List of sovereign states in 1948

Internationally recognized sovereign states

A

• Afghanistan - Kingdom of Afghanistan, UN member state
• Albania - People's Republic of Albania
•  Andorra - Principality of Andorra
•  Argentina - Argentine Republic, UN member state
•  Australia - Commonwealth of Australia, UN member state

B

•  Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium, UN member state
•  Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia, UN member state
•  Brazil - Republic of the United States of Brazil, UN member state
• Bulgaria - People's Republic of Bulgaria
•  Burma - Union of Burma (from January 4), (from April 19) UN member state

C

•  Canada - Dominion of Canada, UN member state
• Ceylon - Dominion of Ceylon (from February 4)
•  Chile - Republic of Chile, UN member state
•  China - Republic of China, UN member state
•  Colombia - Republic of Colombia, UN member state
•  Costa Rica - Republic of Costa Rica, UN member state
•  Cuba - Republic of Cuba, UN member state
•  Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovak Republic, UN member state

D

•  Denmark - Kingdom of Denmark, UN member state
•  Dominican Republic, UN member state

E

•  Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador, UN member state
•  Egypt - Kingdom of Egypt, UN member state
•  El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador, UN member state
•  Ethiopia - Ethiopian Empire, UN member state

F

•  Finland - Republic of Finland
• France - French Republic, UN member state

G

•  Greece - Kingdom of Greece, UN member state
•  Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala, UN member state

H

•  Haiti - Republic of Haiti, UN member state
•  Honduras - Republic of Honduras, UN member state
•  Hungary - Republic of Hungary

I

•  Iceland - Republic of Iceland, UN member state
• India - Union of India, UN member state
• Iran - Imperial State of Iran, UN member state
•  Iraq - Kingdom of Iraq, UN member state
•  Ireland
  • Ireland (to April 18)
  • Republic of Ireland (from April 18)
•  Israel - State of Israel (from May 14)
•  Italy - Italian Republic

K

•  Korea, North - Republic of Korea (from September 9)
•  Korea, South - Republic of Korea (from August 15)

L

•  Lebanon - Lebanese Republic, UN member state
•  Liberia - Republic of Liberia, UN member state
•  Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein
•  Luxembourg - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, UN member state

M

•  Mexico - United Mexican States, UN member state
•  Monaco - Principality of Monaco
•  Mongolia - Mongolian People's Republic

N

• Nepal - Kingdom of Nepal
•  Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands, UN member state
• New Zealand - Dominion of New Zealand, UN member state
•  Nicaragua - Republic of Nicaragua, UN member state
•  Norway - Kingdom of Norway, UN member state

P

• Pakistan - Dominion of Pakistan, UN member state
•  Panama - Republic of Panama, UN member state
•  Paraguay - Republic of Paraguay, UN member state
•  Peru - Peruvian Republic, UN member state
•  Philippines - Republic of the Philippines, UN member state
• Poland - Republic of Poland, UN member state
•  Portugal - Portuguese Republic

R

• Romania - Romanian People's Republic

S

•  San Marino - Most Serene Republic of San Marino
•  Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UN member state
•  Sikkim - Kingdom of Sikkim
•  South Africa - Union of South Africa, UN member state
•  Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, UN member state
•  Spain - Spanish State
•  Sweden - Kingdom of Sweden, UN member state
•   Switzerland - Swiss Confederation, Permanent observer at UN
•  Syria - Syrian Republic, UN member state

T

•  Thailand - Kingdom of Thailand, UN member state
•  Transjordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan
•  Trieste - Free Territory of Trieste
• Hill Tipperah - Kingdom of Tripura
•  Turkey - Republic of Turkey, UN member state

U

•  United Kingdom - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, UN member state
•  United States - United States of America, UN member state
•  Uruguay - Eastern Republic of Uruguay, UN member state

V

•   Vatican City - Vatican City State
•  Venezuela - United States of Venezuela, UN member state

Y

• Yemen - Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, UN member state
•  Yugoslavia - Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, UN member state

Occupied states

• Austria - Republic of Austria
• Estonia - Republic of Estonia
•  Germany
• Japan
• Latvia - Republic of Latvia
• Lithuania - Republic of Lithuania

Other states

• East Turkestan - East Turkestan Republic
• Hyderabad - State of Hyderabad (to September 12)
•  Indonesia - Republic of Indonesia
•  Tibet
•  Vietnam - Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Non-Sovereign Territories

Australia

• Australian Antarctic Territory (Uninhabited external territory)
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands - Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Uninhabited external territory)
• Norfolk Island - Territory of Norfolk Island (External territory)
•  Papua - Territory of Papua (External territory)

Belgium

•  Belgian Congo (Colony)

Condominiums

• Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian condominium)
•  Canton and Enderbury Islands (Anglo-American condominium)
•  New Hebrides (Anglo-French condominium)

Denmark

•  Faroe Islands (Autonomous province, from April 1)
• Greenland (Possession)

France

• Adélie Land (Overseas territory)
• Clipperton Island (Uninhabited possession)
• Comoros - Territory of the Comoros (Overseas territory)
• Fezzan (Occupied territory)
•  French Equatorial Africa (Overseas territory)
• French India - French Establishments in India (Overseas territory)
•  French Indochina (Federation of protectorates)
• French Oceania - French Settlements in Oceania (Overseas territory)
•  French Somaliland - Territory of French Somaliland (Overseas territory)
•  French West Africa (Overseas territory)
• Madagascar (Overseas territory)
•  Morocco - Sultanate of Morocco (de jure sovereign state under French and Spanish protectorate)^[1][2]
•  New Caledonia - Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies (Overseas territory)
•  Saar (Protectorate)
•  Saint Pierre and Miquelon - Territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Overseas territory)
• Tunisia - Tunisian Realm (Protectorate)

India

•  Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan (Independent state under Treaty of Punakha)

International

• Tangier - City of Tangier (City under international administration, de jure part of the Sultanate of Morocco)

League of Nations Mandates

•  Palestine (Administered by the United Kingdom, to May 14)
• South-West Africa (Administered by South Africa)

Netherlands

• Bangka - Bangka Council (Autonomous state, to January 23)
• Bangka Belitung and Riau - Bangka Belitung and Riau Federation (Autonomous state, from January 23)
• Banjar - Territory of Banjar (Autonomous state, from January 14)
• Belitung - Belitung Council (Autonomous state, to January 23)
• Curaçao and Dependencies (to September 20)Netherlands Antilles (from September 20)
• Dayak Besar (Autonomous state)
• East Indonesia (Autonomous state)
• East Java (Autonomous state, from November 26)
• East Sumatra - State of East Sumatra (Autonomous state)
• Madura - State of Madura (Autonomous state, from January 23)
• Surinam (Colony)
• Netherlands New Guinea (Colony)
• Riau - Riau Council (Autonomous state, to January 23)
• Siak Besar (to February 4), East Kalimantan (from February 4)
  • Siak Besar Territory (Autonomous state, to February 4)
  • Federation of East Kalimantan (Autonomous state, from February 4)
• Southeast Kalimantan - Federation of Southeast Kalimantan (Autonomous state)
• South Sumatra - State of South Sumatra (Autonomous state, from August 30)
• West Java
  • State of West Java (Autonomous state, from February 26 to April 24)
  • Sundanese State (Autonomous state, from April 24)
• West Kalimantan - Special Territory of West Kalimantan (Autonomous state)

New Zealand

• Cook Islands (Dependent territory)
• Niue Island (Dependent territory)
• Ross Dependency (Uninhabited dependent territory)
• Tokelau Islands (Dependent territory)

Norway

• Bouvet Island (Uninhabited possession)
• Peter I Island (Uninhabited possession)
• Queen Maud Land (Uninhabited possession)

Portugal

•  Portuguese Cape Verde (Colony)
• Macau (Colony)
• Portuguese East Africa (Colony)
•  Portuguese Guinea (Colony)
• Portuguese India - Portuguese State of India (Colony)
•  Portuguese Timor (Colony)
• Portuguese West Africa (Colony)
• São João Baptista de Ajudá - Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá (Possession)
• São Tomé and Príncipe (Colony)

Soviet Union

• North Korea - Democratic People's Republic of Korea (to 1948)

Spain

•  Spanish Guinea (Colony)
• Spanish Morocco (Part of the Sultanate of Morocco, de jure sovereign state under French and Spanish protectorate)^[1][2]
• Spanish West Africa (Colony)

United Kingdom

•  Aden - Aden Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
•  Bahama Islands (Crown colony)
• Bahrain - State of Bahrain (Protectorate)
•  Barbados (Crown colony)
• Basutoland - Territory of Basutoland (Crown colony)
• Bechuanaland - Bechuanaland Protectorate (Protectorate)
•  Bermuda (Crown colony)
•  British Guiana (Crown colony)
•  British Honduras (Crown colony)
• British Leeward Islands - Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands (Crown colony)
• British Somaliland - British Somaliland Protectorate (Protectorate)
• British Western Pacific Territories (Crown colony)
• British Windward Islands - Federal Colony of the Windward Islands (Crown colony)
•  Brunei - State of Brunei (Protectorate)
• Burma (Crown colony, to January 3)
•  Ceylon (Crown colony, to February 3)
•  Cyprus (Crown colony)
• Cyrenaica (Occupied territory)
• Eritrea (Occupied territory)
•  Falkland Islands (Crown colony)
• Gambia - Gambia Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
•  Gibraltar (Crown colony)
•  Gold Coast (Crown colony)
•  Guernsey - Bailiwick of Guernsey (Crown dependency)
•  Hong Kong (Crown colony)
• Isle of Man (Crown dependency)
• Italian Somaliland (Occupied territory)
•  Jamaica (Crown colony)
•  Jersey - Bailiwick of Jersey (Crown dependency)
•  Kenya - Kenya Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
•  Kuwait - State of Kuwait (Protectorate)
• Malaya
  • Malayan Union (Colony,to January 31)
  • Federation of Malaya (Crown colony,from January 31)
• Maldive Islands - Sultanate of the Maldive Islands (Protectorate)
• Malta (Crown colony)
•  Mauritius (Crown colony)
• Muscat and Oman - Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (State under the informal protection)
• Newfoundland - Dominion of Newfoundland (Crown colony)
•  Nigeria - Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (Crown colony and protectorate)
• North Borneo (Crown colony)
•  Northern Rhodesia - Protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (Protectorate)
•  Nyasaland - Nyasaland Protectorate (Protectorate)
• Qatar - State of Qatar (Protectorate)
•  Saint Helena (Crown colony)
•  Sarawak (Crown colony)
• Seychelles (Crown colony)
• Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate (Crown colony and protectorate)
•  Singapore (Crown colony)
•  Southern Rhodesia - Colony of Southern Rhodesia (Crown colony)
• Suez Canal Zone (Crown colony)
• Swaziland - Swaziland Protectorate (Protectorate)
•  Trinidad and Tobago (Crown colony)
• Tripolitania (Occupied territory)
• Trucial States (Protectorate)
•  Uganda (Crown colony)
• Zanzibar - Sultanate of Zanzibar (Protectorate)

United Nations Trust Territories

• British Cameroons (Administered by the United Kingdom)
• British Togoland (Administered by the United Kingdom)
• French Cameroons (Administered by France)
• French Togoland (Administered by France)
• Nauru (Administered by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom)
• New Guinea - Territory of New Guinea (Administered by Australia)
• Ruanda-Urundi (Administered by Belgium)
• Tanganyika (Administered by the United Kingdom)
• Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Administered by the United States)
• Western Samoa (Administered by New Zealand)

United States

• Alaska - Alaska Territory (Territory)
• American Samoa - Territory of American Samoa (Territory)
• Baker Island (Uninhabited territory)
• Bonin Islands (Occupied territory)
• Guam - Territory of Guam (Unincorporated territory)
• Hawaii - Territory of Hawaii (Unincorporated territory)
• Howland Island (Uninhabited territory)
• Jarvis Island (Uninhabited territory)
• Johnston Atoll (Uninhabited territory)
• Kingman Reef (Uninhabited territory)
• South Korea (Occupied territory, to 1948)
• Midway Atoll (Uninhabited territory)
• Navassa Island (Uninhabited territory)
• Palmyra Atoll (Unincorporated organized territory)
•  Panama Canal Zone (Territory)
•  Puerto Rico (Territory)
• Ryukyu Islands - United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (Occupied territory)
•  United States Virgin Islands (Territory)
• Volcano Islands (Occupied territory)
• Wake Island (Uninhabited territory)

References

1. Bedjaoui, Mohammed (1991). International Law Achievements and Prospects. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 51. ISBN 92-3-102716-6.
2. Giuliana Ziccardi Capaldo (1995). Repertory of Decisions of the International Court of Justice. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 453. ISBN 0-7923-2993-7.