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The United Nations and Decolonization

Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories (1945-1999)

The following Territories have been subject to United Nations Trusteeship Agreements or were listed by the General Assembly as Non-Self-Governing. Dates show the year of independence or other change in a Territory's status, after which information was no longer submitted to the United Nations.

- Administering States -

 

| AUSTRALIA | BELGIUM | DENMARK | FRANCE | ITALY | NETHERLANDS |
| NEW ZEALAND | PORTUGAL | SOUTH AFRICA | SPAIN | UNITED KINGDOM | UNITED STATES |

 

Administering Power/ Authority

Territory

Status

Year

 
 
 
 

Australia

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Change in Status

1984

Papua

Independence as Papua New Guinea

1975

Nauru
Trust Territory

Independence

1968

New Guinea
Trust Territory

Independence as Papua New Guinea

1975

 
 
 
 

Belgium

Belgian Congo

Independence as Congo Leopoldville, then Zaire
Now Democratic Republic of the Congo

1960

Ruanda-Urundi
Trust Territory

Independence as Burundi

1962

Independence as Rwanda
1962
 
 
 
 

Denmark

Greenland

Change in Status

1954

 
 
 
 

France

French Equatorial Africa

Independence as Chad

1960

Independence as Gabon
1960
(Middle Congo)
Independence as Congo (Brazzaville)
Now Republic of the Congo
1960
(Ubangi Shari)
Independence as Central African Republic
1960

French Establishments in India

Change in Status

1947

French Establishments in Oceania

Change in Status

1947

French Guiana

Change in Status

1947

French Somaliland

Independence as Djibouti

1977

French West Africa

Independence as Dahomey
Now Benin

1960

(French Guinea)
Independence as Guinea
1958
(French Sudan)
Independence as Mali
1960
Independence as Ivory Coast
1960
Independence as Mauritania
1960
(Niger Colony)
Independence as Niger
1960
Independence as Senegal
1960
Independence as Upper Volta
Now Burkina-Faso
1960

Guadeloupe and Dependencies

Change in Status

1947

Indo-China

Independence as Cambodia

1953

Independence as Laos
1949
Independence as Viet Nam
1945

Madagascar and Dependencies

Independence as Madagascar

1960

Independence as Comoros
1975

Martinique

Change in Status

1947

Morocco

Independence

1956

New Caledonia 1 and Dependencies

Change in Status

1947

New Hebrides
(Under Anglo-French Condominium)

Independence as Vanuatu

1980

Reunion

Change in Status

1947

St. Pierre and Miquelon

Change in Status

1947

Tunisia

Independence

1956

Cameroons
Trust Territory

Independence as Cameroon

1960

French Togoland
Trust Territory

Independence as Togo

1960

 
 
 
 

Italy

Somaliland
Trust Territory

Independence as Somalia (joined with British Somaliland)

1960

 
 
 
 

Netherlands

Netherlands Indies

Independence as Indonesia

1949

Netherlands New Guinea

Joined with Indonesia as Irian Jaya

1963

Netherlands Antilles

Change in Status

1951

Surinam

Change in Status

1951

Independence as Suriname
1975
 
 
 
 

New Zealand

Cook Islands

Change in Status

1965

Niue Island

Change in Status

1974

Western Samoa
Trust Territory

Independence as Samoa

1962

 
 
 
 

Portugal

Angola, including the enclave of Cabinda

Independence

1975

Cape Verde Archipelago

Independence as Cape Verde

1975

Goa and Dependencies

Change in Status

1961

Portuguese Guinea

Independence as
Guinea Bissau

1974

Macau and Dependencies

Change in Status

1972

Mozambique

Independence

1975

Sao Joمo Batista de Ajuda

Change in Status

1961

Sao Tome and Principe

Independence

1975

East Timor 2

Independence as Timor Leste

2002

 
 
 
 

South Africa

South West Africa

General Assembly terminated South Africa’s mandate

1966

Independence as Namibia
1990
 
 
 
 

Spain

Fernando Póo and Rí Muni

Independence as Equatorial Guinea

1968

Ifni

Change in Status

1969

 
 
 
 

United Kingdom

Aden Colony and Protectorate

Independence as South Yemen

1967

Bahamas

Independence

1973

Barbados

Independence

1966

Basutoland

Independence as Lesotho

1966

Bechuanaland Protectorate

Independence as Botswana

1966

British Guiana

Independence as Guyana

1966

British Honduras

Independence as Belize

1981

British Somaliland

Independence as Somalia (joined with Italian Somaliland)

1960

Brunei

Independence
Now Brunei Darussalam

1984

Cyprus

Independence

1960

Fiji

Independence

1970

Gambia

Independence as The Gambia

1965

Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony

Independence as Kiribati

1979

Independence as Tuvalu
1978

Gold Coast Colony and Protectorate

Independence as Ghana

1957

Hong Kong

Change in Status

1972

Jamaica

Independence

1962

Kenya

Independence

1963

Leeward Islands

(Antigua)
Independence as Antigua
and Barbuda
1981
(St. Kitts- Nevis-Anguilla)
Independence as St. Kitts and Nevis (separated from Anguilla)
1983

Malayan Union

Independence as Federation of Malaya
Now Malaysia [3]

1957

Malta

Independence

1964

Mauritius

Independence

1968

Nigeria

Independence

1960

North Borneo 3

Change in status

1963

Northern Rhodesia

Independence as Zambia

1964

Nyasaland

Independence as Malawi

1964

Sarawak 3

Change in status

1963

Seychelles

Independence

1976

Sierra Leone

Independence

1961

Singapore 3

Independence

1965

Solomon Islands

Independence

1978

Southern Rhodesia

Independence as Zimbabwe

1980

Swaziland

Independence

1968

Trinidad and Tobago

Independence

1962

Uganda

Independence

1962

Windward Islands

(Dominica)
Independence as Dominica
1978
(Grenada)
Independence as Grenada
1974
(St. Lucia)
Independence as St. Lucia
1979
(St. Vincent)
Independence as St. Vincent and the Grenadines
1979

Zanzibar

Independence 4 as United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Now Republic of Tanzania

1963

Cameroons
Trust Territory

Northern Cameroons joined with Nigeria

1961

Southern Cameroons joined with Cameroon
1961

Togoland
Trust Territory

Joined Gold Coast to form Ghana

1957

Tanganyka
Trust Territory

Independence 3 as United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar after joining
with Zanzibar
Now Republic of Tanzania

1963

 
 
 
 

United States

Alaska

Change in Status

1959

Hawaii

Change in Status

1959

Panama Canal Zone

Change in Status

1947

Puerto Rico

Change in Status

1952

Pacific Islands
Trust Territory

Change in Status as Federated Sates of Micronesia

1990

Change in Status as Republic of the Marshall Island
1990
Change in Status as Northern Mariana Islands
1990
Change in Status as Palau
1994

 

Notes:

1. In 1986 the General Assembly determined that New Caledonia was a Non-Self-Governing Territory.

2. Initially administered by Portugal. Under Indonesian control between 1975 and 1999. East Timor attained independence in May 2002 and joined the United Nations in September 2002 as Timor Leste.

3. In 1963, the Federation of Malaya became Malaysia, following the admission to the new federation of Singapore, Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak. Singapore became independent 1965.

4. Following the ratification in 1964 of Articles of Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was formed and later changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania.