Timeline of country and capital changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a timeline of country and capital changes around the world since 1001 CE. It includes dates of independence, changes in country name, changes in capital city, and changes in territory. See the Timeline of ancient country changes for earlier events.
[edit] 2000s
[edit] 1990s
[edit] 1980s
[edit] 1970s
[edit] 1960s
[edit] 1950s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | October 15 | The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) gains autonomy within the French Community. Antananarivo is the capital. |
| October 2 | The Republic of Guinea becomes independent from the French Republic. Conakry is the capital. | |
| July 14 | The Republic of Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are created from the dissolution of the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan. Baghdad remains the capital of Iraq. Amman is again the capital of Jordan. | |
| February 14 | The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan unite to form the Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan. Amman yields to Baghdad as the capital. | |
| February 1 | The Egyptian Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic unite to form the United Arab Republic. Damascus yields to Cairo as the capital. | |
| 1957 | August 31 | The Federation of Malaya becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Kuala Lumpur is the capital. |
| March 6 | The Republic of Ghana becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Accra is the capital. | |
| 1956 | June 18 | The Egyptian Republic declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom. Cairo remains the capital. |
| March 23 | The Dominion of Pakistan declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom and declare Islamic republic. And changes its name to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Karachi remains the capital. | |
| March 20 | The Tunisian Republic becomes independent from the French Republic. Tunis is the capital. | |
| March 2 | The Kingdom of Morocco becomes independent from the French Republic. Rabat is the capital. | |
| January 1 | The Republic of Sudan becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Khartoum is the capital. Egypt relinquishes its claim over Sudan. | |
| 1955 | The Kingdom of Bhutan makes Thimphu the sole capital. | |
| May 15 | The Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) regains its independence. Allied occupation ends. Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital. | |
| 1954 | December 20 | The French Republic recognizes the independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Phnom Penh remains the capital. |
| July 20 | The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) become independent from the French Republic. Hanoi and Saigon are the respective capitals. | |
| 1953 | November 9 | The Kingdom of Cambodia declares its independence from the French Republic. Phnom Penh is the capital. |
| June 13 | The Egyptian Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Egypt. Cairo remains the capital. | |
| 1952 | July 22 | The Republic of Poland changes its name to the Polish People's Republic. Warsaw remains the capital. |
| 1951 | December 24 | The United Kingdom of Libya becomes independent from a United Nations trusteeship, having been jointly administered by the French Republic and the United Kingdom. Tripoli is the capital. |
| May 23 | The People's Republic of China annexes Tibet. | |
| February 15 | The Republic of Poland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics exchange territory along their common border. | |
| 1950 | August 17 | the Republic of the United States of Indonesia becomes a unitary states and changes its name back to Republic of Indonesia. Jakarta remains the capital |
| January 26 | The Union of India declares its complete independence from the United Kingdom and declare Republic. And changes its name to the Republic of India. New Delhi remains the capital. |
[edit] 1940s
[edit] 1930s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | July 10 | The third German Empire changes its name to the Greater German Empire. Berlin remains as the capital. |
| April 1 | The second Spanish Republic is superseded by the Spanish State. Madrid remains the capital. | |
| 1938 | March 13 | The third German Empire absorbs the Federal State of Austria in Anschluss. Vienna yields to Berlin as the capital. |
| 1937 | The Irish Free State changes its name to Ireland. Dublin remains the capital. | |
| 1934 | The third German Empire supersedes the second German Empire. Berlin remains the capital. | |
| 1932 | October 3 | The Iraqi Kingdom (Iraq) becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Baghdad is the capital. |
| September 13 | The Socialist Republic of Chile changes its name back to the Republic of Chile. Santiago remains the capital. | |
| June 4 | The Republic of Chile changes its name to the Socialist Republic of Chile. Santiago remains the capital. | |
| 1931 | December 11 | Canada becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Ottawa is the capital. |
| April 14 | The Kingdom of Spain is superseded by the second Spanish Republic. Madrid remains the capital. |
[edit] 1920s
[edit] 1910s
[edit] 1900s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | August 5 | The Kingdom of Bulgaria becomes independent from the Ottoman Empire. Sofia is the capital. |
| 1907 | December 17 | Ugyen Wangchuck establishes the Kingdom of Bhutan. Punakha is the winter capital and Thimphu is the summer capital. |
| September 26 | New Zealand becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Wellington is the capital. | |
| 1905 | October 26 | The Kingdom of Sweden recognises the independence of the Kingdom of Norway. |
| June 7 | The Kingdom of Norway declares independence from the Kingdom of Sweden through dissolution of the personal union. Kristiania is the capital. | |
| 1903 | November 11 | The Republic of Bolivia and the Republic of the United States of Brazil sign the Treaty of Petrópolis. Bolivia receives land in Mato Grosso from Brazil, and Brazil receives the State of Acre from Bolivia. |
| November 3 | The Republic of Panama becomes independent from Colombia. Panama City is the capital. | |
| 1902 | May 20 | The Republic of Cuba becomes independent from the Kingdom of Spain. Havana is the capital. |
| 1901 | January 1 | The Commonwealth of Australia becomes independent from the United Kingdom. Melbourne is the capital until 1927. |
[edit] 1890s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1898 | The Republic of Bolivia moves its administrative capital from Sucre to La Paz. Sucre remains the constitutional and judicial capital. | |
| July 7 | The United States of America annexes the Republic of Hawaiʻi as the U.S. Territory of Hawaii. | |
| 1895 | October 23 | The Republic of Formosa is conquered by the Empire of Japan. |
| June 12 | The Republica Filipina declares independence from Kingdom of Spain. | |
| June | The Republic of Formosa moves its capital from Taipei to Tainan. | |
| May 23 | The Republic of Formosa declares independence from the Qing Dynasty of China. Taipei is its capital. | |
| 1894 | July 4 | The Republic of Hawaiʻi supersedes the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Honolulu remains the capital. |
[edit] 1880s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1889 | November 15 | The Republic of the United States of Brazil supersedes the Empire of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro remains the capital. |
| 1888 | The Republic of Honduras moves its capital from Comayagua to Tegucigalpa, ending a century of indecision as to the country's capital. | |
| 1886 | Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia founds Addis Ababa, which becomes the new capital of that country. | |
| 1882 | March 6 | The Kingdom of Serbia supersedes the Principality of Serbia. Belgrade remains the capital. |
[edit] 1870s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1879 | July 9 | The Tsardom of Bulgaria supersedes the Principality of Bulgaria. Veliko Turnovo remains the capital. |
| 1878 | May 21 | The Principality of Romania becomes independent from the Ottoman Empire. Bucharest is the capital. |
| March 3 | The Principality of Bulgaria is established by the Treaty of San Stefano. Veliko Turnovo is the capital. | |
| 1874 | December 29 | The restored Kingdom of Spain supersedes the first Spanish Republic. Madrid remains the capital. |
| 1873 | February 11 | The first Spanish Republic supersedes the Kingdom of Spain. Madrid remains the capital. |
| 1871 | January 1 | The second German Empire supersedes the North German Confederation. Berlin remains the capital. |
| 1870 | September 4 | The third French Republic supersedes the second French Empire. Paris remains the capital. |
[edit] 1860s
[edit] 1850s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1853 | March | The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom establishes its capital at Tianjing. |
| 1852 | December 2 | The second French Empire supersedes the second French Republic. Paris remains the capital. |
| September 11 | The Province of Buenos Aires secedes from the Argentine Confederation. The confederation moves its capital to Paraná. | |
| 1851 | January 11 | The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom becomes independent from the Qing Dynasty of China. |
[edit] 1840s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1848 | February 24 | The second French Republic supersedes the Kingdom of France. Paris remains the capital. |
| 1847 | July 26 | The Republic of Liberia becomes independent from the United States of America. Monrovia is the capital. |
| 1844 | April 25 | The Republic of Chile becomes independent from the Kingdom of Spain. Santiago is the capital. |
| February 27 | The Dominican Republic becomes independent from Haiti. Santo Domingo is the capital. | |
| 1845 | December 29 | The Republic of Texas joins the United States of America as the State of Texas. |
| The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi moves its capital from Lāhainā to Honolulu. |
[edit] 1830s
[edit] 1820s
[edit] 1810s
[edit] 1800s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1808 | March 7 | The Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves moves the capital from Lisbon to exile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| 1806 | August 6 | Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, dissolves the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. |
| July 25 | Napoleon I of France establishes the Confederation of the Rhine. Frankfurt is the capital. | |
| June 5 | The Kingdom of Holland (Netherlands) supersedes the Batavian Republic. Amsterdam remains the capital. | |
| 1804 | August 11 | Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, establishes the Austrian Empire. Vienna is the capital. |
| May 18 | The first French Empire supersedes the first French Republic. Paris remains the capital. | |
| 1801 | January 1 | Haiti becomes independent from the French Republic. Port-au-Prince is the capital. |
| The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland unite to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Dublin yields to London as the capital. | ||
| 1800 | November 17 | The United States of America establishes its permanent capital at Washington City. |
[edit] 1790s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1797 | April 17 | The House of Habsburg annexes the Republic of Venice. |
| 1795 | January 19 | The Batavian Republic supersedes the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. Amsterdam remains the capital. |
| 1792 | September 21 | The first French Republic supersedes the Kingdom of France. Paris remains the capital. |
| 1791 | March 4 | The Vermont Republic joins the United States of America as the State of Vermont. |
| 1790 | December 7 | The United States of Belgium capitulates to the House of Habsburg. |
| January 11 | The United States of Belgium declares its independence from the House of Habsburg. Brussels is the capital. |
[edit] 1780s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1783 | September 3 | The Kingdom of Great Britain recognizes the independence of the United States of America. Princeton is the temporary capital. |
[edit] 1770s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1777 | July 8 | The Republic of New Connecticut changes its name to the Vermont Republic. Windsor remains the capital. |
| June 4 | The Republic of New Connecticut moves its capital to Windsor. | |
| January 15 | The Republic of New Connecticut declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Westminster is the temporary capital. | |
| 1776 | July 4 | The United States of America declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Philadelphia is the first of eight cities that will serve as temporary capital until 1800. |
[edit] 1760s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1768 | December 21 | Prithvi Narayan Shah founds the Kingdom of Nepal. Kathmandu is the capital. |
[edit] 1700s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1707 | May 1 | The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland unite to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. Edinburgh yields to London as the capital. |
[edit] 1660s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1660 | May 27 | The Kingdom of Sweden cedes Trøndelag to the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths as part of the Treaty of Copenhagen. |
| April 4 | The restored Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland supersede the republican Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. London, Edinburgh, and Dublin are the respective capitals. |
[edit] 1650s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1658 | February 26 | The Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths cedes Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm, Båhus and Trøndelag to the Kingdom of Sweden as part of the Treaty of Roskilde. |
| December 16 | The Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland supersedes the Commonwealth of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland. Edinburgh and Dublin yield to London as the capital. |
[edit] 1640s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1649 | May 19 | The republican Commonwealth of England supersedes the Kingdom of England. London remains the capital. |
| 1645 | August 13 | The Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths cedes Jämtland, Härjedalen, Idre & Särna, Gotland, Ösel and Halland, the latter for a period of 30 years, to the Kingdom of Sweden as part of the Treaty of Brömsebro. |
| 1644 | October 30 | The Qing Dynasty of China supersedes the Ming Dynasty. Beijing remains the capital. |
[edit] 1630s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1635 | Fasilides makes Gondar the first permanent capital of Ethiopia since the fall of the Zagwe Dynasty |
[edit] 1580s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1581 | July 26 | The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands declares its independence from the Kingdom of Spain. Amsterdam is the capital. |
[edit] 1560s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1569 | July 1 | The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania unite to form the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Vilnius yields to Kraków as the capital. |
[edit] 1540s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1542 | The Kingdom of Ireland supersedes the feudal Lordship of Ireland. Dublin remains the capital. | |
| The Kingdom of England annexes the Principality of Wales. |
[edit] 1530s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1532 | The Kingdom of France annexes the Duchy of Brittany. |
[edit] 1420s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1421 | The Ming Dynasty of China moves its capital from Nanjing to Beijing. |
[edit] 1360s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1368 | The Ming Dynasty supersedes the Yuan Dynasty of China. Nanjing is the capital. |
[edit] 1270s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1279 | March 19 | The Song Dynasty is conquered by the Yuan Dynasty of China. |
| 1272 | The Yuan Dynasty of China moves its capital from Shangdu to Dadu. | |
| 1272 | August 10 | Yekuno Amlak overthrows the Zagwe dynasty, establishing the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia. Lalibela ceases to be the capital, and the Emperor of Ethiopia rules from a continually moving encampment around his domains for the following centuries. |
[edit] 1210s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1216 | Llywelyn the Great establishes the Principality of Wales. Garth Celyn remains the capital. |
[edit] 1180s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1185 | The Second Bulgarian Empire becomes independent from the Byzantine Empire under Peter IV of Bulgaria. |
[edit] 1130s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1139 | The Kingdom of Portugal becomes independent from the Kingdom of León. |
[edit] 1120s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1127 | The Song Dynasty of China moves its capital from Bianjing to Lin'an. |
[edit] 1090s
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1097 | King William II moves the capital of the Kingdom of England to London. |
[edit] Before 1001
See the Timeline of ancient country changes for country and capital changes prior to 1001 AD.
earlier 1000s 1100s 1200s 1300s 1400s 1500s 1600s 1700s 1800s 1900s 2000s
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
[edit] See also
| Human history |
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| ↑ before Homo (Pliocene) |
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| see also: Modernity, Futurology |
| ↓Future |
| Lists of capitals |
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- City-state
- Commonwealth
- Country
- Dynasty
- Empire
- History of the world
- Kingdom
- List of Asian country name changes
- List of countries in chronological order of achieving statehood
- List of extinct states
- List of sovereign states by formation date
- Nation
- Republic
- Sovereign state
- Timeline of ancient country changes before 1001 AD

