List of former European colonies

This is a list of former European colonies.

The European countries which had the most colonies throughout history were: United Kingdom (130), France (90), Portugal (52), Spain (44), Netherlands (29), Germany (20), Russia (17), Denmark (9), Sweden (8), Italy (7), Norway (6), Belgium (3), and Courland (2).

Denmark

 * Greenland
 * Danish West Indies

France

 * New France
 * Newfoundland
 * Île-Royale (Cape Breton Island)
 * Saint-Domingue (Haiti)
 * Acadia
 * Quebec
 * Guadeloupe

Great Britain

 * British America (New Britain)
 * Canada
 * Island of St. John
 * Rupert's Land (A private estate stretching from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and from the prairies to the Arctic Circle. )
 * Lower Canada
 * Province of Quebec
 * Upper Canada
 * Newfoundland Colony
 * "Thirteen Colonies"
 * New England Colonies:
 * Province of Massachusetts Bay
 * Province of New Hampshire
 * Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
 * Connecticut Colony
 * Province of New York
 * Province of New Jersey
 * Province of Pennsylvania
 * Delaware Colony
 * Province of Maryland
 * Colony of Virginia
 * Province of North Carolina
 * Province of South Carolina
 * Province of Georgia
 * Other North American colonies
 * Province of East Florida
 * Province of West Florida
 * Indian Reserve
 * Middle Colonies
 * Chesapeake Colonies
 * Southern Colonies
 * Oregon Country (disputed with France)
 * British Honduras
 * Mosquito Coast
 * Bay Islands

Iceland

 * Greenland
 * Vinland (Newfoundland?)

Netherlands

 * New Netherland (Nieuw-Amsterdam / New York)

Norway

 * Iceland
 * Greenland

Portugal

 * Claim to Labrador
 * Claim and settlement in Terra Nova (Newfoundland)

Russia

 * Fort Ross, California
 * Kauai
 * Russian Alaska

Scotland

 * Nova Scotia

Spain

 * México (1521)
 * Viceroyalty of New Spain (1535–1821)
 * Las Californias
 * Nuevo Reino de León
 * Nuevo Santander
 * Nueva Vizcaya
 * Santa Fe de Nuevo México
 * Nueva Extremadura
 * Nueva Galicia
 * Captaincy General of Cuba
 * Puerto Rico
 * Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)
 * Captaincy General of Guatemala
 * Costa Rica
 * El Salvador
 * East Florida and West Florida
 * Settlement at Nootka, near Vancouver Island, Canada

Sweden

 * New Sweden

Sweden-Norway

 * Sverdrup Islands (Claimed) (1902–1905)

Brandenburg

 * St Thomas

Courland

 * New Courland (Tobago)

Denmark-Norway

 * Saint John
 * Saint Thomas
 * Saint Croix

France

 * Anguilla
 * Antigua and Barbuda
 * Dominica
 * Grenada
 * Montserrat
 * Nevis
 * Saint Christophe (St Kitts)
 * Saint Croix
 * Saint-Domingue (Hispaniola)
 * Sainte-Lucia (St Lucia)
 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 * Sint Eustatius
 * Tobago

Knights of Malta

 * Saint Barthélemy
 * Saint Martin
 * Saint Christopher (St Kitts)
 * Saint Croix
 * Tortuga (off coast of Haiti)

Netherlands

 * Anegada
 * New Walcheren (Tobago)
 * Saint Croix
 * Tortola
 * Virgin Gorda

Portugal

 * Barbados

Scotland

 * Caledonia (Gulf of Darién)

Spain

 * Belize
 * Jamaica
 * Spanish West Indies
 * The Bahamas
 * Cuba
 * Hispaniola
 * Puerto Rico
 * Trinidad

Sweden

 * Saint-Barthélemy

Sweden-Norway

 * Cooper Island
 * Saint-Barthélemy (1814–1878)

United Kingdom

 * Bahamas
 * Barbados
 * Belize
 * Jamaica
 * Leeward Islands
 * Antigua and Barbuda
 * Dominica
 * Saint Christopher (St Kitts)-Nevis
 * Trinidad and Tobago
 * Windward Islands
 * Grenada
 * Saint Lucia
 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Portugal

 * Brazil
 * Cisplatina (Uruguay)
 * Sacramento
 * Misiones Orientales

Spain

 * Kingdom of Tierra Firme (1498-1537)
 * Governorate of New Andalusia (1501-1513)
 * Governorate of Castilla de Oro (1514-1539)
 * Governorate of New Castile (1529-1542)
 * Governorate of New Toledo (1529-1542)
 * Governorate of New León (1529-1539)
 * Governorate of New Andalusia (1534-1617)
 * Viceroyalty of Peru (1542-1824)
 * New Kingdom of Granada (1538-1717) (1723-1739)
 * Real Audiencia of Panamá (1538-1717) (1723-1739)
 * Governorate of Terra Australis (1539-1555)
 * Captaincy General of Chile (1541-1818)
 * Real Audiencia of Lima (1542-1821)
 * Governorate of the Río de la Plata (1549-1776)
 * Real Audiencia of Charcas (1559-1776)
 * Real Audiencia of Quito (1563-1717) (1723-1739)
 * Real Audiencia of Concepción (1565-1575)
 * Governorate of Guayrá (1617-1776)
 * Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires (1661-1671)
 * Real Audiencia of Cuzco (1787-1825)
 * Viceroyalty of New Granada (1717-1723) (1739-1810) (1815-1822)
 * Real Audiencia of Panamá (1717-1723) (1739-1752)
 * Real Audiencia of Quito (1717-1723) (1739-1822)
 * Captaincy General of Venezuela (1777-1824)
 * Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (1776-1814)
 * Governorate of Paraguay (1776-1782)
 * Real Audiencia of Charcas (1776-1821)
 * Upper Peru (1821-1825)

Netherlands

 * Berbice (Guyana)
 * Demerara
 * Dutch colonisation of the Guianas, overview
 * Surinam (Suriname)
 * Essequibo
 * New Holland (Brazil – Half the captaincies)

Augsburg/Nuremberg

 * Welserland (Venezuela)

France
(see France Antarctique and France Équinoxiale)
 * Brazil (Rio de Janeiro briefly, and São Luís briefly)
 * Iles Malouines (Falkland Islands)

United Kingdom

 * British Guiana
 * Berbice, Essequibo, Demerara
 * Surinam

Sweden-Norway

 * Grytviken (1904–1905)

Belgium

 * Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
 * Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi)

Brandenburg

 * Arguin (in Mauritania)
 * Brandenburger Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

Courland

 * St. Andrews Island (in the Gambia)

Denmark-Norway

 * Danish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

France

 * Albreda (in The Gambia)
 * Comoros
 * French Dahomey (Benin)
 * French Algeria
 * French Cameroon (91% of modern Cameroon)
 * French Chad
 * French Congo (Republic of the Congo)
 * French Guinea (Guinea)
 * French Upper Volta (Republic of Upper Volta, Burkina Faso)
 * French Somaliland (Djibouti)
 * French Sudan (Mali)
 * French Togoland (Togo)
 * French Madagascar
 * Gabon
 * Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
 * Colonial Mauritania
 * French protectorate in Morocco (89% of Morocco)
 * Oubangui-Chari (Central African Republic)
 * Senegal
 * Senegambia and Niger
 * Upper Senegal and Niger
 * Colony of Niger
 * French protectorate of Tunisia

Germany

 * German East Africa (Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania)
 * German South-West Africa (Namibia)
 * Kamerun (split between Cameroon and Nigeria)
 * Togoland (split between Togo and Ghana)
 * Wituland (Lamu Island, owned by Kenya)

Hospitaller Malta

 * Tripoli

Italy

 * Italian East Africa
 * Italian Eritrea
 * Italian Somaliland (now Somalia)
 * Italian Libya

Netherlands

 * Arguin Island (in Mauritania)
 * Dutch Cape Colony
 * Dutch Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana, including El Mina)
 * Dutch Loango-Angola (Luanda, Sonyo and Cabinda)
 * Gorée (Senegal)
 * Moçambique (Delagoa Bay)
 * São Tomé
 * South Africa
 * Mauritius

Portugal

 * Ajuda (Whydah, in Benin)
 * Portuguese Angola
 * Annobón
 * Cabinda
 * Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
 * Ceuta
 * Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá
 * Gorée (in Senegal)
 * Malindi
 * Mombasa
 * Algarve Ultramar (Morocco)
 * Agadir
 * Alcacer Ceguer
 * Arzila
 * Azamor
 * Mazagan
 * Mogador
 * Safim
 * Nigeria (Lagos area)
 * Mozambique
 * Portuguese Gold Coast (settlements along coast of Ghana)
 * Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau)
 * Quíloa
 * São Tomé and Príncipe
 * Tangier
 * Zanzibar
 * Ziguinchor

Russia

 * Sagallo

Spain

 * Bona
 * Bougie
 * Jerba
 * Fernando Po and Annobon (insular Equatorial Guinea)
 * Oran
 * Port Guinea
 * Río Muni (mainland Equatorial Guinea)
 * Spanish Protectorate in Morocco
 * Spanish West Africa
 * Río de Oro
 * Saguia el-Hamra
 * Tarfaya Strip
 * Ifni

Sweden

 * Swedish Gold Coast (coastal settlements in Ghana)

United Kingdom

 * Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Sudan)
 * Basutoland (Lesotho)
 * Balleland (Benin)
 * Bechuanaland (Botswana)
 * British East Africa (Kenya)
 * British Somaliland (Somaliland)
 * British Togoland (eastern Ghana)
 * British Cameroon (split between Nigeria and Cameroon)
 * British Mauritius
 * British Egypt
 * Khedivate of Egypt
 * Sultanate of Egypt
 * Kingdom of Egypt
 * Gambia Colony and Protectorate
 * Gold Coast (Ghana)
 * Colonial Nigeria
 * Niger Coast Protectorate
 * Northern Nigeria Protectorate
 * Southern Nigeria Protectorate
 * Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
 * Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
 * Nyasaland (Malawi)
 * Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate
 * Union of South Africa
 * British Cape Colony
 * Natal Colony
 * Orange River Colony
 * Transvaal Colony
 * South West Africa (Namibia)
 * Walvis Bay
 * Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
 * Swaziland (Eswatini)
 * Tanganyika Territory (mainland Tanzania)
 * Uganda Protectorate
 * Sultanate of Zanzibar (insular Tanzania)

France

 * Syria
 * Lebanon

Netherlands

 * Jemen, Al Mukha (Mocca)
 * Mesopotamia (Iraq, Al Basrah)

Portugal

 * Aden
 * Bandar Abbas (Iran)
 * Hormuz
 * Manama (Bahrain)
 * Muharraq Island (Bahrain)
 * Muscat (Oman)
 * Qeshm

United Kingdom

 * Aden Protectorate
 * Bahrain
 * Cyprus
 * Mandatory Iraq
 * Sheikhdom of Kuwait
 * Muscat and Oman
 * Palestine
 * Qatar
 * South Arabia
 * Emirate of Transjordan
 * Trucial States

France

 * French Comoros
 * Isle de France (now Mauritius)
 * French Madagascar
 * French Seychelles

Netherlands

 * Dutch Mauritius (now Mauritius)

Portugal

 * Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep)
 * Maldive Islands
 * Socotra

Austria

 * Banquibazar & Cabelon
 * Nicobar Islands

United Kingdom

 * Mauritius
 * Seychelles
 * Maldives

Denmark-Norway

 * Frederik Oerne Islands (Nicobar Islands)
 * Serampore
 * Tranquebar

France

 * French India
 * Pondicherry
 * Karikal
 * Yanaon
 * Mahé
 * Chandernagore

Netherlands

 * Dutch Bengal
 * Ceylon
 * Dutch India (Dutch Bengal, Suratte, Malabar, Coromandel)

Portugal

 * Bombay
 * Calicut
 * Cambay
 * Cannanore
 * Ceilão
 * Chaul
 * Chittagong
 * Cochin
 * Dadra and Nagar Haveli
 * Daman and Diu
 * Goa
 * Hughli
 * Masulipatnam
 * Mangalore
 * Surat
 * Syriam

Sweden

 * Parangipettai

United Kingdom

 * Territories of the EIC till 1858
 * Territories of the British Raj after 1858

Austria

 * North Borneo
 * Tianjin

Belgium

 * Tianjin (concession territory)

France

 * East Asia
 * Kwang-Chou-Wan (廣州灣) leased territory, now the city of Zhanjiang (Guangdong province)
 * French settlements (French Concession of Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, and Hankou)
 * French zone of influence officially recognized by China over the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong
 * Indochina
 * Cambodia
 * Laos
 * Vietnam
 * Annam
 * Cochinchina
 * Tonkin
 * New Hebrides (Vanuatu, condominium with Britain)

Germany

 * Bismarck Archipelago
 * Caroline Islands (Karolinen)
 * German New Guinea
 * Gilbert Islands
 * German Samoa
 * Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory
 * Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
 * Marshall Islands
 * Nauru
 * North Solomon Islands
 * Northern Marianas Islands (Marianen)
 * Palau
 * Tianjin

Italy

 * Tianjin (concession)

Netherlands

 * Burma (Myanmar) (Mrohaung (Arakan), Siriangh, Syriam, Ava, Martaban)
 * Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
 * Dutch New Guinea (Western Part of Papua, Indonesia)
 * Malacca
 * Dutch Formosa
 * Dejima

Portugal

 * Flores
 * Macau
 * Malacca
 * Moluccas
 * Ambon
 * Ternate
 * Tidore
 * Portuguese Timor (Timor-Leste)
 * Portuguese Nagasaki
 * Solor

Spain

 * Spanish East Indies
 * Philippines
 * Marianas Islands
 * Guam
 * Northern Marianas Islands
 * Caroline Islands
 * Marshall Islands

United Kingdom

 * Australia
 * New South Wales
 * Queensland
 * South Australia
 * Swan River Colony/Western Australia
 * Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
 * Victoria
 * British Solomon Islands
 * British Western Pacific Territories
 * Christmas Island
 * Cocos Islands
 * Colonial Fiji
 * Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Kiribati & Tuvalu)
 * Hawaii (formerly Sandwich Islands)
 * Kingdom of Rarotonga (Cook Islands)
 * New Hebrides (Vanuatu, condominium with France)
 * New Zealand
 * Auckland Islands
 * Niue
 * Norfolk Island
 * Territory of Papua and New Guinea
 * Territory of New Guinea
 * Western Samoa
 * Phoenix Islands (part of Kiribati)
 * Solomon Islands
 * Territory of Papua
 * Tokelau
 * Tonga
 * Southeast Asia
 * Malaysia
 * British Malaya
 * Federated Malay States
 * Straits Settlements
 * Unfederated Malay States
 * British Borneo
 * North Borneo
 * Kingdom of Sarawak
 * Brunei
 * Bonin Islands (Japan)
 * Singapore
 * China
 * Hong Kong
 * Jiujiang (British concession territory)
 * Weihaiwei (leased to the British government)
 * Shanghai International Settlement (merger of the British and American concessions and residency in Shanghai)
 * Tianjin (British concession territory)
 * Canton (British concession territory)

France

 * Adélie Land
 * Amsterdam Island (New Amsterdam)
 * Crozet Islands
 * French Southern and Antarctic Lands
 * Kerguelen Islands
 * Saint Paul Island

Germany

 * New Swabia

Norway

 * Bouvet Island
 * Peter I Island
 * Queen Maud Land

Spain

 * Governorate of Terra Australis (1539-1555)

United Kingdom

 * British Antarctic Territory
 * Falkland Islands Dependencies
 * South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Denmark

 * Iceland

Italy

 * Albania
 * Dodecanese

Spain

 * Spanish Netherlands
 * Franche-Comté
 * Kingdom of Portugal
 * Duchy of Milan
 * Kingdom of Naples
 * Kingdom of Sicily

United Kingdom

 * Corsica (the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom was a protectorate of Britain, now part of France)
 * Cyprus
 * Ionian islands (now part of Greece)
 * Ireland
 * Malta
 * Menorca (now part of Spain)
 * Heligoland (now part of Germany)