The Green Papers Worldwide
Independent Nation-States

Ordered by membership in UNITED NATIONS

(sort) (sort)   SORTED BY (sort)
NATION-STATE Date of
Independence
from membership in
UNITED NATIONS
previous membership in
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
the UNITED STATES
[of AMERICA]
"the U S [(of) A]"

[often called, simply, AMERICA]
4 July 1776
[effectively, 30 November 1782; practically, 4 March 1789 (with the effective date of the U.S. Constitution of 1787)]
BRITISH EMPIRE8 August 1945*
FRANCEAD 843FRANKISH EMPIRE31 August 1945*10 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal by pro-Axis "Vichy" government, 19 April 1941; notice rescinded within 2-year probationary period by anti-Axis "Free French", 16 April 1943]
the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC27 February 1844HAITI4 September 1945*29 September 1924
NICARAGUA15 September 1821
[effectively, 30 April 1838]
SPAIN6 September 1945*3 November 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 26 June 1936]
NEW ZEALAND26 September 1907
[de jure independence per the Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931; de facto independence upon its earlier seating in the LEAGUE OF NATIONS]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE19 September 1945*10 January 1920*
BRAZIL7 September 1822PORTUGAL21 September 1945*10 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 12 June 1926]
ARGENTINA9 July 1816
[declared, 25 May 1810]
SPAIN24 September 1945*18 July 1919*#
[never gave formal notice of withdrawal, but retired from first League Assembly, 4 December 1920, and indicated refusal to attend subsequent League Assemblies; re-ratified League Covenant, 1933, and resumed full participation]
EL SALVADOR15 September 1821
[effectively, 18 February 1841]
SPAIN26 September 1945*10 March 1920*#
[notice of withdrawal, 10 August 1938]
HAITI1 January 1804FRANCE27 September 1945*30 June 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 8 April 1942]
"Nationalist" CHINA [aka"TAIWAN"]12 February 1912
[date is that of the establishment of the Republic of CHINA on the mainland]
the "Nationalist" government was forced to flee the Mainland to TAIWAN in 194928 September 1945*
[continued to represent all of CHINA even after 1949, to 25 October 1971]
16 July 1920*
[as CHINA]
TURKEY29 October 1923replaced OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE28 September 1945*18 July 1932
DENMARKc. AD 940
[semi-reliable records from c. AD 795]
9 October 1945*8 March 1920*#
CHILE12 February 1818
[declared, 18 September 1810]
SPAIN11 October 1945*4 November 1919*#
[notice of withdrawal, 2 June 1938]
the PHILIPPINES4 July 1946
[earlier seating in the UNITED NATIONS did not confer de facto independence]
UNITED STATES [of AMERICA]
(had been a COMMONWEALTH freely-associated with same since 15 November 1935)
11 October 1945*
PARAGUAY14 May 1811SPAIN12 October 1945*26 December 1919*#
[notice of withdrawal, 24 February 1935]
CUBA10 December 1898
[effectively, 20 May 1902]
SPAIN15 October 1945*8 March 1920*
[the] LEBANON22 November 1943LEAGUE OF NATIONS "mandate" under administration of FRANCE15 October 1945*
IRAN31 August 1907
[known as PERSIA to 22 March 1935]
under protection of BRITISH and RUSSIAN EMPIRES16 October 1945*21 November 1919*#
LUXEMBOURG11 May 1867the NETHERLANDS17 October 1945*16 December 1920
SA’UDI ARABIA8 January 1926
[known as the HEJAZ and NEJD to 23 September 1932]
nominal suzerainty of the defunct OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE18 October 1945*
SYRIA17 April 1946
[part of the UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC: 1 February 1958 to 29 September 1961]
LEAGUE OF NATIONS "Mandate" under administration of FRANCE19 October 1945*
the UNITED KINGDOM
[(GREAT) BRITAIN]
"the U K"

[often commonly, but inaccurately, referred to as ENGLAND
(which is, in reality, only one part of the U K)]
1 May 1707formal unification of ENGLAND (with Wales) and SCOTLAND20 October 1945*10 January 1920*
EGYPT28 February 1922
[known as the UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC: 1 February 1958 to 2 September 1971]
BRITISH protection22 October 1945*26 May 1937
BELARUS25 August 1991
[known as BYELORUSSIA prior to independence]
SOVIET UNION24 October 1945*
POLAND10 November 1918
[10 - 11 November 1918]
RUSSIA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY and GERMANY24 October 1945*10 January 1920*
UKRAINE24 August 1991SOVIET UNION24 October 1945*
GREECE25 March 1821
[effectively, 14 September 1829]
OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE25 October 1945#30 March 1920*
INDIA15 August 1947
[earlier seatings in both the LEAGUE OF NATIONS and the UNITED NATIONS did not confer de facto independence]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE
(Republican government instituted 26 January 1950)
30 October 1945#10 January 1920*
PERU28 July 1821SPAIN31 October 1945#10 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 8 April 1939]
AUSTRALIA1 January 1901
[de jure independence per the Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931; de facto independence upon its earlier seating in the LEAGUE OF NATIONS]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE1 November 1945#10 January 1920*
COSTA RICA15 September 1821
[effectively, 15 April 1839]
SPAIN2 November 1945#16 December 1920
[notice of withdrawal, 24 December 1924]
LIBERIA26 July 1847private "colony" of the American Colonization Society2 November 1945#30 June 1920*
COLOMBIA17 December 1819
[declared, 20 July 1810]
SPAIN5 November 1945#16 February 1920*#
MEXICO16 September 1810
[effectively, 24 February 1821]
SPAIN7 November 1945#12 September 1931
SOUTH AFRICA31 May 1910
[de jure independence per the Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931; de facto independence upon its earlier seating in the LEAGUE OF NATIONS]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE
(Republican government instituted 31 May 1961)
7 November 1945#10 January 1920*
CANADA1 July 1867
[de jure independence per the Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931; de facto independence upon its earlier seating in the LEAGUE OF NATIONS]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE9 November 1945#10 January 1920*
ETHIOPIA
[Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Ya'Ityopya Federalawi Dimokrasiyawi Repeblik) is a secondarily official name]
26 October 1896
[known as ABYSSINIA to 16 July 1931]
ITALIAN protection13 November 1945#28 September 1923
PANAMA3 November 1903COLOMBIA13 November 1945#10 January 1920*
BOLIVIA6 August 1825ARGENTINA14 November 1945#10 January 1920*
VENEZUELA30 April 1830
[declared, 5 July 1811]
Greater COLOMBIA15 November 1945#3 March 1920*#
[notice of withdrawal, 11 July 1938]
GUATEMALA15 September 1821
[effectively, 13 April 1839]
SPAIN21 November 1945#10 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 13 May 1936]
NORWAY26 October 1905
[declared, 7 June 1905]
SWEDEN27 November 1945#5 November 1920*#
the NETHERLANDS25 July 1581SPAIN10 December 1945#9 March 1920*#
HONDURAS15 September 1821
[effectively, 5 November 1838]
SPAIN17 December 1945*3 November 1920*
[only Original Member that did not attend first League Assembly, Nov.-Dec. 1920; notice of withdrawal, 22 June 1936]
URUGUAY25 August 1825
[effectively, 27 August 1828]
BRAZIL [and ARGENTINA]18 December 1945#10 January 1920*
ECUADOR13 May 1830
[declared, 24 May 1822]
Greater COLOMBIA21 December 1945#28 September 1934
IRAQ3 October 1932LEAGUE OF NATIONS "Mandate" under administration of UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]21 December 1945#3 October 1932
BELGIUM4 October 1830the NETHERLANDS27 December 1945#10 January 1920*
AFGHANISTAN8 August 1919BRITISH protection (from 16 May 1879) [previously independent Afghan Emirate dates from 1747]19 November 194627 September 1934
ICELAND17 June 1944DENMARK19 November 1946
SWEDEN6 June 1523DENMARK19 November 19469 March 1920*#
THAILAND1438
[known as SIAM to June 1939]
unification of AYUTHIA and SUKHOTHAI16 December 194610 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal 7 May 1939]
PAKISTAN14 August 1947as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE
(Republican government instituted 23 March 1956)
30 September 1947
YEMEN8 November 1918
[OLD[NORTHERN]: 8 November 1918/ SOUTHERN: 30 November 1967 [unified, 22 May 1990]]
OLD[NORTHERN]: OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE/ SOUTHERN: UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]30 September 1947
[OLD[NORTHERN]: 30 September 1947/ SOUTHERN:14 December 1967]
MYANMA[R]
(BURMA)

[sometimes still translated as "Union of Burma", but MYANMA or MYANMAR are now official in English]
4 January 1948
[known as BURMA to 27 May 1989]
UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]19 April 1948
ISRAEL14 May 1948
[the "Jewish State" (as opposed to the "Arab State") upon division of PALESTINE by the UNITED NATIONS]
LEAGUE OF NATIONS "Mandate" of PALESTINE under administration of UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]11 May 1949
INDONESIA17 August 1945
[effectively, 27 December 1949]
NETHERLANDS28 September 1950
[notice of withdrawal, 21 January 1965; notice rescinded, 19 September 1966 (INDONESIA's initial action was never given cognizance by the United Nations Organization- thus: effectively, as well as officially, it never happened)]
ALBANIA28 November 1912
[independence restored, 29 November 1944 (from ITALY)]
OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE14 December 195516 December 1920
[annexation by ITALY, 12 April 1939, ended functional participation in the League]
AUSTRIA12 November 1918
[independence restored, 27 July 1955 (from Allied occupation following World War II)]
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (was western portion of "core" of that Habsburg Empire)14 December 195516 December 1920
[annexation by GERMANY, 13 March 1938, ended functional participation in the League]
BULGARIA5 October 1908OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE14 December 195516 December 1920
CAMBODIA9 November 1953
[known as KAMPUCHEA: 5 January 1976 to 3 February 1990]
FRANCE14 December 1955
FINLAND6 December 1917RUSSIA14 December 195516 December 1920
HUNGARY16 November 1918AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (was eastern portion of "core" of that Habsburg Empire)14 December 195518 September 1922
[notice of withdrawal, 11 April 1939]
IRELAND6 December 1921
[IRISH FREE STATE: to 29 December 1937; then EIRE (in English, IRELAND [although the use of 'EIRE' even in English was encouraged]): to 18 April 1949 (aka the IRISH REPUBLIC both before and after that date)]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE
(Republican government instituted 29 December 1937)
de jure independence per the Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931
14 December 195510 September 1923
ITALY17 March 1861[union of SARDINIA and the TWO SICILIES with other Italian States]14 December 195510 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 11 December 1937]
JORDAN25 May 1946LEAGUE OF NATIONS "mandate" under administration of UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]14 December 1955
LAOS22 October 1953FRANCE14 December 1955
LIBYA
['Jamahiriya' (a form of the Arabic word usually rendered 'Republic') is taken to mean 'State of the Masses']
24 December 1951BRITISH and FRENCH OCCUPATION after "liberation" from ITALY14 December 1955
NEPAL21 December 1923BRITISH protection14 December 1955
PORTUGAL25 July 1139[CASTILE &] LEON and remnants of UMMAYAD "Caliphate of Cordoba"14 December 19558 April 1920*
ROMANIA22 May 1881OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE14 December 19554 September 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 11 July 1940]
SPAIN19 January 1479unification of ARAGON and CASTILE through accession to the throne of the ruler of one while married to the ruler of the other14 December 195510 January 1920*#
[notice of withdrawal, 8 September 1926: notice rescinded within 2-year probationary period, 22 March 1928; final notice of withdrawal, 9 May 1939]
SRI LANKA4 February 1948
[known as CEYLON to 22 May 1972]
as a "Dominion" of the BRITISH EMPIRE
(Republican government instituted 22 May 1972)
14 December 1955
MOROCCO2 March 1956FRANCE12 November 1956
SUDAN1 January 1956"condominium" held jointly by UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN] and EGYPT12 November 1956
TUNISIA20 March 1956FRANCE12 November 1956
JAPAN660 BC
[traditional date of founding]
[reliable records from c. AD 592/3; semi-reliable records from c. 40 BC]18 December 195610 January 1920*
[notice of withdrawal, 27 March 1933]
GHANA6 March 1957as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS]
(Republican government instituted 1July 1960)
8 March 1957
MALAYSIA31 August 1957
[known as the MALAY FEDERATION to 16 December 1963]
BRITISH protection
(as an indigenous monarchy within the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS])
17 September 1957
GUINEA2 October 1958FRANCE12 December 1958
BENIN1 August 1960
[known as DAHOMEY to 30 November 1975]
FRANCE20 September 1960
BURKINA [FASO]5 August 1960
[known as UPPER VOLTA to 4 August 1984]
FRANCE20 September 1960
CÔTE d'IVOIRE [the IVORY COAST]7 August 1960
[IVORY COAST to November 1985]
FRANCE20 September 1960
CAMEROON1 January 1960UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of FRANCE20 September 1960
CHAD11 August 1960FRANCE20 September 1960
CONGO [Democratic Republic]
[often called CONGO-Kinshasa]
30 June 1960
[known as ZAIRE: 27 October 1971 to 29 May 1997]
BELGIUM20 September 1960
CONGO [Republic]
[often called CONGO-Brazzaville]
15 August 1960FRANCE20 September 1960
CYPRUS proper16 August 1960UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]20 September 1960
GABON17 August 1960FRANCE20 September 1960
MADAGASCAR26 June 1960
[known as the MALAGASY REPUBLIC to 21 December 1975]
FRANCE20 September 1960
NIGER3 August 1960FRANCE20 September 1960
SOMALIA1 July 1960UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN] & UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of ITALY20 September 1960
the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC13 August 1960
[CENTRAL AFRICAN EMPIRE: 4 December 1976 to 15 October 1979]
FRANCE20 September 1960
TOGO27 April 1960UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of FRANCE20 September 1960
MALI22 September 1960FRANCE28 September 1960
SENEGAL22 September 1960FRANCE28 September 1960
NIGERIA1 October 1960as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS]
(Republican government instituted 1 October 1963)
7 October 1960
SIERRA LEONE27 April 1961as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS]
(Republican government instituted 19 April 1971)
27 September 1961
MAURITANIA28 November 1960FRANCE27 October 1961
MONGOLIA13 March 1921CHINA27 October 1961
TANZANIA9 December 1961
[known as TANGANYIKA to 26 April 1964; then ("United Republic of") TANGANYIKA & ZANZIBAR to 29 October 1964]
UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]
(as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS] until Republican government was instituted 9 December 1962)
14 December 1961
BURUNDI1 July 1962UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of BELGIUM18 September 1962
JAMAICA6 August 1962as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS]18 September 1962
RWANDA1 July 1962UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of BELGIUM18 September 1962
TRINIDAD and TOBAGO31 August 1962as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH [OF NATIONS]
(Republican government instituted 1 August 1976)
18 September 1962
ALGERIA3 July 1962FRANCE8 October 1962
UGANDA9 October 1962as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH25 October 1962
KUWAIT19 June 1961BRITISH protection14 May 1963
KENYA12 December 1963as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH16 December 1963
MALAWI6 July 1964as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH1 December 1964
MALTA21 September 1964as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH1 December 1964
ZAMBIA24 October 1964UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]1 December 1964
SINGAPORE9 August 1965MALAYSIA21 September 1965
the MALDIVES26 July 1965BRITISH protection21 September 1965
[THE] GAMBIA18 February 1965UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]21 September 1965
GUYANA26 May 1966as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH20 September 1966
BOTSWANA30 September 1966UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]17 October 1966
LESOTHO4 October 1966UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]17 October 1966
BARBADOS30 November 1966as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH9 December 1966
MAURITIUS12 March 1968as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH24 April 1968
SWAZILAND6 September 1968UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]24 September 1968
EQUATORIAL GUINEA12 October 1968SPAIN12 November 1968
FIJI10 October 1970as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH13 October 1970
BAHRAIN15 August 1971BRITISH protection21 September 1971
BHUTAN8 August 1949under protection of INDIA21 September 1971
QATAR3 September 1971BRITISH protection21 September 1971
OMAN20 December 1951
[reaffirmed, 10 March 1962; effectively, 10 August 1970; known as MUSCAT AND OMAN to 23 July 1970]
BRITISH protection7 October 1971
Mainland ("Communist") CHINA [People's Republic]1 October 1949
[date is that of establishment of the People's Republic of CHINA]
CHINA, as an independent political entity, dates back to at least 221 BC25 October 1971
[on this date, replaced TAIWAN as the holders of the UN seat for CHINA]
the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
["the U A E"]
2 December 1971BRITISH protection9 December 1971
GERMANY18 January 1871
[divided into pro-Soviet EAST (7 October 1949 [effectively, 25 March 1954]) and pro-USofA WEST (23 May 1949 [effectively, 5 May 1955]); reunified, 3 October 1990]
[union of PRUSSIA with other smaller German States]18 September 1973
[separately, as EAST and WEST]
8 September 1926
[notice of withdrawal, 21 October 1933]
the BAHAMAS10 July 1973as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH18 September 1973
BANGLADESH26 March 1971PAKISTAN17 September 1974
GRENADA7 February 1974as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH17 September 1974
GUINEA-BISSAU10 September 1974PORTUGAL17 September 1974
CABO VERDE [CAPE VERDE]5 July 1975
[CAPE VERDE to October 2013]
PORTUGAL16 September 1975
MOZAMBIQUE25 June 1975PORTUGAL16 September 1975
SÃO TOMÉ and PRÍNCIPE12 July 1975PORTUGAL16 September 1975
PAPUA NEW GUINEA16 September 1975AUSTRALIA10 October 1975
the COMOROS6 July 1975FRANCE12 November 1975
SURINAME25 November 1975the NETHERLANDS4 December 1975
[the] SEYCHELLES29 June 1976UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]21 September 1976
ANGOLA11 November 1975PORTUGAL1 December 1976
[WESTERN] SAMOA1 January 1962
[known as WESTERN SAMOA to July 1997, then became- officially- SAMOA in English]
UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of NEW ZEALAND15 December 1976
DJIBOUTI27 June 1977FRANCE20 September 1977
VIET NAM2 September 1945
[divided into pro-Soviet NORTH and pro-USofA SOUTH, 21 July 1954; reunified, 2 July 1976]
FRANCE20 September 1977
the SOLOMON ISLANDS7 July 1978as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH19 September 1978
DOMINICA3 November 1978UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]18 December 1978
SAINT LUCIA22 February 1979as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH18 September 1979
ZIMBABWE18 April 1980UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]25 August 1980
SAINT VINCENT and the GRENADINES27 October 1979as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH16 September 1980
VANUATU30 July 1980"condominium" held jointly by FRANCE and UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]15 September 1981
BELIZE21 September 1981as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH25 September 1981
ANTIGUA and BARBUDA1 November 1981as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH11 November 1981
SAINT KITTS and NEVIS
[SAINT KITTS is also known as "SAINT CHRISTOPHER"]
19 September 1983as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH23 September 1983
BRUNEI [DARUSSALAM]
['Darussalam'= "Home of Peace"]
1 January 1984BRITISH protection21 September 1984
NAMIBIA21 March 1990LEAGUE OF NATIONS "Mandate"- continued to be held in defiance of the UNITED NATIONS- under administration of SOUTH AFRICA23 April 1990
LIECHTENSTEIN23 August 1866GERMANIC CONFEDERATION18 September 1990
ESTONIA6 September 1991
[declared, 8 May 1990
previous Independence (from RUSSIA): declared 28 November 1917, effective 24 February 1918]
SOVIET UNION17 September 199122 September 1921
[occupied by USSR, 16 June 1940; new pro-Soviet government "requested" incorporation into the SOVIET UNION, 21 July 1940: effected, 3 August 1940]
LATVIA6 September 1991
[declared, 4 May 1990
previous Independence (from RUSSIA): declared 12 January 1918, effective 18 November 1918]
SOVIET UNION17 September 199122 September 1921
[occupied by USSR, 16 June 1940; new pro-Soviet government "requested" incorporation into the SOVIET UNION, 21 July 1940: effected, 3 August 1940]
LITHUANIA6 September 1991
[declared, 11 March 1990
previous Independence (from RUSSIA): declared 11 December 1917, effective 16 February 1918]
SOVIET UNION17 September 199122 September 1921
[occupied by USSR, 16 June 1940; new pro-Soviet government "requested" incorporation into the SOVIET UNION, 21 July 1940: effected, 3 August 1940]
the MARSHALL ISLANDS21 October 1986
[declared, 1 May 1979; effectively, 22 December 1990]
UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of UNITED STATES [of AMERICA]17 September 1991
[NORTH] KOREA
(Democratic People's Republic)
9 September 1948SOVIET OCCUPATION after "liberation" from JAPAN17 September 1991
[SOUTH] KOREA (Republic)15 August 1948AMERICAN OCCUPATION after "liberation" from JAPAN17 September 1991
[the] MICRONESIA[N FEDERATION]3 November 1986
[declared, 10 May 1979; effectively, 22 December 1990]
UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of UNITED STATES [of AMERICA]17 September 1991
[the] RUSSIA[N FEDERATION]8 December 1991SOVIET UNION25 December 1991
ARMENIA23 September 1991
[declared, 23 August 1990]
SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
AZERBAIJAN30 August 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
KAZAKHSTAN16 December 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
KYRGYZSTAN31 August 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
MOLDOVA27 August 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
SAN MARINO22 March 1862
[traditionally, 3 September AD 301]
ITALY (confirming earlier recognitions of sovereignty by the PAPACY [1631] and FRANCE [1799])2 March 1992
TAJIKISTAN9 September 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
TURKMENISTAN27 October 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
UZBEKISTAN31 August 1991SOVIET UNION2 March 1992
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA3 March 1992
[since 1995, has consisted of two political 'entities': the BOSNIAN FEDERATION and the SERB REPUBLIC]
YUGOSLAVIA22 May 1992
CROATIA25 June 1991YUGOSLAVIA22 May 1992
SLOVENIA25 June 1991YUGOSLAVIA22 May 1992
GEORGIA9 April 1991SOVIET UNION31 July 1992
CZECHIA [the CZECH REPUBLIC]1 January 1993CZECHOSLOVAKIA19 January 1993
SLOVAKIA1 January 1993CZECHOSLOVAKIA19 January 1993
MACEDONIA17 November 1991
[declared, 8 September 1991]
YUGOSLAVIA8 April 1993
ERITREA24 May 1993ETHIOPIA28 May 1993
MONACO2 February 1861under protection of FRANCE28 May 1993
ANDORRA6 December 1288as a co-principality28 July 1993
PALAU [BELAU]1 October 1994
[as BELAU, declared: 9 July 1979 as being effective 1 January 1981]
UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under administration of UNITED STATES [of AMERICA]15 December 1994
KIRIBATI
[KIRIBATI is pronounced 'Kiribas']
12 July 1979UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]14 September 1999
NAURU31 January 1968UNITED NATIONS "Trust Territory" under joint administration of AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND and the UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]14 September 1999
TONGA4 June 1970BRITISH protection14 September 1999
TUVALU1 October 1978as a "Queen's Realm" of the [BRITISH] COMMONWEALTH5 September 2000
SERBIA4 February 2003
[originally as SERBIA and MONTENEGRO (itself replacing rump post-1992 YUGOSLAVIA)]
YUGOSLAVIA (= the SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE from 1918 to 1929)1 November 2000
[as YUGOSLAVIA (restoration of membership after expulsion on 22 September 1992)]
SWITZERLAND1 August 1291
[effectively, 4 November 1307]
original Confederation of URI, UNTERWALDEN and SCHWYZ10 September 20028 March 1920*#
TIMOR-LESTE [EAST TIMOR]20 May 2002INDONESIA [annexation of 17 July 1976 never recognized by former colonial power PORTUGAL]27 September 2002
MONTENEGRO3 June 2006SERBIA and MONTENEGRO (itself the replacement for the rump YUGOSLAVIA post-1992)28 June 2006
SOUTH SUDAN9 July 2011SUDAN14 July 2011
KOSOVO17 February 2008SERBIA
Northern CYPRUS15 November 1983Republic of CYPRUS
the VATICAN
[the "HOLY SEE"]
11 February 1929ITALY
 

Note

Sorting the dates of United Nations and/or League membership will not yield all the countries which have been members of those organizations. Sorting will only yield the chronological order of current members of the United Nations or still-existing countries that were once members of the League. For a complete list of current and no longer existing Nation-States which are or were once members of each organization, follow the links to the "Historical Rosters" at the bottom of this page.

UNITED NATIONS

*) indicates those countries that were signatories of the United Nations Charter (all belligerents in World War II on the side of the so-called "Allies" [opposed to the so-called "Axis" during that war]) at the close of the Conference on International Organization in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 (with the exception of POLAND, which formally signed the Charter on 15 October 1945) who actually brought the United Nations into being through their subsequent ratifications of that Charter.

The UN was to come into formal existence when all 5 Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (CHINA, Republic of; FRANCE; the UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS; the UNITED KINGDOM [BRITAIN]; the UNITED STATES [of AMERICA]) plus one more than half of the remaining 46 UN Charter signatories (that is, 24 "non-permanent" members) had formally ratified the United Nations Charter via their own respective constitutional procedures for ratifying treaties and thereafter deposited the instruments of (in other words, documents officially certifying) such ratifications according to the terms of the UN Charter-- this, therefore, meant that a minimum of 29 Member States (so long as this at least 29 included all 5 Permanent Members) needed to ratify the UN Charter in order for the United Nations to formally come into being.

This 5 + 24 ratification requirement was met on 24 October 1945 and, on that date, the United Nations- as an organization- was born. All 29 Member States which formally ratified the Charter by that date are considered Original Member States of the UN and officially date their membership in that organization from that date; however, in the chart above, the date given for these countries is that of the formal deposit of their ratifications of the Charter with the organization.

#) indicates those countries that were signatories of the United Nations Charter (all belligerents in World War II on the side of the so-called "Allies" [opposed to the so-called "Axis" during that war]) at the close of the Conference on International Organization in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 who ratified the Charter after the UN had formally come into existence on 24 October 1945.

While also considered Original Member States of the UN, these 22 countries date their official membership in that organization as the date of the formal deposit of their ratifications of the Charter with the organization, which is the date given in the chart above for these countries.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

*) indicates those countries that were considered to be Original Member States of the League of Nations. The date given in the table for these Original League Member States is that of the deposit of their declarations of accession to the Covenant of the League of Nations (adopted 28 April 1919) with the organization, which formally came into existence upon the effective date of the post-World War I Treaty of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919 (to which the Covenant of the League of Nations was appended), that effective date being 10 January 1920. The date of said deposit is that given in the chart above for these 42 countries.

#) in addition, 13 of the 42 Original Member States of the League of Nations were Neutrals (countries that had been non-belligerents during World War I) which, as a result of their status, were not signatories to the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919 but which were specifically invited to accede to the Covenant of the League in the Annex to the Covenant. In order to be considered Original Member States of the League, these Neutrals had to deposit their declarations of accession to the Covenant no later than two months after the formal coming into existence of the League(that is, no later than 10 March 1920).

[The remaining 29 Original Member States of the League (all belligerents in World War I on the side of the so-called "Allies and Associated Powers" [opposed to the so-called "Central Powers" during that war]) were considered to be Original Member States because they declared their accession to the Covenant of the League prior to the close of the First Session of the League Assembly on 18 December 1920... three signatories of the Treaty of Versailles- ECUADOR, the HEJAZ and the UNITED STATES of AMERICA (all belligerents in World War I on the side of the "Allies and Associated Powers")- failed to accede to the Covenant of the League of Nations and, therefore, were not considered to be Original Member States of the League even though they were named in the Annex to the Covenant. (Only one of these three- ECUADOR- would even subsequently join the League.)]

 
 


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