Over time, many countries have vanished from the world map. Some were lost through wars, others through peaceful changes or economic struggles. This article discusses a few of these former countries and the reasons they are no longer in existence.
1. Prussia
Prussia is a historic state originating in Brandenburg, an area that, for centuries, had a substantial influence on German and European history. The last capital of Prussia was Berlin. The Kingdom ended in 1918 along with other German monarchies that were terminated by the German Revolution. In the Weimar Republic, the Free State of Prussia lost nearly all of its legal and political importance following the 1932 coup led by Franz von Papen. Subsequently, it was effectively dismantled into Nazi German Gaue in 1935.
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2. Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia is a former country in central Europe encompassing the historical lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia. Czechoslovakia was formed from several provinces of the collapsing empire of Austria-Hungary in 1918, at the end of World War I. In the interwar period, it became the most prosperous and politically stable state in Eastern Europe. It was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1938 – 1945 and was under Soviet domination from 1948 to 1989. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia separated peacefully into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
3. Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia, also known as Greater Colombia, and officially the Republic of Colombia was a state encompassing much of northern South America and part of southern North America (aka southern Central America) from 1819 to 1831. It included present-day Colombia, mainland Ecuador (i.e. excluding the Galápagos Islands), Panama, and Venezuela, along with parts of northern Peru, and northwestern Brazil, and claimed the Essequibo region.
Gran Colombia was dissolved in 1831 due to political differences that existed between supporters of federalism and centralism, as well as regional tensions among the people that made up the republic.
4. Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, which is often called the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was established in 1867. It was ruled over by the Habsburg Dynasty, one of the most powerful ruling dynasties in the history of Europe.
Austria-Hungary does not exist today. Its lands were divided into a number of smaller independent countries. These include all or parts of the present-day countries of Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, and Italy.
5. Ceylon
Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations from 1948 to 1972 that shared a monarchy with other dominions of the Commonwealth. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka.
6. Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was named for Osman I (1259–1326), a Turkish Muslim prince in Bithynia who conquered neighbouring regions once held by the Seljūq dynasty. Ottoman power began to decline in the late 16th century. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany in World War I (1914–18); postwar treaties dissolved the empire, and in 1922 the sultanate was abolished by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who proclaimed the Republic of Turkey the following year.
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7. Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by area, extending across eleven time zones and sharing borders with twelve countries, and the third-most populous country. The Soviet Union had its origins in the Russian Revolution of 1917 and it ceased to exist on December 31, 1991.
Other former countries include Abyssinia, Bengal, Yugoslavia, Burma, East Germany, Tibet, Ethiopian Empire, Corsica, Sikkim, South Vietnam, Texas, Wales, Confederate States of America, East Pakistan, Hawaii, Newfoundland, Rhodesia, and Catalonia.
