Timeline of country and capital changes

This is a timeline of country and capital changes around the world. It includes dates of declarations of independence, changes in country name, changes of capital city or name, and significant changes in territory (viz. land annexation, cession or secession).

 2000s   1900s   1800s   1700s   1600s   1500s   1400s   1300s   1200s   1100s   1000s 
 1st Millennium CE   1st Millennium BCE   2nd Millennium BCE   3rd Millennium BCE   4th Millennium BCE 

Africa Asia Europe Oceania North America South America Antarctica

Common Era

2010s

YearDateEvent
2016April 15The Czech Republic votes to adopt Czechia as its official short-form name in English.
2016April 9Egypt cedes two islands, Sanafir and Tiran, to Saudi Arabia.[1]
2014March 21The Republic of Crimea accedes to the Russian Federation as two separate federal entities: the Republic of Crimea and the city of federal significance Sevastopol. Simferopol yields to Moscow as the federal capital. Ukraine itself and much of the international community maintain that Crimea is illegally occupied by Russia and legally remains an integral region of Ukraine.
March 17The Russian Federation recognizes the independence of the Republic of Crimea from Ukraine. Ukraine itself, along with the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and the international community maintain that Crimea and Sevastopol are illegally occupied by Russia and that both territories remain de jure integral parts of Ukraine.
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea unilaterally proclaims its independence from Ukraine and changes its name to the Republic of Crimea. Crimea unilaterally subsumes the independent city of Sevastopol. Simferopol remains the capital.
2013October 24The Republic of Cape Verde decrees the official English-language rendering of its name to be the Republic of Cabo Verde,[2] following precedents set by Côte d'Ivoire and Timor-Leste (neither of which use English as an official language). Praia remains the name of its capital.
January 7Libya changes its name to the State of Libya.[3] Tripoli remains the capital.
2012August 20The Somali Republic changes its name to the Federal Republic of Somalia. Mogadishu remains the capital.
July 12The State of Azawad capitulates and is reabsorbed by the Republic of Mali. Timbuktu yields to Bamako as the capital.
April 6Azawad proclaims its independence from the Republic of Mali as the State of Azawad. Timbuktu is the capital.
January 1The Republic of Hungary changes its name to Hungary. Budapest remains the capital.
2011September 16Libya supersedes the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Tripoli remains the capital.
July 9The Southern Sudan gains independence from Sudan as the Republic of South Sudan after a referendum the previous January. Juba is the capital.
March 31The French Republic accepts Mayotte in the Comoro Islands as the Overseas Region of Mayotte. Mamoudzou is the capital.
February 2The Republic of the Fiji Islands changes its name back to the Republic of Fiji. Suva remains the capital.
2010October 21The Union of Myanmar (Burma) changes its name to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Naypyidaw remains the capital.
October 10The Kingdom of the Netherlands dissolves the Netherlands Antilles and makes Curaçao and Sint Maarten two of its four constituent countries. Willemstad and Philipsburg are the respective capitals. Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius become special municipalities of the Netherlands.
July 22The International Court of Justice rules that the independence of the Republic of Kosovo from the Republic of Serbia does not violate international law. Priština remains the capital.

2000s

YearDateEvent
2009September 1The United Kingdom changes the name of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena and Dependencies to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Jamestown on Saint Helena remains the capital.
February 7The Republic of Bolivia changes its name to the Plurinational State of Bolivia. La Paz and Sucre remain the capitals.
2008August 27The Russian Federation recognizes the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia from Georgia. Tskhinval and Sukhumi are the capitals respectively. Georgia itself and much of the international community maintain that they are both illegally occupied by Russia and legally remain integral regions of Georgia.
May 28The State of Nepal changes its name to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Kathmandu remains the capital.
February 17The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija declares its independence from the Republic of Serbia as the Republic of Kosovo. Priština remains the capital. Serbia maintains that Kosovo remains a part of Serbia.
2007October 22The Republic of Montenegro changes its name to Montenegro. Podgorica remains the capital.
February 21The French Republic separates the Overseas Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy and the Overseas Collectivity of Saint-Martin from the Overseas Region of Guadeloupe. Gustavia and Marigot are the capitals respectively.
January 15The Kingdom of Nepal changes its name to the State of Nepal. Kathmandu remains the capital.
2006October 7The Republic of Palau moves its capital from Koror to Ngerulmud.
August 14The Federal Republic of Nigeria transfers sovereignty of Bakassi to the Republic of Cameroon.
June 5The Republic of Serbia supersedes the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Belgrade remains the capital.
June 3Montenegro secedes from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro as the Republic of Montenegro. Podgorica remains the capital.
2005November 6The Union of Myanmar (Burma) moves its capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw.
2004September 1The Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty administering Antarctica and all lands and waters south of the 60th parallel south establishes its headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
February 27The French Republic elevates the Overseas Collectivity of French Polynesia to the Overseas Country of French Polynesia. Papeetē remains the capital.
January 4The Islamic State of Afghanistan changes its name to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
2003May 26The Rwandese Republic changes its name to the Republic of Rwanda. Kigali remains the capital.
March 28The French Republic revises its constitution. New polities include:
February 4The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia changes its name to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Belgrade remains the capital.
2002May 21The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changes the title of each of its British Dependent Territories to that of a British Overseas Territory. The citizens of each British Overseas Territory gain full British citizenship.
May 20East Timor gains independence from the Portuguese Republic as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. East Timor was occupied by Indonesia in 1975, and was placed under United Nations administration in 1999. Dili remains the capital.
March 10The Union of the Comoros reabsorbs the de facto independent State of Anjouan and the Democratic Republic of Mohéli. Mutsamudu and Fomboni yield to Moroni as the capital.
February 14The State of Bahrain changes its name to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Manama remains the capital.
2001December 23The Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros changes its name to the Union of the Comoros. Moroni remains the capital.
November 13The Islamic State of Afghanistan supersedes the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
July 1The "temporarily independent" Puntland State of Somalia adopts a new constitution explicitly identifying itself as part of the Somali Republic. Garowe yields to Mogadishu as the capital.
JanuaryTaloqan, the de facto capital of the Islamic State of Afghanistan government, falls to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The capital moves to Fayzabad.
2000July 16Somalia changes its name to the Somali Republic. Mogadishu remains the capital.
February 6The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria capitulates and is reabsorbed by the Russian Federation. Ƶovxar-Ġala yields to Moscow as the capital.

1990s

YearDateEvent
1999December 30The Republic of Venezuela changes its name to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Caracas remains the capital.
December 20The Portuguese Republic transfers sovereignty of Macau to the People's Republic of China as the Macau Special Administrative Region.
June 10The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo is formed in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
March 19The French Republic renames its Territory of New Caledonia as the special collectivity of New Caledonia in preparation for eventual independence. Nouméa remains the capital.
1998May 6The Republic of Kazakhstan changes the name of its capital from Aqmola to Astana.
1997December 10The Republic of Kazakhstan moves its capital from Almaty to Aqmola.
July 4Western Samoa changes its name to the Independent State of Samoa. Apia remains the capital. American Samoa protests the new name.
July 1The United Kingdom transfers sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
May 17The Republic of Zaire changes its name back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa remains the capital.
The Republic of the Fiji Islands changes its name to the Republic of Fiji. Suva remains the capital.
1996The United Republic of Tanzania moves its capital from Dar-es-Salaam to Dodoma.
1995December 14The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina unite to form Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo remains the capital.
1994October 1Palau gains full independence from the United States of America as the Republic of Palau. Koror is the capital.
February 28The Republic of South Africa transfers the sovereignty of Walvis Bay to the Republic of Namibia.
1993September 24The restored Kingdom of Cambodia supersedes the State of Cambodia. Phnom Penh remains the capital.
The Republic of Kazakhstan changes the name of its capital from Alma-Ata to Almaty.
May 24The State of Eritrea secedes from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Asmara is the capital.
May 5The Republic of Kyrgyzstan changes its name to the Kyrgyz Republic. Bishkek remains the capital.
January 6The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic gain full independence with the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (Czechoslovakia). Prague remains the capital of the Czech Republic and Bratislava remains the capital of the Slovakia.
1992September 12The Democratic Republic of Madagascar changes its name to the Republic of Madagascar. Antananarivo remains the capital.
August 27The People's Republic of Angola changes its name to the Republic of Angola. Luanda remains the capital.
July 23The Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia declares its independence from Georgia as the Republic of Abkhazia. Sukhumi remains the capital. Georgia denounces the intervention of the Russian Federation and declares the succession illegal.
April 27The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia supersedes the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Belgrade remains the capital.
April 6The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina secedes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo remains the capital.
January 15The Socialist Republic of Slovenia secedes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the Republic of Slovenia. Ljubljana remains the capital.
The Socialist Republic of Croatia secedes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the Republic of Croatia . Zagreb remains the capital.
1991December 25The Russian Federation (Russia) supersedes both the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Moscow remains the capital.
December 16The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Kazakhstan. Alma-Ata remains the capital until 1997.
December 12The Federal Republic of Nigeria moves its capital from Lagos to Abuja.
December 8The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Republic of Belarus, and Ukraine form the Commonwealth of Independent States as a successor organization to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as Turkmenistan. Ashgabat remains the capital.
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Uzbekistan. Tashkent remains the capital.
November 28The South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast declares its independence from Georgia as the Republic of South Ossetia. Tskhinvali is the capital. Georgia denounces the intervention of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and declares the succession illegal.
September 21The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Armenia. Yerevan remains the capital.
September 9The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Tajikistan. Dushanbe remains the capital.
September 8The Socialist Republic of Macedonia secedes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the Republic of Macedonia. Skopje remains the capital. The Hellenic Republic protests the name of the new nation.
September 6The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Lithuania. Vilnius remains the capital.
September 2The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast declares its independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Stepanakert remains the capital.
August 31The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The capital Frunze is renamed Bishkek.
August 30The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Azerbaijan. Baku remains the capital.
August 27The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Moldova. Chişinău remains the capital.
August 25The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Belarus. Minsk remains the capital.
August 24The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as Ukraine. Kiev remains the capital.
August 21The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Latvia. Riga remains the capital.
August 20The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the Republic of Estonia. Tallinn remains the capital.
April 30The Republic of Albania supersedes the Socialist People's Republic of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
April 9The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic secedes from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as Georgia. Tbilisi remains the capital.
1990November 15The People's Republic of Bulgaria changes its name to the Republic of Bulgaria. Sofia remains the capital.
September 2The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria) declares its independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Tiraspol remains the capital.
October 3The German Democratic Republic merges into the Federal Republic of Germany. Unified Germany regains full sovereignty and Allied occupation ends. Bonn yields to Berlin as the capital.
May 22The Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) reunite to form the Republic of Yemen. Aden yields to San'a' as the capital.
April 23The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic changes its name to the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. Prague remains the capital.
March 21Namibia gains independence from South Africa as the Republic of Namibia. Windhoek remains the capital.
March 1The People's Republic of Benin changes its name to the Republic of Benin. Porto-Novo remains the capital.
The Republic of Chile moves its legislative capital from Santiago to Valparaíso. Santiago remains the administrative capital.

1980s

YearDateEvent
1989December 30The Polish People's Republic changes its name to the Republic of Poland. Warsaw remains the capital.
December 22The Socialist Republic of Romania changes its name to the Romania. Bucharest remains the capital.
October 23The People's Republic of Hungary changes its name to the Republic of Hungary. Budapest remains the capital.
September 26The Socialist Republic of Vietnam ends its occupation of the State of Cambodia.
June 18The Union of Burma changes its name to the Union of Myanmar. Yangon remains the capital until 2005.
The Federated States of Micronesia moves its capital from Kolonia to Palikir on Pohnpei.
May 1The State of Cambodia supersedes Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia). Phnom Penh remains the capital.
February 15The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ends its occupation of the Republic of Afghanistan.
1988September 18The Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma changes its name to the Union of Burma. Yangon remains the capital.
1987November 30The Republic of Afghanistan supersedes the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
October 7The Republic of Fiji supersedes the Dominion of Fiji. Suva remains the capital.
1986November 3The eastern Caroline Islands gain independence from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands as the Federated States of Micronesia. Kolonia on Pohnpei is the capital.
October 21The Marshall Islands gain independence from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands as the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Majuro is the capital.
AprilThe Republic of Ivory Coast changes its name to the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire. Yamoussoukro remains the capital.
January 1Aruba leaves the Netherlands Antilles to become one of three constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands following a change of the Charter for the Kingdom. Oranjestad is the capital.
1984August 15Bourkina-Fasso changes its name to Burkina Faso. Ouagadougou remains the capital.
August 4The Republic of Upper Volta changes its name to Bourkina-Fasso. Ouagadougou remains the capital.
February 4The Republic of Cameroon supersedes the United Republic of Cameroon. Yaoundé remains the capital.
January 1Brunei gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam). Bandar Seri Begawan remains the capital.
1983September 19The British Dependent Territory of Saint Christopher and Nevis gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis). Basseterre remains the capital.
MarchThe Republic of Ivory Coast moves its capital from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro.
January 1The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changes the title of each of its Crown Colonies to that of a British Dependent Territory.
1982June 14The United Kingdom recaptures the Crown Colony of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) from the Argentine Republic. Britain restores the name of the capital Puerto Argentino to Stanley.
April 29The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka moves its capital from Colombo to Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte.
April 18The Republic of Zimbabwe changes many colonial place names including that of its capital from Salisbury to Harare.
April 2The Argentine Republic seizes the Islas Malvinas (the Crown Colony of the Falkland Islands) from the United Kingdom. Argentina renames Stanley the capital Puerto Argentino.
1981November 1Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from the United Kingdom. St. John's remains the capital.
September 21The Crown Colony of Belize gains independence from the United Kingdom. Belmopan remains the capital.
1980December 19The United Kingdom divides the Crown Colony of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla into the Crown Colony of Saint Christopher and Nevis and the Crown Colony of Anguilla. Basseterre remains the capital of Saint Christopher and Nevis, and The Valley becomes the capital of Anguilla.
July 30The New Hebrides gain independence from a British-French condominium as the Republic of Vanuatu. Port Vila remains the capital.
April 18Southern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Zimbabwe. Salisbury remains the capital.

1970s

YearDateEvent
1979December 25The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics occupies the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
December 12The Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia is dissolved as the United Kingdom regains control of Southern Rhodesia. Salisbury remains the capital.
October 27Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gain independence from the United Kingdom. Kingstown remains the capital.
October 1The United States of America dissolves the Panama Canal Zone and returns sovereignty to the Republic of Panama. The United States and Panama will jointly operate the Panama Canal until December 31, 1999.
September 20The Central African Empire changes its name back to the Central African Republic. Bangui remains the capital.
July 12The Gilbert Islands gain independence from the United Kingdom as the Independent and Sovereign Republic of Kiribati. South Tarawa remains the capital.
June 1The Republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (Southern Rhodesia) supersedes the Republic of Rhodesia, although neither are recognized. Salisbury remains the capital.
February 22Saint Lucia gains independence from the United Kingdom. Castries remains the capital.
January 7The Socialist Republic of Vietnam occupies Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia).
1978November 3Dominica gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Commonwealth of Dominica. Roseau remains the capital.
October 1Tuvalu gains independence from the United Kingdom. Funafuti remains the capital.
July 7The Solomon Islands gain independence from the United Kingdom. Honiara on Guadalcanal remains the capital.
September 7The Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka changes its name to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Colombo remains the capital.
April 30The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan supersedes the Republic of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
1977June 27The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas gains independence from the French Republic as the Republic of Djibouti. The city of Djibouti remains the capital.
March 2The Libyan Arab Republic changes its name to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Tripoli remains the capital.
1976December 28The Socialist People's Republic of Albania supersedes the People's Republic of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
December 4The Central African Republic changes its name to the Central African Empire. Bangui remains the capital.
July 17The Republic of Indonesia declares that East Timor is the Indonesian Province of Timor Timur.
July 2The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam unite to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City yields to Hanoi as the capital.
July 1The French Republic elevates its Overseas Territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to the Overseas Department of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Saint-Pierre remains the capital.
June 29The Seychelles become independent from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Seychelles. Victoria remains the capital.
June 24The Republic of the Philippines reinstates Manila as the capital. Quezon City, the capital from 1948, was incorporated with Manila and 15 surrounding suburbs to form Metro Manila. Baguio is no longer a summer capital.
FebruaryThe People's Republic of Mozambique changes the name of its capital from Lourenço Marques to Maputo.
1975December 30The Malagasy Republic changes its name to the Democratic Republic of Madagascar. Antananarivo remains the capital.
December 7The Republic of Indonesia invades East Timor.
December 2Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) supersedes the Kingdom of Laos. Vientiane remains the capital.
November 30The Republic of Dahomey changes its name to the People's Republic of Benin. Porto-Novo remains the capital.
November 28The Portuguese colony of East Timor declares its independence from the Portuguese Republic as the Democratic Republic of East Timor. Dili remains the capital. Portugal and most other nations refuse to recognize the new government.
November 25Suriname (Dutch Guiana) gains full independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Republic of Suriname. Paramaribo remains the capital.
November 22The restored Kingdom of Spain supersedes the Spanish State. Madrid remains the capital.
November 11The State of Angola gains independence from the Portuguese Republic as the People's Republic of Angola. Luanda remains the capital.
September 16The Territory of Papua and New Guinea gains independence from the Commonwealth of Australia as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby remains the capital.
July 12São Tomé and Príncipe gain independence from the Portuguese Republic as the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. The city of São Tomé remains the capital.
July 6The Comoros gain independence from the French Republic as the Union of the Comoros. Moroni on Grande Comore remains the capital.
July 5Cabo Verde gains independence from the Portuguese Republic as the Republic of Cape Verde. Praia on Santiago remains the capital.
June 25Mozambique gains independence from the Portuguese Republic as the People's Republic of Mozambique. Lourenço Marques remains the capital.
April 30The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam supersedes the Republic of Vietnam. The name of the capital is changed from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City.
April 17Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) supersedes the Khmer Republic. Phnom Penh remains the capital.
1974December 13The Republic of Malta supersedes the State of Malta. Valletta remains the capital.
September 10The Republic of Guinea changes its name to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and moves its capital from Madina do Boe to Bissau. The Portuguese Republic recognizes the independence of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
February 22The Islamic Republic of Pakistan recognizes the independence of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
February 7Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom. St. George's remains the capital.
January 4The Union of Burma changes its name to the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma. Yangon remains the capital until 2005.
1973September 24Portuguese Guinea declares its independence from the Portuguese Republic as the Republic of Guinea. Recognition is limited. Madina do Boe is the temporary capital.
July 17The Republic of Afghanistan supersedes the Kingdom of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
July 10The Bahamas gain independence from the United Kingdom as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Nassau remains the capital.
July 10The United Kingdom changes the name of its Crown Colony of British Honduras to the Crown Colony of Belize. Belmopan remains the capital.
1972June 2The United Republic of Cameroon supersedes the Federal Republic of Cameroon. Yaoundé remains the capital until 1982.
May 22The Dominion of Ceylon changes its name to the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka. Colombo remains the capital until 1982.
1971December 2The Trucial States gain full independence from the United Kingdom as the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is the capital.
October 27The Democratic Republic of the Congo changes its name to the Republic of Zaire. Kinshasa remains the capital.
September 3Qatar gains full independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Qatar. Doha remains the capital.
September 1The Arab Republic of Egypt supersedes the United Arab Republic. Cairo remains the capital.
August 16Bahrain gains full independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Bahrain. Manama remains the capital.
March 26The People's Republic of Bangladesh declares its independence from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Dhaka is the capital.
1970December 1The People's Republic of South Yemen changes its name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Aden remains the capital.
October 10Fiji gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Dominion of Fiji. Suva remains the capital.
August 1The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of British Honduras from Belize City to Belmopan.
July 4The Kingdom of Tonga gains full independence from the United Kingdom. Nukuʻalofa remains the capital.
March 18The Khmer Republic (Cambodia) supersedes the Kingdom of Cambodia. Phnom Penh is the capital.
March 2Rhodesia (Southern Rhodesia) unilaterally declares itself the Republic of Rhodesia. Salisbury remains the capital.
January 15The Republic of Biafra capitulates and is reabsorbed by the military junta controlled Federal Republic of Nigeria. Enugu falls to Lagos.

1960s

YearDateEvent
1969September 1The Libyan Arab Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Libya. Tripoli remains the capital.
1968October 12Spanish Guinea gains independence from the Spanish State as the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Malabo remains the capital.
September 6The Kingdom of Swaziland gains full independence from the United Kingdom. Mbabane is the capital.
March 12Mauritius gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Mauritius. Port Louis remains the capital.
January 31Nauru gains independence from a United Nations trusteeship jointly administered by the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as the Republic of Nauru. Yaren remains the de facto capital.
1967November 7South Yemen declares its independence from the United Kingdom as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Aden is the capital.
May 30The Republic of Biafra secedes from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Enugu is the capital.
January 24The Republic of the United States of Brazil changes its name to the Federative Republic of Brazil. Brasilia remains the capital.
1966November 30Barbados gains independence from the United Kingdom. Bridgetown remains the capital.
November 28The Republic of Burundi supersedes the Kingdom of Burundi. Bujumbura remains the capital.
October 4The Crown Colony of the Territory of Basutoland gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Kingdom of Lesotho. Maseru remains the capital.
September 30Bechuanaland gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Botswana. Gaborone remains the capital.
July 6Nyasaland gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Malawi. Lilongwe remains the capital.
June 30The Democratic Republic of the Congo changes the name of its capital from Léopoldville to Kinshasa.
May 26The Crown Colony of British Guiana gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Georgetown remains the capital.
1965November 11The Cabinet of Southern Rhodesia issues its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom as Rhodesia, which goes unrecognized. Salisbury remains the capital.
August 9The Republic of Singapore secedes from Malaysia. Singapore remains the capital.
July 26The Maldives gain independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Maldives. Male remains the capital.
February 18The Gambia gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of the Gambia. Banjul remains the capital.
1964November 1The United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar changes its name to the United Republic of Tanzania. Dar-es-Salaam remains the capital.
October 24Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Zambia. Lusaka remains the capital.
September 21The Crown Colony of Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Malta. Valletta remains the capital.
August 1The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Léopoldville) changes its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Léopoldville remains the capital.
July 6Malawi gains independence from the United Kingdom. Lilongwe remains the capital.
April 26The Republic of Tanganyika and the Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba unite to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Zanzibar City yields to Dar-es-Salaam as the capital.
1963December 12The Republic of Kenya gains independence from the United Kingdom. Nairobi remains the capital.
September 16The Federation of Malaya unites with the British colonies of Singapore, Sarawak, and British North Borneo (Sabah) to form Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur remains the capital.
April 25The Kingdom of Libya supersedes the United Kingdom of Libya. Tripoli remains the capital.
April 7The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia changes its name to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Belgrade remains the capital.
The Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba gains independence from the United Kingdom. Zanzibar City remains the capital.
1962October 9The Republic of Uganda gains independence from the United Kingdom. Kampala remains the capital.
September 27North Yemen declares its independence from the United Kingdom as the Yemen Arab Republic. San'a' becomes the capital.
September 25Algeria becomes the People's Democratic Algerian Republic. Algiers remains the capital.
August 31The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago gains independence from the United Kingdom. Port of Spain remains the capital.
August 6The United Kingdom creates the Crown Colony of the Cayman Islands. George Town is the capital.
The Crown Colony of Jamaica gains independence from the United Kingdom. Kingston remains the capital.
July 3The French overseas department of Algeria gains independence from the French Republic. Algiers remains the capital.
July 1The Kingdom of Burundi and the Republic of Rwanda become independent from the Kingdom of Belgium. Bujumbura and Kigali are the respective capitals.
Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand. Apia remains the capital.
1961December 28The Syrian Arab Republic secedes from the United Arab Republic, leaving Egypt as the sole member of the federation. Cairo remains the capital of the UAR. Damascus is again the capital of Syria.
December 9The Republic of Tanganyika gains independence from the United Kingdom. Dar-es-Salaam remains the capital.
October 1The southern portion of the British Cameroons gains independence from the United Kingdom and unites with the Republic of Cameroun to form the Republic of Cameroon. Yaoundé remains the capital.
June 23The Antarctic Treaty System enters force to administer the continent of Antarctica and all lands and waters south of the 60th parallel south.
June 19The State of Kuwait gains independence from the United Kingdom. Kuwait City remains the capital.
May 31The Union of South Africa ceases to be a Commonwealth realm and changes its name to the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein remain the capitals.
April 27The Republic of Sierra Leone gains independence from the United Kingdom. Freetown remains the capital.
1960November 28The Islamic Republic of Mauritania gains independence from the French Republic. Nouakchott remains the capital.
October 1The Federal Republic of Nigeria gains independence from the United Kingdom. Lagos remains the capital.
September 22The Republic of Mali gains independence from the French Republic. Bamako remains the capital.
August 20The Republic of Senegal gains independence from the French Republic. Dakar remains the capital.
August 17The Gabonese Republic (Gabon) gains independence from the French Republic. Libreville remains the capital.
August 16The Republic of Cyprus gains independence from the United Kingdom. Lefkosia remains the capital.
August 15The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) gains independence from the French Republic. Brazzaville remains the capital.
August 13The Central African Republic gains independence from the French Republic. Bangui remains the capital.
August 11The Republic of Chad gains independence from the French Republic. N'Djamena remains the capital.
August 7The Republic of Ivory Coast gains independence from the French Republic. Abidjan remains the capital.
August 5The Republic of Upper Volta gains independence from the French Republic. Ouagadougou remains the capital.
August 3The Republic of Niger gains independence from the French Republic. Niamey remains the capital.
August 1The Republic of Dahomey gains independence from the French Republic. Porto-Novo remains the capital.
July 11The Czechoslovak Republic changes its name to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Prague remains the capital.
July 1The Somali Republic (Somalia) is created from a merger of the former colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Mogadishu is the capital.
June 30The Belgian Congo gains independence from the Kingdom of Belgium as the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Léopoldville). Léopoldville remains the capital.
June 26The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) gains independence from the French Republic. Antananarivo remains the capital.
April 27The Togolese Republic (Togo) gains independence from the French Republic. Lomé remains the capital.
April 21The Republic of the United States of Brazil moves its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.
January 1The Republic of Cameroun gains independence from the French Republic. Yaoundé remains the capital.

1950s

YearDateEvent
1958October 15The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) gains autonomy within the French Community. Antananarivo is the capital.
October 2The Republic of Guinea gains independence from the French Republic. Conakry is the capital.
July 14The Republic of Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are created from the dissolution of the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan. Baghdad remains the capital of Iraq. Amman is again the capital of Jordan.
February 22The Egyptian Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic unite to form the United Arab Republic. Damascus yields to Cairo as the capital.
February 14The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan unite to form the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan. Amman yields to Baghdad as the capital.
1957August 31The Federation of Malaya gains independence from the United Kingdom. Kuala Lumpur is the capital.
March 6The Republic of Ghana gains independence from the United Kingdom. Accra is the capital.
1956June 18The Egyptian Republic declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom. Cairo remains the capital.
March 23The Dominion of Pakistan declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Karachi remains the capital.
March 20The Tunisian Republic gains independence from the French Republic. Tunis is the capital.
March 2The Kingdom of Morocco gains independence from the French Republic. Rabat is the capital.
January 1The Republic of Sudan gains independence from the United Kingdom. Khartoum is the capital. Egypt relinquishes its claim to Sudan.
1955The Kingdom of Bhutan makes Thimphu the sole capital.
May 15The Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) regains its independence. Allied occupation ends. Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital.
1954December 20The French Republic recognizes the independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Phnom Penh remains the capital.
December 15The Kingdom of the Netherlands makes the Netherlands Territory of Curaçao one of its three constituent countries as the Netherlands Antilles. Willemstad on Curaçao remains the capital.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands makes the Netherlands Territory of Surinam one of its three constituent countries as Suriname. Paramaribo remains the capital.
July 20The French Republic recognizes the independence of Vietnam divided between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Hanoi and Saigon are the respective capitals.
1953November 9The Kingdom of Cambodia declares its independence from the French Republic. Phnom Penh is the capital.
October 22The Kingdom of Laos (Laos) gains independence from the French Republic. Vientiane is the capital.
June 13The Egyptian Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Egypt. Cairo remains the capital.
1952July 25The Territory of Puerto Rico becomes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico upon ratification of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, choosing free association with the United States of America. San Juan remains the capital.
July 22The Republic of Poland changes its name to the Polish People's Republic. Warsaw remains the capital.
1951December 24The United Kingdom of Libya gains independence from a United Nations trusteeship, previously having been divided into the independent Emirate of Cyrenaica, British-administered Tripolitania and the French Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames. Tripoli is the capital.
February 15The Republic of Poland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics exchange territory along their common border.
1950August 17The Republic of the United States of Indonesia becomes a unitary state and changes its name back to Republic of Indonesia. Jakarta remains the capital
January 26The Union of India declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom as the Republic of India. New Delhi remains the capital.

1940s

YearDateEvent
1949December 8The government of the Republic of China leaves Mainland China for exile on Taiwan where Taipei becomes the de facto capital.
December 27The Republic of Indonesia becomes a federation as Republic of the United States of Indonesia and its independence is formally recognised by the Netherlands. The capital returns to Jakarta from Yogyakarta.
December 5The State of Israel declares Jerusalem its official capital. Tel Aviv continues to serve as the de facto capital.
October 7The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is established in occupied eastern Germany. East Berlin is the capital.
October 1Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China. Beijing is the capital.
September 7The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) is established in occupied western Germany. Bonn is the capital.
May 11The Kingdom of Siam changes its name back to the Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok remains the capital.
March 31The Dominion of Newfoundland joins Canada as the Province of Newfoundland following the Newfoundland referendums. St. John's yields to Ottawa as the capital.
March 1The Emirate of Cyrenaica is created from part of the British Military Administration of Libya. The capital is Benghazi.
1948September 9Korea is divided between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Pyongyang and Seoul are the respective capitals.
July 17The Republic of the Philippines moves its capital from Manila to Quezon City.
May 14The State of Israel declares its independence from the British Mandate for Palestine. Tel Aviv is the capital.
February 4The Crown Colony of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) gains independence from the United Kingdom as the Dominion of Ceylon. Colombo remains the capital until 1982.
January 4The Union of Burma gains independence from the United Kingdom. Yangon (British Rangoon) is the capital until 2005.
1947August 15The Union of India gains independence from the United Kingdom. New Delhi is the capital.
August 14The Dominion of Pakistan gains independence from the United Kingdom. Karachi is the capital.
1946September 15The People's Republic of Bulgaria supersedes the Tsardom of Bulgaria. Sofia is the capital.
July 4The Republic of the Philippines gains independence from the United States of America. Manila is the capital until 1948.
May 25The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan gains independence from a British League of Nations Mandate. Amman is the capital.
March 19The French Republic elevates its colonies of Algeria and Réunion to overseas departments.
The French Republic elevates its colonies of Guadeloupe and Martinique to overseas departments.
The French Republic elevates its colony of Guyane (French Guyana) to an overseas department.
January 11The People's Republic of Albania supersedes the Kingdom of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
January 4The Republic of Indonesia moves its capital from Jakarta to Yogyakarta.
1945December 2The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia supersedes the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Belgrade remains the capital.
September 8The Kingdom of Thailand changes its name back to the Kingdom of Siam. Bangkok remains the capital.
September 2The Democratic Republic of Vietnam declares its independence from the French Republic. Hanoi is the capital.
The Empire of Japan surrenders to Allied Forces.
August 17The Republic of Indonesia declares its independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Jakarta is the capital.
August 15Korea gains independence from the Empire of Japan. Seoul is the capital.
May 8The Greater German Empire surrenders to Allied Forces.
April 27The second Republic of Austria is established in occupied Austria. Vienna is the capital. The independence is recognised by the Allied Forces.
1944June 17The Kingdom of Iceland ends its personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark and becomes a republic. Reykjavík remains the capital.
1943November 22The Lebanese Republic (Lebanon) gains independence from the French Republic. Beirut is the capital.
JanuaryThe French Military Territory of Fezzan-Ghadames is created when Free French forces from Chad invade southern Italian Libya. Sabha is capital.
1942NovemberThe British Military Administration of Libya begins when British forces invade Cyrenaica from Egypt.

1930s

YearDateEvent
1939July 10The third German Empire changes its name to the Greater German Empire. Berlin remains as the capital.
June 23The Kingdom of Siam changes its name to the Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok remains the capital.
April 1The Spanish State supersedes the second Spanish Republic. Madrid remains the capital.
1938March 13The third German Empire absorbs the Federal State of Austria in Anschluss. Vienna yields to Berlin as the capital.
1937The United Kingdom establishes the Crown Colony of Aden. The city of Aden becomes the capital.
The Irish Free State changes its name to Ireland. Dublin remains the capital.
1936The former colony of Curaçao and Dependencies is renamed the Territory of Curaçao following the implementation of several laws resulting from the 1922 abolition of colonies in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Willemstad on Curaçao remains the capital.
1935Reza Shah Pahlavi changes the name of Imperial State of Persia to the Imperial State of Iran. Tehran remains the capital.
1934The third German Empire supersedes the Weimar Republic. Berlin remains the capital.
Italy creates Italian Libya with the merger of the colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. The capital is Tripoli.
1932October 3The Iraqi Kingdom (Iraq) gains independence from the United Kingdom. Baghdad is the capital.
September 13The Socialist Republic of Chile changes its name back to the Republic of Chile. Santiago remains the capital.
June 4The Republic of Chile changes its name to the Socialist Republic of Chile. Santiago remains the capital.
1931December 11By the Statute of Westminster 1931, Canada gains full control over its foreign policy and thus independence from the United Kingdom. Ottawa remains the capital.
April 14The second Spanish Republic supersedes the Monarchy of Spain. Madrid remains the capital.

1920s

YearDateEvent
1929October 3The Kingdom of Yugoslavia supersedes the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Belgrade remains the capital.
June 7Vatican City gains independence from the Kingdom of Italy. Vatican City itself is the capital.
1928December 29The Republic of China establishes Nanking as its official capital, later codified in the 1947 Chinese Constitution.
September 1The Kingdom of Albania supersedes the Republic of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
1927May 9The Commonwealth of Australia moves its capital from Melbourne to Canberra.
April 12The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland changes its name to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. London remains the capital.
1926June 9Afghanistan becomes the Kingdom of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
The Kingdom of Belgium moves the capital of its colony of the Congo from Boma to Leopoldville.
1925July 1The Republic of China relocates its provisional capital from Nanking to Canton.
January 22The Republic of Albania supersedes the Principality of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
January 1The Kingdom of Norway changes the name of its capital from Kristiania to Oslo.
1924November 26The Mongolian People's Republic is established. Ulan Bator is the capital.
1923October 29The Republic of Turkey is established following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Ankara is the capital.
1922December 30The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic unite to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Tbilisi, Kharkov, and Smolensk yield to Moscow as the capital.
December 6The Irish Free State gains independence from the United Kingdom. Dublin is the capital.
November 17The Ottoman Empire is dissolved. Its territories are mostly made protectorates of the victorious Allies of World War I.
March 12The Socialist Conciliar Republic of Georgia, Azerbaijani Socialist Conciliar Republic, and the Armenian Socialist Conciliar Republic unite to form the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. Baku and Yerevan yield to Tbilisi as the capital.
February 28The Kingdom of Egypt gains independence from the United Kingdom. Cairo is the capital.
1921November 22The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of Afghanistan. Kabul remains the capital.
February 25The Socialist Conciliar Republic of Georgia supersedes the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Tbilisi remains the capital until 1922.
1920November 29The Armenian Socialist Conciliar Republic supersedes the Democratic Republic of Armenia. Yerevan remains the capital until 1922.
April 28The Azerbaijani Socialist Conciliar Republic supersedes the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Baku remains the capital until 1922.

1910s

YearDateEvent
1919August 14The Weimar Republic supersedes the second German Empire. Berlin remains the capital.
August 8Afghanistan declares its independence from the United Kingdom. Kabul is the capital.
February 27The Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Vilnius is the capital.
January 1The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Belarusian People's Republic. Minsk and Smolensk remain joint capitals.
1918December 1Iceland, a dependent territory of the Kingdom of Denmark with home rule, becomes the fully sovereign state Kingdom of Iceland in personal union with Denmark. Reykjavík is the capital.
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and the Kingdom of Serbia unite to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Zagreb yields to Belgrade as the capital.
November 28The Kingdom of Serbia annexes the Kingdom of Montenegro.
November 18The Republic of Latvia gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Riga is the capital.
November 14The Republic of Poland supersedes the Kingdom of Poland. Warsaw remains the capital.
November 2The Republic of Lithuania supersedes the Kingdom of Lithuania. Vilnius remains the capital.
November 1The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (North Yemen) gains independence from the Ottoman Empire. Ta'izz is the capital.
October 29The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs gains independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Zagreb is the capital.
July 25The Kingdom of Belgium reabsorbs the Independent State of Flanders.
July 10The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic supersedes the Soviet Russian Republic. Petrograd remains the capital.
July 9The Kingdom of Lithuania supersedes the State of Lithuania. Vilnius remains the capital.
May 30Armenia changes its name to the Democratic Republic of Armenia. Yerevan remains the capital.
May 28Armenia and Azerbaijan Democratic Republic dissolve the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. Yerevan and Baku are the respective capitals.
May 26The Democratic Republic of Georgia secedes from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. Tbilisi is the capital.
May 11The Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus annexes the Emirate of Chechenia.
April 22The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Tbilisi is the capital.
April 19The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic annexes the Abkhazian Republic (Abkhazia).
March 25The Abkhazian Republic (Abkhazia) gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Sukhumi is the capital.
March 25The Belarusian People's Republic declares its independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Minsk and Hrodna are named the joint capitals.
March 12The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic moves its capital from Petrograd to Moscow.
February 24The Republic of Estonia gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Tallinn is the capital.
February 16The State of Lithuania declares its independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Vilnius is named the capital despite occupation by the Kingdom of Poland.
January 22The Ukrainian People's Republic gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Kiev is the capital.
1917December 22The Independent State of Flanders declares its independence from the Kingdom of Belgium. Brussels is the capital.
December 6The Republic of Finland gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Helsinki is the capital.
December 2The Emirate of Chechenia declares its independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Vedeno is the capital.
November 7The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic supersedes the Russian Republic. Petrograd remains the capital.
September 14The Russian Republic supersedes the Provisional Government of Russia. Petrograd remains the capital.
March 15The Provisional Government of Russia supersedes the Russian Empire. Petrograd remains the capital.
1916November 5Germany and Austria-Hungary proclaim the establishment of the Kingdom of Poland. Warsaw is the capital.
1914March 7Albania becomes the Principality of Albania. Tirana remains the capital.
1912November 28Albania declares its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Tirana is the capital.
January 1The Republic of China supersedes the Qing Dynasty of China. Nanking is the provisional capital.
1910October 5The first Portuguese Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Portugal. Lisbon remains the capital.
August 22The Korean Empire capitulates and is annexed by the Empire of Japan.
May 31The Cape Colony, the Colony of Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony unite as the Union of South Africa to gain independence from the United Kingdom.
January 15The French Republic creates French Equatorial Africa from its colonies of Gabon, Middle Congo, and Oubangui-Chari. Libreville and Bangui yield to Brazzaville as the capital.

1900s

YearDateEvent
1908November 15King Leopold II of Belgium sells his private Congo Free State to the Kingdom of Belgium. The colony is renamed the Belgian Congo. Boma remains the capital.
August 5The Kingdom of Bulgaria gains independence from the Ottoman Empire. Sofia is the capital.
1907December 17Ugyen Wangchuck establishes the Kingdom of Bhutan. Punakha is the winter capital and Thimphu is the summer capital.
September 26New Zealand gains independence from the United Kingdom. Wellington is the capital.
The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the Republic of Colombia is defined by the Bogotá Treaty. Brazil gains lands on the margins of the Solimoes River, at the area known as Cabeça de Cachorro (The Dog's Head).
1906The French Republic divides its colony of French Congo into the colonies of Gabon and Middle Congo. Libreville remains the capital of Gabon. Brazzaville becomes the capital of Middle Congo.
1905October 26The Kingdom of Sweden recognises the independence of the Kingdom of Norway.
June 7The Kingdom of Norway declares its independence from the Kingdom of Sweden through dissolution of the personal union. Kristiania is the capital.
1904The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and British Guiana is defined by arbitration. About half of the disputed land goes to each side.
1903November 18The new Republic of Panama grants the United States of America control of the Panama Canal Zone. Balboa is the administrative center.
November 11The Republic of Bolivia and the Republic of the United States of Brazil sign the Treaty of Petrópolis. Bolivia receives land in Mato Grosso from Brazil, and Brazil absorbes the Republic of Acre.
November 3The Republic of Panama secedes from the Republic of Colombia. Panama City is the capital.
January 27The third Republic of Acre declares its independence from Bolivia. The capital is Antimary.
1902May 20The Republic of Cuba gains independence from the United States of America. Havana is the capital.
1901January 1The Commonwealth of Australia is established by federation of the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Melbourne is the capital until 1927.
1900MarchThe first Republic of Acre capitulates and is reabsorbed by the Republic of Bolivia. Later the same year, the second Republic of Acre is declared with Antimary as its capital, and it is again reabsorbed by Bolivia.
The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the French colony of Guyane (French Guyana) is defined by arbitration. The French troops that advanced to the margins of Araguari River repair to the Oiapoque River.

1890s

YearDateEvent
1899July 14The first Republic of Acre declares independence from Bolivia. The capital is Antimary.
April 11The Monarchy of Spain cedes the Captaincy General of Cuba and the Captaincy General of Puerto Rico to the United States of America with the Treaty of Paris at the conclusion of the Spanish–American War. Havana and San Juan are the respective capitals.
The Monarchy of Spain cedes the Island of Guam to the United States of America with the Treaty of Paris at the conclusion of the Spanish–American War.
The Monarchy of Spain cedes the Captaincy General of the Philippines to the United States of America with the Treaty of Paris at the conclusion of the Spanish–American War. Manila is the Spanish capital. The Philippine Republic maintains its sovereignty with Malolos as it is the capital.
1898The Republic of Bolivia moves its administrative capital from Sucre to La Paz. Sucre remains the constitutional and judicial capital.
July 25The United States of America seizes control of Puerto Rico from the Spanish Empire during the Spanish–American War. San Juan remains the capital.
July 7The United States of America annexes the Republic of Hawaii as the Territory of Hawaii. Honolulu remains the capital.
June 12The Philippine Republic declares independence from Kingdom of Spain. Malolos is the capital.
1897The Joseon Dynasty becomes the Korean Empire. Hanseong remains the capital.
1895November 16The United Kingdom annexes the Crown Colony of British Bechuanaland to the Cape Colony. Vryburg yields to Cape Town as the capital.
October 23The Empire of Japan conquers the Republic of Formosa. Takasago Koku (Taiwan) becomes a Japanese colony. Taihoku (Taipei) is the capital.
JuneThe Republic of Formosa moves its capital from Taipei to Tainan.
May 23The Republic of Formosa declares independence from the Qing Dynasty of China. Taipei is its capital.
The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the Argentine Republic is defined.
1894July 4The Republic of Hawaii supersedes the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Honolulu remains the capital.

1880s

YearDateEvent
1889November 15The Republic of the United States of Brazil supersedes the Empire of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro remains the capital.
March 9Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia moves his capital to Addis Ababa.
1888The Republic of Honduras moves its capital from Comayagua to Tegucigalpa, ending a century of indecision as to the country's capital.
1886May 1King Leopold II of Belgium selects Boma as the capital of his Congo Free State.
1885September 6The Principality of Bulgaria annexes Eastern Rumelia. Sofia remains the capital.
September 1The United Kingdom establishes the Crown Colony of British Bechuanaland. Vryburg is the capital.
May 2King Leopold II of Belgium establishes his Congo Free State, a private government run by the International African Association.
1884The United Kingdom establishes the Crown Colony of the Territory of Basutoland. Maseru is the capital.
1882March 6The Kingdom of Serbia supersedes the Principality of Serbia. Belgrade remains the capital.
1880The French Republic establishes the protectorate of French Congo. Brazzaville is the capital.

1870s

YearDateEvent
1878July 13The Principality of Bulgaria moves its capital from Plovdiv to Sofia.
May 21The Principality of Romania gains independence from the Ottoman Empire. Bucharest is the capital.
March 3The Principality of Bulgaria is established by the Treaty of San Stefano. Plovdiv is the capital.
1874December 29The restored Monarchy of Spain supersedes the first Spanish Republic. Madrid remains the capital.
1873February 11The first Spanish Republic supersedes the Monarchy of Spain. Madrid remains the capital.
1872The Empire of Brazil gains lands in the border with Republic of Paraguay after the Paraguayan War.
1871January 1The second German Empire supersedes the North German Confederation. Berlin remains the capital.
1870September 4The third French Republic supersedes the second French Empire. Paris remains the capital.
July 20The Crown Colony of British Columbia joins the Dominion of Canada.

1860s

YearDateEvent
1868October 10Cuba declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain.
October 1The Bolivian Republic changes its name to the Republic of Bolivia. Sucre remains the capital until 1898.
January 3Japan becomes the Empire of Greater Japan. Tokyo remains the capital.
1867October 18The Russian Empire sells Alaska to the United States of America. New Archangel (Novoarkhangelsk now Sitka) is the capital.
July 1The United Kingdom unites its colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada as the Dominion of Canada. Ottawa is the capital.
The North German Confederation supersedes the German Confederation. Berlin remains the capital.
June 19The United Mexican States supersedes the Mexican Empire. México remains the capital.
1866August 2The United Kingdom unites the colonies of British Columbia and the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies as the Crown Colony of British Columbia. New Westminster yields to Victoria as the capital.
The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from the city of Québec to Ottawa.
1865April 11The Confederate States of America capitulates and is reabsorbed by the United States of America. The USA will readmit the 11 CSA states to full statehood between July 24, 1866, and July 15, 1870.
April 3The Confederate States of America moves its capital to Danville, Virginia.
March 3The Dominican Republic regains its independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Santo Domingo is the capital.
1864JulyThe Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is conquered by the Qing Dynasty of China.
April 10The Mexican Empire supersedes the United Mexican States. México remains the capital.
1863June 20The Union-occupied northwestern counties of the Commonwealth of Virginia (which considered itself a part of the Confederate States of America) secede from the state and are admitted to the United States of America as the State of West Virginia.
1862The United Kingdom creates the Crown Colony of British Honduras at the Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras. The capital is Belize City.
June 3The Province of Buenos Aires reunites with the Argentine Republic. The capital is moved from Paraná back to Buenos Aires.
1861The Dominican Republic returns to Spanish rule.
May 29The Confederate States of America moves its capital from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia.
May 20The State of North Carolina secedes from the United States of America and joins the Confederate States of America.
May 7The State of Tennessee secedes from the United States of America and joins the Confederate States of America.
May 6The State of Arkansas secedes from the United States of America and joins the Confederate States of America.
April 17The Commonwealth of Virginia secedes from the United States of America and joins the Confederate States of America.
February 4The Confederate States of America, formed from the seven seceding states, declare their independence from the United States of America. Montgomery, Alabama, is the capital for three months. Four more slave states will join by May 20.
February 1The State of Texas secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Republic of Texas. Austin remains the capital.
January 26The State of Louisiana secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Republic of Louisiana. Baton Rouge remains the capital.
January 19The State of Georgia secedes from the United States of America, as the independent State of Georgia. Milledgeville remains the capital.
January 11The State of Alabama secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Alabama Republic. Montgomery remains the capital.
January 10The State of Florida secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Republic of Florida. Tallahassee remains the capital.
January 9The State of Mississippi secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Republic of Mississippi. Jackson remains the capital.
1860December 20The State of South Carolina secedes from the United States of America, declaring itself the Republic of South Carolina. Columbia remains the capital. Six more slave states will secede by February 1, 1861.
October 1The Argentine Republic supersedes the Argentine Confederation. Paraná remains the capital until 1862.

1850s

YearDateEvent
1859The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from the city of Québec back to Toronto.
1858The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from Toronto back to the city of Québec.
1856The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from the city of Québec back to Toronto.
1853MarchThe Taiping Heavenly Kingdom establishes its capital at Tianjing.
1852December 2The second French Empire supersedes the second French Republic. Paris remains the capital.
September 11The Province of Buenos Aires secedes from the Argentine Confederation. The confederation moves its capital to Paraná.
The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from Toronto to the city of Québec.
1851January 11The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom gains independence from the Qing Dynasty of China.

1840s

YearDateEvent
1849The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from Montréal to Toronto.
1848February 24The second French Republic supersedes the Kingdom of France. Paris remains the capital.
February 2The United Mexican States surrenders its northern territory to the United States of America with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War.
1847July 26The African American colony of Liberia declares its independence as the Republic of Liberia. Monrovia is the capital.
1846August 22The United Mexican States supersedes the Mexican Republic. México remains the capital.
1845December 29The Republic of Texas joins the United States of America as the State of Texas. Austin yields to Washington as federal capital while remaining capital of the state.
The Netherlands splits its colonial possessions in the Americas into two parts: Suriname and Curaçao and Dependencies. Paramaribo remains the capital of Suriname, while Willemstad on Curaçao becomes the capital of the six Caribbean islands.
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi moves its capital from Lāhainā to Honolulu.
The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Falkland Islands from Port Louis to Stanley.
March 1The Riograndense Republic is reabsorbed by the Brazilian Empire as the province of Rio Grande do Sul again.
1844The United Kingdom moves the capital of the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada from Kingston to Montréal.
April 25The Republic of Chile gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Santiago is the capital.
February 27The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti. Santo Domingo is the capital.
1841February 10The United Kingdom unites Upper Canada and Lower Canada as the Crown Colony of the United Province of Canada. Kingston is the capital.
February 2The sole remnant of the Federal Republic of Central America changes its name back to the Republic of El Salvador. San Salvador remains the capital.

1830s

YearDateEvent
1839November 17The Republic of Guatemala secedes from the Federal Republic of Central America. Guatemala City becomes the capital.
August 25The Peruvian Republic and the Bolivian Republic are formed from the dissolution of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Lima and Sucre (previously Chuquisaca) are the respective capitals.
July 24The Juliana Republic declares independence from Brazil. Laguna is the capital. The Republic capitulates and is reabsorbed later in the year.
The Principality of Serbia moves its capital from Kragujevac to Belgrade.
The Republic of Texas establishes its permanent capital at Austin.
1838November 5The Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of Nicaragua, and the Republic of Honduras secede from the Federal Republic of Central America. San José, Managua, and Comayagua are the respective capitals.
1836October 28The Republic of North Peru, the Republic of South Peru, and the Bolivian Republic unite to form the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Tacna is the capital.
September 6The Riograndense Republic declares independence from Brazil. Piratini is the first of five provisional capitals.
August 11The Republic of North Peru supersedes the Peruvian Republic. Lima remains the capital.
March 17The Republic of South Peru secedes from Peruvian Republic. Cusco is the capital.
March 2The Republic of Texas declares its independence from México. Washington is the first of six cities that will serve as temporary capital until 1839.
1835October 23The Mexican Republic supersedes the United Mexican States. México remains the capital.
1834The Federal Republic of Central America moves its capital from Guatemala City to San Salvador.
The Kingdom of Greece moves its capital from Nafplio to Athens.
1833January 3The United Kingdom seizes the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) from Spain. Port Louis becomes the capital.
1831July 21Belgium becomes the Kingdom of Belgium. Brussels remains the capital
January 4The United Kingdom combines Essequibo-Demerara and Berbice as the Crown Colony of British Guiana. Georgetown is the capital.
January 4The Argentine Confederation supersedes the United Provinces of the River Plate. Buenos Aires remains the capital until 1852.
1830October 4Belgium declares its independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Brussels is the capital.
May 13The Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador, and the Republic of Venezuela are created from the dissolution of Gran Colombia. Bogotá, Quito, and Caracas are the respective capitals.
February 3The Ottoman Empire recognizes the independence of Greece. Nafplio is the capital.

1820s

YearDateEvent
1828August 27The Eastern Republic of Uruguay gains independence from Argentina. Montevideo is the capital.
1826July 9The Republic of Chile supersedes the State of Chile. Santiago remains the capital.
1825November 15The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves changes its name back to the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves. Lisbon remains the capital.
August 29The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves recognizes the independence of the Empire of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro remains the capital.
August 25The United Provinces of the River Plate supersedes the United Provinces in South America. Buenos Aires remains the capital.
August 11The Bolivian Republic gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain at the conclusion of the Bolivian War of Independence. Chuquisaca (later Sucre) is the capital.
The Netherlands administratively combines its three colonies of Suriname, Curaçao and Dependencies (the ABC islands), and Sint Eustatius and Dependencies (the SSS islands). The capital is Paramaribo.
1824October 4The United Mexican States supersedes the Mexican Empire upon the execution of Emperor Maximilian I. México remains the capital.
July 2The Confederation of the Equator declares independence from Brazil. Recife is the capital, but the Confederation capitulates and is reabsorbed at the same year.
1823JulyThe Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Republic of Honduras, and the Republic of Costa Rica unite to form the Federal Republic of Central America. Guatemala City is the capital.
May 16The Republic of Costa Rica moves its capital from Cartago to San José.
1822December 19The Peruvian Republic supersedes the State of Peru. Lima remains the capital.
October 12The Empire of Brazil supersedes the Independent Kingdom of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro remains the capital.
September 7The Independent Kingdom of Brazil declares its independence from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Rio de Janeiro is the capital.
1821September 21The Republic of Costa Rica gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Cartago is the capital.
September 15The Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Honduras, the Republic of Nicaragua and the Republic of El Salvador become independent from the Monarchy of Spain. Guatemala City, Comayagua, Managua, and San Salvador are the respective capitals.
August 24The Monarchy of Spain recognizes the independence of the Mexican Empire. México remains the capital.
August 3Peru becomes the State of Peru. Lima remains the capital.
July 28Peru declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Lima is the capital.
July 3The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves returns the capital from exile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Lisbon.
March 25Greece declares its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Nafplion is the capital.
The Argentine Republic (Argentina) gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Buenos Aires is the capital.
1820October 8The Kingdom of Haiti collapses upon the suicide of King Henri I. Haiti is unified under the Republic of Haiti with its capital at Port-au-Prince.
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi establishes its capital at Lāhainā.

1810s

YearDateEvent
1819August 7The Republic of Colombia (Gran Colombia) gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Bogotá is the capital.
1818January 12The State of Chile again declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Santiago is the capital.
1816July 9The United Provinces in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay) declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Buenos Aires remains the capital.
1815December 16The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves supersedes the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves. Rio de Janeiro remains the capital-in-exile.
November 21Miloš Obrenović establishes the Principality of Serbia. Kragujevac is the capital.
July 8The restored Kingdom of France supersedes the first French Empire. Paris remains the capital.
June 20The Congress of Vienna establishes the German Confederation. Frankfurt is the capital.
March 20The first French Empire supersedes the Kingdom of France. Paris remains the capital.
March 16The United Kingdom of the Netherlands supersedes the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands. Amsterdam and Brussels are the joint capitals.
Sir Robert Brownrigg establishes the Crown Colony of Ceylon. Colombo becomes the capital.
1814October 2The Monarchy of Spain reconquers Chile.
April 6The restored Kingdom of France supersedes the first French Empire. Paris remains the capital.
1813December 2The Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands is created from the ruins of the first French Empire. Amsterdam is the capital.
October 19The Confederation of the Rhine dissolves.
October 12Paraguay becomes the Republic of Paraguay. Asunción remains the capital.
July 23The British Malta Colony supersedes the Malta Protectorate. Valletta remains the capital.
1811May 14Paraguay gains independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Asunción is the capital.
March 28The Kingdom of Haiti supersedes the State of Haiti. Cap-Haïtien is the capital.
1810September 18Chile declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain. Santiago is the capital.
September 16México declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain.
July 20Colombia declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain.
July 13The Kingdom of Holland (Netherlands) is annexed by the first French Empire.
May 25The United Provinces in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay) is created from colonies of the Monarchy of Spain. Buenos Aires is the capital.
AprilKalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Keali`ikui Kamehameha o `Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kunuiakea unifies the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.

1800s

YearDateEvent
1808March 7The Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves removes the capital from Lisbon to exile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1806October 17The Empire of Haiti collapses upon the assassination of Emperor Jacques I. Haiti splits in two with the State of Haiti in the north with its capital at Milot, and the Republic of Haiti in the south with its capital at Port-au-Prince.
August 6Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, dissolves the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
July 25Napoleon I of France establishes the Confederation of the Rhine. Frankfurt is the capital.
June 5The Kingdom of Holland (Netherlands) supersedes the Batavian Republic. Amsterdam remains the capital.
January 8The United Kingdom establishes the Cape Colony. Cape Town is the capital.
1804September 22Jean-Jacques Dessalines establishes the Empire of Haiti. Port-au-Prince remains the capital.
May 18The first French Empire supersedes the first French Republic. Paris remains the capital.
March 4The French Republic sells Louisiane to the United States of America. New Orleans (Nouvelle-Orléans) is the capital of the unorganized territory.
January 1The French colony of Saint-Domingue on Hispaniola declares its independence from the French Republic as Haiti. Port-au-Prince remains the capital.
1801August 20The Gozitan Nation is annexed by the British protectorate of Malta.
June 6The Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal signs the Treaty of Badajoz. Spain cedes the South American Misiones Orientales to Portugal.
The Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal signs the Treaty of Badajoz. Portugal cedes Olivenza to Spain.
January 1The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland unite to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Dublin yields to London as the capital.
1800November 17The United States of America moves its capital from Philadelphia to its permanent location at Washington in the District of Columbia.
September 5French forces in Malta surrender to the British. The island becomes the British protectorate of Malta with Valletta as capital.

1790s

YearDateEvent
1798October 28The Gozitan Nation gains de facto independence from Malta with Rabat as its capital.
June 11The Order of Saint John capitulates to French forces and Malta is under French occupation with Valletta remaining the capital.
1797April 17The House of Habsburg annexes the Republic of Venice.
1795January 19The Batavian Republic supersedes the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. Amsterdam is the capital.
1792September 21The first French Republic supersedes the Kingdom of France. Paris remains the capital.
1791March 4The Vermont Republic joins the United States of America as the State of Vermont. Windsor yields to Philadelphia as the federal capital.
1790December 7The United States of Belgium capitulates to the House of Habsburg.
December 6The United States of America moves its temporary capital from New York City to Philadelphia pending the construction of the new capital permitted by the new United States Constitution.
January 11The United States of Belgium declares its independence from the House of Habsburg. Brussels is the capital.

1780s

YearDateEvent
1785January 11The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Trenton to New York City.
1784November 1The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Annapolis to Trenton.
1783November 26The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Princeton to Annapolis.
September 3The Kingdom of Great Britain signs the Treaty of Paris, recognizing the independence of the United States of America. Princeton remains the temporary capital.
November 26The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Philadelphia to Princeton.
Province of Trinidad moves its capital from San José de Oruña to Puerto de España, its present location.
1782April  21Siam moves its capital from Thonburi to Bangkok, its present location.

1770s

YearDateEvent
1778July 27The United States of America moves its temporary capital from York back to Philadelphia.
1777October 1The Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal sign the First Treaty of San Ildefonso, confirming almost all the borders defined by the Treaty of Madrid, with the exception that Spain would rule both Colonia del Sacramento and the Misiones Orientales.
September 30The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Lancaster to York.
September 27United States of America moves its temporary capital from Philadelphia to Lancaster for one day, following the capture of Philadelphia by British forces.
July 8The Republic of New Connecticut changes its name to the Vermont Republic. Windsor remains the capital.
June 4The Republic of New Connecticut moves its capital to Windsor.
March 4The United States of America moves its temporary capital back from Baltimore to Philadelphia.
January 15The Republic of New Connecticut declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Westminster is the temporary capital.
1776December 20The United States of America moves its temporary capital from Philadelphia to Baltimore.
July 4The United States of America (including the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Philadelphia is the first of eight cities that will serve as a temporary capital until 1800.
May 4Rhode Island and Providence Plantations declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Providence is the capital.
1775The Kingdom of Portugal reunites its South American colonies of the State of Brazil, the State of Great-Pará, and the State of Maranhão into the Colony of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is the capital.
1772 The Kingdom of Portugal divides its colony of the State of Great-Pará and Maranhão into the State of Great-Pará (capital, Belém) and the State of Maranhão (capital, São Luis).
Ayutthaya having been destroyed in 1767, the new capital of Siam is created in Thonburi.

1760s

YearDateEvent
1768December 21Prithvi Narayan Shah unifies the Kingdom of Nepal. Kathmandu is the capital.
1763February 12The Kingdom of Portugal moves the capital of its colony of the State of Brazil from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.
1761February 12The Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal sign the Treaty of El Pardo, nullifying the Treaty of Madrid.

1750s

YearDateEvent
1751The Kingdom of Portugal changes the name of its colonial State of Maranhão to State of Great-Pará and Maranhão.
1750January 13The Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal signs the Treaty of Madrid. Based on the uti possidetis concept, Portugal gains lands on the actual south, central and north regions of Brazil. The treaty also stipulated that Spain would receive the Colonia del Sacramento and Portugal the Misiones Orientales.

1730s

YearDateEvent
1737The Kingdom of Portugal moves the capital of its colonial State of Maranhão from São Luís to Belém.

1710s

YearDateEvent
1715The Kingdom of Spain returns Colonia del Sacramento to the Kingdom of Portugal.
1713March and AprilThe Treaty of Utrecht is signed. The United Kingdom takes sovereigny over Gibraltar and Minorca from the Kingdom of Spain. Spain also ceded: Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan to Savoy; Spanish Netherlands, the Kingdom of Naples, Sardinia, and the bulk of the Duchy of Milan to Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor; lands in South America between Amazon River and Oiapoque River to the Kingdom of Portugal.

1700s

YearDateEvent
1707May 1The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland unite to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.[4] Edinburgh yields to London as the capital for all but judicial functions.

1680s

YearDateEvent
1684The English Crown Colony of Bermuda supersedes the Somers Isles Company. Hamilton is the capital.

1660s

YearDateEvent
1660May 27The Kingdom of Sweden cedes Trøndelag to the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths as part of the Treaty of Copenhagen.
April 4The restored Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland supersede the republican Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. London, Edinburgh, and Dublin are the respective capitals.

1650s

YearDateEvent
1658February 26The Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths cedes Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm, Båhus and Trøndelag to the Kingdom of Sweden as part of the Treaty of Roskilde.
December 16The Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland supersedes the Commonwealth of England, the Kingdom of Scotland, and the Kingdom of Ireland. Edinburgh and Dublin yield to London as the capital.

1640s

YearDateEvent
1649May 19The republican Commonwealth of England supersedes the Kingdom of England. London remains the capital.
1645August 13The Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths cedes Jämtland, Härjedalen, Idre & Särna, Gotland, Ösel and Halland, the latter for a period of 30 years, to the Kingdom of Sweden as part of the Treaty of Brömsebro.
1644October 30The Qing Dynasty of China supersedes the Ming Dynasty. Beijing remains the capital.

1630s

YearDateEvent
1636England establishes the Crown Colony of Connecticut. Hartford is the capital.
1635Fasilides makes Gondar the first permanent capital of Ethiopia since the fall of the Zagwe Dynasty

1620s

YearDateEvent
1628The Colony of Barbados moves its capital from Saint James Town to Bridgetown.
1627The Kingdom of England establishes the Colony of Barbados with its capital at Saint James Town.
1621The Kingdom of Portugal divides the Colony of Brazil into the State of Brazil (capital, Salvador) and the State of Maranhão (capital, São Luis).

1610s

YearDateEvent
1612The Kingdom of Portugal reunites North Brazil and South Brazil into the Colony of Brazil. The capital is Salvador.

1600s

YearDateEvent
1608The Kingdom of Portugal divides the Colony of Brazil into North Brazil (capital, Salvador) and South Brazil (capital, Rio de Janeiro) for the second time.

1590s

YearDateEvent
1594Virmadhalasuriya I of Sri Lanka moves the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka to Kandy

1580s

YearDateEvent
1581July 26The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands declares its independence from the Monarchy of Spain.

1570s

YearDateEvent
1578The Kingdom of Portugal reunites North Brazil and South Brazil into the Colony of Brazil. The capital is Salvador.
1573The Kingdom of Portugal divides the Colony of Brazil into North Brazil (capital, Salvador) and South Brazil (capital, Rio de Janeiro).
1571March 18The Order of Saint John moves the capital of Malta from Birgu to Valletta.

1560s

YearDateEvent
1569July 1The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania unite to form the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Vilnius yields to Kraków as the capital.

1540s

YearDateEvent
1549The Kingdom of Portugal establishes a central government for its Colony of Brazil, with Salvador as the capital.
1542The Kingdom of Ireland supersedes the feudal Lordship of Ireland. Dublin remains the capital.
The Kingdom of England annexes the Principality of Wales.

1530s

YearDateEvent
1534The Kingdom of Portugal divides its Colony of Brazil into 15 independent captaincies.
1532The Kingdom of France annexes the Duchy of Brittany.
1530October 26The Order of Saint John annexes Malta and moves the capital from Mdina to Birgu.

1520s

YearDateEvent
1529April 22Representatives of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Kingdom of Spain sign the Treaty of Zaragoza, settling the countries' boundary of conquest in Asia and Oceania at a meridian about 144°40' west of Greenwich.)
1521August 13The combined forces of Hernán Cortés conquer Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire. The Kingdom of Spain subsequently renames the region New Spain. The destroyed capital is rebuilt and renamed México.
King Mayadunne I moves the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka to Sitawaka.

1500s

YearDateEvent
1500April 22Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral arrives at the coast of Brazil and claims all land in South America east of the Tordesillas Meridian for the Kingdom of Portugal, thus establishing the Portuguese Colony of Brazil.

1490s

YearDateEvent
1495June 7Representatives of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal sign the Treaty of Tordesillas, settling the countries' boundary of conquest in the Americas (and Africa and Asia) at a meridian about 46°0' west of Greenwich.
1493May 4Spanish Pope Alexander VI issues the papal bull Inter caetera granting to the Crowns of Castile and Aragon (Spain) all newly discovered lands west of the meridian 100 leagues west of any of the islands of the Azores (approximately 38°11' west of Greenwich.)
1492October 12While seeking a route to the East Indies, Genoese navigator Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) lands on the island of Guanahani in the Lucayan Archipelago, which he mistakes for the Japanese Archipelago. Columbus claims the archipelago for his patrons the Crowns of Castile and Aragon (Spain), and subsequently explores and claims Cuba and Hispaniola.

1450s

YearDateEvent
145329 MayThe Byzantine Empire falls to the Ottoman Empire. The capital of the Ottoman Empire is moved to Constantinople, present day Istanbul.

1420s

YearDateEvent
1421The Ming Dynasty of China moves its capital from Nanjing to Beijing.

1410s

YearDateEvent
1412King Parakramabahu VI moves the capital of Kingdom of Sri Lanka to Kotte.

1390s

YearDateEvent
1392The Joseon Dynasty succeed the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. Hanseong is the capital.

1360s

YearDateEvent
1368The Ming Dynasty supersedes the Yuan Dynasty of China. Nanjing is the capital.

1350s

YearDateEvent
1350With the foundation of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, its capital is created in Ayutthaya, instead of the former Sukhothai.

1320s

YearDateEvent
1325March 13The Mexicas (Aztecs) founded Tenochtitlan, the foundation of México. It is the oldest continuous capitol in the Americas.

1280s

YearDateEvent
1287King Parakramabahu III moves the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka back to Polonnaruwa.

1270s

YearDateEvent
1279March 19The Song Dynasty is conquered by the Yuan Dynasty of China.
1272The Yuan Dynasty of China moves its capital from Shangdu to Dadu.
August 10Yekuno Amlak overthrows the Zagwe dynasty, establishing the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia. Lalibela ceases to be the capital, and the Emperor of Ethiopia rules from a continually moving encampment around his domains for the following centuries.

1220s

YearDateEvent
1220King Vijayabahu III moves the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka to Dambadeniya.

1180s

YearDateEvent
1185The Second Bulgarian Empire gains independence from the Byzantine Empire under Peter IV of Bulgaria.

1130s

YearDateEvent
1139The Kingdom of Portugal gains independence from the Kingdom of León.

1120s

YearDateEvent
1127The Song Dynasty of China moves its capital from Bianjing to Lin'an.

1090s

YearDateEvent
1097King William II moves the capital of the Kingdom of England to London.

1050s

YearDateEvent
1055King Vijayabahu I moves the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka to Polonnaruwa.

980s

YearDateEvent
987Hughe Capet confirmes Paris as the capital of the Kingdom of the West Franks (soon to become the Kingdom of France).

960s

YearDateEvent
962February 2Otto the Great re-establishes the Holy Roman Empire. Rome is the official capital.
960January 3Emperor Taizu of Song establishes the Song Dynasty of China. Bianjing remains the capital.

930s

YearDateEvent
936Goryeo Dynasty unified the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea.

920s

YearDateEvent
927July 12King Athelstan of Wessex establishes the Kingdom of England. Winchester is the capital.

910s

YearDateEvent
918King Taejo establishes Goryeo Dynasty on the Korean Peninsula. Gaegyeong is the official capital.

840s

YearDateEvent
843Charles the Bald, grandson of Emperor Charlemagne, made Paris the capital of the Kingdom of the West Franks, established as the result of the Treaty of Verdun.

800s

YearDateEvent
800December 25Charlemagne establishes the Holy Roman Empire. While Rome is the official capital of the empire, Aix-la-Chapelle is the de facto capital.

690s

YearDateEvent
690King Go establishes Balhae on the Manchuria and northern Korean Peninsula.

680s

YearDateEvent
681Khan Asparukh crosses the Danube Delta and settles in the Ongal area (Southern Bessarabia or northern Dobruja). Asparukh, with his Slav allies, defeats Byzantine Emperor Constantine IV and establishes the First Bulgarian Empire. Pliska is the capital.

670s

YearDateEvent
676Silla unified the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

630s

YearDateEvent
630January 11The Islamic prophet, Muhammad (Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh) conquers Mecca and unites Arabia. Medina is the capital.

530s

YearDateEvent
538The Baekje of Korea moves its capital from Ungjin to Sabi.

500s

YearDateEvent
508Frankish King Clovis the Frank makes Paris the capital of the Frankish Kingdom.

470s

YearDateEvent
476September 4Germanic General Odoacer forces Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus to abdicate, bringing the Western Roman Empire to an end.
475The Baekje of Korea moves its capital from Wirye to Ungjin by pressure of Goguryeo.

420s

YearDateEvent
427The Goguryeo of Korea moves its capital from Gungnae City to Pyongyang.

390s

YearDateEvent
395January 17At his death, Roman Emperor Theodosius I (Flavius Theodosius) permanently splits the Roman Empire between his two sons. Arcadius (Flavius Arcadius) rules the Eastern Roman Empire from Constantinopolis (now Istanbul, Turkey), and Honorius (Flavius Honorius) rules the Western Roman Empire from Mediolanum (now Milan, Italy).

330s

YearDateEvent
330May 11Roman Emperor Constantine the Great builds a new capital for the Roman Empire at Byzantium which he renames Constantinopolis (now Istanbul, Turkey).

320s

YearDateEvent
324September 18Constantine the Great (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus) reunites the Roman Empire. Nicomedia (now İzmit, Turkey) becomes the capital.

290s

YearDateEvent
293Roman co-emperors Diocletian and Maximian split the Roman Empire into a tetrarchy with capitals at Mediolanum (now Milan, Italy), Augusta Treverorum (now Trier, Germany), Nicomedia (now İzmit, Turkey), and Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia).

280s

YearDateEvent
286April 1Roman Emperor Diocletian (Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus) appoints Maximian (Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius) co-emperor, splitting the Roman Empire into a dyarchy with capitals at Mediolanum (now Milan, Italy) and Augusta Treverorum (now Trier, Germany).

270s

YearDateEvent
274Roman Emperor Aurelian conquers the Palmyrene Empire which is subsumed back into the Roman Empire.
273Roman Emperor Aurelian (Lucius Domitius Aurelianus) conquers the Gallic Empire which is subsumed back into the Roman Empire.

260s

YearDateEvent
269The Palmyrene Empire conquers the Roman Province of Egypt.
260Syrian Queen Zenobia breaks from the Roman Empire and establishes the Palmyrene Empire. Palmyra is the capital.
Postumus (Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus) breaks from the Roman Empire and establishes the Gallic Empire. Colonia Agrippina (now Cologne, Germany) is the capital.

First decade

YearDateEvent
3The Goguryeo of Korea moves its capital from Jolbon to Gungnae.

Before the Common Era

Note: The common year numbering system follows the ordinal numbers rather than the cardinal numbers, thus there was no year "zero". The date January 1, 1 CE immediately followed the date December 31, 1 BCE. Thus, while the 2000s began on Saturday, January 1, 2000 CE, the official Third Millennium began on Monday, January 1, 2001 CE.

First Millennium BCE

YearDateEvent
18 BCEOnjo establishes Baekje on the central Korean Peninsula. Wiryeseong is the capital.
27 BCEJanuary 16The Roman Senate grants Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus the title Augustus. This effectively ends the Roman Republic and establishes the Roman Empire. The city of Rome remains the capital.
30 BCEAugust 1Roman consul Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus conquers the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Octavianus organizes Egypt as a province under his personal control.
37 BCEDongmyeong establishes Goguryeo on the northern Korean Peninsula. Jolbon is the capital.
57 BCEHyeokgeose establishes Silla on the southeast Korean Peninsula. Gyeongju is the capital.
194 BCEWanggeom-seong becomes the capital of Wiman Joseon on the Korean Peninsula.
202 BCEFebruary 28Gaozu establishes the Han Dynasty of China. Chang'an becomes the capital.
221 BCEQin Shi Huang unifies ancient China as the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China. Xianyang becomes the capital.
238 BCEArsaces I of Parthia establishes the Arsacid Dynasty of Parthia. Hecatompylus becomes the capital.
305 BCEMacedonian general Ptolemy establishes the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt as King Ptolemy I Soter. Alexandria remains the capital.
312 BCEMacedonian general Seleucus establishes the Seleucid Empire. Babylon is the capital.
322 BCEChandragupta establishes the Maurya Empire of ancient India. Pataliputra (now Patna) is the capital.
330 BCEAlexander the Great of Macedon conquers Persia. Alexander makes Babylon the capital.
332 BCEAlexander the Great of Macedon conquers Persian-occupied Egypt and establishes the Argead Dynasty of Egypt as Pharaoh Alexander III. Alexander builds a new capital at Alexandria.
343 BCEArtaxerxes III of Persia reconquers Egypt and establishes the Persian Thirty-first Dynasty of Egypt as Pharaoh Artaxerxes III.
380 BCENovemberPharaoh Nectanebo I establishes the Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt. Sebennytos becomes the capital.
399 BCEautumnPharaoh Nefaarud I establishes the Twenty-ninth Dynasty of Egypt. Mendes becomes the capital.
404 BCEAmyrtaeus expels the Persians from Egypt and establishes the Twenty-eighth Dynasty of Egypt as Pharaoh Amyrtaeus. Sais is the capital.
504 BCEKing Panduvasudeva moves the capital of the Kingdom of Lanka to Upatissa Nuwara.
509 BCEThe Roman Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Rome. The city of Rome remains the capital.
515 BCEDarius the Great moves the capital of the Persian Empire to Persepolis.
525 BCEMayCambyses II of Persia conquers Egypt and establishes the Persian Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt as Pharaoh Cambyses II.
543 BCEKing Vijaya establishes the Kingdom of Lanka and makes Tambapanni the new capital.
546 BCECyrus the Great establishes the Persian Empire and makes Pasargadae the new capital.
660 BCEFebruary 11Emperor Jimmu establishes the Empire of Japan.
about 664 BCEPharaoh Necho I establishes the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt. Sais is the capital.
694 BCEDeioces is elected the first King of the Medes. Ecbatana (now Hamadan) is the capital.
about 700 BCEPhoenicians establish a colony in Malta with Maleth as capital.
about 728 BCEPharaoh Tefnakhte establishes the Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt. Sais becomes the capital.
about 740 BCENubian King Piye establishes the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt and rules Egypt from Napata in Nubia.
753 BCEApril 21Romulus establishes the Kingdom of Rome. The new city of Rome becomes the capital.
808 BCEKaranus establishes the Argead Dynasty of Macedon and builds Aigai to be the capital.
about 875 BCEPharaoh Pedubast I establishes the Twenty-third Dynasty of Egypt. Thebes is the capital of Upper Egypt.
879 BCEAshurnasirpal II moves the capital of the New Assyrian Empire to Kalhu.
911 BCEAdad-nirari II establishes the New Assyrian Empire. Assur remains the capital.
about 930 BCEThe Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam I separates from the Kingdom of Judah under Rehoboam. Samaria becomes the capital of Israel, Jerusalem remains the capital of Judah.
about 945 BCEPharaoh Shoshenq I establishes the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt. Tanis remains the capital.

Second Millennium BCE

YearEvent
about 1004 BCEKing David conquers the city of Jebus and makes the renamed City of David (now Jerusalem) the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah.
about 1047 BCEShaul ben Qysh establishes the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. Gibeah is the capital.
about 1070 BCEPharaoh Nesbanebdjed I establishes the Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt. Tanis becomes the capital.
about 1184 BCEGreeks destroy the city-state of Troy.
about 1188 BCEPharaoh Setnakhte establishes the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu remains the capital.
about 1243 BCEAshur-nadin-apli of the Middle Assyrian Empire moves capital back to Assur.
about 1230 BCEPharaoh Ramesses II builds a new capital for the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt at the site of Avaris and names it Pi-Ramesses Aa-nakhtu.
about 1243 BCETukulti-Ninurta I of the Middle Assyrian Empire moves capital to Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta.
about 1272 BCEMursili III of the Hittite empire moves capital back to Hattusa.
about 1293 BCEPharaoh Ramesses I establishes the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 1295 BCEPharaoh Muwatalli II of the Hittite empire moves capital to Tarhuntassa.
about 1332 BCEPharaoh Tutankhamun of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt moves capital to Memphis.
about 1340 BCEAshur-uballit I establishes the Middle Assyrian Empire. Assur is the capital.
about 1345 BCEPharaoh Akhenaten of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt moves capital to Amarna (Akhetaton).
about 1400 BCEKurigalzu I a Kassite king in Mesopotamia moves the capital to Dur-Kurigalzu.
about 1534 BCEAgum II establishes the rule of the Kassites in Mesopotamia. Babylon becomes the capital.
about 1534 BCEPharaoh Ahmose I establishes the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Thebes remains the capital.
about 1619 BCERahotep Sekhenrewahkhaw establishes the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt. Thebes remains the capital.
about 1620 BCEDjehuti establishes the Sixteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Thebes is the capital.
about 1624 BCESalitis establishes the Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Avaris is the capital.
about 1710 BCENehesy establishes the Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Xois is the capital.
about 1763 BCEHammurabi establishes the Babylonian Empire. Babylon remains the capital.
about 1778 BCEWegaf Khutawyre establishes the Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Amenemhat-itj-tawy remains the capital.
about 1810 BCESumu-Epuh first attested king of the empire of Yamhad. Aleppo is the capital.
about 1894 BCESumu-abum establishes the First Babylonian Dynasty. Babylon is the capital.
about 1900 BCEZulilu establishes the Old Assyrian Empire. Assur is the capital.
about 1983 BCEAmenemhat I establishes the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt and builds Amenemhat-itj-tawy to be the new capital.

Third Millennium BCE

YearEvent
about 2047 BCEUr-Nammu establishes the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur. Ur is the capital.
about 2130 BCEMentuhotep I establishes the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt. Thebes becomes the capital of Upper Egypt.
Meryhathor establishes the Tenth Dynasty of Egypt. Henen-nesut remains the capital of Lower Egypt.
about 2160 BCEMeryibre Khety establishes the Ninth Dynasty of Egypt. Henen-nesut becomes the capital of Lower Egypt.
about 2165 BCENeferkare Pepiseneb establishes the Eighth Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 2175 BCENetjerkare establishes the Seventh Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 2270 BCESargon of Akkad establishes the Sumerian First Dynasty of Akkad. Akkad is the capital.
about 2333 BCEDangun Wanggeom establishes Gojoseon on the Korean Peninsula.
about 2380 BCEUr-Nanshe establishes the Sumerian First Dynasty of Lagash. Lagash is the capital.
about 2336 BCETeti establishes the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 2484 BCEUserkaf establishes the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 2580 BCEMesannepada establishes the First Dynasty of Ur. Ur becomes the de facto capital of Sumer.
about 2655 BCESneferu establishes the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.
about 2727 BCEDjoser establishes the Third Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis becomes the capital.
about 2860 BCEHotepsekhemwy establishes the Second Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis remains the capital.

Fourth Millennium BCE

YearEvent
about 3080 BCENarmer (or Menes) unites Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt under the First Dynasty of Egypt. Memphis becomes the capital of all Egypt.
about 3200 BCEThe regional power centers of Thinis, Naqada, and Nekhen dominate Upper Egypt.
about 3200 BCEThe city-states of Eridu, Bad-tibira, Larsa, Sippar, and Shuruppak rise to prominence in Sumer.

See also

References

External links

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