938 in Munich, it was completely occupied by Germany and disappeared from the world map by March 1939. Later it was occupied by the Soviets, who made it one of the vassals of the USSR. She was within the sphere of influence Soviet Union until its breakup in 1991. After the collapse it became prosperous again democratic state.
This story should have ended there, and, probably, the state would have been intact to this day if the ethnic Slovaks living in the eastern half of the country had not demanded secession in independent state, dividing Czechoslovakia in two in 1992.
Today, Czechoslovakia no longer exists; in its place there is the Czech Republic in the west and Slovakia in the east. Although, given the fact that the Czech Republic's economy is thriving, Slovakia, which is not doing so well, probably regrets secession.
8. Yugoslavia, 1918-1992
Like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was a product of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a result of World War II. Consisting mainly of parts of Hungary and the original territory of Serbia, Yugoslavia unfortunately did not follow the more intelligent example of Czechoslovakia. Instead, it was something of an autocratic monarchy before the Nazis invaded the country in 1941. After that it was under German occupation. After the Nazis were defeated in 1945, Yugoslavia did not become part of the USSR but became a communist country under the leadership of socialist dictator Marshal Josip Tito, leader of a partisan army during World War II. Yugoslavia remained a non-aligned, authoritarian socialist republic until 1992, when internal conflicts and intransigent nationalism erupted into civil war. After it, the country broke up into six small states (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro), becoming a clear example of what might happen if cultural, ethnic and religious assimilation goes wrong.
7. Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1867-1918
While all the countries that found themselves on the losing side after World War I found themselves in an unsavory economic and geographic position, none lost more than the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was picked off like a roast turkey in a homeless shelter. From the collapse once upon a time huge empire such modern countries as Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia appeared, and part of the empire’s lands went to Italy, Poland and Romania.
So why did it fall apart while its neighbor, Germany, remained intact? Yes, because it did not have a common language and self-determination; instead, it was inhabited by various ethnic and religious groups that, to put it mildly, did not get along with each other. In general, the Austro-Hungarian Empire suffered what Yugoslavia suffered, only at a much greater cost. on a larger scale, when it was torn apart by ethnic hatred. The only difference was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was torn apart by the victors, and the collapse of Yugoslavia was internal and spontaneous.
6. Tibet, 1913-1951
Although the territory known as Tibet existed for over a thousand years, it did not become an independent state until 1913. However, under the peaceful tutelage of a succession of Dalai Lamas, it eventually clashed with Communist China in 1951 and was occupied by Mao's forces, thus ending its brief existence as a sovereign state. In the 1950s, China occupied Tibet, which became more and more unrest until Tibet finally rebelled in 1959. This led to China annexing the region and dissolving the Tibetan government. Thus, Tibet ceased to exist as a country and instead became a "region" instead of a country. Today, Tibet is a huge tourist attraction for the Chinese government, even though there is infighting between Beijing and Tibet due to Tibet again demanding independence.
5. South Vietnam, 1955-1975
South Vietnam was created by the forced expulsion of the French from Indochina in 1954. Someone decided that dividing Vietnam in two around the 17th parallel would be a good idea, leaving Communist Vietnam in the north and pseudo-democratic Vietnam in the south. As in the case of Korea, nothing good came of it. The situation led to war between South and North Vietnam, which eventually involved the United States. This war became one of the most devastating and expensive wars, in which America has ever taken part. As a result, torn by internal divisions, America withdrew its troops from Vietnam and left it to its own devices in 1973. For two years, Vietnam, divided into two parts, fought until Northern Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union, did not seize power over the country, eliminating South Vietnam forever. The capital of the former South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, Vietnam has been a socialist utopia.
4. United Arab Republic, 1958-1971
This is another one failed attempt combine Arab world. The Egyptian president, an ardent socialist, Gamal Abdel Nasser, believed that unification with Egypt's distant neighbor, Syria, would lead to the fact that their common enemy, Israel, would be surrounded on all sides, and that the united country would become a super- strength of the region. Thus, the short-lived United Arab Republic was created - an experiment that was doomed to fail from the very beginning. Being separated by several hundred kilometers, the creation of a centralized government seemed an impossible task, plus, Syria and Egypt could never agree on what the national priorities.
The problem would be resolved if Syria and Egypt united and destroyed Israel. But their plans were thwarted by the inappropriate start of the Six Day War of 1967, which ruined their plans for joint border and turned the United Arab Republic into a defeat of biblical proportions. After this, the days of the alliance were numbered, and the UAR eventually dissolved with the death of Nasser in 1970. Without a charismatic Egyptian president to maintain the fragile alliance, the UAR quickly disintegrated, restoring Egypt and Syria as separate states.
3. Ottoman Empire, 1299-1922
One of the greatest empires in all of human history, the Ottoman Empire collapsed in November 1922, after surviving for over 600 years. It once stretched from Morocco to the Persian Gulf and from Sudan to Hungary. Its collapse was the result of a long process of disintegration over many centuries; by the beginning of the 20th century, only a shadow of its former glory remained.
But even then it remained a powerful force in the Middle East and North Africa, and would likely still be so today if it had not fought on the losing side of World War I. After the First World War it was disbanded, its largest part (Egypt, Sudan and Palestine) went to England. In 1922, it became useless and eventually collapsed completely when the Turks won their War of Independence in 1922 and terrified the Sultanate, creating modern Turkey. However, the Ottoman Empire deserves respect for its long existence despite everything.
2. Sikkim, 8th century AD-1975
Have you never heard of this country? Where have you been all this time? Well, seriously, how could you not know about small, landlocked Sikkim, securely nestled in the Himalayas between India and Tibet... that is, China. About the size of a hot dog stand, it was one of those obscure, forgotten monarchies that managed to survive into the 20th century, until its citizens realized that they had no particular reason to remain an independent state, and decided to team up with modern India in 1975.
What was so remarkable about this? small state? Yes, because, despite its incredible small size, he had eleven official languages, which probably created chaos when signing road signs - this is assuming that there were roads in Sikkim.
1. Union of Soviets Socialist Republics(Soviet Union), 1922-1991
It is difficult to imagine the history of the world without the participation of the Soviet Union in it. One of most powerful countries on a planet that disintegrated in 1991, for seven decades it was a symbol of the friendship of peoples. It was formed after the breakup Russian Empire after the First World War and flourished for many decades. The Soviet Union defeated the Nazis when the efforts of all other countries were insufficient to stop Hitler. The Soviet Union almost went to war with the United States in 1962, an event called " Caribbean crisis».
After the Soviet Union collapsed, after the fall Berlin Wall in 1989, it split into fifteen sovereign states, creating the largest bloc of countries since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Now the main successor to the Soviet Union is democratic Russia.
It seemed that the era when new countries were actively formed and borders were revised in the post-colonial world was gone. But the map of the world continues to change. And there are already many states that emerged in the 21st century.
East Timor (2002)
Former Portuguese colony East Timor ( official name Timor-Leste) did not enjoy freedom for long. 9 days after the Declaration of Independence - December 7, 1975 - this island territory was occupied by Indonesia and declared its 27th province.
It should be noted that military invasion and the repressive measures of the Indonesian authorities were willingly supported by the governments of the United States and Australia. The result of Jakarta's aggressive policy was about 200 thousand victims out of the 600 thousand population of East Timor.
Only in 1999, under UN pressure, conditions were created in East Timor for a referendum on self-determination. Its result was 78.5% of votes in support of the independence of the state. However, until 2002, the country was in the heat of socio-political and revolutionary storms, until on May 20 East Timor was officially declared an independent state. On the same day they were installed diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation.
Interestingly, one of the symbols on the coat of arms of East Timor is a Kalashnikov assault rifle
Montenegro (2006)
Montenegro is the youngest country of the republics of the former socialist Yugoslavia - until June 3, 2006, it existed in a confederal union with Serbia.
It is curious that Montenegro was already gaining independence. In the 18th century, it was the first among the Balkan countries to break away from the Ottoman Empire. Montenegro retained its independence until the end of the First World War, but in 1918 it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
The Serbs were not particularly enthusiastic about Montenegro's desire to secede, since this would deprive Serbia of access to the Adriatic Sea. However, on May 21, 2006, through the mediation of the European Union, it was decided to hold a referendum. The EU set a condition: the independence of Montenegro will be recognized only if at least 55% of the referendum participants vote for it.
The number of those who wished to make their choice turned out to be quite large - 86% of the republic's population. The main result of the referendum was overcoming the bar set by the EU - 55.4% of the votes were cast for the separation of Montenegro from Serbia. However, the vote was a formality, since de facto Montenegro already existed as an independent state, having its own currency and customs border with Serbia.
Republic of Kosovo (2008)
Kosovo's statehood is one of the most controversial, although it has been recognized by the majority of UN member states. The inconsistency of the situation lies in the fact that, according to the Constitution of Serbia, Kosovo is its autonomous region, but the territory is no longer controlled by the Serbian authorities.
Today, more than 90% of Kosovo's population are ethnic Albanians. It was they who initiated the declaration of independence of the region from Serbia in February 2008, which caused massive and not at all peaceful protests by the Serbian population of the region. July 22, 2010 international Court in The Hague recognized the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo from Serbia.
The fact that Kosovo became an independent state was received ambiguously in the world. The major world powers also disagreed. While France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States recognized the sovereignty of Kosovo, Russia, Spain, Argentina and China took the opposite position.
It is curious that Abkhazia is ready to recognize the independence of Kosovo if Kosovo agrees to recognize the independence of Abkhazia. Let us remember that today Abkhazia is recognized by only a few UN member states.
Curacao and Sint Maarten (2010)
Curaçao and Sint Maarten belonged to the Netherlands Antilles group until October 10, 2010, but as a result of the agreement they became self-governing states with significant autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This means that for foreign policy and the defense of the islands will be the responsibility of the Netherlands.
Curacao is the largest of the Antilles with a population of about 154 thousand people, known as one of the most extensive offshore zones in the Caribbean with very liberal legislation. The island's main source of income is the oil refining industry and tourism.
Sint Maarten occupies only Southern part Saint Martin Island and has land border with the overseas community of France Saint-Martin. The population in the dwarf state is no more than 40 thousand people. Sint Maarten is one of the most popular resorts in the Caribbean, but its territory is so small (34 km²) that when landing at the local airport, planes are forced to fly literally ten meters above the heads of vacationers.
South Sudan (2011)
The civil war for the independence of South Sudan lasted for more than 20 years, during which about 2 million people died, and almost 4 million fled their homes, fleeing a humanitarian catastrophe in neighboring states.
The United States and Great Britain contributed in every possible way to the independence of South Sudan and, according to experts, for good reason: based on preliminary estimates The volume of oil reserves in the region is in no way inferior to the oil reserves of the United Arab Emirates.
On the eve of the referendum, the severity of the conflict had noticeably subsided; moreover, the President of Sudan promised, in the event of positive voting results, not only to recognize the new state, but also to contribute in every possible way to its development. During the referendum held from January 9 to 15, 2011, 98.83% of voters voted for the independence of South Sudan. And on July 9, 2011, a new state was proclaimed.
However long years civil war have made themselves felt, and now bloody clashes on religious and political grounds between various armed groups continue in South Sudan itself.
17.09.2011Today there are 257 countries in the world, 193 of which are members of the UN, while others have a certain status. Many of these countries became independent only recently, while others are just fighting for their right to be sovereign.
Historians are well aware of the dates of the founding of young states, and as for the first countries on planet Earth, their history is shrouded in the darkness of millennia, hidden under a layer of ancient dust.
There is a lot of controversy over the very methodology for determining the most ancient states. After all, every nation has its own myths and legends about the founding of their state. For example, the legendary foundation of one of the smallest modern states, San Marino, dates back to the beginning of the 4th century. According to legend, in 301, a member of one of the first Christian communities found refuge in the Apennines, on the top of Monte Titano. Thus, formally San Marino has been considered an independent state since September 3, 301. In fact, we can talk about some kind of independence of the founded settlement only from the 6th century, when Italy broke up into many dependent and independent territories.
According to Japanese myths, the Land of the Rising Sun was founded back in 660 BC. e., but the first state on Japanese territory, Yamato, arose during the Kofu period, which dates back to 250 - 538.
Ancient Greece It is considered one of the most ancient civilizations, the cradle of philosophy, culture, and science. But Greece became a truly independent country only in 1821 after it left the Ottoman Empire.
Therefore, in order to compile a correct rating, we took into account only those forms of organization of society that correspond modern features states: sovereignty, own territory, State symbols, language and so on. In addition, only those states that exist on modern map peace.
So, the rating of the most ancient states was made up of 10 modern countries from three continents.
1. Elam, 3200 BC e. (Iran)
The modern state in southwest asia- The Islamic Republic of Iran was founded on April 1, 1979 as a result of the Islamic Revolution. But the history of statehood in Iran is one of the oldest in the world. For centuries this country has played key role in the East. The first state on the territory of Iran - Elam - arose in 3200 BC. e. Persian Empire under Darius I, it extended from Greece and Libya to the Indus River. In the Middle Ages, Persia was a strong and influential state.
2. Egypt, 3000 BC e.
Egypt is the oldest state in the world, about whose history a lot has been preserved interesting information. It is in this mysterious and mysterious country The pharaohs gave birth to many types and forms of art, which later developed in Asia and Europe. They served as the basis for ancient aesthetics - starting point all the arts of our time.
Egypt is the largest country Arab East, one of the centers of its political and cultural life, the “tourist Mecca” of the world. Egypt occupies a unique geographical position, located at the junction of three continents - Africa, Asia and Europe and two of the world's largest civilizations - Christian and Islamic.
Egypt arose on the territory where one of the most powerful and mysterious civilizations, whose history dates back centuries and millennia. In 3000 BC. e. Pharaoh Mines united the Egyptian lands and created a state that Egyptologists today call Early Kingdom.
Echoes of that era are the Great Egyptian Pyramids, the mysterious Sphinxes and the grandiose Temples of the Pharaohs.
3. Wanglang, 2897 BC e. (Vietnam)
Vietnam is a state in the South East Asia, located on the Indochina Peninsula. The name of the country consists of two words and is translated as “the country of the Vietnamese in the South.” The Viet civilization arose in the Red River basin. According to legend, the Viet were descended from a dragon and a fairy bird. The first state on the territory of Vietnam, Van Lang, appeared in 2897 BC. e. For some time, Vietnam was part of China. In the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam fell into colonial dependence from France. In the summer of 1954, Vietnam became an independent state.
4. Shang-Yin, 1600 BC e. (China)
China is a state in East Asia, the largest state in the world by population (over 1.3 billion); ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. According to Chinese scientists, its age may be five thousand years, while the available written sources cover a period of at least 3,500 years. The long-standing presence of administrative systems, which were improved by successive dynasties, created obvious advantages for the Chinese state, whose economy was based on developed agriculture, compared to its more backward nomadic and mountaineer neighbors. Even more strengthened Chinese civilization introduction of Confucianism as state ideology(1st century BC) and unified system letters (2nd century BC).
The state of Shang-Yin, which existed from 1600 to 1027 BC on the territory of modern China, is the first public education, the reality of whose existence has been confirmed not only archaeological finds, but also narrative and epigraphic written sources.
In 221 BC. e. Emperor Qin Shi Huang united all Chinese lands and created the Qin Empire, the territory of which corresponds to modern China.
5. Kush, 1070 BC e. (Sudan)
The modern state of Sudan in northeast Africa is equal in area to the entire Western Europe, and its population is only 29.5 million people. The country is located in the middle reaches of the Nile River with surrounding plains, plateaus and the adjacent Red Sea coast.
Kush (Meroitic Kingdom) - ancient kingdom, which existed in the northern part of the territory of modern Sudan from 1070 to 350 BC. e. The existence of the kingdom of Kush is confirmed in the remains of temples, sculptures of gods and kings. There is evidence that writing, astronomy and medicine were already developed in Kush at that time.
6. Sri Lanka, 377 BC e.
Sri Lanka (“Blessed Land”) is a state in South Asia, on the island of the same name off the southeastern coast of Hindustan. The history of Sri Lanka begins with the Neolithic period when the first settlements were discovered in Sri Lanka. Written history begins with the arrival here of the Aryans from India, who spread among local population rudiments of knowledge in metallurgy, navigation, and writing.
In 247 BC. e. Buddhism penetrated into Sri Lanka, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the country and its political system.
In 377 BC. A kingdom arose on the island with its capital in the ancient city of Anuradhapura.
7. Chin, 300 BC. e. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea)
Korea - geographical area, which includes the Korean Peninsula and adjacent islands and is united by a common cultural and historical heritage. In past single state. In 1945, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, the territory of Korea, which was at that time a Japanese colony, was delimited into two zones of military responsibility: the Soviet one - north of the parallel of 38 ° N. w. and the American one to the south of it. Subsequently, in 1948, two states emerged on the territory of these zones: the Republic of Korea in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north.
According to legend, the first Korean state was founded by the son of a bear woman and a celestial being, Tangun, in 2333 BC. e. Historians call the most early stage Korean history during the period of the state of Ko Joseon. Majority modern historians they agree that the date is 2333 BC. e. is greatly exaggerated because it is not confirmed by any historical documents except for some medieval Korean chronicles.
It is believed that at the dawn of its development, Ancient Joseon was tribal union, consisting of separately governed city-states, and centralized state he became in 300 BC. e. Around the same time, the proto-state of Chin was formed in the south of the peninsula.
7. Iberia, 299 BC e. (Georgia)
Modern Georgia is considered a young independent state. But the history of the formation of Georgian statehood goes back to antiquity. Georgia is among the detection sites ancient monuments human civilization.
Historians believe that the first states on the territory of Georgia were formed back in the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. e. These were the Colchis kingdom, located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, and Iberia, modern eastern Georgia. In 299 BC. e. Pharnavaz came to power in Iberia. During the reign of Farnavaz and his immediate descendants, Iberia achieved great power and became a state with significant territories. In the 9th century, a new united state arose on the territory of Georgia, the ruler of which was a king from the Bagrationi dynasty.
8. Greater Armenia, 190 BC e. (Armenia)
The first mentions of Armenia are found in the cuneiform writings of the Persian king Darius I, who reigned in 522-486. BC e., also in Herodotus (5th century BC) and Xenophon (5th century BC). On the maps of the largest historians and geographers of antiquity, Armenia is marked along with Persia, Syria and other ancient states. After the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great, Armenian kingdoms: Greater Armenia, Lesser Armenia and Sophena.
Great Armenia, a large state stretching from Palestine to the Caspian Sea, created in 190 BC. Historians call it the first state on the territory of the modern republic.
9. Yamato, 250 (Japan)
Japan - Island state in East Asia, located in Pacific Ocean in the Japanese archipelago, consisting of 6,852 islands. According to Japanese legend in 660 BC e. Jimmu founded the Land of the Rising Sun and became its first emperor.
First written references O ancient japan, as a single state, are contained in historical chronicles 1st century AD e. Chinese Empire Han. The 3rd century compendium of the Wei Empire of China mentions 30 Japanese countries, among which the most powerful is Yamatai. Its ruler, Himiko, is reported to have maintained power using "charms."
From 250 - 538 , Kofun period, the Yamato state emerges. It is assumed that Yamato was a federation.
The Kofun period is so named because of the Kofun mound culture that was prevalent in Japan for five centuries. The photo shows the Daisenryo Mound, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, early 5th century.
10. Great Bulgaria, 632 (Bulgaria)
Bulgaria is a state in South-Eastern Europe, in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The first state of the Bulgarians about which exact details have been preserved historical information, there was Great Bulgaria, a state that united the tribes of the Proto-Bulgarians and existed in the Black Sea and Azov steppes for only a few decades from 632 to 671. The capital of the state was the city of Phanagoria, and its founder and ruler was Khan Kubrat. This is where the history of Bulgaria as a state began.
The world's oldest states arose in two southern countries in the valleys of deep rivers at approximately the same time (5 thousand years ago or slightly earlier):
1. Egypt is a country located on both banks of the Nile from the first cataract in the south to Mediterranean Sea in the north; Deserts stretch to the west and east of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians called their country Kemet (Black). This is how they distinguished black fertile land in the Nile Valley from “red”, unsuitable for living in the desert. The name Egypt was given by the Greeks. Presumably it comes from one of the names ancient capital country - Hikupta (literally “Fortress of the spirit of Ptah” - the patron god of this city).
2. Sumer is an ancient country located in the Southern Mesopotamia, that is, along the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris in their lower reaches (the south of modern Iraq). The name of the country comes from the name of its oldest population - the Sumerians, known to scientists.
Features of natural conditions
Favorable for farming:
1) a lot of hot ones sunny days per year;
2) abundance of moisture (the Nile, Euphrates and Tigris rivers never dry out);
3) lands that have two valuable properties: fertility; softness, allowing soil cultivation with tools made of wood, stone, horn, copper (the method of mining and processing iron has not yet been discovered).
Unfavorable for human life:
1) an abundance of swamps and impassable swamps in which people and livestock drowned; clouds of insects - carriers of dangerous diseases;
2) lack of timber (constant need for ornamental wood);
3) shortage of metals: in Egypt, small reserves of gold and copper were contained in the Eastern Desert; in Sumer, metals (as well as building stone) were completely absent;
4) uneven precipitation during the ripening period of grain (Sumer); In Egypt, only in the Nile Delta did it rain regularly; in the rest of the country it did not happen, sometimes for several years.
Features of farming
The basis of the economy in the most ancient states was agriculture. Mandatory work on irrigation (artificial irrigation of land) were carried out annually and required the coordinated actions of tens and hundreds of people in the construction and repair of irrigation structures; general management of irrigation was carried out state power. Main irrigation structures:
canals that brought water to places remote from rivers;
barrier embankments (dams) that protected crops from excess moisture during floods;
artificial reservoirs;
Shadufs are water-lifting devices, known since the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. (Egypt).
Farmers' work. In each ancient country they had their own characteristics. This is what these works were like in Egypt.
Plowing. The plow was pulled more often by cows than by bulls: calmer cows were easier to control, and draft animals were not required to plow soft soil great strength. After sowing, cattle were driven through the sown field. Cows and sheep trampled the grain into the ground and compacted the soil (if this is not done, the grain will dry out under the scorching rays of the sun).
Harvest. The ripened bread was reaped with wooden sickles, which consisted of a short sickle and a curved cutting part, in which sharp silicon inserts were used as a blade. From 2 thousand BC e. Sickles with bronze blades also began to be used.
Threshing was carried out on a toku - a round compacted platform. The sheaves were threshed by hard-hoofed cattle (donkeys, bulls).
Winnowing. The grain threshed by the cattle was full of chaff and all sorts of debris. Elongated blades were used to throw the grain up - while it was falling down, the wind carried away chaff and debris.
What were they like? ancient states
The ancient states were small in their territory (for example, more than forty of them were formed in the Nile Valley in the second half of 4 thousand BC). The center of each state was a fortified city, where there was a temple to the local patron god and the residence of the ruler. The latter was a military leader and also supervised irrigation work. It is known that in Sumer
Often in history, states merged with other states, split into several other states, or simply changed their name. Therefore, there were many countries and states that do not exist now or exist under other names. The list below does not include all such states, but lists the most famous of them.
| Old State | Modern State(s) | The year the old state ceased to exist | Note |
| Abyssinia, or Ethiopian Empire | Ethiopia | 1974 | An African state that existed for almost a millennium (980 – 1974). |
| Austria-Hungary, or Austro-Hungarian Empire | Austria, Hungary, partly the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Romania, and some Balkan countries | 1918 | A monarchical state founded in 1867, which ceased to exist at the end of the First World War. |
| Basutoland | Lesotho | 1966 | ex British colony. |
| Bengal | Part of India and Pakistan | 1539 | An independent kingdom that existed from 1338 to 1539. |
| Burma | Myanmar | 1989 | The Burmese government officially changed the name back in 1989, but many countries still do not recognize the new name. |
| Gran Colombia | Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador | 1830 | The short-lived (1819-1830) state in South America, which ceased to exist when Venezuela and Ecuador separated from it. |
| Vermont | US state | 1791 | In 1777, Vermont declared independence from Great Britain, and existed as an independent state until 1791, when it became the first state to join the thirteen already existing American colonies. |
| Upper Volta | Burkina Faso | 1984 | Name change. |
| East Pakistan | Bangladesh | 1971 | Province of Pakistan 1947-1971 |
| German East Africa | See note | 1919 | Former German colony. After independence, several states were formed: Tanzania (Tanganyika), Burundi, and Rwanda |
| German Democratic Republic (GDR; also called East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; also called West Germany) | Germany | 1989 | Merger of two Germanys. |
| Western Samoa | Samoa | 1998 | Name change. |
| Mesopotamia | Iraq | 1932 | For a long time(1534-1914) the state was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, then (1914-1932) under the control of Great Britain, until independence in 1932. |
| New Granada | Colombia | 1886 | South American country former part Gran Colombia (see above) in 1819-1830, then independent in 1830-1858. In 1858, the state became known as the Granada Confederation, then in 1861 - the United States of New Granada, in 1863 - the United States of Colombia, and finally the Republic of Colombia in 1886. |
| Newfoundland | Part of Canada | 1949 | From 1907 to 1949 Newfoundland was a British dominion with great autonomy. In 1949 it joined Canada as a province. |
| United Arab Republic | Syria, Egypt | 1961, 1971 | In 1958-1961 Syria and Egypt (not having common borders) united into a single state. In 1961, Syria left the union, but Egypt retained the name United Arab Republic for another decade. |
| Ottoman Empire ( Ottoman Empire) | See note | 1923 | The empire was founded around 1300 and included part modern Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Balkan countries, North Africa, and the Middle East. |
| Persia | Iran | 1935 | Name change. |
| Prussia | Germany | 1918 | A state formed as a duchy in 1660, which became a kingdom in the next century. At its peak, it included two-thirds of the territory modern Germany and western Poland. |
| Republic of Zaire | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1997 | Name change. |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia | 1964 | Former British colony that existed from 1924 to 1953. From 1953 to 1964 - part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. |
| North Yemen and South Yemen | Yemen | 1990 | In 1967, Yemen split into two states, North Yemen (officially the Yemen Arab Republic) and South Yemen (officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen). In 1990, both states united again and formed a single Yemen. |
| Siam | Thailand | 1939 | Name change. |
| Sikkim | State of northern India | 1975 | A monarchical state that was independent from the 17th century until 1861, from 1861 to 1975. - British protectorate. |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) | See note | 1991 | After the state ceased to exist, fifteen new countries emerged: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Estonia. |
| Tanganyika and Zanzibar | Tanzania | 1964 | Merger of former British and German colonies. |
| Texas | US state | 1845 | The Republic of Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836, and existed as an independent state until 1845, when it was annexed by the United States. |
| Tibet | Part of China | 1950 | Kingdom founded in the 7th century. In 1950, there was an invasion by China, and since then Tibet has been called the Tibet Autonomous Region. |
| Transjordan | Jordan | 1946 | Former British protectorate (1921-1946). |
| Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, Fezzan | Libya | 1951 | Former colonies, first Italian, then British and French. |
| Champa (Champa) | Southern and central Vietnam | 1832 | A kingdom that existed from the 7th century to 1832. |
| French Equatorial Africa | See note | 1958 | Former colonial possession France. After independence, several states were formed: Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Chad. |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka | 1972 | Former British Dominion. |
| Czechoslovakia | Czech Republic, Slovakia | 1993 | Peaceful division into several states. |
| South West Africa | Namibia | 1994 | Former German colony. |
| Yugoslavia | See note | See note | Yugoslavia split into several countries in the 1990s: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Yugoslavia officially ceased to exist in 2006. |
| Southern Rhodesia | Zimbabwe | 1980 | Former British colony that existed from 1924 to 1953. From 1953 to 1964 – as part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, from 1965 to 1979. was called Rhodesia. |
| South Vietnam | Vietnam | 1976 | Several different ones existed in 1954 - 1976. on the territory of modern southern Vietnam states. |