List of sovereign states in the 1980s

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This is a list of sovereign states in the 1980s, giving an overview of states around the world during the period between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1989. It contains 188 entries, arranged alphabetically, with information on the status and recognition of their sovereignty. It includes 171 widely-recognized sovereign states, 2 constituent republics of another sovereign state that were UN members on their own right, 2 associated states, and 13 entities which claim an effective sovereignty but are considered de facto dependencies of other powers by the general international community.

Sovereign states

Name and capital city Information on status and recognition of sovereignty

A

→ → Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviet Union (to 15 February 1989).
Albania – People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Capital: Tirana 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Capital: Algiers 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Andorra – Principality of Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella 		Widely-recognized independent state. The
Co-Princes of Andorra. The defense of Andorra was the responsibility of France and Spain
.
Angola – People's Republic of Angola
Capital: Luanda 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Antigua and Barbuda
Capital: St. John's
  • Antigua (to 31 October 1981)
  • Antigua and Barbuda (from 1 November 1981)[b]
 Associated state of the United Kingdom (to 31 October 1981); widely-recognized independent state (from 1 November 1981). UN member state (from 11 November 1981); Commonwealth realm. Antigua and Barbuda had two dependencies: Barbuda and Redonda.
 Argentina – Argentine Republic[c]
Capital: Buenos Aires 		Widely-recognized
British overseas territories
.
 Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
Capital: Canberra 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Australia was a federation of six states and three territories.[e] It had sovereignty over the following external territories:
 Austria – Republic of Austria
Capital: Vienna 		Widely-recognized
nine states.[f]

B

 The Bahamas – Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Capital: Nassau 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
Bahrain – State of Bahrain
Capital: Manama 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Barbados
Capital: Bridgetown 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
 Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
Capital: Brussels 		Widely-recognized
three communities and three regions.[g]
Belize (from 21 September 1981)[h]
Capital: Belmopan 		Widely-recognized independent state.[i] UN member state (from 25 September 1981); Commonwealth realm.
Benin – People's Republic of Benin
Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (seat of government) 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
Capital: Thimphu 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Bhutan was officially guided by India in its foreign affairs, but effectively pursued an independent foreign policy.
La Paz
(administrative) 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Bophuthatswana – Republic of Bophuthatswana
Capital: Mmabatho 		Nominally independent South African bantustan.[j]
 Botswana – Republic of Botswana
Capital: Gaborone 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
Capital: Brasília
 Widely-recognized
26 states, four territories (none from 1 January 1989), and one federal district.[k]
 Brunei – State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (from 1 January 1984)[l]
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan 		Widely-recognized independent state. UN member state (from 21 September 1984). Brunei claimed part of the Spratly Islands (disputed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia).
Bulgaria – People's Republic of Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Burkina Faso → Upper Volta
Rangoon (renamed Yangon
in 1989) 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Burundi – Republic of Burundi
Capital: Bujumbura 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

C

Cambodia, State of → Kampuchea, People's Republic of
 Cameroon
Capital: Yaoundé
  • United Republic of Cameroon (to 4 February 1984)[o]
  • Republic of Cameroon (from 4 February 1984)[7]
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Canada
Capital: Ottawa
  • Dominion of Canada (to 17 April 1982)
  • Canada (from 17 April 1982)
 Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Canada was a federation of ten provinces and two territories.[p]
 Cape Verde – Republic of Cape Verde
Capital: Praia 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Central African Republic
Capital: Bangui 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Chad – Republic of Chad
Capital: N'Djamena 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Santiago
 Widely-recognized
Antarctic Treaty
.
 China, People's Republic of
Capital: Beijing 		Widely-recognized
Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei), and South Tibet (controlled by India). The People's Republic of China administered Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract, which were within the disputed region of Kashmir
.
 China, Republic of
Capital: Taipei (seat of government), Nanjing (claimed) 		Partially-recognized de facto independent state.
People's Republic of China and part of the disputed Kashmir region); eastern Bhutan; South Tibet (controlled by India); and Kachin State (administered by Myanmar
).
 
Bisho
 Nominally independent South African bantustan.[j]
 Colombia – Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Colombia administered Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank (disputed by Nicaragua and the United States).
 Comoros – Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
Capital: Moroni 		Widely-recognized
French overseas territories of Mayotte and the Glorioso Islands. It also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and France
).
Congo – People's Republic of the Congo
Capital: Brazzaville 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Cook Islands
Capital: Avarua 		A state in free association with New Zealand. It shares a head of state with New Zealand as well as having shared citizenship.
 Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
Capital: San José 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Cuba – Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana 		Widely-recognized UN member state. The Cuban area of Guantánamo Bay was under the control of the United States.
 Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
Capital: Nicosia 		Widely-recognized UN member state.[t] Cyprus included one self-declared state which, although it did not claim independence, was de facto self-governing:

After 15 November 1983, The northeastern part of the island was the de facto independent state of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.

Czechoslovakia – Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Capital: Prague 		Widely-recognized UN member state.[u] Czechoslovakia was a federation of two republics.[v]

D

 Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen 		Widely-recognized UN member state; EEC member. The Danish Realm also included two of its constituent countries:
Derg → Ethiopia
 
Djibouti
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
→ → Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica
Capital: Roseau 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Dominican Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

E

 Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
Capital: Quito 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
→ Egypt Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
Capital: Cairo 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Egypt included the Sinai Peninsula, which was occupied by Israel until 25 April 1982.
 El Salvador
Capital: San Salvador 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Capital: Malabo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
→ Ethiopia
Capital: Addis Ababa 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

F

 Fiji
Capital: Suva 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm (to 7 October 1987). Fiji had an autonomous dependency, Rotuma.
 Finland – Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Finland had a neutral and demilitarised region:
 France – French Republic
Capital: Paris 		Widely-recognized
overseas territories
:

France also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Madagascar and the Comoros).

G

 Gabon – Gabonese Republic
Capital: Libreville 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 The Gambia – Republic of the Gambia
Capital: Banjul 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Germany, East – German Democratic Republic
Capital: East Berlin (disputed) 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Germany, West – Federal Republic of Germany
Capital: Bonn 		Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member. West Germany was a federation of ten states.[y]
 Ghana – Republic of Ghana
Capital: Accra 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Greece – Hellenic Republic
Capital: Athens 		Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member (from 1 January 1981). Greece had sovereignty over Mount Athos, an autonomous monastic state that was jointly governed by the multi-national "Holy Community" on the mountain and the Civil Governor appointed by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spiritually came under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
 Grenada
Capital: St. George's 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm. Grenada had one autonomous dependency, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
 Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Guinea Guinea
Capital: Conakry
  • People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea (to April 3, 1984)
  • Republic of Guinea
    (from April 3, 1984)
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Capital: Bissau 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Capital: Georgetown 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

H

→  Haiti
Capital: Port-au-Prince 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Haiti claimed the uninhabited United States possession of Navassa Island.
Holy See → Vatican City
 Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Hungary
Capital: Budapest 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

I

 Iceland – Republic of Iceland
Capital: Reykjavík 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 India – Republic of India
Capital: New Delhi 		Widely-recognized
twenty-eight states and ten union territories.[ab] Indian sovereignty over South Tibet was disputed by China. India administered part of the disputed region of Kashmir as the state of Jammu and Kashmir
.
 Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
Capital: Jakarta 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
→  Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
Capital: Tehran 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Iraq – Iraqi Republic
Capital: Baghdad 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Ireland[ac]
Capital: Dublin 		Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member.
 Israel – State of Israel
Capital: Jerusalem 		Widely-recognized
Israeli Security Zone in Southern Lebanon (from 6 June 1982), the Sinai Peninsula (to 25 April 1982), and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem
. These areas were not recognized as being part of Israel.
Italy – Italian Republic
Capital: Rome 		Widely-recognized UN member state; EEC member. Italy had 5 autonomous regions and they were the Aosta Valley, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast
Capital: Yamoussoukro (official, from 21 March 1983), Abidjan (seat of government)
  • Republic of Ivory Coast (to 12 October 1985)[ae]
  • Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (from 12 October 1985)[12]
 Widely-recognized UN member state.

J

 Jamaica
Capital: Kingston 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
 Japan
Capital: Tokyo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Capital: Amman 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Until 31 July 1988, Jordan claimed West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which were Israeli-occupied territories.

K

Kampuchea, Democratic
Capital: Phnom Penh 		Widely-recognized UN member state.[ag] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Kampuchea, despite being in exile.
→ Kampuchea, People's Republic of / Cambodia, State of
Capital: Phnom Penh
  • People's Republic of Kampuchea (to 1 May 1989)[ah]
  • State of Cambodia (from 1 May 1989)[14]
 Partially recognized de facto independent state.[ag] Claimed to be the sole legitimate government of Kampuchea. The People's Republic of Kampuchea was occupied by Vietnam until 25 September 1989.
 Kenya – Republic of Kenya
Capital: Nairobi 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati
Capital: South Tarawa 		Widely-recognized independent state.
 Korea, North – Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Capital: Pyongyang 		Widely-recognized independent state.
Korea
.
→  Korea, South
Capital: Seoul 		Widely-recognized independent state.
Korea
.
 Kuwait – State of Kuwait
Capital: Kuwait City 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

L

 Laos – Lao People's Democratic Republic
Capital: Vientiane 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Lebanon – Lebanese Republic
Capital: Beirut 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Lebanon was occupied by Syria. Some of Southern Lebanon was occupied by Israel (from 6 June 1982).
→  Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
Capital: Maseru 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Liberia – Republic of Liberia
Capital: Monrovia 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Libya
Capital: Tripoli, Libya
  • Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (to 15 April 1986)[ak]
  • Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (from 15 April 1986)[15]
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
→  Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
Capital: Vaduz 		Widely-recognized independent state.[u] The defense of Liechtenstein was the responsibility of Switzerland.
 
Luxembourg
 Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member.

M

Madagascar – Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Capital: Antananarivo 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Madagascar claimed the French possessions of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island. It also claimed Banc du Geyser (disputed by Comoros and France)
 Malawi – Republic of Malawi
Capital: Lilongwe 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur 		Widely-recognized
Republic of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei
).
 Maldives – Republic of Maldives
Capital: Malé 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Mali – Republic of Mali
Capital: Bamako 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Malta – Republic of Malta
Capital: Valletta 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands (from 21 October 1986)[am]
Capital: Majuro 		Widely-recognized state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The Marshall Islands claimed the United States territory of Wake Island.
 Mauritania
Capital: Nouakchott 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Mauritius
Capital: Port Louis 		Widely-recognized
Cargados Carajos and Rodrigues. It claimed the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French territory of Tromelin Island
.
 Mexico – United Mexican States
Capital: Mexico City 		Widely-recognized
31 states and one federal district.[an]
 Federated States of Micronesia (from 3 November 1986)[ao]
Capital: Kolonia (to 1989) Palikir (from 1989) 		Widely-recognized state under Compact of Free Association with the United States. The FSM was a federation of four states.[ap]
 Monaco – Principality of Monaco
Capital: Monaco 		Widely-recognized independent state. Permanent observer at the UN.The defense of Monaco was the responsibility of France.
Mongolia – Mongolian People's Republic
Capital: Ulaanbaatar 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Capital: Rabat 		Widely-recognized
Peñón de Alhucemas
.
→ → Mozambique – People's Republic of Mozambique
Capital: Maputo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Myanmar → Burma

N

 Nauru – Republic of Nauru
Capital: Yaren (unofficial) 		Widely-recognized independent state. The defense of Nauru was the responsibility of Australia.
Nepal – Kingdom of Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital: Amsterdam (official), The Hague (seat of government) 		Widely-recognized UN member state. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consisted of three autonomous countries:

The Kingdom of the Netherlands as a whole was a member of the

were not
.

 New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
  • Dominion of New Zealand (to 1 January 1987)[aq]
  • New Zealand (from 1 January 1987)[18]
 Widely-recognized
associated states
of:

It also had sovereignty over two dependent territories:

The government of Tokelau claimed Swains Island, part of American Samoa (a U.S. dependence). New Zealand did not recognize this claim since 25 March 1981.

 Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
Capital: Managua 		Widely-recognized
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur
(from 1987).
 Niger – Republic of Niger
Capital: Niamey 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Nigeria
Capital: Lagos 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Nigeria was a federation of 21 states and one federal territory.[ar]
 Niue
Capital: Alofi 		A state in free association with New Zealand. Niue is a member of multiple UN agencies with full treaty making capacity. It had shared citizenship with New Zealand.
 
Lefkoşa
 Partially recognized de facto independent state.
Republic of Cyprus
.
 Norway – Kingdom of Norway
Capital: Oslo 		Widely-recognized
Spitsbergen Treaty
. Norway had sovereignty over the following dependencies:

O

 
Muscat
 Widely-recognized UN member state.

P

 Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad 		Widely-recognized
Northern Areas.[au]
 Palestine[dubious – discuss][citation needed] – State of Palestine (from 15 November 1988)[av][aw][ax]
(non-sovereign, non-UN member nation)
Capital: Ramallah (administrative), Gaza City (administrative), Jerusalem (claimed) 		Disputed region consisting of two occupied territories: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The declared State of Palestine, which claimed independence for all the Palestinian territories from 15 November 1988, was recognized by a large number of countries. In foreign relations, Palestine was represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, which was a permanent observer at the United Nations.
 Panama – Republic of Panama
Capital: Panama City 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Capital: Port Moresby 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
→ Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
Capital: Asunción 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Peru
Capital: Lima
  • Peruvian Republic (to 28 July 1980)[ay]
  • Republic of Peru (from 28 July 1980)[20]
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
→ → Philippines Philippines
Capital: Manila
  • Philippines under martial law
    (to 30 June 1981)
  • Fourth Republic of the Philippines
    (from 30 June 1981 to 25 February 1986)
  • Provisional Government of the Philippines (from 25 February 1986 to 2 February 1987)
  • Fifth Republic of the Philippines
    (from 2 February 1987)
 Widely-recognized
Republic of China, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia) and the Malaysian territory of Sabah
.
→  Poland
Capital: Warsaw 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Poland's government was still in exile.
 Portugal – Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon 		Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member (from 1 January 1986). Portugal had two autonomous regions: the Azores and Madeira. Portugal had one Chinese territory which it administered as a dependency:

Portugal claimed sovereignty over the former colony of Portuguese Timor, which had been annexed by Indonesia. It also claimed the Spanish municipalities of Olivenza and Táliga.

Q

 Qatar – State of Qatar
Capital: Doha 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

R

→ Romania
Capital: Bucharest
  • Socialist Republic of Romania (to 28 December 1989)[22][23]
  • Romania (from 28 December 1989)
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Rwanda – Rwandese Republic[ba]
Capital: Kigali 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Rwenzururu – Kingdom of Rwenzururu (to 15 August 1982)[bb]
Capital: Kasese
 De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state. Claimed by Uganda.

S

 
El Aaiún
(claimed) 		Partially recognized de facto independent state. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic claimed the disputed territory of Western Sahara, most of which was under control of Morocco. The territories under its control, the so-called Free Zone, were claimed by Morocco. Its government resided in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.
→  Saint Kitts and Nevis
Capital: Basseterre
  • Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (to 19 December 1980)
  • Saint Christopher and Nevis (from 19 December 1980 to 18 September 1983)
  • Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (from 19 September 1983)[bc]
fourteen parishes within two islands.[bd] Nevis
(which was one of the islands) had autonomy.
Saint Lucia
Capital: Castries 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
→ →  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Capital: Kingstown 		Widely-recognized independent state. UN member state (from 16 September 1980); Commonwealth realm.
 San Marino – Republic of San Marino
Capital: San Marino 		Widely-recognized independent state.
 São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
Capital: São Tomé 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Senegal – Republic of Senegal
Capital: Dakar 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
Capital: Victoria 		Widely-recognized UN member state; the Seychelles claimed the British Indian Ocean Territory and the French territories of Tromelin Island and the Glorioso Islands.
 Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
Capital: Freetown 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Singapore – Republic of Singapore
Capital: Singapore 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Solomon Islands
Capital: Honiara 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Commonwealth realm.
Somalia – Somali Democratic Republic
Capital: Mogadishu 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
→  South Africa – Republic of South Africa
Capital: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) 		Widely-recognized
bantustans which were nominally independent: Bophuthatswana, Ciskei (from 4 December 1981), Transkei, and Venda. South Africa administered one League of Nations mandate
:
  • South-West Africa
 Soviet Union – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Capital: Moscow 		Widely-recognized UN member state. The Soviet Union was a federation of 15 republics, two of which (Byelorussia and Ukraine) were UN members in their own right.[be]
→  Spain
Capital: Madrid 		Widely-recognized
British overseas territory of Gibraltar
.
 
Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Sudan
Capital: Khartoum 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Suriname – Republic of Suriname
Capital: Paramaribo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
Capital: Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative) 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
  Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
Capital: Bern 		Widely-recognized independent state; permanent observer at the UN. Switzerland was a federation of 26 cantons.[bg]
→  Syria – Syrian Arab Republic
Capital: Damascus 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Syria included the Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel. It disputed the Turkish sovereignty over Hatay Province.

T

Tafea – Nation of Tafea (15 February 1980 to 26 May 1980)[bh]
Capital: Isangel
 De facto independent state. Claimed by the Anglo-French New Hebrides Condominium.
 Tamil Eelam (from 23 July 1983)
Capital: Trincomalee 		Unrecognized de facto self-governing entity. Claimed by Sri Lanka.
 Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
Capital: Dar es Salaam 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Tanzania had one autonomous region: Zanzibar.
Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
Capital: Bangkok 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Togo Togo – Togolese Republic
Capital: Lomé 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
Capital: Nukuʻalofa 		Widely-recognized independent state.
 
Umtata
 Nominally independent South African bantustan.
 Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Capital: Port of Spain 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Trinidad and Tobago had one autonomous island: Tobago (from 23 September 1980).
 Tunisia – Tunisian Republic
Capital: Tunis 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Tuvalu
Capital: Funafuti 		Widely-recognized independent state; Commonwealth realm.

U

 Uganda
Capital: Kampala 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 United Arab Emirates
Capital: Abu Dhabi 		Widely-recognized UN member state; the United Arab Emirates was a federation of seven emirates.[bi]
 United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital: London 		Widely-recognized UN member state. EEC member. The United Kingdom was composed of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom had responsibilities for the following self-governing free associated states:

The United Kingdom administered the foreign affairs of the following protected states:

It also had sovereignty over the following

dependent territories
after 1 January 1983):

In addition, the

Crown dependencies
:

 United States – United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C. 		Widely-recognized UN member state; the United States was a federation of 50 states, one federal district, and one incorporated territory.[bj] It asserted sovereignty over the following inhabited insular areas:

In addition, the United States administered one

United Nations Trust Territory
:

The United States ceded Roncador Bank and Serrana Bank to Colombia and abandoned its claim to Quita Sueño Bank on 17 September 1981, but it did not explicitly renounce its claims to Serranilla Bank or Bajo Nuevo Bank. According to some government sources, these islands are still considered to be unincorporated territories of the United States.

→ Upper Volta / Burkina Faso
Capital: Ouagadougou 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

V

 Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu (from 30 July 1980)[bl]
Capital: Port Vila 		Widely-recognized independent state; UN member state (from 15 September 1981).
 Vatican City – Vatican City State
Capital: Vatican City 		Widely-recognized independent state. Vatican City was administered by the Holy See, a sovereign entity recognized by a large number of countries and a Permanent observer at the United Nations. The Holy See also administered a number of extraterritorial properties in Italy. The Pope was the ex officio head of state of Vatican City.
Vemerana – Republic of Vemerana (from 27 May 1980 to 24 July 1980)[bm]
Capital: Luganville 		De facto independent state. Not recognized by any other state.[bn] Claimed by the Anglo-French New Hebrides Condominium.
 Venda – Republic of Venda
Capital: Thohoyandou 		Nominally independent South African bantustan.[j]
Venezuela – Republic of Venezuela
Capital: Caracas 		Widely-recognized UN member state. Venezuela was a federation of 20 states, two territories, one federal dependency, and one federal district.[bo]
 Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi 		Widely-recognized
Republic of China, Brunei, the Philippines, and Malaysia
).

W

 Western Samoa – Independent State of Western Samoa
Capital: Apia 		Widely-recognized UN member state.

Y

 
Sana'a
 Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Yemen, South – People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
Capital: Aden 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Yugoslavia – Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Capital: Belgrade 		Widely-recognized UN member state; Yugoslavia was a federation of six republics.[bp]

Z

 Zaire – Republic of Zaire
Capital: Kinshasa 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
Zambia – Republic of Zambia
Capital: Lusaka 		Widely-recognized UN member state.
 Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe (from 18 April 1980)[bq]
Capital: Salisbury (renamed Harare in 1982) 		Widely-recognized independent state; UN member state (from 25 August 1980).

Other entities

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

  • Antarctica as a whole had no government and no permanent population. Seven states claimed portions of Antarctica and five of these had reciprocally recognised one another's claims.[38] These claims, which were regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, were neither recognised nor disputed by any other signatory state.[39]
  •  
    Timor Timur
    , but this was not recognized by the United Nations, which considered it to be Portuguese territory under Indonesian occupation.
  •  
    Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure
    state.
  • The
    breakaway state encompassing Mindanao, Palawan and the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines. The independence of the republic was to be proclaimed at a convention in Cagayan de Oro on April 25, 1986 by the Mindanao People's Democratic Movement led by Reuben Canoy but original plans to proclaim the proposed republic's independence were changed to avert arrest by the Corazon Aquino
    administration due to violation against sedition law.
  •  
    Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure
    state.
  •  
    Baltic diplomatic services in the West continued to be recognised as representing the de jure
    state.
  • The Saudi Arabian–Iraqi neutral zone was a strip of neutral territory between Iraq and Saudi Arabia (to 26 December 1981).
  • The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was an entity claiming sovereignty. The order had bi-lateral diplomatic relations with a large number of states, but had no territory other than extraterritorial areas within Rome.[40] The order's Constitution stated: "The Order is a subject of international law and exercises sovereign functions."[41] Although the order frequently asserted its sovereignty, it did not claim to be a sovereign state. It lacked a defined territory. Since all its members were citizens of other states, almost all of them lived in their native countries, and those who resided in the order's extraterritorial properties in Rome did so only in connection with their official duties, the order lacked the characteristic of having a permanent population.
  • West Berlin was a political enclave that was closely aligned with – but not actually a part of – West Germany. It consisted of three occupied sectors administered by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

See also

  • List of sovereign states
  • List of sovereign states by year
  • List of state leaders in 1980
  • List of state leaders in 1981
  • List of state leaders in 1982
  • List of state leaders in 1983
  • List of state leaders in 1984
  • List of state leaders in 1985
  • List of state leaders in 1986
  • List of state leaders in 1987
  • List of state leaders in 1988
  • List of state leaders in 1989

Notes

  1. loya jirga on 30 November 1987.[1]
  2. ^ Antigua and Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 November 1981.[2]
  3. ^ The name "Argentine Nation" was also used for the purposes of legislation.
  4. Tierra del Fuego
    .
  5. Victoria, Western Australia. 3 territories: Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, Northern Territory
    .
  6. Tyrol, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg, Vienna
    .
  7. Brussels-Capital Region (from 18 June 1989), Flemish Region, Walloon Region
    .
  8. ^ Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981.[3]
  9. ^ Belize was not recognized by Guatemala.
  10. ^
    bantustans of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda were only recognized by South Africa
    and by each other. The rest of the world regarded them as part of South Africa.
  11. Tocantins (from 1 January 1989). 4 territories: Amapá (to 1 January 1989), Fernando de Noronha (to 1 January 1989), Rondônia (to 22 December 1981), Roraima (to 1 January 1989). 1 federal district: Federal District
    .
  12. ^ The British Protectorate over Brunei came to an end on 1 January 1984.[4]
  13. State Law and Order Restoration Council suspended the constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma on 18 September 1988.[5]
  14. State Law and Order Restoration Council renamed Burma to Myanmar on 18 June 1989. This change was not internationally recognized, and the country's common name in English remained "Burma".[6]
  15. ^ Cameroon was renamed when its new constitution came into effect on 4 February 1984.[7]
  16. ^ 10 provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan. 2 territories: Northwest Territories, Yukon.
  17. ^
    Swaziland, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates (from 1 November 1984), Uruguay (to 3 February 1988), and Vatican City
    .
  18. ^ Ciskei was proclaimed to be "independent" on 4 December 1981.[8]
  19. ^ 3 islands: Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mohéli.
  20. ^ Cyprus was not recognized by Turkey or Northern Cyprus.
  21. ^ a b Owing to a dispute over lands seized during World War II, Liechtenstein and Czechoslovakia did not recognize each other.
  22. ^ 2 republics: Czech Socialist Republic, Slovak Socialist Republic.
  23. ^ Ethiopia enacted a new constitution on 22 February 1987.[9]
  24. ^ Following a military coup, Fiji was declared a republic on 7 October 1987.[10]
  25. ^ 10 states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Schleswig-Holstein.
  26. invaded Grenada
    on 25 October 1983, removing the PRG regime from power and restored the pre-1979 government.
  27. ^ The name "People's Republic of Hungary" was abandoned on 23 October 1989.[11]
  28. Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. 10 Union Territories: Arunachal Pradesh (to 20 February 1987), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu (from 30 May 1987), Goa, Daman and Diu (to 30 May 1987), Lakshadweep, Mizoram (to 1986), National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Pondicherry
    .
  29. ^ Ireland also had the legal description of "Republic of Ireland", although this was not its constitutional name.
  30. ^ Israel was not recognized by Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Cuba, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, or Yemen.
  31. ^ The official French name of Ivory Coast had been "République de Côte d'Ivoire" since its independence in 1960, but English sources typically translated the name as "Republic of Ivory Coast". On 12 October 1985, the Ivorian government officially requested that the name be translated as "Republic of Côte d'Ivoire".[12]
  32. ^ The Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea was established on 22 June 1982.[13]
  33. ^
    Soviet sphere of influence
    .
  34. ^ The People's Republic of Kampuchea renamed itself to State of Cambodia on 1 May 1989.[14]
  35. ^ North Korea was not recognized by Estonia, France, Japan, or South Korea.
  36. ^ South Korea was not recognized by the Soviet Union, China, Romania or North Korea.
  37. U.S. air strike against the Libyan regime, the word "Great" was added to the Libyan state's official name.[15]
  38. Labuan
    (from 16 April 1984).
  39. ^ The UN Trusteeship over the Marshall Islands came to an end on 21 October 1986.[16]
  40. Yucatán, and Zacatecas. 1 federal district: Federal District
    .
  41. ^ The date the UN Trusteeship over Micronesia came to an end on.[17]
  42. ^ 4 states: Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap.
  43. ^ The Constitution Act 1986 came into force on 1 January 1987, officially removing the phrase "Dominion of New Zealand" from use.[18]
  44. ^ 21 states: Akwa Ibom (from 23 September 1987), Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina (from 23 September 1987), Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, and Sokoto. 1 federal territory: Federal Capital Territory.
  45. ^ The Turkish Federated State of Cyprus declared independence from Cyprus as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on 15 November 1983.
  46. ^ Northern Cyprus was recognized only by Turkey.
  47. Northern Areas
    .
  48. ^ The State of Palestine was declared on 15 November 1988.[19]
  49. ^ The state was recognized by over 90 states by the end of 1989. See: United Nations Educational; Scientific and Cultural Organization; Executive Board (12 May 1989). "Hundred and thirty-first Session: Item 9.4 of the provisional agenda, Request for the Admission of the State of Palestine to UNESCO as a Member State" (PDF). United Nations. pp. 18, Annex II. Retrieved 2010-11-15. The list contains 92 entries, including a number of states which no longer exist.
  50. ^ See the following on statehood criteria:
  51. ^ Peru enacted a new constitution on 28 July 1980.[20]
  52. ^ Poland's constitution was amended on 29 December 1989, changing the official name of the state from "People's Republic of Poland" to "Republic of Poland".[21]
  53. ^ Rwanda's official French name was "République rwandaise".[24][25] It could be translated into English as "Rwandese Republic".,[26] "Rwandan Republic",[27] or "Republic of Rwanda".[28]
  54. ^ Rwenzururu willingly renounced its independence on 15 August 1982.[29]
  55. ^ Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence from the United Kingdom on 19 September 1983.[30]
  56. Trinity Palmetto Point
    (Saint Kitts).
  57. ^ 15 republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Byelorussia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Russian SFSR, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.
  58. ^ The constitution of the Democratic Republic of Sudan was suspended on 6 April 1985. An interim constitution was adopted on 10 October 1985, renaming the country to "Republic of the Sudan".[31]
  59. Graubünden, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, and Zürich
    .
  60. ^ The Tafea Nation declared independence from Vanuatu on 15 February 1980. On 26 May 1980, the movement was put down by the colonial authorities.[32]
  61. Umm al-Qaiwain
    .
  62. District of Columbia. 1 incorporated territory: Palmyra Atoll
    .
  63. ^ President Thomas Sankara of Upper Volta renamed his country Burkina Faso on 4 August 1984.[33]
  64. ^ Vanuatu became independent from an Anglo-French condominium on 30 July 1980.[34]
  65. ^ The Republic of Vemerana declared independence on 27 May 1980.[35]} The Condominium, with the aid of troops from Papua New Guinea authorities seized Luganville on 24 July 1980.[36]
  66. ^ President Jimmy Stevens of Vemerana was backed by the North American-based Phoenix Foundation.
  67. Federal Dependencies
    .
  68. ^ 6 republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia.
  69. ^ Zimbabwe attained its independence from the United Kingdom on 18 April 1980.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Constitution of Afghanistan" (PDF). Afghanistan. 1987. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-07-03. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  2. ^ "Central America :: Antigua and Barbuda — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 7 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Belize - the World Factbook". Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  4. ^ "East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Brunei — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 6 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Burma (09/04)". 3 September 2004. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b Ap (20 June 1989). "Burma Takes Another Name: Now, the Union of Myanmar". The New York Times.
  7. ^ a b . 29 December 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20051229035354/http://confinder.richmond.edu/admin/docs/Cameroon.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2005. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "1981 - The O'Malley Archives". omalley.nelsonmandela.org.
  9. ^ a b "Ethiopia - The 1987 Constitution". countrystudies.us.
  10. ^ a b Ap (7 October 1987). "Fiji Coup Leader Declares Republic". The New York Times.
  11. ^ a b "Proclamation by the Republic of Hungary (23 October 1989)". 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Côte d'Ivoire". www.worldstatesmen.org.
  13. ^ a b Carney, Timothy. Kampuchea in 1982: Political and Military Escalation, p. 76
  14. ^ a b Erlanger, Steven; Times, Special to The New York (2 May 1989). "Quayle Meets Sihanouk to Back Him". The New York Times.
  15. ^ a b "Libya". www.worldstatesmen.org.
  16. ^ "Marshall Islands (11/03)". 11 December 2003. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Australia - Oceania :: Micronesia, Federated States of — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 6 June 2022.
  18. ^ a b "ICL - New Zealand - Constitution Act 1986". www.servat.unibe.ch.
  19. ^ Palestinian Declaration of Independence
  20. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2010-05-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ a b "CEJSH Publication information". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  22. ISBN 0-203-40340-1
    . Retrieved 29 June 2023. 28 December 1989: The name of the country was changed by decree to Romania.
  23. ^ Binder, David; Times, Special to The New York (23 December 1989). "Upheaval in the East: Overview; Ceausescu Flees a Revolt in Rumania but Divided Security Forces Fight on". The New York Times.
  24. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2006-08-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ "Constitution rwandaise du 10 juin 1991, Digithèque MJP". mjp.univ-perp.fr.
  26. ^ CIA World Fact Book, 2004/"Rwanda"
  27. ^ "Rwanda". 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011.
  28. ^ "The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Rwanda". www.umsl.edu.
  29. ^ "Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu". 5 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009.
  30. ^ "Central America :: Saint Kitts and Nevis — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 8 June 2022.
  31. ^ a b "UNDP-POGAR: Arab Countries". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  32. ^ "Footnotes to History- T". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  33. ^ a b c "Upper Volta's Name Now Bourkina Fasso". The New York Times. Reuters. 4 August 1984.
  34. ^ "Australia - Oceania :: Vanuatu — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 6 June 2022.
  35. JSTOR 2759303
    .
  36. ^ "Vanuatu". www.worldstatesmen.org.
  37. ^ "Africa :: Zimbabwe — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 6 June 2022.
  38. ISBN 0-7546-4419-7
    "Australia, New Zealand, France, Norway and the United Kingdom reciprocally recognize the validity of each other's claims."
  39. ^ CIA – the World Factbook – Antarctica – accessed 19 January 2008
  40. ^ Bilateral relations with countries Archived 2008-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 22 December 2009
  41. ^ Chapter General of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (12 January 1998). Constitutional Charter and Code of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, promulgated 27 June 1961, revised by the Extraordinary Chapter General 28–30 April 1997, Article 3 "Sovereignty," Paragraph 1 (PDF). Rome: Tipografia Arte della Stampa. p. 11.
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