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 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. 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. At the end of the 1940s, the lowest estimate is in the mid-70s while the highest is in the mid-80s.
Sovereign states Name and capital cityInformation on status and recognition of sovereignty
A Afghanistan – Kingdom of Afghanistan Widely recognized independent state. LON member state (to 20 April 1946). UN member state (from 19 November 1946). → Democratic Government of Albania People's Republic of Albania 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 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. – Argentine Republic 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. 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. – Commonwealth of Australia 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. It had sovereignty over the following external territories: Australian Antarctic Territory Heard Island and McDonald Islands (from 26 December 1947) Norfolk Island Australia administered one League of Nations mandate/United Nations trust territory: New GuineaNew Guinea was under Japanese occupation from January 1941 to August 15, 1945. (to 6 November 1949) Australia administered two United Nations Trust Territories: Nauru (with New Zealand and the United Kingdom) Papua and New Guinea (from 6 November 1949) B – Kingdom of Belgium 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: Ruanda-Urundi – Kingdom of Bhutan Widely recognized independent state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs. 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 Estado Novo Fourth Brazilian Republic Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Brazil was a federation of 20 states, five territories, and one federal district. → → → Bulgaria Kingdom of Bulgaria People's Republic of Bulgaria Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1946. Burma – Union of Burma Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 19 April 1948. C – Dominion of Canada 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. – Dominion of Ceylon Widely recognized independent state. Commonwealth realm. – Republic of Chile Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 24 October 1945. 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). Republic of China (mainland) Republic of China (Taiwan) 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). – Republic of Colombia 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) First Republic of Costa Rica Second Republic of Costa Rica Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 2 November 1945. – Republic of Cuba 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. Third Czechoslovak Republic Fourth Czechoslovak Republic 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. D – Kingdom of Denmark Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 20 April 1940. UN member state from 24 October 1945. Dominican Republic – Third Dominican Republic Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946. UN member state from 24 October 1945.
E Ecuador Republic of Ecuador Republic of Ecuador 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. Egypt – Kingdom of Egypt Widely recognized independent state; LON member state to 9 April 1946 and UN member state from 24 October 1945. – Republic of El Salvador Widely recognized independent state; UN member state from 24 October 1945. Estonia – Republic of Estonia Widely recognized independent state until June 1940, LON member state to 19 April 1946. Invaded and annexed by USSR in 1940; maintained diplomatic representatives and a government in exile. – Ethiopian Empire Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 24 October 1945; UN member state from 24 October 1945.
F – Republic of Finland Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to 9 April 1946. France French Republic French State Provisional Government of the French Republic French Republic 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 colonies and protectorates: French Algeria French Equatorial Africa French Guiana French India – French Establishments in India French Indochina French Madagascar French Morocco French Oceania – French Establishments in Oceania French Somaliland French Tunisia French West Africa Guadeloupe Inini Martinique
France administered the following League of Nations mandates: → Lebanese Republic → Syrian Republic French Cameroons French Togoland G German Reich Greater German Reich Widely recognized independent state to 8 May 1945. Greece – Kingdom of Greece Widely recognized independent state.The Kingdom of Greece had a fascist regime called the 4th of August Regime disestablished on April 23, 1941. 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 Widely recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 November 1945) H Haiti – Republic of Haiti Widely recognized independent state. LON member state to April 1942. UN member state from 24 October 1945. → – Republic of Honduras Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 17 December 1945. → → Hungary Kingdom of Hungary Hungarian Republic Hungarian People's Republic Widely recognized independent state. I → Iceland Kingdom of Iceland Iceland Widely recognized independent state. In personal union with Denmark to 17 June 1944. UN member state from 19 November 1946. India – Union of India Widely recognized independent state. UN member state. Commonwealth realm. Republic of Indonesia United States of Indonesia Widely recognized independent state. Iran – Imperial State of Iran Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 12 November 1945. Under joint British military occupation from 30 August 1941 to 2 March 1946 and Soviet military occupation to May 1946. Iraq – Kingdom of Iraq Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946; UN member state from 21 December 1945. Under British military occupation from 31 May 1941 to 26 October 1947. Widely recognized independent state and LON member state to 20 April 1946. Commonwealth realm. (to 18 April 1949) – State of Israel Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from 11 May 1949. → Italy Capital: Rome (to September 1943, from February 1944), Brindisi (from September 1943 to February 1944) Kingdom of Italy Italian Republic Widely recognized independent state under fascism to 3 September 1943. Italian Albania Hellenic State Italian Montenegro Italian Libya Italian East Africa
(All colonies relinquished by Italy from the Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1947.) J → Japan Empire of Japan Japan Widely recognized independent state under Allied occupation from 2 September 1945. Japan had sovereignty over the following dependencies and concessions: Chongqing Hangzhou Hankou Japanese Korea (Chōsen) Karafuto Kwantung Shashi Suzhou Taiwan Tientsin
Japan administered one League of Nations mandate: South Seas Mandate K Korea – People's Republic of Korea → Provisional People's Committee for North Korea People's Committee of North Korea Democratic People's Republic of Korea Widely recognized independent state. Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. → → – Republic of Korea Widely recognized independent state. Permanent observer at the UN. Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. L – Republic of Latvia 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 Widely recognized independent state. UN member state from October 1945. – Republic of Liberia Widely recognized independent state.LON member state to 20 April 1946. UN member state from 2 November 1945. Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein