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List of sovereign states in the 1940s

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

Academic datasets differ in terms of the number of states in the 1940s.[1] At the start of the 1940s, the lowest estimate of the number of states is in the mid-50s whereas the highest is in the low-70s.[1] At the end of the 1940s, the lowest estimate is in the mid-70s while the highest is in the mid-80s.[1]

Sovereign states

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Name and capital city Information on status and recognition of sovereignty

A

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Afghanistan – Kingdom of Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 19 November 1946).

Albania Albania (from 20 October 1944)
Capital: Tirana
Widely recognized independent state under Italian occupation to 8 September 1943 and German occupation from 8 September 1943 to 29 November 1944.

Andorra – Principality of Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Widely recognized independent state. The President of France and Bishop of Urgell were ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain.

 Argentina – Argentine Republic
Capital: Buenos Aires
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 27 December 1945. Argentina was a federation of 23 provinces and 10 federal territories.[a] It had a claim over Argentine Antarctica (from 1942). It also claimed the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, both of which were British overseas territories.

 Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
Capital: Canberra
Widely recognized independent state. Dominion of the British Empire to 9 October 1942. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 1 November 1945. Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories.[b] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:

Australia administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory:

Australia administered two United Nations Trust Territories:


B

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 Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium (to 17 May 1940, from 3 September 1944)
Capital: Brussels
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. Had a government in exile and an occupation by Germany from October 1940 to September 1944. UN member state from 27 December 1945. Belgium had sovereignty over one colony:

Belgium administered one League of Nations mandate / United Nations trust territory:

  • Belgium Ruanda-Urundi (LON mandate became UN trust territory from December 13, 1946)

 Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan (from 8 August 1949)
Capital: Punakha
Widely recognized independent state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs.

Bolivia Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia
Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative)
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 14 November 1945.

Brazil Brazil
Capital: Rio de Janeiro
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Brazil was a federation of 20 states, five territories, and one federal district.[c]

Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)BulgariaBulgaria Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946.

Burma – Union of Burma (from 4 January 1948)
Capital: Rangoon
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 19 April 1948.

C

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 Canada – Dominion of Canada
Capital: Ottawa
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 9 November 1945. Commonwealth realm. Canada was a federation of ten provinces and two territories.[d]

 Ceylon – Dominion of Ceylon (from 4 February 1948)
Capital: Colombo
Widely recognized independent state. Commonwealth realm.

Chile Chile – Republic of Chile
Capital: Santiago
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

 China, People's Republic of (from 1 October 1949)
Capital: Beijing
Partially recognized de facto independent state. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered the mainland. It also claimed the Paracel Islands (disputed by the Republic of China and South Vietnam), the Spratly Islands (disputed by the Republic of China, South Vietnam, and the Philippines), and South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency).

 China, Republic of
Capital: Nanking (to 2 September 1945), Chunking (from 2 September 1945 to 7 December 1949), Taipei (from 7 Dec 1949)
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. The Republic of China claimed to be the sole legitimate government of China (from 1 October 1949), but only administered Taiwan, Hainan, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, Pratas Island, Itu Aba, and portions of Yunnan Province. The Republic of China had territorial claims over Mongolia; the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River (administered by the Soviet Union); The majority of Gorno-Badakhshan (administered by the Soviet Union); The eastern tip of the Wakhan Corridor (administered by Afghanistan); part of the disputed Kashmir region; eastern Bhutan; South Tibet (controlled by India's North-East Frontier Agency); and Kachin State (administered by Burma).

 Colombia – Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 5 November 1945. Colombia claimed Quita Sueño Bank, Roncador Bank, and Serrana Bank (disputed by the United States); Bajo Nuevo Bank (disputed by Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States); and Serranilla Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States)

 Costa Rica
Capital: San José
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 2 November 1945.

 Cuba – Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 20 April 1946 and UN member state from 2 November 1945. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay was under the total control of the United States.

 Czechoslovakia (from April 3, 1945)
Capital: Prague
Widely recognized independent state under German occupation to 8 May 1945, also had a government in exile to 5 April 1945. UN member state from 24 October 1945.[e]

D

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 DenmarkKingdom of Denmark (to 9 April 1940, from 5 May 1945)
Capital: Copenhagen
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1940. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Dominican Republic Dominican Republic – Third Dominican Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

E

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Ecuador
Capital: Quito
Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 9 April 1946 and UN member state from 21 December 1945, The country was under Peruvian occupation from July 23, 1941 to February 12, 1942.

Kingdom of Egypt Egypt – Kingdom of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 9 April 1946 and UN member state from 24 October 1945.

 El SalvadorRepublic of El Salvador
Capital: San Salvador
Widely recognized independent state; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Estonia Estonia – Republic of Estonia (to June 17, 1940)
Capital: Tallinn
Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to June 17, 1940. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

 Ethiopia – Ethiopian Empire (from 5 May, 1941)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 24 October 1945; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

F

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 Finland – Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946.

France
Capital: Paris (de jure), Vichy (de facto from 22 June 1940 to 20 August 1944) Algiers (de facto from 3 June to 31 August 1944)
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 18 April 1941 and from 20 August 1944 to 9 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. France administered the foreign affairs of the following protectorate:
  •  Saar (from 15 December 1947)

G

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 Germany (to 8 May 1945)
Capital: Berlin
  • German Reich (to 26 June 1943)
  • Greater German Reich (from 26 June 1943 to 8 May 1945)
Widely recognized independent state to 8 May 1945.

 Germany, East – German Democratic Republic (from 7 October 1949)
Capital: East Berlin (disputed)
Widely recognized state under Soviet occupation.

 Germany, West – Federal Republic of Germany (from 23 May 1949)
Capital: Bonn
Widely-recognized state under Allied occupation. West Germany was a federation of eleven states.[3]

Kingdom of Greece GreeceKingdom of Greece (to 23 April 1941, From October 13, 1944)
Capital: Athens
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to April 1941, from Oct 13 1944 to 20 April 1946. Had a government in exile from April 1941 to October 1944. UN member state from 25 October 1945.

Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 November 1945)

H

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Haiti Haiti – Republic of Haiti
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to April 1942. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Honduras HondurasRepublic of Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 17 December 1945.

Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)Hungarian Republic (1946–49)Hungarian People's Republic Hungary
Capital: Budapest
Widely recognized independent state.

Hyderabad State Hyderabad – State of Hyderabad (from 15 August 1947 to 17 December 1948)
Capital: Hyderabad

I

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Iceland Iceland
Capital: Reykjavík
Widely recognized independent state. In personal union with Denmark to 17 June 1944. UN member state from 19 November 1946.

India India – Union of India (from 15 August 1947)
Capital: New Delhi
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state. Commonwealth realm.

 Indonesia (from 17 August 1945)
Capital: Djakarta
Widely recognized independent state.

Iran – Imperial State of Iran
Capital: Tehran
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 12 November 1945)

Iraq Iraq – Kingdom of Iraq
Capital: Baghdad
Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946; UN member state from 21 December 1945.

 Ireland
Capital: Dublin
Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946.

 Israel – State of Israel (from 14 May 1948)
Capital: Jerusalem
Widely-recognized UN member state from 11 May 1949.[f]

Italian Social Republic (from September 1943 to May 1945)
Capital: Salò
Puppet state of Germany, independent to the Kingdom of Italy.

Italy
Capital: Rome (to September 1943, from February 1944), Brindisi (from September 1943 to February 1944)
Widely recognized independent state under fascism to 3 September 1943.

J

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 Japan
Capital: Tokyo
Widely recognized independent state under Allied occupation from 2 September 1945.

K

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Kalat – Khanate of Kalat (from 15 August 1947 until 27 March 1948)
Capital: Kalat, Balochistan


Korea – People's Republic of Korea (from 12 September 1945 to 1948)
Capital: Seoul


 Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea (from 9 September 1948)
Capital: Pyongyang
Widely recognized independent state.[g] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.

 Korea, South – Republic of Korea (from 17 August 1948)
Capital: Seoul
Widely recognized independent state.[h] Permanent observer at the UN. Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea.

L

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 Latvia – Republic of Latvia (to 17 August 1940)
Capital: Riga
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 5 August 1940 and in exile to 20 April 1946. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

 Lebanon – Lebanese Republic (from 22 November 1943)
Capital: Beirut
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 1945.

 Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Capital: Monrovia
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 2 November 1945.

Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
Capital: Vaduz
Widely recognized independent state.

Lithuania Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania (to 15 June 1940)
Capital: Vilnius
Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 5 August 1940 and in exile to 20 April 1946. Conquered by a Soviet offensive but maintained a government in exile.

 Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (to 10 May 1940, from 11 September 1944)
Capital: Luxembourg City
Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 10 May 1940, from 11 Sept 1944 to 20 April 1946 and in exile from 10 May 1940 to 11 Sept 1944. Conquered by a German offensive but maintained a government in exile based in London and a UN member state from 24 October 1945.

M

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 Mexico – United Mexican States
Capital: Mexico City
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 17 November 1945.

 Monaco – Principality of Monaco
Capital: Monaco
Widely recognized independent state.

MongoliaMongoliaMongolia Mongolia – Mongolian People's Republic
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Widely recognized independent state from January 5, 1946.

 Muscat and Oman – Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
Capital: Muscat
De jure independent state. De facto a British protectorate.

N

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Nepal – Kingdom of Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
Widely recognized independent state.

 NetherlandsKingdom of the Netherlands (to 15 May 1940, from 5 May 1945)
Capital: Amsterdam
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 10 December 1945. Under occupation by Germany from 10 May 1940 to 5 May 1945 , also had a government in exile from 15 May 1940 to 5 May 1945.

New Zealand New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Dominion of the British Empire until 25 Nov 1947. Commonwealth realm.

 Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
Capital: Managua
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 24 Oct 1945).

 Norway – Kingdom of Norway
Capital: Oslo
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Under occupation by Germany from 9 April 1940 to 8 May 1945.


P

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 PakistanDominion of Pakistan (from 14 Aug 1947)
Capital: Karachi
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 30 September 1947). Commonwealth realm.

 Panama – Republic of Panama
Capital: Panama City
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 13 November 1945.

 Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
Capital: Asunción
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 Oct 1945.

 Peru
Capital: Lima
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 31 Oct 1945.

 Philippine Commonwealth
Capital: Manila
Widely recognized independent state from 4 Jul 1946. UN member state from 24 Oct 1945. The commonwealth was under Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945. The Philippine Government went into exile during that same time.

 Second Philippine Republic (from 14 October 1943 to 17 August 1945)
Capital: Manila (from 14 October 1943 to 3 March 1945) Baguio (from 3 March 1945)
De facto independent state; considered to be a puppet state of Japan.

Poland
Capital: Warsaw
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Poland's government was still in exile.

Portugal – Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946.

R

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Kingdom of Romania Romania
Capital: Bucharest
Widely recognized independent state.

S

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 San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
Capital: City of San Marino
Widely recognized independent state.

Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh
Widely recognized independent state; UN member state from 24 October 1945.

Sikkim – Kingdom of Sikkim (from 15 August 1947)
Capital: Gangtok
Widely recognized independent state.

 South Africa – Union of South Africa
Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 17 November 1945. Commonwealth realm.

 Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Capital: Moscow
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. The Soviet Union was a federation of 11 (later 16) republics.[i]

Francoist SpainFrancoist Spain Spain – Spanish State
Capital: Madrid
Widely recognized independent state. Spain had sovereignty over the following overseas provinces:

 Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state.

  SwitzerlandSwiss Confederation
Capital: Bern
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state. Permanent observer at the UN.

Syria – Syrian Republic (from January 1 1944)
Capital: Damascus
Widely recognized independent state.

T

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 Thailand / Siam
Capital: Bangkok
  • Kingdom of Thailand (to 7 September 1945, from 11 May 1949)
  • Kingdom of Siam (from 7 September 1945 to 11 May 1949)
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state. UN member state from 16 December 1946.

Tibet
Capital: Lhasa
De facto independent state. Claimed by the Republic of China and by the People's Republic of China.

Jordan Transjordan / Jordan (from 25 May 1946)
Capital: Amman
  • Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (from 25 May 1946 to April 1949)
  • Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (from 3 April 1949)
Widely-recognized independent state.

 Trieste – Free Territory of Trieste (from May 25, 1946)
Capital: Trieste
Widely recognized independent state.

Tripura – Kingdom of Tripura (from 13 August 1947 to September 9, 1949)
Capital: Agartala
Widely recognized independent state.

 Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to October 4, 1945. UN member state from October 4, 1945.

U

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 United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital: London
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to October 4, 1945. UN member state from October 4, 1945. The United Kingdom was composed of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom had sovereignty over:

 United States – United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 4, 1945. The United States had sovereignty over:

 Uruguay – Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo
Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to December 18, 1945. UN member state from December 18, 1945.

V

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 Vatican City – Vatican City State
Capital: Vatican City
Widely recognized independent state.

Venezuela – United States of Venezuela
Capital: Caracas
Widely recognized independent state.

Y

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Yemen Yemen – Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
Capital: Sana'a
Widely recognized independent state.

Kingdom of YugoslaviaDemocratic Federal Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (to April 6, 1941, from November 29, 1943)
Capital: Belgrade
Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 24, 1945. Under occupation by Nazi Germany from April 6, 1941 to May 25, 1945. A government in exile was regarded as the legitimate government by the Allies.

Other entities

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

Notes

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  1. ^ 23 Provinces: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut (from 15 June 1955), Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa (from 15 June 1955), Jujuy, La Pampa (renamed Eva Perón from 29 January 1952 to 27 April 1956), La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones (from 1953), Neuquén (from 15 June 1955), Presidente Juan Perón (from 10 August 1951, renamed Chaco on 27 April 1956), Río Negro (from 15 June 1955), Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz (from 1957), Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán. 10 Territories: Buenos Aires, Chaco (to 10 August 1951, renamed Presidente Juan Perón in 1950), Chubut (to 15 June 1955), Formosa (to 15 June 1955), Misiones (to 1953), Neuquén (to 15 June 1955), Río Negro (to 15 June 1955), Santa Cruz (to 1957), Tierra del Fuego.
  2. ^ 6 States: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia. 3 Territories: Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Northern Territory.
  3. ^ 20 states: Alagoas, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe. 5 territories: Acre, Amapá (from September 13, 1943), Fernando de Noronha (from February 9, 1942), Iguaçu (from September 13, 1943 to September 18, 1946), Ponta Porã (from September 13, 1943 to September 18, 1946), Guaporé (from September 13, 1943), Rio Branco (from September 13, 1943). 1 federal district: Federal District.
  4. ^ 10 Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland (from 31 March 1949), Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan. 2 Territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon.
  5. ^ Owing to a dispute over lands seized during World War II, Liechtenstein and Czechoslovakia did not recognize each other.
  6. ^ Israel was recognized by Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Lebanon, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, or Yemen.
  7. ^ North Korea was not recognized by the Estonian exile government, France, Japan, or South Korea.
  8. ^ South Korea was not recognized by the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Romania or North Korea.
  9. ^ Byelorussian SSR, Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Uzbek SSR, Turkmen SSR, Tajik SSR, Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Georgian SSR, Kazakh SSR, Kirghiz SSR, Karelo-Finnish SSR (from March 31, 1940), Moldavian SSR (from August 2, 1940), Lithuanian SSR (from August 3, 1940), Latvian SSR (from August 5, 1940), Estonian SSR (from August 6, 1940).

References

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  1. ^ a b c Butcher, Charles R.; Griffiths, Ryan D. (2020-03-03). "States and their international relations since 1816: introducing version 2 of the International System(s) Dataset (ISD)". International Interactions. 46 (2): 301. doi:10.1080/03050629.2020.1707199. ISSN 0305-0629.
  2. ^ New Guinea was under Japanese occupation from January 1941 to August 15, 1945.
  3. ^ 11 States: Baden, Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
  4. ^ Brunei was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
  5. ^ The Federated Malay States were under Japanese occupation from February 15, 1942 to September 12, 1945.
  6. ^ Guernsey is part of the Channel Islands and was under German occupation from June 9, 1940 until it was liberated on May 9, 1945.
  7. ^ Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation from December 28, 1941 to August 28, 1945.
  8. ^ Jersey is part of the Channel Islands and was under German occupation from June 9, 1940 until it was liberated on May 9, 1945.
  9. ^ Johor was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
  10. ^ Kedah was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
  11. ^ Kelantan was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
  12. ^ Labuan was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
  13. ^ North Borneo was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
  14. ^ Perlis was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
  15. ^ Sarawak was under Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.
  16. ^ The Straits Settlements were under Japanese occupation from February 15, 1942 to September 12, 1945.
  17. ^ Terenggaru was part of the Unfederated Malay States and was under Japanese occupation from February 16, 1942 to September 2, 1945.
  18. ^ Guam was under Japanese occupation from December 10, 1941 to August 10, 1944.
  19. ^ The Philippines were under Japanese occupation from 1942 to August 21, 1945, The commonwealth also had a government in exile during that same time.
  20. ^ Bilateral relations with countries Archived 2008-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 2009-12-22