Timeline of geopolitical changes (1900–1999)

Timeline of geopolitical changes
Timeline of geopolitical changes
	Timeline of geopolitical changes (before 1500); Timeline of geopolitical changes (1500–1899); Timeline of geopolitical changes (1900–1999); Timeline of geopolitical changes (2000–present);

This is a timeline of geopolitical changes around the world between 1900 and 1999. It includes dates of declarations of independence, changes in country name, changes of capital city or name, and changes in territory such as the annexation, cession, concession, occupation, or secession of land. Territorial conquests as a result of war are included on the timeline at the conclusion of military campaigns, but changes in the course of specific battles and day-to-day operations are generally not included. Changes in airspace and maritime territory are included only when they are subject to a dispute.^[a] Over 50% of the world’s borders today were drawn as a result of British and French imperialism. The British and French drew the modern borders of the Middle East, 80% of the borders of Africa, in Asia after the independence of the British Raj and French Indochina and the borders of Europe after World War I as victors, as a result of the Paris treaties.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Quick Facts

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Year	Date	Event
1900	1 January	The Northern Nigeria Protectorate is established by the United Kingdom.
	1 January	The Southern Nigeria Protectorate is established by the United Kingdom.
	16 February	The United States of America takes control of American Samoa under the terms of the Tripartite Convention.^[4]^[5]
	March	The First Republic of Acre capitulates and is reabsorbed by the Republic of Bolivia.
	21 April	The United Kingdom annexes the island of Niue, making it a British protectorate.^[6]
	28 May	The United Kingdom occupies the Orange Free State.
	5 September	The colony of French Chad is established. Fort-Lamy is the capital.
	November	Acre declares independence from Bolivia as the Second Republic of Acre. The movement is quickly suppressed and Acre remains part of Bolivia.
		The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the French colony of Guyane (French Guiana) is defined by arbitration. The French troops that advanced to the margins of the Araguari River repair to the Oiapoque River.
1901	1 January	The Commonwealth of Australia is established by federation of the British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Melbourne was the de facto (but not de jure) seat of government from 1901 to 1927.
	23 March	The First Philippine Republic dissolves.
	11 June	The United Kingdom transfers the Cook Islands and Niue to the Colony of New Zealand.^[6]
	26 September	The United Kingdom occupies the Ashanti Empire and makes it a crown colony.^[7]^[8]
1902	20 May	The Republic of Cuba gains independence from the United States of America. Havana is the capital.
	31 May	The United Kingdom creates the Orange River Colony from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Colony from the South African Republic (Republic of Transvaal). Bloemfontein and Pretoria remains the respective capitals.
	1 July	The United Kingdom annexes Henderson Island.
	10 July	The United Kingdom annexes Oeno Island.
	20 November	King Edward VII of Britain adjusts borders in the Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case between Chile and Argentina.
	19 December	The United Kingdom annexes Ducie Island.
		The Zaria Emirate and the Abuja Emirate are annexed into the British Northern Nigeria Protectorate.
		German Kamerun annexes the Mandara Kingdom.
1903	27 January	The Third Republic of Acre declares its independence from Bolivia. The capital is Cidade do Acre.
	23 February	Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States of America in perpetuity.
	12 May	Mauritania becomes a protectorate of the French Republic. Saint-Louis is the capital.
	29 July	The Adamawa Emirate is annexed into the British Northern Nigeria Protectorate and German Kamerun.
	20 October	The Alaska boundary dispute is resolved between the United States of America and Canada.^[9]
	3 November	The Republic of Panama secedes from the Republic of Colombia. Panama City is the capital.
	11 November	The 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 absorbs the Republic of Acre.
	18 November	The new Republic of Panama grants the United States of America control of the Panama Canal Zone. Balboa is the administrative center.
		The United Kingdom secedes the Seychelles from the colony of Mauritius.
		After the Aceh War, the Sultanate of Aceh is annexed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and becomes part of the Dutch East Indies.
1904	13 February	Following the Franco-Siamese Convention, the Kingdom of Siam concedes border territories to French Indochina in exchange for French-occupied Chantaburi.
	4 May	The United States of America annexed the Panama Canal Zone.^[10]
	4 October	The Franco-Spanish Convention of Paris acknowledges formal control of Saguia el-Hamra (later northern Spanish Sahara) by the Kingdom of Spain.
		The border between the Republic of the United States of Brazil and British Guiana is defined by arbitration. Approximately half of the disputed land goes to each side.
		French Dahomey is established. Porto-Novo is the capital.
		The Kingdom of Champasak is annexed by France and becomes part of the French protectorate of Laos.
1905	7 June	The Kingdom of Norway declares its independence from the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway through dissolution of the personal union with Kingdom of Sweden.
	5 September	The Liaodong Peninsula and the Russian railway in south Manchuria are leased to the Empire of Japan following the Treaty of Portsmouth.
	5 September	The Empire of Japan annexes Sakhalin Island south of 50° N following the Treaty of Portsmouth.
	26 October	The Kingdom of Sweden recognizes the union dissolution and the independence of Kingdom of Norway.
		The United Kingdom moves the capital of the East Africa Protectorate from Mombasa to Nairobi.
1906	1 May	The British Colony of Lagos and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate merge to form the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.
		The 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.
		The United Kingdom and France jointly administer the New Hebrides. Port Vila is the capital.
1907	23 March	The Kingdom of Siam concedes territory to French Indochina in exchange for Trat.
	24 April	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").
	6 July	The British Central Africa Protectorate is renamed to Nyasaland Protectorate.
	26 September	New Zealand becomes a Dominion within the British Empire under the name Dominion of New Zealand. Wellington is the capital. The Dominion of Newfoundland is also declared the same day. St. John's is the capital.
	16 November	Oklahoma is admitted to the Union as the 46th State of the United States.
	17 December	Ugyen Wangchuck establishes the Kingdom of Bhutan. Punakha is the winter capital and Thimphu is the summer capital.
1908	5 October	The Kingdom of Bulgaria gains independence from the Ottoman Empire. Sofia is the capital.
	6 October	Austria-Hungary formally annexes the Ottoman Vilayet of Bosnia (under de facto Austro-Hungarian rule since the Treaty of Berlin 1878) as the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina (causing the Bosnian crisis).
	15 November	King Leopold II of Belgium sells his private Congo Free State to the Kingdom of Belgium. The colony is renamed the Belgian Congo.
1909	9 July	The Kingdom of Siam transfers its southernmost provinces to British Malaya in the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.

Year	Date	Event
1910	15 January	The 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.
	29 March	23 bancos are annexed by Mexico from the United States and 34 bancos are annexed by the United States of America from Mexico with the first application of the Banco Convention of 1905.^[11]^[12]
	31 May	The Cape Colony, the Colony of Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony unite as the Union of South Africa, which is established as a Dominion under the terms of the South Africa Act 1909.
	20 August	Canada rescinds its claim to Pope's Folly Island in a treaty with the United States of America.^[13]^[14]^[15]
	22 August	The Korean Empire capitulates and is annexed by the Empire of Japan.
	5 October	The first Portuguese Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Portugal.
		The Kasanje Kingdom is annexed to Portuguese Angola.
1911	17 August	The United Kingdom unites Barotziland–North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia to form Northern Rhodesia.
	4 November	In the Morocco–Congo Treaty, Germany acquires the Neukamerun region from France in exchange for abandoning German claims in Morocco.
	29 December	The Bogd Khanate of Mongolia declares independence from the Qing dynasty of China. Niislel Khüree is the capital.
		The capital of British India is moved from Calcutta to New Delhi.
1912	1 January	The Republic of China overthrows the Qing dynasty of China in the Xinhai Revolution. Nanking is the provisional capital.
	6 January	New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th State of the United States.
	14 February	Arizona is admitted to the Union as the 48th State of the United States.
	30 March	The Treaty of Fez formally re-establishes Morocco as a French Protectorate.
	7 November	Mexico annexes 20 bancos from the United States and the United States of America annexes 11 bancos from Mexico.^[11]^[12]
	27 November	The Treaty Between France and Spain Regarding Morocco assigns the northern and southern strips of Morocco to Spain.
	28 November	Albania declares its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Tirana is the capital.
		The Wadai Empire is disestablished and annexed into French Chad.
1913	13 February	Tibet declares independence from the Republic of China.
	May	The Imamate of Oman rebels against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. Nizwa becomes the capital after it is conquered on 5 June.^[16]^[17]
	10 August	Following the First Balkan War, the Treaty of Bucharest is signed, by the terms of which: Bulgaria gains Western Thrace and the southern portions of what are now Blagoevgrad Province and Burgas Province. Romania gains Southern Dobruja. Serbia gains Kosovo, most of what is now the Republic of Northern Macedonia, and some new land to the west of its previous borders. Greece gains Epirus, West Macedonia, Central Macedonia, and most of the islands in the Aegean Sea that it did not control before the war. Albania gains southern, eastern, and northern lands that bring it to its current borders. Albania becomes officially independent, though large portions of its lands remain disputed. Montenegro gains most of what is now its Northern Region.
	29 September	Following the Second Balkan War, the Treaty of Constantinople is signed, by the terms of which: The Ottoman Empire regains the portions of Eastern Thrace it lost in the First Balkan War. The Balkan League gains all Ottoman territory west of the line joining Enez and Kıyıköy; thus the Ottomans lose all their European territory, except for what is roughly the southeastern half of Turkey's present-day European territory.
1914	1 January	The United Kingdom unites the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Lagos is the capital.
	7 March	Albania becomes the Principality of Albania.
	17 April	Tannu Uriankhai is officially made a protectorate of the Russian Empire.
	28 July	Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, precipitating the First World War.
	1 September	The Russian Empire changes the name of its capital from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd.
		The Kingdom of Kongo is annexed to Portuguese Angola.
1915	1 May	The Panama Canal Zone border is redefined between Panama and the United States of America resulting in slight territory changes.^[18]^[19]^[20]
	27 May	The United States of America annexes some more land around the Rio Chagres mouth in the Panama Canal Zone due to the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty.^[21]
	18 October	The German Empire creates the Government General of Warsaw from the parts of Poland conquered by the Russian Empire.
	8 December	The United States of America annexes a triangle of island between the Rio Chagres, Caribbean Sea and the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	12 December	Hongxian proclaims the Empire of China. Beijing is the capital.
1916	22 March	The Empire of China is abolished.
1916	5 November	Germany and Austria-Hungary proclaim the establishment of the Kingdom of Poland. Warsaw is the capital.
1917	15 March	The Provisional Government of Russia supersedes the Russian Empire in the wake of the February Revolution.
	31 March	Under the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, the United States of America acquires the Danish West Indies (excluding Water Island) from the Kingdom of Denmark, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands.
	12 April	The Autonomous Governorate of Estonia is created from the Governorate of Estonia and some of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire.
	1 July	Xuantong is reinstalled as Emperor of China in an event now called the Manchu Restoration.
	12 July	End of the Manchu Restoration in China.
	14 September	The Russian Republic supersedes the Provisional Government of Russia.
	7 November	The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic supersedes the Russian Republic.
	28 November	The Provincial Assembly of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia declares itself to be the only legally elected and constituted authority in Estonia, de facto declaring sovereignty from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The Provincial Assembly is thereafter forced underground by the Russian SFSR powers which continues to treat Estonia as an autonomous, but not sovereign governorate.
	2 December	The Emirate of Chechenia declares its independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Vedeno is the capital.
	6 December	The Republic of Finland gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Helsinki is the capital.
	22 December	The Independent State of Flanders declares its independence from the Kingdom of Belgium. Brussels is the capital.
1918	22 January	The Ukrainian People's Republic gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Kiev is the capital.
	3 January	After a plebiscite in Narva on 23 December 1917, the town, including its Ivangorod (Jaanilinn) district across the Narva River, is ceded from the Saint Petersburg Governorate to the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia.
	16 February	The 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.
	24 February	The Republic of Estonia declares independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Tallinn is the capital.
	3 March	The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk creates many new states out of the western Russian Empire.
	12 March	The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic moves its capital from Petrograd to Moscow.
	25 March	The Abkhazian Republic (Abkhazia) gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Sukhumi is the capital.
	25 March	The Belarusian People's Republic declares its independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Minsk and Hrodna are named the joint capitals.
	27 March	The Union of Bessarabia with Romania is proclaimed by the Treaty of Paris (1920).
	19 April	The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic declares independence from Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and annexes the Abkhazian Republic (Abkhazia).
	22 April	The Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Tbilisi is the capital.
	11 May	The Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus annexes the Emirate of Chechenia.
	26 May	The Democratic Republic of Georgia secedes from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. Tbilisi is the capital.
	28 May	Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic dissolve the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. Yerevan and Baku are the respective capitals.
	30 May	Armenia changes its name to the Democratic Republic of Armenia.
	9 July	The Kingdom of Lithuania supersedes the State of Lithuania.
	10 July	The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic supersedes the Soviet Russian Republic.
	12 July	The United States of America annexes 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) of land at Punta Paitilla for the Panama Canal Zone.
	25 July	The Kingdom of Belgium reabsorbs the Independent State of Flanders.
	21 August	The United States of America annexes land between Rio Chagres and Quebrada Majagual for the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	29 October	The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs proclaims independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Zagreb is the capital.
	31 October	The Kingdom of Hungary declares the monarchy abolished. Budapest is the capital.
	1 November	The Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (North Yemen) gains independence from the Ottoman Empire. Sana'a becomes its capital.
		The Banat Republic is proclaimed.
		The short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic is proclaimed.
	2 November	The Republic of Lithuania supersedes the Kingdom of Lithuania.
	10 November	The Republic of Alsace-Lorraine is proclaimed. Strasbourg is the capital.
	12 November	The Republic of German-Austria is proclaimed. Vienna is the capital.
	14 November	The Republic of Poland supersedes the Kingdom of Poland.
	15 November	The Kingdom of Serbia invades the short-lived Banat Republic and divides it between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Romania.
	16 November	The Hungarian People's Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Hungary.
	18 November	The Republic of Latvia gains independence from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Riga is the capital.
	22 November	France annexes the Republic of Alsace-Lorraine.
	25 November	The de facto province of Vojvodina votes to join with the Kingdom of Serbia.
	28 November	The Kingdom of Serbia annexes the Kingdom of Montenegro.
	28 November	The Union of Bukovina with Romania is proclaimed.
	29 November	The Commune of the Working People of Estonia is established as a puppet state in Soviet Russian-occupied Estonia.
	1 December	Iceland, a dependent territory of the Kingdom of Denmark with home rule, becomes the fully sovereign 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.
		The Union of Transylvania with Romania is proclaimed.
	11 December	The Slovak People's Republic is established.
	29 December	The Slovak People's Republic is disestablished, merged into the First Czechoslovak Republic.
1919	1 January	The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia supersedes the Belarusian People's Republic. Minsk and Smolensk remain joint capitals.
	8 January	The Hutsul Republic is established.
	27 February	The Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia. Vilnius is the capital.
	1 March	The Oriental State of Uruguay changes its name to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
	1 March	French West Africa is reorganized, with Upper Volta as a separate colony.
	21 March	The Hungarian Soviet Republic supersedes the Hungarian People's Republic.
	6 April	The Bavarian Soviet Republic supersedes the People's State of Bavaria.
	19 April	Poland occupies Vilnius, which is disputed by the Lithuanians.
	3 May	The Free State of Bavaria supersedes the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
	6 May	The Kionga Triangle is assigned to Portugal as a mandate.
	6 May	Kamerun and Togoland are assigned to France and the United Kingdom as mandates, respectively.
	7 May	German New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago are assigned to Australia as a mandate.
		German Southwest Africa is assigned to South Africa as a mandate under the name South West Africa.
		German Samoa is assigned to New Zealand as a mandate under the name Territory of Western Samoa.
		The German Northern Pacific Islands are assigned to Japan as the South Seas Mandate.
		Nauru is assigned to the British Empire (eventually the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand) as a mandate.
	30 May	Ruanda and Urundi (minus Kisaka district) are assigned to Belgium as a mandate.
	11 June	The Hutsul Republic is disestablished, incorporated into the First Czechoslovak Republic.
	28 June	In the aftermath of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles and the Little Treaty of Versailles are signed, by the terms of which: Eupen-Malmedy and Neutral Moresnet are ceded to Belgium. Alsace-Lorraine is officially ceded to FranceFrance. The Second Polish Republic is established in place of the puppet Kingdom of Poland. Most of Posen and West Prussia are ceded to Poland by Germany. Memel and Saarland are put under international administration. Plebiscites are provided for in Schleswig and Upper Silesia. Danzig and the surrounding area are superseded by the Free City of Danzig, which is administered by the League of Nations.
	10 July	France and the United Kingdom agree on a frontier between their mandates in the Cameroons.
	2 August	The Hungarian People's Republic supersedes the Hungarian Soviet Republic.
	8 August	Afghanistan declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
	8 August	The Hungarian Republic supersedes the Hungarian People's Republic.
	11 August	The German Reich supersedes the German Empire.
	10 September	Austria signs the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, by the terms of which: Eastern Galicia is ceded to PolandPoland. South Tyrol, Trentino, Trieste, and Istria are ceded to ItalyItaly. Romanian sovereignty over Bukovina is recognized (union declared on 28 November 1918). The independence of Poland, CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is recognized.
	12 September	The Bonin–Pichon agreement transfers two desert strips from French control to Italian Libya.
	18 September	The United States of America annexes the island of Largo Remo for the Panama Canal Zone.^[22]
	25 September	Spitsbergen is awarded to Norway.
	27 November	Bulgaria signs the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, by the terms of which: Western Thrace is ceded to the Entente. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is recognized and a small amount of land along the western border is ceded to it. Dobruja is returned to the Kingdom of Romania.

Year	Date	Event
1920	10 January	The United Kingdom officially takes over administration of German East Africa and changes its name to Tanganyika.
	10 January	The League of Nations is founded.
	2 February	The Estonian War of Independence ends with the Treaty of Tartu, which awards areas around Ivangorod (Jaanilinn) and Pechory (Petseri) from Soviet Russia to Estonia.
	29 February	The Kingdom of Hungary supersedes the Hungarian Republic.
	6 April	The Far Eastern Republic is established. Chita becomes the capital.
	26 April	The Khorezm People's Soviet Republic supersedes the Khanate of Khiva.
	28 April	The Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
	Late April	Western Thrace is granted to the Kingdom of Greece by the Triple Entente.
	4 June	Hungary signs the Treaty of Trianon, by the terms of which: Transylvania and parts of Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș became part of the Kingdom of Romania. Czechoslovakia is recognized. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is recognized.
	5 June	The Socialist Soviet Republic of Gilan declares independence from the Qajar Iran. The capital is Rasht.
	9 July	Denmark officially incorporates Northern Schleswig following a plebiscite held earlier in the year.
	23 July	The United Kingdom creates the Colony of Kenya from most part of the East Africa Protectorate.
	25 September	The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman is reunified through an agreement which grants substantial autonomy and self-government to the Imamate of Oman but recognizes the sovereignty of the Sultanate of Muscat.^[23]
	8 October	The Bukharan People's Soviet Republic supersede the Emirate of Bukhara.
	29 November	The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Democratic Republic of Armenia.
	29 November	The remaining part of the East Africa Protectorate is renamed to the Protectorate of Kenya.
1921	25 February	The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic supersedes the Democratic Republic of Georgia.
	18 March	The Peace of Riga defines new borders between Poland and Soviet Russia, Soviet Ukraine, and Soviet Belarus.
	1 June	France reorganizes French West Africa and the colony of Mauritania is established.
	5 June	The Socialist Soviet Republic of Gilan is renamed to the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic.
	14 August	The Tuvan People's Republic supersedes Tannu Uriankhai and changes the name of its capital from Belotsarsk to Kyzyl.
	September	The Persian Socialist Soviet Republic officially came to an end.
	18 September	The Rif Republic is declared in Spanish Morocco with no recognition.
	12 October	Upper Silesia is divided between Poland and Germany.
	13 October	In the Treaty of Kars, Turkey relinquishes claims to Armenia but gains the area around Kars and southern Achara.
	13 October	Niger is established as a separate French colony. Zinder becomes the capital.
	2 November	The Emirate of Jabal Shammar is defeated and annexed by the Sultanate of Nejd after the Conquest of Ha'il.^[24]
	22 November	The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of Afghanistan.
1922	28 February	The Kingdom of Egypt gains independence from the United Kingdom. Cairo is the capital.
	12 March	The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, and the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic unite to form the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. Baku and Yerevan yield to Tbilisi as the capital.
	15 November	The Far Eastern Republic is disestablished and merged with the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.
	17 November	The Ottoman Empire is dissolved. Its territories are mostly made protectorates of the victorious Allies of World War I.
	6 December	The Irish Free State is constituted as an independent Dominion formed through the secession of the island of Ireland from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Dublin is the capital.
	8 December	Northern Ireland secedes from the Irish Free State to again form a constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
	30 December	The 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 (Soviet Union). Tbilisi, Kharkov, and Smolensk yield to Moscow as the capital.
1923	1 February	The United States of America annexes the future location of Madden Lake for the Panama Canal Zone.^[25]^[26]^[27]
	29 October	The Republic of Turkey is established following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Ankara is the capital.
	15 November	Honduras claims Swan Islands, creating a dispute with the United States of America.^[28]
		The Kingdom of Belgium moves the capital of its colony of the Congo from Boma to Leopoldville.
1924	17 February	The Bukharan People's Soviet Republic joins the Soviet Union.
	27 October	The Khorezm People's Soviet Republic joins the Soviet Union.
	26 November	The Mongolian People's Republic is established. Ulan Bator is the capital.
1925	1 January	The Kingdom of Norway changes the name of its capital from Kristiania to Oslo.
	22 January	The Republic of Albania supersedes the Principality of Albania.
	4 March	The United States of America annexes Swains Island as part of American Samoa.
	29 June	Britain transfers control of northern Jubaland to Italy, becoming the Italian colony of Oltre Giuba.
	1 July	The Republic of China relocates its provisional capital from Nanking to Canton.
	17 July	A treaty between the United States of America and Canada slightly adjusts the border between the two. Overall the United States gained between 30 and 35 acres.^[29]^[30]
	1 September	Tarata is returned to Peru by Chile.
	6 December	Britain adjusts the Egyptian border in favor of Italian Libya, giving it the Jarabub and Kufra oases.
1926	27 May	The Rif Republic is dissolved by Spanish and French occupation forces in Morocco.
	9 June	Afghanistan becomes the Kingdom of Afghanistan.
	30 June	Oltre Giuba is incorporated into Italian Somaliland.
1927	29 January	Within the Nejd and Hejaz, the Sultanate of Nejd is renamed the Kingdom of Nejd and its Dependencies.
	12 April	The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland changes its name to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
	9 May	The Commonwealth of Australia moves its seat of parliament from Melbourne to the purpose-built capital of Canberra.^[31]
	18 July	The United States of America annexes 38 hectares (94 acres) of Taboga and Taboguilla for the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	26 October	Two bancos along the Colorado River are ceded from Mexico to the United States of America.^[32]^[33]
	28 October	The Republic of Ararat declares independence from Turkey.
		In French Syria, the State of Souaida is renamed the Jabal Druze State, after the mountain called Jabal al-Druze.
1928	4 April	The United States of America cedes Palmas, American Territory of Philippines to the Netherlands after the Island of Palmas Case.
	23 April	41 bancos are exchanged between Mexico and the United States of America.^[34]
	26 May	The United States of America annexes the Las Adjuntas banco from Mexico.^[35]
	1 September	The Kingdom of Albania supersedes the Republic of Albania.
	24 September	The United States of America annexes 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of land at El Cerro de Doscientos Pies ("200-Foot Hill") near Las Minas Bay for the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	29 December	The Republic of China establishes Nanking as its official capital, later codified in the Constitution of the Republic of China.
1929	January	The Emirate of Afghanistan supersedes the Kingdom of Afghanistan.
	6 January	The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
	2 February	Norway claims Peter I Island.
	11 February	Vatican City gains independence from the Kingdom of Italy. Vatican City itself is the capital.
	3 June	The Treaty of Lima in which Chile and Peru draw a new border in which Arica and its surrounding towns remains in Chile and Tacna and surrounding towns is set to be given back to Peru.
	28 August	Tacna and its surrounding territory is returned to Peru by Chile.
	October	The Kingdom of Afghanistan supersedes the Emirate of Afghanistan.
	3 October	The Kingdom of Yugoslavia supersedes the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Year	Date	Event
1930	4 February	The United States of America annexes the La Rana, El Pilon, Ojinaga, and El Mulato bancos from Mexico and Mexico annexes the Galindo, Haciendita, and San Rafael bancos from the United States.^[36]
	19 February	The United States of America annexes the Aguilar, Tabalopa, Quibira, and Los Puliques bancos from Mexico.^[37]
	3 March	The United States of America annexes the Bermudez, Compania Agricola, Charles Davis, Calero, Diablo, and Guayuco bancos from Mexico and Mexico annexes the Azcarate, Arroyo del Alamo, Newman, and Pruitt bancos from the United States.^[38]
	18 March	The United States of America annexes the Weber banco from Mexico.^[39]
	21 March	The United States of America annexes the San Lorenzo banco from Mexico.^[40]
	9 April	The United States of America annexes the Gallego and Nunez bancos from Mexico.^[41]
	25 April	The United States of America annexes the La Cachanilla, Rincon de Marcelino, and Camp Rice bancos from Mexico.^[42]
	28 April	The United States of America annexes the El Carino banco from Mexico.^[43]
	1 May	The United States of America annexes the Las Piedras and Max Muller bancos from Mexico.^[44]
	22 July	The United States of America annexes 25 hectares (62 acres) on Jicarita Island and 60 hectares (148 acres) at Punta Morro de Puercos for the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	1 October	British Weihaiwei is returned to China.
	11 November	Norway rescinds its claim to the Sverdrup Islands; in return, the United Kingdom recognizes the Norwegian claim to Jan Mayen.
1931	15 January	The Belgian concession within the city of Tientsin is returned to China.
	28 January	France officially annexes Isla de la Pasión as Clipperton Island.
	14 April	The Second Spanish Republic supersedes the Monarchy of Spain. The Catalan Republic subsequently declares independence from Spain.
	15 April	The United States of America annexes small areas around the Madden Dam for the Panama Canal Zone.^[21]
	28 April	The Catalan Republic is taken over by Spain.
	20 May	The United States of America annexes the La Pascualilla and Morales bancos from Mexico.^[45]
	22 May	Mexico annexes the Ochoa and El Jazmin bancos from the United States of America.^[46]
	12 June	The Australian territories of North Australia and Central Australia merge to form the Northern Territory.
	10 July	Norway claims territory in eastern Greenland as Erik the Red's Land.
	7 November	The Chinese Soviet Republic is established by the Chinese Communist Party as a group of discontiguous territories within the larger Republic of China.
	11 December	By the Statute of Westminster 1931, the Irish Free State and the Union of South Africa become fully sovereign states.
1932	18 February	The Empire of Japan takes over northeastern China and establishes Manchukuo. Hsinking becomes its capital.
	25 February	The United States of America annexes the El Morillo banco from Mexico.^[47]
	12 May	The United States of America annexes the Diablo Segundo banco from Mexico.^[48]
	17 May	Panama annexes a small area of land at Punta Paitilla from the United States' Panama Canal Zone.^[49]
	4 June	The Republic of Chile changes its name to the Socialist Republic of Chile.
	24 June	Following the revolution, Kingdom of Siam supersedes the Rattanakosin Kingdom. Bangkok remains the capital.
	13 September	The Socialist Republic of Chile changes its name back to the Republic of Chile.
	23 September	The personal union of the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz unify to form the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
	3 October	The Iraqi Kingdom (Iraq) gains independence from the United Kingdom. Baghdad is the capital.
	13 December	The United States of America annexes the Mangsee Island and seven of the Turtle Islands into the Commonwealth of the Philippines from the United Kingdom.
1933	23 March	Nazi Germany supersedes the Weimar Republic.
	5 April	Erik the Red's Land in Greenland is ceded by Norway to Denmark.
	13 June	The United Kingdom cedes Enderby Land and Victoria Land to Australia as the Australian Antarctic Territory.
	17 July	Mexico annexes the Hollinsworth banco from the United States of America.^[50]
	12 November	A Uyghur independence movement creates the Islamic Republic of East Turkistan. Kashgar is the capital.
1934	1 January	Italy creates Italian Libya with the merger of the colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. The capital is Tripoli.
	6 February	The Islamic Republic of East Turkistan is taken over by the Republic of China.
	27 February	The United States of America annexes the Villarreales Segundo banco from Mexico.^[51]
	1 March	Manchukuo is renamed Manchutikuo.
	6 April	Spain establishes a protectorate in Ifni, in territory it had claimed since 1860.^[52]^[53]
	6 October	The Catalan State proclaims itself independent of the Spanish Republic. Barcelona is the capital.
	7 October	The Catalan State is disestablished and reabsorbed into the Spanish Republic.
	15 October	The Chinese Soviet Republic is annexed by the Republic of China.
1935	7 January	The Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935 de facto transfers the Aouzou Strip from French control to Italian control. The land is never officially ceded however, creating a territorial dispute that would ultimately lead to the 1978–87 Chadian–Libyan conflict. The dispute was solved by a 1994 International Court of Justice case, that stated the land belonged to Chad – the international border was what existed prior to the aforementioned 1935 agreement.
	21 March	Reza Shah Pahlavi changes the name of the Imperial State of Persia to the Imperial State of Iran.
	26 March	Jarvis Island is transferred from the United Kingdom to the United States.
	1 April	The Territory of the Saar Basin is taken over by Nazi Germany.
	3 October	Italy invades Ethiopia, beginning the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
	3 November	The Hellenic Republic is renamed the Kingdom of Greece after a coup d'état and a referendum staged by Georgios Kondylis to restore the monarchy under King George II of Greece.
	15 November	The United States territory of the Philippines becomes the semi-independent Commonwealth of the Philippines.
	25 November	The East Hebei Autonomous Government is created in China after the invasion of eastern Hebei by the Empire of Japan. Tongzhou is the capital.
1936	7 March	Nazi Germany unilaterally remilitarises the Rhineland region, which was made demilitarised after the First World War.
	9 May	The Ethiopian Empire is taken over by Italy as Italian Ethiopia following the Italian victory in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War.
	1 June	The Italian colonies of Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland merge to form Italian East Africa.
	17 July	Spanish Nationalist forces take over Spanish Morocco, starting the Spanish Civil War.
	23 July	The Spanish State under Nationalist rebel leader Francisco Franco proclaims itself the sole government of Spain.
	6 August	The United Kingdom claims Enderbury Island and McKean Island and reasserts its claim to Kanton Island.
	September	Ifni and Spanish Sahara are taken over by Spanish Nationalist forces.
	14 October	Spanish Guinea is taken over by Spanish Nationalist forces.
	2 December	In the French Mandate of Syria, the Jabal ad-Druze is integrated into the Syrian Republic.
	5 December	In the French Mandate of Syria, the Alawite State is integrated into the Syrian Republic.
	22 December	The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 is ratified and all British troops are withdrawn from Egypt, except for within the Suez Canal Zone.
		The 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.
1937	1 April	The Aden Settlement is separated from British India and changed into the Aden Colony and Protectorate. The city of Aden becomes the capital.
	1 April	British Burma is separated from the British Raj and becomes a separate British colony. Rangoon becomes the colony's capital.
	22 November	The Mongol Military Government is renamed the Mongol United Autonomous Government.
	5 December	The Japanese invade Shanghai, creating the Dadao Municipal Government of Shanghai.
	14 December	The Japanese invasion of China continues with the creation of the Provisional Government of the Republic of China.
	29 December	The Irish Free State changes its name to Ireland.
1938	12 January	Tristan da Cunha becomes a dependency of Saint Helena, a crown colony of the United Kingdom.
	14 January	Norway lays claims in Antarctica as Queen Maud Land, which lies between 20° west and 45° east.
	8 March	The United States claims the Canton and Enderbury Islands.
	13 March	Nazi Germany annexes the Federal State of Austria in the Anschluss. Vienna yields to Berlin as the capital.
	28 March	The Reformed Government of the Republic of China is formed after Japan invades northeastern China.
	29 July	The Australian Federal Capital Territory is renamed the Australian Capital Territory.
	7 September	The area known as Hatay gains independence from French Syria as the Hatay State.
	30 September	The Munich Agreement transfers the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to Germany and gives parts to Hungary and Poland.
	30 September	The Czechoslovak Republic is renamed the Second Czechoslovak Republic.
	3 October	Transfer by the United Kingdom to Ireland of all Treaty Ports is completed.
1939	14 March	Czechoslovakia is dissolved as it is occupied by Nazi Germany. Germany establishes Slovak State as a puppet state.
	15 March	Carpatho-Ukraine is proclaimed but remains unrecognized, and the same day is occupied and annexed by Hungary.
	16 March	The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia is proclaimed as a German protectorate.
	23 March	Germany annexes the Klaipėda Region/Memel Territory from Lithuania.
	1 April	The Spanish State supersedes the Second Spanish Republic with the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War.
	3 April	The United States of America annexes the Lozano banco from Mexico.^[54]
	6 April	The islands of Canton and Enderbury are put under the Canton and Enderbury Islands condominium of the United States and the United Kingdom.
	12 April	Italy annexes the Albanian Kingdom.
	23 June	The Kingdom of Siam changes its name to the Kingdom of Thailand.
	10 July	Nazi Germany changes its name to the Greater German Empire.
	23 July	Turkey fully annexes the Republic of Hatay.
	27 July	Panama annexes a corridor of land connecting both separated pieces of the United States' Panama Canal Zone.^[55]
	16 August	The United States of America claims Fakaofo, Funafuti, Hull Island, Niulakita, Nukufetau, and Nukulaelae.^[56]
	1 September	World War II begins with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany.
	1 September	Japanese-occupied Mengjiang is renamed the Mengjiang United Autonomous Government.
	2 September	The Free City of Danzig is annexed by Germany. Danzig yields to Berlin as the capital.
	14 September	The colonies of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Inini, Martinique, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon merge into the colony of the French Antilles and Guiana.
	17 September	The Soviet Union invades the Republic of Poland.
	28 September	The government of the Republic of Poland collapses, inviting military occupation by Nazi Germany.
	6 October	The former territory of the Republic of Poland is partitioned between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, per the terms of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
	12 October	The General Government for the Occupied Polish Territories is created after the invasion of the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany.
	1 December	The Finnish Democratic Republic is created after the invasion of Finland by the Soviet Union. Terijoki is the de facto capital.

Year	Date	Event
1950	26 January	India adopts a republican constitution and changes its name to the Republic of India. India becomes the first republic in the Commonwealth of Nations.
	19 February	The People's Republic of China completes the conquest of southern Yunnan, expelling the Republic of China from all of continental China Proper.
	1 April	The British-occupied territory of Italian Somaliland is transferred to Italy as the Trust Territory of Somalia.
	7 April	The People's Republic of China completes the conquest of Xikang, defeating the last regular forces of the Republic of China in continental Mainland China.
	25 April	The unrecognized Republic of South Maluku declares independence from Indonesia.
	1 May	The People's Republic of China completes the conquest of Hainan Island from the Republic of China.
	7 August	The People's Republic of China completes the conquest of the Wanshan Archipelago from the Republic of China, concluding the main period of hostilities in the Chinese Civil War.
	17 August	The Republic of the United States of Indonesia becomes a unitary state and changes its name back to the Republic of Indonesia.
	5 November	Indonesia reconquers Ambon, the last stronghold of the Republic of South Maluku, reducing the separatist movement to a minor insurgency.
	5 December	The Kingdom of Sikkim signs a treaty to become a protectorate of India.
	15 December	The United States reorganizes the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands as the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands.^[85]
1951	27 April	Denmark leases Thule Air Base in Greenland to the United States in perpetuity and cedes exclusive jurisdiction over the base area.^[86]
	23 May	The People's Republic of China annexes the de facto independent state of Tibet after the military conquest of its Chamdo Region in October 1950.
	5 June	The Republic of Poland and the Soviet Union exchange territory along their common border.
	11 June	Due to Portuguese colonies being reorganized as overseas provinces, Portuguese East Africa is renamed Mozambique and Portuguese West Africa is renamed Angola.
	24 December	The 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.
1952	18 February	Greece and Turkey join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the alliance's first enlargement.
	28 April	The Allied occupation of Japan ends.
	22 July	The Republic of Poland changes its name to the Polish People's Republic.
	23 July	The European Coal and Steel Community, the earliest predecessor to the European Union, is created. Italy, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany are the founding members.
	26 July	The Argentine National Gendarmerie took possession of the disputed areas between Argentina and Chile in Valle Hondo, Valle Horquetas and Lagunas del Engaño, notifying the Chilean families that within one month they had to regularize their situation to the Argentine state. This prompted a diplomatic protest from Chile as they were considered to be in the country's territory.
	15 September	Italian Eritrea is federated within the Ethiopian Empire.
		Spain incorporates the protectorate of Ifni as a region of Spanish West Africa.
1953	1 January	The First Republic of Maldives supersedes the Sultanate of Maldives.
	12 January	The Estonian Government in Exile is established, in parallel to Estonian diplomatic legations abroad. Both are later declared keepers of the legal continuity of the restored Republic of Estonia.
	15 April	The United States of Venezuela is renamed the Republic of Venezuela.^[87]
	13 June	The Egyptian Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Egypt.
	26 July	The Cuban Revolution is led by Fidel Castro to overthrow Fulgencio Batista's regime.
	27 July	The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed, establishing the Korean Demilitarized Zone along the border between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
	1 August	The British colony of Southern Rhodesia and the protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland merge to form Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
	22 October	The Kingdom of Laos gains independence from France. Vientiane is the capital.
	9 November	The Kingdom of Cambodia declares its independence from France. Phnom Penh is the capital.
	25 December	The United States returns the Amami Islands to Japan.
1954	7 March	The Sultanate of Maldives supersedes the First Republic of Maldives.
	15 April	The Geneva Accords grant independence to Vietnam, which is provisionally divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
	20 July	France 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.
	27 July	The Free Dadra declares independence from Portugal, but is officially recognized only by India.
	2 August	The capital of Free Dadra is moved from Dadra to Silvassa.
	11 August	The Republic of India annexes Dadra and Nagar Haveli from Portuguese India.
	26 October	The Free Territory of Trieste is divided between Italy and Yugoslavia.
	25 November	Amidst a civil war, the Imamate of Oman declares the dissolution of the union of Muscat and Oman and applies for membership in the Arab League as the independent Kingdom of Oman. Nizwa remains the capital.^[88]
	15 December	The Kingdom of the Netherlands makes the Territory of Curaçao one of its three constituent countries as the Netherlands Antilles. Willemstad on Curaçao remains the capital.
	15 December	The Kingdom of the Netherlands makes the Territory of Surinam one of its three constituent countries as Suriname. Paramaribo remains the capital.
	20 December	France recognizes the independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Phnom Penh remains the capital.
1955	20 January	The People's Republic of China conquers the Yijiangshan Islands from the Republic of China after the Battle of Yijiangshan Islands.
	8–26 February	The People's Republic of China takes control of the Dachen Islands, Yushan Islands, Pishan Islands, and Nanji Islands after the Republic of China withdraws from these territories judged indefensible.^[89]
	11 April	The corridor of Panama inside the Panama Canal Zone, part of the United States of America, is slightly shifted by territorial exchanges due to bridges and highways.^[90]^[91]
	9 May	West Germany joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the alliance's second enlargement.
	14 May	The Warsaw Pact is founded, led by the Soviet Union as their equivalent to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the Eastern Bloc. Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union are the founding members. China, North Vietnam and North Korea have observer status.
	15 May	The Republic of Austria regains its independence with the end of Allied occupation. Vienna is the capital.
	28 July	Following the withdrawal of French forces in August 1954, the People's Republic of China conquers Bạch Long Vĩ Island from the Republic of China.^[92]
	6 August	The French overseas territory of Adélie Land and the Malagasy dependencies of the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and Saint-Paul and Amsterdam merge to form the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
	23 August	The border between Panama and the United States' Panama Canal Zone is redefined, resulting in several border changes. Punta Paitilla, the land held on Taboga Island, and the remaining American holdings in Colón and Panama City are ceded to Panama.^[93]
	18 September	Rockall is officially claimed by the United Kingdom.
	14 October	The one-unit scheme in Pakistan is passed merging all the provinces and princely states of the then western Pakistan, to a single province called West Pakistan.^[94]
	26 October	The State of Vietnam is renamed the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).
	23 November	The United Kingdom transfers the Cocos or Keeling Island of the Colony of Singapore to Australia as the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
	20 December	Cardiff is recognised as the capital of Wales. It is the country's first official capital since 1689.
		The Kingdom of Bhutan moves its capital from Punakha to Thimphu.
1956	1 January	The Republic of Sudan gains independence from the United Kingdom. Khartoum is the capital. Egypt relinquishes its claim to Sudan.
	14 January	The United States of America annexes the San Felipe banco from Mexico.^[95]
	2 March	The Sherifian Empire gains independence from France. Rabat is the capital.
	20 March	The Kingdom of Tunisia gains independence from France. Tunis is the capital.
	23 March	Pakistan adopts a new constitution and changes its name to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
	7 April	Spanish Morocco becomes part of the Sherifian Empire.
	18 June	The Egyptian Republic declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom.
	23 June	Beginning of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
	16 July	The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic is made part of the Russian SFSR.
	23 October	Beginning of the main phase of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
	29 October	The Tangier International Zone, under the joint administration of France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium, is reintegrated into the Sherifian Empire.
	29 October	France, Britain and Israel invade Egypt in the Suez Crisis.
	1 November	Hungary withdraws from the Warsaw Pact as part of the ongoing revolution.
	4 November	The Soviet Union invades and occupies Hungary to end the revolution. A new government is established.
	7 November	Fighting in the Suez Crisis ends. Israel occupies the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.
	13 December	British Togoland is merged into the Gold Coast.
1957	1 January	Saar is given to West Germany as the state of Saarland.
	16 January	The People's Republic of China transfers Bạch Long Vĩ Island to North Vietnam.
	28 February	Argentina declares the Argentine Antarctic Sector between the meridians 25° W and 74° W
	March	Israel withdraws from Sinai, returning it to Egyptian control.
	6 March	Ghana gains independence from the United Kingdom. Accra is the capital.
	25 July	The Kingdom of Tunisia is renamed the Republic of Tunisia.
	14 August	The Sherifian Empire is renamed the Kingdom of Morocco.
	31 August	The Federation of Malaya gains independence from the United Kingdom. Kuala Lumpur is the capital. Malaya becomes the first native monarchy in the Commonwealth of Nations.
	23 October	Morocco invades Ifni, conquering most of the region beyond the vicinity of Sidi Ifni from Spain by December, and occupying it until Spain cedes the entire region in 1969.
1958	1 January	The United Kingdom separates Christmas Island from the Colony of Singapore to form the Colony of Christmas Island.
	3 January	The United Kingdom establishes the West Indies Federation as a federation of most of the British West Indies, excluding the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. The de jure capital is Chaguaramas on Trinidad and the de facto capital is Port of Spain on Trinidad.
	10 January	Ifni is separated from Spanish West Africa as Ifni Province.
	12 January	The Snipe incident starts between Argentina and Chile in the Beagle Channel in which the two countries disagreed about the sovereign rights over the zone and Snipe, an uninhabitable islet between Picton Island and Navarino Island and started to build lighthouses (destroying the one built by the other country).
	14 February	The 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.
	22 February	The Egyptian Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic unite to form the United Arab Republic. Damascus yields to Cairo as the capital.
	22 February	The French-administered United Nations Trust Territory of French Togoland is renamed Togo.
	8 March	The United Arab States is formed as a confederation between the United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria) and the Kingdom of Yemen.^[96]
	10 April	Spanish West Africa is disestablished: The province of Cape Juby is ceded to the Kingdom of Morocco. The provinces of Río de Oro and Saguia el-Hamra become Spanish Sahara.
	14 May	The French Territory of the Comoros votes to move its capital from Dzaoudzi to Moroni. The actual move occurs gradually by 1966.^[97]^[98]
	14 July	The Republic of Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are created from the dissolution of the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan. The Republic of Iraq is created by the 14 July Revolution in which King Faisal II was murdered. Baghdad remains the capital of Iraq. Amman is again the capital of Jordan.
	1 October	Sovereignty over the Colony of Christmas Island is transferred from the United Kingdom to Australia as the Territory of Christmas Island.
	2 October	The Republic of Guinea gains independence from France. Conakry is the capital.
	4 October	The French Fifth Republic succeeds the French Fourth Republic.^[99]
	15 October	The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) gains autonomy within the French Community. Antananarivo is the capital.
	26 October	The People's Republic of China completely withdraws its forces from North Korea, ending its eight-year-long military presence in the Korean Peninsula.^[100]
	3 November	The Argentine Gendarmerie re-entered the disputed area between Argentina and Chile denominated as "río Encuentro-Alto Palena".
	15 November	The Soviet Union completely withdraws its forces from Romania, ending a 14-year-long occupation.^[101]
	28 November	The following French colonies join the newly created French Community: Chad Congo Gabon Mauritania Senegal French Sudan (as Soudan)
	1 December	The French colony of Ubangi-Shari joins the French Community as the Central African Republic.
	4 December	The French colony of Dahomey joins the French Community.
	4 December	The French colony of Ivory Coast joins the French Community.
	8 December	Sovereignty over Gwadar is transferred from the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman to Pakistan.
	11 December	The French colony of Upper Volta joins the French Community.
	19 December	The French colony of Niger joins the French Community.
1959	1 January	The Cuban revolution ends with 26th of July Movement victory and new regime led by the Communist Party of Cuba.
	3 January	The United Suvadive Republic secedes from the Sultanate of Maldives. Hithadhoo is the capital.
	3 January	Alaska is admitted to the Union as the 49th State of the United States.
	30 January	The forces of the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Muscat conquer the last strongholds of the Kingdom of Oman, reincorporating the Imamate into Muscat and Oman. Muscat effectively becomes the joint capital.^[102]
	4 April	In French Africa, the colonies of Senegal and Soudan merge to form the Mali Federation.
	3 June	The United Kingdom changes the name of the Colony of Singapore to the State of Singapore.
	30 June	Fernando Pó and Río Muni are merged to form Spanish Guinea.
	16 November	Hawaii is admitted to the Union as the 50th State of the United States.
		The Bhutanese enclaves within Tibet are taken over by the People's Republic of China.

Timeline of geopolitical changes (1900–1999)

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

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