List of unrecognized countries

From Wikipedia

The list of unrecognized countries enumerates those geo-political entities which lack general diplomatic recognition, but wish to be recognized as sovereign states.

Contents

[edit] Present geopolitical entities

[edit] Partially unrecognized states

The following states are all recognised by the majority of the world's sovereign states. They are members of the United Nations, with the exception of the Vatican City, which, through the Holy See, is a UN observer. They all conduct relations with the majority of the world's nations. However, some of them are not recognized by certain countries. These partially unrecognized states are:

  • Template:Country data People's Republic of China has, since 1971, been recognized by the majority of the world's states and now conducts diplomatic relations with 167 states. 23 UN member states and the Holy See (Vatican City), however, still recognize the Republic of China. While the ROC has stated that it has no objections to dual recognition, the PRC as a part of its One China policy refuses to conduct diplomatic relations with states that recognize the ROC.
  • Template:Country data Cyprus, recognized by the UN as the sovereign power over the island of Cyprus, is not recognized as such by Turkey.[1] The Turkish government, however, recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a separate political entity on the island. The non-recognition of Cyprus has become an issue as Turkey is attempting to become a member of the European Union, which includes Cyprus.
  • Template:Country data Israel is recognized by 157 countries. 34 countries, mostly Islamic, do not conduct diplomatic relations with Israel, although Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania and Turkey do. Israel is a member of the United Nations and many other international organizations.
  • Template:Country data Vatican City - the territorial identity for the Catholic Church which has its diplomatic affairs managed by the Holy See. The Holy See is officially recognized by 176 states [2]. In particular, it is not recognised by the People's Republic of China, due to its official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China.[3]

[edit] Partially unrecognized names of fully recognized states

  • Template:Country data Republic of Macedonia's independence was recognized firstly by Bulgaria on 15 february 1992 with its constitutional name.[4] The country became a member state of the United Nations in 1993. It is referred within the UN as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" or "FYROM", pending a resolution, to the long-running dispute about the country's name. Other international bodies, such as the European Union[5], European Broadcasting Union[6], and the International Olympic Committee[7] have adopted the same convention. NATO also uses the reference in official documents but adds an explanation on which member countries recognize the constitutional name.[8] The UN's member states all recognise the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia but are divided over what to call it. A number of countries recognise the country by its constitutional name – the Republic of Macedonia – rather than the UN reference, notably three of the five permanent UN Security Council members (the United States[9], Russia, and the People's Republic of China) and over 100 other UN members[10]; but the constitutional name is never used in relations where a country not recognizing the constitutional name is a party. For further reading: see Macedonia naming dispute
  • Flag of Myanmar Myanmar's military junta changed its English name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. The renaming proved to be a political issue after the Burmese opposition refused to recognize the new name.[11] Although the United Nations have recognized the name Myanmar some Western governments still continue to use Burma, namely those of the United States, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, with the U.S. stating that: Due to consistent, unyielding support for the democratically elected leaders, the U.S. government likewise uses "Burma".[12] The European Union, meanwhile, use "Burma/Myanmar" as an compromise.[13] Myanmar has been frustrated by the insistance of some governments to call the country Burma and has lashed out during a recent ASEAN meeting.[14] The use of "Burma" and its adjective "Burmese" remains common in the United States and Britain. News organisations, such as the BBC, Wall Street Journal, and The Financial Times, still use these forms.[15][16] CNN, The Economist, and The New York Times use "Myanmar" as the country name and "Burmese" as the adjective. For further reading: see Names of Burma/Myanmar

[edit] Partially recognized states with de facto control over their territory

[edit] States that are recognized by only one country

  • Template:Country data Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was set up in the northern part of the island of Cyprus after an invasion of forces from the Republic of Turkey in 1974, following a Greek Cypriot coup, which, backed by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, overthrew president Makarios. TRNC declared independence in 1983 and has been recognized only by Turkey. In 2004, The Republic of Cyprus territory was accepted de jure into the EU, however the territory of TRNC remains de facto outside the EU [17]. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's 2004 report (after referenda in both sides of the island) indicates the urgent need to remove the isolation of TRNC. [18].

[edit] Partially recognized states in exile with de facto control over some of their territory

[edit] States that are recognized by more than one country

  • Flag of Republic of China Republic of China, which governs only Taiwan and some other small islands since losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, lost most of its diplomatic recognition and United Nations seat to the People's Republic of China in October 25, 1971 by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and now is currently officially recognized by 23 UN member states as well as the Holy See. It conducts diplomatic relations with the majority of countries through its de-facto embassies and consulates such as the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. (See political status of Taiwan)
  • Template:Country data Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (The) is a government-in-exile proclaimed by the Polisario Front in 1976, who claim Western Sahara, a territory also claimed and largely administered by Morocco since Spain withdrew from the territory. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claims to control a strip behind the Moroccan Wall of defense which it labels the Free Zone. It is recognized by 45 states, and is a full member of the African Union. It is however not recognized by the Arab League or by the UN or any other international organization. The SADR government is seated in the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria. Sovereignty over Western Sahara is unresolved. A UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991, and after repeated attempts have been made to organize a referendum on self-determination, the United Nations is trying to solve the issue through direct negotiations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front. Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since the sixties.

[edit] Partially recognized states existing on disputed territories

  • Template:Country data Palestine was declared a state by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988 and recognized by 103 countries; it has observer status at the United Nations. (See also proposals for a Palestinian state, Palestinian territories, Palestinian National Authority, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Israel all of which include articles about areas in the Palestine region.) They have yet to determine their territory. This determination of Palestine is distinct from the administration of the Palestinian Authority.

[edit] Unrecognized states with de facto control over their territory

  • Template:Country data Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan is (since 1991) a self-declared and fully functioning independent state with an ethnic-Armenian majority and no international recognition from any other nation, including Armenia. It declared its independence based on USSR constitution and according to international forms.
  • Template:Country data Somaliland (since 1991). Located in northwest Somalia. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes five of the eighteen administrative regions of Somalia, corresponding to British Somaliland which is located between Ethiopia, Djibouti, Puntland and the Gulf of Aden.

[edit] Unrecognized states with partial control over their territory

  • Flag of Abkhazia Abkhazia in Georgia is a self-declared and partially functioning independent state; it is not recognised by any state. It is situated between the Caucasus and the Black Sea, recognized as a part of northwestern Georgia.
  • Template:Country data Transnistria is a self-declared and de facto independent state. Recognized as part of Moldova, it is located east of the river Dniester, and since the ceasefire in 1992, functions as an independent state with no international recognition from any sovereign state.
  • Template:Country data South Ossetia in Georgia is a self-declared and more or less functioning independent state with no international recognition from any other nation. After occupation of independent Georgia by Soviet Russia in 1921 during the Russian Civil War it became the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within Soviet Georgia. It proclaimed independence from Georgia in 1991, and a ceasefire was declared in 1992.

[edit] Internationally-administered territories

There exist a number of territories administered by UN peacekeeping missions. Few claim recognition though some of these territories might, at some stage, become independent states in their own right. Amongst other such territories, Kosovo is a province of Serbia which has been under UN administration since 1999. Kosovo has not declared independence and does not seek recognition, though international talks to resolve the future status of Kosovo are presently under way (see: Kosovo status process).

[edit] Historic geo-political entities

[edit] Historic unrecognized or partially recognized states with de facto control over their territory

[edit] Europe

  • Alsace-Lorraine (proclaimed in 1918). Now part of France.
  • Template:Country data UnknownBanat Republic (proclaimed in 1918). Now part of Romania, Serbia, and Hungary.
  • Template:Country data UnknownBaranya-Baja Republic (proclaimed in 1921). Now part of Hungary and Croatia.
  • Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919). Now part of Germany.
  • Belarusian People's Republic (1918). Now Belarus.
  • Image:Carpatho-ukraine 1939 flag.PNG Carpatho-Ukraine (1939). Now part of Ukraine.
  • Chechnya (1996-1999). Now part of Russia. See also Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
  • Republic of Connaught (1798), was a French client republic. Now part of the Republic of Ireland.
  • Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945). Nazi Germany puppet state. Between 1945 and 1991, Croatia was a people's/socialist republic within Yugoslavia. Since 1991, Croatia has been an independent country. Recognized since 1992.
  • Template:Country data UnknownCroatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (1992-1994). Now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • East Prussia (13th century-1945) was an independent state and later a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was not a part of Germany until 1871. Now controlled by Russia, Poland, and Lithuania.
  • Image:Gagauzia Flag.PNG Gagauzia (1990-1994). Now part of Moldova.
  • Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919). Now part of Hungary.
  • Idel-Ural State (1917-1918). Republic on territory of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan was suppressed by Red Army.
  • Template:Country data Ireland Irish Republic (1919-1922). Divided into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
  • Template:Country data UnknownLimerick Soviet State founded due to strike in Ireland 1919
  • Southern Ireland (1922), became the Republic of Ireland.
  • Template:Country data UnknownLajtabansag State (1921). Now part of Austria.
  • Munster Republic (1922). Now part of Republic of Ireland.
  • Template:Country data UnknownMura Republic (in Slovenian Murska Republika), Proclaimed in 1919, existed for 6 days. Now part of Slovenia.[19]
  • Republic of Serbian Krajina (1991-1995). Now part of Croatia.
  • Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995). Now one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Slovak Soviet Republic (1919). Now part of Slovakia.
  • Slovakia (1939-1945). Between these years, Slovakia was a puppet state of Nazi Germany. From 1918 until 1939, and again between 1945 and 1993, Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia. Since 1993, Slovakia has been an independent country.
  • Tatarstan (1991-1994). Decided to continue as a part of Russian Federation.
  • Image:Tavolara.gif Tavolara (1833-1934?). Now part of Italy.[20]
  • Ukrainian People's Republic (1917-1919). Now part of Ukraine.
  • West Ukrainian National Republic (1918-1919). Now part of Ukraine.
  • Template:Country data UnknownRepublic of Užice (1941). Now part of Serbia.
  • Republic of West Bosnia (1993-1995). Now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Template:Country data UnknownPrincipality of Pindus (1941-1944). Now part of Greece.

[edit] Asia

  • Adjara (1991-2005). De facto self-governing in past state now reintegrated into Georgia.
  • Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind (1942-1945). The Provisional Government of Free India was recognized by 9 nations. Its sovereignty was limited to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of northeast India.
  • Wang Jingwei Government (1940-1945). Puppet government dissolved at the end of World War II.
  • Template:Country data UnknownRepublic of Ezo (1868-1869) short-lived secessionist state in what is now Hokkaidō, Japan.
  • República Filipina (1899-1901) Declared independence in 1898 but was annexed by the United States after the Philippine-American War. Now independent as Philippines.
  • Image:KNOFLAG.PNG Kachin State. Kachinland is the northernmost state of Myanmar, controlled since 1962 by the Kachin Independence Organization but not diplomatically recognized by any country. In 1994, KIO and the Union of Myanmar agreed to formalize the status quo by creating the "Kachin State Special Region #1", officially still a part of the Union of Myanmar but de facto controlled by KIO.
  • Kurdish States:
    • Kingdom of Kurdistan (1921-1924). Now part of Iraq.
    • Template:Country data UnknownRepublic of Ararat (1927-1930). Now part of Turkey.
    • Template:Country data Kurdistan Republic of Mahabad (1946-1947). Now part of Iran.
    • Template:Country data Kurdistan Kurdish Autonomous Region (1991-2003). A formerly de facto independent state in Northern Iraq. Now officially recognized as being a part of the federal Iraqi structure under the name Iraqi Kurdistan.
  • Manchukuo (1932-1945). Puppet government dissolved at the end of World War II.
  • Nakhchivan (1990). Now part of Azerbaijan.
  • Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam(?-1904). Now part of Indonesia.
  • Cantonal Republic of Negros (1899-1901) Declared independence in 1898 and was recognized by the United States, however the government was dissolved by the Americans in 1901. Now part of the Philippines.
  • Republic of South Moluccas (1950). Now part of Indonesia.
  • Suvadive Islands (1959-1963). Now part of the Maldives.
  • Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic (1993). Now part of Azerbaijan.
  • Tibet (1913-1951). A unified Tibetan empire was created in the 8th century, and fell apart a century later. Mongol conquests in the 13th century made Tibet part of a Mongol-ruled Chinese state while four centuries later the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty further incorporated Tibet into China. [21] In 1913 the 13th Dalai Lama unilaterally declared independence [22] but two years later indicated his willingness to sign a treaty granting Chinese suzerainty over Tibet [23] and affirming the latter's status as part of Chinese territory [24]. Chinese sovereignty was confirmed by both Beijing and Lhasa in 1951, but repudiated by the Dalai Lama in 1959. [25]
  • Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (February – May 1918). Now Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
  • Tuva (1921-1944). Now part of Russia
  • Image:West Melanesia Flag.PNG Republic of West Melanesia (1984). Now part of Indonesia.
  • Republic of West Papua (1963). Now part of Indonesia.

[edit] Africa

  • Anjouan (1997-2002). Now part of Comoros.
  • Former apartheid Bantustan homelands, formed and only recognized by South Africa, Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda. Now all part of South Africa.
  • Biafra controlled territory in eastern Nigeria between the time of its secession in May 1967 until its final military collapse in January 1970. It was recognized by 12 nations.
  • Image:Jubaland.PNG Jubaland (1998-2001). Now part of Southwestern Somalia.
  • Katanga controlled the state of the same name within the former Belgian Congo after decolonisation, between 1960 and 1964.
  • Mohéli (1997-1998). Now part of Comoros.
  • Rhodesia. British Colony that unilaterally declared independence in 1965. This action was not legally recognized by any other nation, nor the declaration of Rhodesia as a republic in 1970. This entity remained until 1979, when it became Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, then Zimbabwe in 1980.
  • Kingdom of Rwenzururu (1963-82). Was based in the Rwenzori Mountains between Uganda and Congo.
  • Lado Kingdom. Founded in 1864, divided by colonial Britain between Uganda, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Republic of the Rif. Founded in September 1921, when the people of the Rif (the Riffians) revolted and declared their independence from Spanish Morocco. It was dissolved by Spanish and French forces on 27 May 1926.

[edit] Americas

  • Independent State of Acre (1899-1903). Now part of Brazil.
  • Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia (1860-1878). Short-lived kingdom created by Orelie-Antoine de Tounens in the Araucanian Region of Chile.
  • Image:Flag of the Republic of Canada.svg Republic of Canada (1837–1838). provisional government founded on Navy Island along the Niagara River in present day Ontario, Canada by William Lyon Mackenzie. Mackenzie and his followers fled after the destruction of the Caroline under fire from British forces.
  • Image:Patriotes flag.png Republic of Lower Canada (1838). Now Quebec, part of Canada.
  • California Republic (1846). Now part of the United States.
  • Confederate States of America (1861-1865). Originally formed by seven slave states (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana). After the American Civil War began, the states of Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and North Carolina joined. Recognized by some nations as a "belligerent power". Reintegrated into the United States.
  • Free and Independent Republic of West Florida (1810). Short-lived republic consisting of parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. Annexed by the United States.
  • Juliana Republic (1839-1840). Today's Santa Catarina, part of Brazil.
  • State of Muskogee (1799-1803). A short-lived Native American state in Florida; consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles.
  • Template:Country data UnknownRepublic of New Iceland - At Gimli, Manitoba in (1875-1887), Icelandic settlers established the republic, with the largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland and located on the shores of Lake Winnipeg.[26]
  • Image:Flag of Rio Grande do Sul Without the CoA.gif Piratini Republic (1836-1845). Today's Rio Grande do Sul, part of Brazil.
  • Republic of the Río Grande (1840). Now part of the United States and Mexico.
  • Republic of Texas (1836-1845). Five nations recognized this entity. Now part of the United States.
  • Vermont Republic (1777-1791). Now part of the United States.
  • Republic of the Yucatán (1841-1843) & (1846-1848). Short-lived separatist state; reintegrated into Mexico.

[edit] Oceania

  • Template:Country data Bougainville (Republic of North Solomons) (1990-1997). Signed a peace deal with Papua New Guinea giving the island autonomy pending an independence referendum within a decade.
  • Kingdom of Hawaii (1810-1894). A unification of the smaller independent chiefdoms of O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and the Big Island of Hawai'i. Now part of the United States.
  • Republic of Hawaii (1894-1898). Now part of the United States.
  • Rotuma (1987-1988). This Polynesian-inhabited island which is administered by (Melanesian) Fiji declared its independence from Fiji by separatists after the military coups in Fiji in 1987. It did not have any substantive support.
  • United Tribes of New Zealand (1835-1840). Independence declared in 1835 and became a British colony in 1840. Now independent Realm of New Zealand.

[edit] Historic unrecognized or partially recognized governments with de facto control over their territory

These regimes had control over the territory of a country for which most other states recognized a different government as being the legitimate government:

  • Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996-2001). Only three states recognized this entity while the Taliban controlled it. See: History of Afghanistan.
  • People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979-1989). Set up by the Vietnamese after their invasion and rout of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Only a few Soviet-Bloc nations recognized this entity, while the UN, China, and most other nations recognized the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea government. Succeeded by the State of Cambodia, then the Kingdom of Cambodia.

[edit] Notes

  1. [1]
  2. Bilateral and Multilateral Relations of the Holy See
  3. The Washington Post, "China, Vatican Edge Toward Accord", April 22, 2006.
  4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Republic of Macedonia Highly Appreciates Recognition of Its Independence by Bulgaria 15 Years Ago. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
  5. European Commission. Background information - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  6. European Broadcasting Union. Members' Logos. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  7. International Olympic Committee. LIST OF NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES PARTICIPATING IN THE XIX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN SALT LAKE CITY. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  8. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. "The situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is critical". Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  9. Template:Cite news
  10. "Naming the solution", Kathimerini English edition, 16 September 2005
  11. Steinberg, David L. (February 2002). Burma: The State of Myanmar. Georgetown University Press. ISBN. 
  12. Background Note: Burma. Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (August 2005). Retrieved on 2006-06-11.
  13. The EU's relations with Burma / Myanmar (HTML). External relations. European Union (November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
  14. Template:Cite news
  15. Background Note: Burma. Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. U.S. Department of State (August 2005). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  16. Country Profile: Burma. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  17. Turkish Cyprus
  18. http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/sgrep04.html
  19. http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/mocsy/mocsy13.htm
  20. Wallechinsky, David, and Amy Wallace, The New Book of Lists, Canongate U.S., 2005, pp 383-384, ISBN 1-84195-719-4
  21. Reassessing Tibet Policy, by A. Tom Grunfeld
  22. Proclamation Issued by His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIII (1913)
  23. Article 2 of the Simla Convention
  24. Appendix of the Simla Convention
  25. Goldstein, Melvyn C., A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951, University of California Press, 1989, pp. 812-813
  26. New Iceland

[edit] See also

  • List of countries
  • List of sovereign states
  • List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
  • List of governments-in-exile
  • List of territorial disputes
  • Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
  • United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
  • Micronations