List of sovereign states in the 1940s

Under Construction

This is a list of sovereign states in the 1940s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1940 and 31 December 1949. It contains 106 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 99 widely recognized sovereign states, six entities which were de facto sovereign but which were not widely recognized by other states, and one state which was initially unrecognized but then gained full recognition later in the decade.

Contents 

• Sovereign states
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• Y

• Other entities
• See also
• Notes

Sovereign states

Name and capital city	Information on status and recognition of sovereignty
Afghanistan - Kingdom of Afghanistan Capital: Kabul	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 19 November 1946).
Albania (from 20 October 1944) Capital: Tirana Democratic Government of Albania (to 11 January 1946) People's Republic of Albania (from 11 January 1946)	Widely recognized independent state.
Andorra - Principality of Andorra Capital: Andorra la Vella	Widely recognized independent state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain.
Argentina - Argentine Republic Capital: Buenos Aires	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 27 December 1945). Argentina was a federation of 23 provinces and 10 federal territories.[1] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica (from 1942). It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories.
Australia - Commonwealth of Australia Capital: Canberra	Widely recognized independent state. Dominion of the British Empire (to 9 October 1942). LON member state (to 20 April 1946).UN member state (from 1 November 1945).Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories.[2] It had sovereignty over the following external territories: Australian Antarctic Territory Heard Island and McDonald Islands (from 26 December 1947) Norfolk Island Australia administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory: New Guinea (to 6 November 1949) Australia administered two United Nations Trust Territories: Nauru (with New Zealand and the United Kingdom) Papua and New Guinea (from 6 November 1949)
Belgium - Kingdom of Belgium (to 17 May 1940, from 3 September 1944) Capital: Brussels	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 27 December 1945). Belgium had sovereignty over one colony:  Belgian Congo Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory: Ruanda-Urundi
Bhutan - Kingdom of Bhutan (from 8 August 1949) Capital: Punakha	Widely recognized independent state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs.
Bolivia - Republic of Bolivia Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative)	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 14 November 1945)
Brazil - Republic of the United States of Brazil Capital: Rio de Janeiro	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945). Brazil was a federation of 20 states, five territories, and one federal district.[3]
Bulgaria Capital: Sofia Kingdom of Bulgaria (to 15 September 1946) People's Republic of Bulgaria (from 15 September 1946)	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946).
Burma - Union of Burma (from 4 January 1948) Capital: Rangoon	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 19 April 1948)
Canada - Dominion of Canada Capital: Ottawa	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 9 November 1945). Commonwealth realm. Canada was a federation of ten provinces and two territories.[4]
Ceylon - Dominion of Ceylon (from 4 February 1948) Capital: Colombo	Widely recognized independent state. Commonwealth realm.
Chile - Republic of Chile Capital: Santiago	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
China, People's Republic of - People's Republic of China (from 1 October 1949) Capital: Beijing	Partially recognized de facto independent state. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered the mainland. It also claimed the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and South Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, South Vietnam, and the Philippines), and South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency).
China, Republic of - Republic of China Capital: Chunking (to 2 September 1945), Nanking (from 2 September 1945 to 7 December 1949), Taipei (from 7 Dec 1949)	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945). The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered Taiwan, Hainan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, the Pratas Islands, Itu Aba, and portions of Yunnan Province. The Republic of China had territorial claims over Mongolia; the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River (administered by the Soviet Union); The majority of Gorno-Badakhshan (administered by the Soviet Union); The eastern tip of the Wakhan Corridor (administered by Afghanistan); part of the disputed Kashmir region; eastern Bhutan; South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency); and Kachin State (administered by Burma).
Colombia - Republic of Colombia Capital: Bogotá	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 5 November 1945). Colombia claimed Quita Sueño Bank, Roncador Bank, and Serrana Bank (disputed by the United States); Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States); and Serranilla Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States)
Costa Rica - Republic of Costa Rica Capital: San José	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 2 November 1945)
Cuba - Republic of Cuba Capital: Havana	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 2 November 1945). The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay was under the permanent control of the United States.
Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovak Republic (from 3 April 1945) Capital: Prague	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945).[5]
Denmark - Kingdom of Denmark (to 9 April 1940, from 5 May 1945) Capital: Copenhagen	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 20 April 1940). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Dominican Republic Capital: Santo Domingo	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Ecuador - Republic of Ecuador Capital: Quito	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 21 December 1945)
Egypt - Kingdom of Egypt Capital: Cairo	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
El Salvador - Republic of El Salvador Capital: San Salvador	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Estonia - Republic of Estonia (to June 17, 1940) Capital: Tallinn	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to June 17, 1940).
Finland - Republic of Finland Capital: Helsinki	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state(to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
France Capital: Paris (dejure from 22 Jun 1940 to 20 Aug 1944), Vichy (defacto from 22 Jun 1940 to 20 Aug 1944) French Republic (to June 22, 1940) French State (from June 22, 1940 to 20 Aug 1944) Provisional Government of the French Republic (from 20 Aug 1944 to 14 October 1946) French Republic (from 14 October 1946)	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 18 April 1941 and from 20 August 1944 to 9 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Germany Capital: Berlin German Reich (to 26 Jun 1943) Greater German Reich (from 26 June 1943, to 8 May 1945)	Widely recognized independent state.
Greece - Kingdom of Greece (to 23 April 1941, From October 13, 1944) Capital: Athens	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to April 1941, from Oct 13 1944 to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 25 October 1945)
Guatemala - Republic of Guatemala Capital: Guatemala City	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 November 1945)
Haiti - Republic of Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to April 1942). UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Honduras - Republic of Honduras Capital: Tegucigalpa	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 17 December 1945)
Hungary Capital: Budapest Kingdom of Hungary (to 1 February 1946) Hungarian Republic (From 1 February 1946, to 20 August 1949) Hungarian People's Republic (From 20 August 1949)	Widely recognized independent state.
Iceland Capital: Reykjavík Kingdom of Iceland (to 17 June 1944) Iceland (from 17 June 1944)	Widely recognized independent state. In personal union with Denmark to 17 June 1944. UN member state (from 19 November 1946)
Iran - Imperial State of Iran Capital: Tehran	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 12 November 1945)
Iraq - Kingdom of Iraq Capital: Baghdad	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 21 December 1945)
Ireland Capital: Dublin	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946).
Italy Capital: Rome (to September 1943, from February 1944), Brindisi (from September 1943, to February 1944) Kingdom of Italy (to 2 June 1946) Italian Republic (from 2 June 1946)	Widely recognized independent state.
Japan - Empire of Japan Capital: Tokyo	Widely recognized independent state.
Latvia - Republic of Latvia (to 17 August 1940) Capital: Riga	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 5 August 1940) and in exile (to 20 April 1946). Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.
Liberia - Republic of Liberia Capital: Monrovia	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 2 November 1945)
Liechtenstein - Principality of Liechtenstein Capital: Vaduz	Widely recognized independent state.
Lithuania - Republic of Lithuania (to 15 Jun 1940) Capital: Vilnius	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 5 August 1940) and in exile (to 20 April 1946). Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.
Luxembourg - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944) Capital: Luxembourg City	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state (to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944 to 20 April 1946) and in exile (from 10 May 1940, to 11 Sept 1944). Conquered by a Nazi offensive but maintained a government in exile based in London. UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Mexico - United Mexican States Capital: Mexico City	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 17 Nov 1945)
Monaco - Principality of Monaco Capital: Monaco	Widely recognized independent state.
Mongolia - Mongolian People's Republic Capital: Ulan Bator	Widely recognized independent state.
Nepal - Kingdom of Nepal Capital: Kathmandu	Widely recognized independent state.
Netherlands - Kingdom of the Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 10 Dec 1945). Under occupation by Germany from 10 May 1940 to 5 May 1945.
New Zealand - Dominion of New Zealand Capital: Wellington	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945). Dominion of the British Empire until 25 Nov 1947.
Nicaragua - Republic of Nicaragua Capital: Managua	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945).
Norway - Kingdom of Norway Capital: Oslo	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945). Under occupation by Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.
Pakistan - Dominion of Pakistan (from 14 Aug 1947) Capital: Karachi	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 30 September 1947).
Panama - Republic of Panama Capital: Panama City	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 13 Nov 1945).
Paraguay - Republic of Paraguay Capital: Asunción	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945).
Peru - Peruvian Republic Capital: Lima	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 31 Oct 1945).
Philippine Commonwealth Capital: Manila (from 14 Oct 1943 to 3 Mar 1945) Commonwealth of the Philippines (to 4 Jul 1946) Republic of the Phillipnes (from 4 Jul 1946)	Widely recognized independent state. Under Japanese Occupation from 3 Jan 1942 - 17 Aug 1945 during which a puppet government was established on 14 Oct 1943. Resistance by Philippine Guerrillas continued until the puppet regieme's fall on 17 Oct 1945. UN member state (from 24 October 1945).
Second Philippine Republic (from 14 Oct 1943 to 17 Aug 1945) Capital: Manila (from 14 Oct 1943 to 3 Mar 1945) Baguio(from 3 Mar 1945)	de facto independent country, considered to be a puppet state of Japan.
Poland - Poland (from 31 Dec 1944) Capital: Warsaw	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 24 October 1945).
Portugal - Portuguese Republic Capital: Lisbon	Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946).
Romania - Kingdom of Romania (to 30 Dec 1947) Capital: Bucharest	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state
Socialist Republic of Romania - Romanian People's Republic (from 30 Dec 1947) Capital: Bucharest	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state
San Marino - Most Serene Republic of San Marino Capital: City of San Marino	Widely recognized independent state.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Sikkim - Kingdom of Sikkim Capital: Gangtok	Widely recognized independent state.
Union of South Africa - Union of South Africa Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 17 November 1945)
Soviet Union - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Capital: Moscow	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 October 1945)
Spanish State - Spain Capital: Madrid	Widely recognized independent state. Spain had sovereignty over the following overseas provinces: Ifni Spanish Sahara (from 10 April 1958) Spanish Guinea (to 30 June 1959) Spanish West Africa (to 10 April 1958) Spanish Sahara (Colony)
Sweden - Sweden Capital: Stockholm	Widely recognized independent state. UN member state
Switzerland - Swiss Confederation Capital: Bern	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state. Permanent observer at the UN.
Syrian Republic - Syrian Republic (from Jan. 1, 1944) Capital: Damascus	Widely recognized independent state.
Thailand - Kingdom of Thailand Capital: Bangkok	Widely recognized independent state.LON member state.UN member state.
Transjordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (from Sept. 15, 1947) Capital: Trieste	Widely recognized independent state.
Trieste - Free Territory of Trieste (from May 25, 1946) Capital: Amman	Widely recognized independent state.

Other entities

Excluded from the list above are the following noteworthy entities which either were not fully sovereign or did not claim to be independent:

•  Estonia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
•  Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
•  Lithuania was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, but the legality of the annexation was not widely recognized. The Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure state.
• The Saudi–Iraqi neutral zone was a strip of neutral territory between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
• The Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zone was a strip of neutral territory between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
• The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was an entity claiming sovereignty. The order had bi-lateral diplomatic relations with a large number of states, but had no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome.^[6] 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.
• Tangier was an international zone under the joint administration of France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal and Belgium.
• West Berlin from 23 May 1949 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.

Notes

1. 23 Provinces: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut (from 15 June 1955), Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa (from 15 June 1955), Jujuy, La Pampa (renamed Eva Perón from 29 January 1952 to 27 April 1956), La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones (from 1953), Neuquén (from 15 June 1955), Presidente Juan Perón (from 10 August 1951, renamed Chaco on 27 April 1956), Río Negro (from 15 June 1955), Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz (from 1957), Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán. 10 Territories: Buenos Aires, Chaco (to 10 August 1951, renamed Presidente Juan Perón on 1950), Chubut (to 15 June 1955), Formosa (to 15 June 1955), Misiones (to 1953), Neuquén (to 15 June 1955), Río Negro (to 15 June 1955), Santa Cruz (to 1957), Tierra del Fuego.
2. 6 States: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia. 3 Territories: Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Northern Territory.
3. 20 States: Alagoas, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe. 5 Territories: Acre, Amapá, Fernando de Noronha, Guaporé (renamed Rondônia on 17 February 1956), Rio Branco. 1 Federal District: Brazilian Federal District.
4. 10 Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan. 2 Territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon.
5. Owing to a dispute over lands seized during World War II, Liechtenstein and Czechoslovakia did not recognize each other.
6. Bilateral relations with countries, Retrieved 2009-12-22

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