List of former European colonies

This is a list of former European colonies.

The European countries which had the most colonies throughout history were: United Kingdom (130), France (90), Portugal (52), Spain (44), Netherlands (29), Germany (20), Russia (17), Denmark (9), Sweden (8), Italy (7), Norway (6), Knights of Malta (6), Belgium (3), and Courland (2).

North America

Denmark

Name	Capital or main city	From	To	Ruling power
Danish West Indies	Charlotte Amalie	1672	1814	Denmark–Norway
		1814	1917	Denmark
South Greenland	Godthåb	1782	1814	Denmark–Norway
		1814	1950	Denmark
North Greenland	Godhavn	1782	1814	Denmark–Norway
		1814	1950	Denmark
Colony of Greenland	Godthåb	1950	1953
County of Greenland		1953	1979
Greenland	Nuuk	1979	present

France

Name	Capital or main city	From	To	Ruling power
New France	Quebec	1534	1763	France
Canada		1535
Acadia	Port-Royal	1604	1713
Saint-Domingue	Port-au-Prince	1659	1792
		1792	1803
Illinois	St. Louis	1675	1769
		1801	1803
Louisiana	New Orleans	1682	1762
		1801	1803
Île-Royale	Louisbourg	1713	1763

Great Britain

• British America (New Britain)
  • Canada
    • Island of St. John
    • Lower Canada
      • Province of Quebec
    • Upper Canada
    • Newfoundland Colony
  • "Thirteen Colonies" (The United States of America)
    • New England Colonies:
      • Province of Massachusetts Bay
      • Province of New Hampshire
      • Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
      • Connecticut Colony
    • Province of New York
    • Province of New Jersey
    • Province of Pennsylvania
    • Delaware Colony
    • Province of Maryland
    • Colony of Virginia
    • Province of North Carolina
    • Province of South Carolina
    • Province of Georgia
  • Other North American colonies
    • Province of East Florida
    • Province of West Florida
• British Honduras
• Bay Islands

Iceland

• Greenland

Netherlands

• New Netherland (Nieuw-Amsterdam / New York)

Norway

• Greenland

Russia

• Russian Alaska

Scotland

• Nova Scotia

Spain

• Mexico (1521)
• Viceroyalty of New Spain (1535–1821)
  • Las Californias
  • Nuevo Reino de León
  • Nuevo Santander
  • Nueva Vizcaya
  • Santa Fe de Nuevo México
  • Nueva Extremadura
  • Nueva Galicia
  • Captaincy General of Cuba
  • Puerto Rico
  • Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
  • Captaincy General of Guatemala
  • Costa Rica
  • El Salvador
  • East Florida and West Florida

Sweden

• New Sweden

Caribbean

Brandenburg

• St Thomas

Courland

• New Courland (Tobago)

Denmark-Norway

• Saint John
• Saint Thomas
• Saint Croix

France

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Montserrat
• Nevis
• Saint Christophe (St Kitts)
• Saint Croix
• Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola)
• Sainte-Lucia (St Lucia)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sint Eustatius
• Tobago

Knights of Malta

• Saint Barthélemy
• Saint Martin
• Saint Christopher (St Kitts)
• Saint Croix
• Tortuga (off coast of Haiti)

Netherlands

• New Walcheren (Tobago)

Spain

• Belize
• Jamaica
• Spanish West Indies
  • The Bahamas
  • Cuba
  • Hispaniola
  • Puerto Rico
  • Trinidad

Sweden

• Saint-Barthélemy

Sweden-Norway

• Cooper Island
• Saint-Barthélemy (1814–1878)

United Kingdom

• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Jamaica
• Leeward Islands
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Dominica
  • Saint Christopher (St Kitts)-Nevis
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Windward Islands
  • Grenada
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

South America

Augsburg/Nuremberg

• Welserland (Venezuela)

France

• Brazil (Rio de Janeiro briefly, and São Luís briefly)

(see France Antarctique and France Équinoxiale)

• Iles Malouines (Falkland Islands)

Netherlands

• Berbice (Guyana)
• Demerara
  • Dutch colonisation of the Guianas, overview
• Surinam (Suriname)
• Essequibo
• New Holland (Brazil – Half the captaincies)

Portugal

• Brazil
• Cisplatina (Uruguay)
• Sacramento
• Misiones Orientales

Spain

• Kingdom of Tierra Firme (1498–1537)
• Governorate of New Andalusia (1501–1513)
• Governorate of Castilla de Oro (1514–1539)
• Governorate of New Castile (1529–1542)
• Governorate of New Toledo (1529–1542)
• Governorate of New León (1529–1539)
• Governorate of New Andalusia (1534–1617)
• Viceroyalty of Peru (1542–1824)
  • New Kingdom of Granada (1538–1717) (1723–1739)
  • Real Audiencia of Panamá (1538–1717) (1723–1739)
  • Captaincy General of Chile (1541–1818)
  • Real Audiencia of Lima (1542–1821)
  • Governorate of the Río de la Plata (1549–1776)
  • Real Audiencia of Charcas (1559–1776)
  • Real Audiencia of Quito (1563–1717) (1723–1739)
  • Real Audiencia of Concepción (1565–1575)
  • Governorate of Guayrá (1617–1776)
  • Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires (1661–1671)
  • Real Audiencia of Cuzco (1787–1825)
• Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717–1723) (1739–1810) (1815–1822)
  • Real Audiencia of Panamá (1717–1723) (1739–1752)
  • Real Audiencia of Quito (1717–1723) (1739–1822)
  • Captaincy General of Venezuela (1777–1824)
• Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (1776–1814)
  • Governorate of Paraguay (1776–1782)
  • Real Audiencia of Charcas (1776–1821)
• Upper Peru (1821–1825)

United Kingdom

• British Guiana
  • Berbice, Essequibo, Demerara
• Surinam

Africa

Belgium

• Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi)

Brandenburg

• Arguin (in Mauritania)
• Brandenburger Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

Courland

• St. Andrews Island (in the Gambia)

Denmark-Norway

• Danish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

France

• Albreda (in The Gambia)
• Comoros
• French Dahomey (Benin)
• French Algeria
• French Cameroon (91% of modern Cameroon)
• French Chad
• French Congo (Republic of the Congo)
• French Guinea (Guinea)
• French Upper Volta (Republic of Upper Volta, Burkina Faso)
• French Somaliland (Djibouti)
• French Sudan (Mali)
• French Togoland (Togo)
• French Madagascar
• Gabon
• Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
• Colonial Mauritania
• French protectorate in Morocco (89% of Morocco)
• Oubangui-Chari (Central African Republic)
• Senegal
• Senegambia and Niger
  • Upper Senegal and Niger
  • Colony of Niger
• French protectorate of Tunisia

Germany

• German East Africa (Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania)
• German South-West Africa (Namibia)
• Kamerun (split between Cameroon and Nigeria)
• Togoland (split between Togo and Ghana)
• Wituland (Lamu Island, owned by Kenya)

Hospitaller Malta

• Tripoli

Italy

• Italian East Africa
  • Italian Eritrea
  • Italian Somaliland (now Somalia)
• Italian Libya

Netherlands

• Arguin Island (in Mauritania)
• Dutch Cape Colony
• Dutch Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana, including El Mina)
• Dutch Loango-Angola (Luanda, Sonyo and Cabinda)
• Gorée (Senegal)
• Moçambique (Delagoa Bay)
• São Tomé
• South Africa
• Mauritius

Portugal

• Ajuda (Whydah, in Benin)
• Portuguese Angola
• Annobón
• Cabinda
• Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
• Ceuta
• Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá
• Gorée (in Senegal)
• Malindi
• Mombasa
• Algarve Ultramar (Morocco)
  • Agadir
  • Alcacer Ceguer
  • Arzila
  • Azamor
  • Mazagan
  • Mogador
  • Safim
• Nigeria (Lagos area)
• Mozambique
• Portuguese Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana)
• Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau)
• Quíloa
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Tangier
• Zanzibar
• Ziguinchor

Spain

• Bona
• Bougie
• Jerba
• Fernando Po and Annobon (insular Equatorial Guinea)
• Oran
• Port Guinea
• Río Muni (mainland Equatorial Guinea)
• Spanish Protectorate in Morocco
• Spanish West Africa
  • Río de Oro
  • Saguia el-Hamra
  • Tarfaya Strip
  • Ifni

Sweden

• Swedish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

United Kingdom

• Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Sudan)
• Basutoland (Lesotho)
• Balleland (Benin)
• Bechuanaland (Botswana)
• British East Africa (Kenya)
• British Somaliland (Somaliland)
• British Togoland (eastern Ghana)
• British Cameroon (split between Nigeria and Cameroon)
• British Mauritius
• British Egypt
  • Khedivate of Egypt
  • Sultanate of Egypt
  • Kingdom of Egypt
• Gambia Colony and Protectorate
• Gold Coast (Ghana)
• Colonial Nigeria
  • Niger Coast Protectorate
  • Northern Nigeria Protectorate
  • Southern Nigeria Protectorate
  • Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
• Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
• Nyasaland (Malawi)
• Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate
• Union of South Africa
  • British Cape Colony
  • Natal Colony
  • Orange River Colony
  • Transvaal Colony
• South West Africa (Namibia)
  • Walvis Bay
• Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
• Swaziland (Eswatini)
• Tanganyika Territory (mainland Tanzania)
• Uganda Protectorate
• Sultanate of Zanzibar (insular Tanzania)

West Asia

France

• Syria
• Lebanon

Netherlands

• Jemen, Al Mukha (Mocca)
• Mesopotamia (Iraq, Al Basrah)

Portugal

• Aden
• Bandar Abbas (Iran)
• Hormuz
• Manama (Bahrain)
• Muharraq Island (Bahrain)
• Muscat (Oman)
• Qeshm

United Kingdom

• Aden Protectorate
• Bahrain
• Cyprus
• Mandatory Iraq
• Sheikhdom of Kuwait
• Muscat and Oman
• Mandatory Palestine
• Qatar
• South Arabia
• Emirate of Transjordan
• Trucial States

South Asia

Indian Ocean Area

France

• French Comoros
• Isle de France (now Mauritius)
• French Madagascar
• French Seychelles

Netherlands

• Dutch Mauritius (now Mauritius)

Portugal

• Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep)
• Malé (Maldives)
• Socotra

Austria

• Banquibazar & Cabelon
• Nicobar Islands

United Kingdom

• Mauritius
• Seychelles
• Maldives

Mainland

Denmark-Norway

• Frederik Oerne Islands (Nicobar Islands)
• Serampore
• Tranquebar

France

• French India
  • Pondicherry
  • Karikal
  • Yanaon
  • Mahé
  • Chandernagore

Netherlands

• Dutch Bengal
• Dutch Ceylon
• Dutch India (Dutch Bengal, Suratte, Malabar, Coromandel)

Portugal

• Bombay
• Calicut
• Cambay
• Cannanore
• Ceilão
• Chaul
• Chittagong
• Cochin
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli
• Daman and Diu
• Goa
• Hughli
• Masulipatnam
• Mangalore
• Pegu
• Surat
• Syriam

Sweden

• Parangipettai

United Kingdom

• Territories of the EIC till 1858
• Territories of the British Raj after 1858

Asia-Pacific

France

• East Asia
• Indochina
  • Cambodia
  • Laos
  • Vietnam
    • Annam
    • Cochinchina
    • Tonkin

Germany

• German New Guinea
  • Bismarck Archipelago
  • Caroline Islands (Karolinen)
  • Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
  • North Solomon Islands
• Gilbert Islands
• German Samoa
• Marshall Islands
• Nauru
• Northern Marianas Islands (Marianen)
• Palau

Netherlands

• Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
• Dutch New Guinea (Western Part of Papua, Indonesia)
• Malacca
• Dutch Formosa

Portugal

• Flores
• Macau
• Malacca
• Moluccas
  • Ambon
  • Ternate
  • Tidore
• Portuguese Timor (Timor-Leste)
• Solor

Spain

• Spanish East Indies
  • Philippines
  • Marianas Islands
    • Guam
    • Northern Marianas Islands
  • Caroline Islands
• Marshall Islands

United Kingdom

• British Burma
• Australia
  • New South Wales
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Swan River Colony/Western Australia
  • Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
  • Victoria
• British Solomon Islands
• British Western Pacific Territories
• Christmas Island
• Cocos Islands
• Colonial Fiji
• Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Kiribati & Tuvalu)
• Kingdom of Rarotonga (Cook Islands)
• New Zealand
  • Auckland Islands
• Niue
• Norfolk Island
• Territory of Papua and New Guinea
• Territory of New Guinea
• Western Samoa
• Phoenix Islands (part of Kiribati)
• Solomon Islands
• Territory of Papua
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Southeast Asia
  • Malaysia
  • British Malaya
    • Federated Malay States
    • Straits Settlements
    • Unfederated Malay States
  • British Borneo
    • North Borneo
    • Kingdom of Sarawak
• Brunei
• Singapore
• China
  • Hong Kong

Europe

Denmark

See also: Danish overseas colonies

• Iceland

Italy

See also: Colonia (Roman), Venetian Empire, and Genoese Empire

• Albania
• Dodecanese

Spain

• Spanish Netherlands
• Duchy of Milan
• Kingdom of Naples
• Kingdom of Sicily

Norway

See also: Norwegian overseas colonies

• Iceland
• Faroe Islands
• Isle of Man, Northern Isles, Hebrides

United Kingdom

See also: British Empire

• Cyprus
• Ionian islands (now part of Greece)
• Ireland
• Malta
• Menorca (now part of Spain)
• Heligoland (now part of Germany)

See also

• Austrian colonial policy
• Belgian colonial empire
• British colonial empire
• Danish colonial empire
• Dutch colonial empire
• French colonial empire
• German colonial empire
• List of former German colonies
• Italian colonial empire
• Portuguese colonial empire
• Evolution of the Portuguese Empire
• Russian colonial empire
• Spanish colonial empire
• Swedish colonial empire