Since 1990, 34 new countries have been created. The dissolution of the USSR and Yugoslavia in the early 1990s caused the creation of most of the newly independent states.You probably know about many of these changes but a few of these new countries seemed to slip by almost unnoticed. This comprehensive listing will update you about the countries which have formed since 1990.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Fifteen new countries became independent with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Most of these countries declared independence a few months preceding the fall of the Soviet Union in late 1991.
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Estonia
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Former YugoslaviaYugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s into five independent countries.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, February 29, 1992
- Croatia, June 25, 1991
- Macedonia (officially The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) declared independence on September 8, 1991 but wasn't recognized by the United Nations until 1993 and the United States and Russia in February of 1994
- Serbia and Montenegro, (also known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), April 17, 1992 (see below for separate Serbia and Montenegro entries)
- Slovenia, June 25, 1991
Other New CountriesThirteen other countries became independent through a variety of causes.
- March 21, 1990 - Namibia became independent of South Africa.
- May 22, 1990 - North and South Yemen merged to form a unified Yemen.
- October 3, 1990 - East Germany and West Germany merged to form a unified Germany after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
- September 17, 1991 - The Marshall Islands was part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (administered by the United States) and gained independence as a former colony.
- September 17, 1991 - Micronesia, previously known as the Caroline Islands, became independent from the United States.
- January 1, 1993 - The Czech Republic and Slovakia became independent nations when Czechoslovakia dissolved.
- May 25, 1993 - Eritrea was a part of Ethiopia but seceded and gained independence.
- October 1, 1994 - Palau was part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (administered by the United States) and gained independence as a former colony.
- May 20, 2002 - East Timor (Timor-Leste) declared independence from Portugal in 1975 but did not became independent from Indonesia until 2002.
- June 3, 2006 - Montenegro was part of Serbia and Montenegro (also known as Yugoslavia) but gained independence after a referendum.
- June 5, 2006 - Serbia became its own entity after Montenegro split.
- Febraury 17, 2008 - Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia.
- July 9, 2011 - South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan following a January 2011 referendum. Sudan itself was the first to recognize South Sudan and did so one day early, on July 8, 2011.
***Soon, Sabah and Sarawak will be known as Republic of North Borneo (Sabah) and Republic of Sarawak***
