Abstract
The massive decolonisation of the post World War II era resulted in a new political map of the world. The great majority of the new independent states were essentially coincident with the former administrative colonies. However, in a quarter of cases the ending of colonial status did not result in the emergence of a sovereign state. The colonial powers sought to reduce the number of small and potentially weak states by various mechanisms. Thus colonial mergers took place between administrative units within the same empire, and only occasionally between units in different empires. Some dependencies were absorbed by more powerful neighbours and others incorporated into the political structure of the metropolitan power. Prior to 1960, in terms of population and size, the colonies which failed to achieve statehood at independence were substantially smaller than those which did. Thereafter there was little to distinguish them. The legacy of the merged colonies has ranged from successful secessionist movements to integrated states.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldrich R. and Connell J., 1998: The last colonies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Anderson B., 1983: Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. Verso, London.
Ashton S.R., 1982: British policy towards the Indian states 1905–1982. Curzon Press, London.
Austin D., 1972: Malta and the end of empire. Cass, London.
Benedict B., 1967: Problems of smaller territories. Athlone, London.
Benichou L.D., 2000: From autocracy to integration. Political developments in Hyderabad State (1938–1948). Sangam, London.
Buchanan A., 1991: Secession: the morality of political divorce from Fort Sumter to Lithuanaia and Quebec. Westview, Boulder.
Buckley R., 1997: Hong Kong: the road to 1997. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Carrington C.E., 1962: Decolonization: the last stages. International Affairs 38: 29–40.
Castellino J., 2000: International law and self-determination, the interplay of the politics of territorial possession with formulation of post-colonial national identity. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.
Catudal H.M., 1975: The plight of the Lilliputians: An analysis of five European microstates. Geoforum 6: 187–204.
Chamberlain M.E., 1998: The Longman companion to European decolonisation in the twentieth century. Longman, London.
Christopher A.J., 1999: The atlas of states: global change 1900–2000. Wiley, Chichester.
Christopher A.J., 2001: State failure in the twentieth century. Geographica Slovenica 34: 49–63.
Clymer K.J., 1995: Quest for freedom: the United States and India's independence. Columbia University Press, New York.
Crawford J., 1979: The creation of states in international law. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Cusack I., 1997: Equatorial Guinea, the inculcation and maintenance of Hispanic culture. Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol.
Dale E.H., 1962: The State-Idea: missing prop of the West Indies Federation. Scottish Geographical Magazine 78: 166–176.
Darwin J., 1999: Decolonization and the end of empire. In: Winks, R.W. (ed.), The Oxford History of the British Empire, Vol. 5. pp. 541–557. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
de Smith S.A., 1970: Microstates and Micronesia: problems of America's Pacific islands and other minute territories. University of London Press, London.
Deville R. and Georges N., 1996: Les departements d'outre-mer. L'autre decolonisation. Gallimard, Paris.
Dikshit R.D., 1971: The failure of federalism in Central Africa: a politico-geographical post-mortem. Professional Geographer 23: 224–228.
Divani L. and Constantopoulou P., 1997: The Dodecanese. The long road to union with Greece. Diplomatic documents from the Historical Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kastaniotis Editions, Athens.
Dresch P., 2001: A history of modern Yemen. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Duursma J., 1996: Fragmentation and the international relations of microstates. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
El-Ayouty Y., 1970: The United Nations and decolonisation 1960–70. Journal of Modern African Studies 8: 462–468.
Fieldhouse D.K., 1982: The Colonial Empire. Macmillan, London.
Fisher C.A., 1968: Malaysia: a study in the political geography of decolonization. In: Fisher C.A. (ed.), Essays in Political Geography. pp. 75–145. Methuen, London.
Groom A.J.R., 2000: The Trusteeship Council: A successful demise. In: Taylor P. and Groom A.J.R. (eds), The United Nations at the Millennium: the principal organs. pp. 142–176. Continuum, London.
Hainsworth P. and McCloskey S., 2000: The East Timor question: The struggle for independence from Indonesia. I.B. Tauris, London.
Harden S., 1985: Small is dangerous: micro states in a macro world. Pinter, London.
Hiller J.K., 1998: Confederation: deciding Newfoundland's future 1934 to 1949. Newfoundland Historical Society, St Johns.
Hodder B.W., 1968: The Ewe problem: a reassessment. In: Fisher C.A. (ed.), Essays in Political Geography. pp. 271–283. Methuen, London.
Huliaras A., 2002: The viability of Somaliland: Internal constraints and regional geopolitics. Journal of Contemporary African Studies 20: 157–182.
Hyam R., 1972: The failure of South African expansion 1908–1948. Macmillan, London.
Iyob R., 1995: The Eritrean struggle for independence: domination, resistance, nationalism 1941–1993. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Jackson R.H., 1990: Quasi-states: sovereignty, international relations and the Third World. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Jardine M., 1996: Pacification, resistance, and territoriality: Prospects for a space for peace in East Timor. GeoJournal 39: 397–404.
Jawan J.A., 1991: The ethnic factor in modern politics, the case of Sarawak. Centre for South-East Asian Studies, University of Hull, Hull.
Karan P.P. and Jenkins W.M., 1963: The Himalayan kingdoms: Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Van Nostrand, New York.
Keesings Contemporary Archives: London 1931.
Knight D.B., 1992: Statehood: A politico-geographic and legal perspective. GeoJournal 28: 311–318.
Kissinger H., 1994: Diplomacy. Simon and Schuster, New York.
Konings P. and Nyamnjoh F.B., 1997: The anglophone problem in Cameroon. Journal of Modern African Studies 35: 207–229.
Kuykendall R.S. and Day A.G., 1961: Hawaii: a history. From Polynesian kingdom to American state. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ.
Laitin D.D. and Samatar S.S., 1987: Somalia: nation in search of a state. Westview, Boulder.
Liniger-Goumaz M., 1979: Historical Dictionary of Equatorial Guinea. Scarecrow Press, London.
Long G., 1999: Suspended state: Newfoundland before Canada. Breakwater, St Johns.
McColl R.W., 1969: The insurgent state: territorial bases of revolution. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 59: 613–631.
Major J., 1993: Prize Possession: the United States and the Panama Canal 1903–1979. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Mapuri O.R., 1996: Zanzibar, the 1964 revolution, achievements and prospects. Tema, Dar es Salaam.
Marcus H.G., 1983: Ethiopia, Great Britain and the United States 1941–1974: The politics of empire. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Mikesell M.W. and Murphy A.B., 1991: A framework for comparative study of minority group aspirations. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 81: 581–604.
Munene M., 1995: The Truman administration and the decolonisation of sub-Saharan Africa. Nairobi University Press, Nairobi.
Noble L.G., 1977: Philippine policy toward Sabah: A claim to independence. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Park T.K., 1996: Historical Dictionary of Morocco. Scarecrow Press, London.
Porritt V.L., 1997: British colonial rule in Sarawak 1946–1963. Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur.
Saltford J., 2002: The United Nations and the Indonesian takeover of West Papua 1962–1969. Routledge, Curzon, London.
Skurnik W.A.E., 1967: France and fragmentation in West Africa 1945–1960. Journal of African History 8: 317–333.
Slowe P.M., 1990: Geography and political power: The geography of nations and states. Routledge, London.
Springhall J., 2001: Decolonization since 1945: The collapse of the European overseas empires. Palgrave, Basingstoke.
Sukhwal B.L., 1971: India: a political geography. Allied Publishers, Bombay.
Trevaskis G.K.N., 1960: Eritrea, a colony in transition: 1941–52. Oxford University Press, London.
United Nations, 1952: Libya: the road to independence through United Nations. United Nations, Department of Public Information, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Christopher, A. Decolonisation without independence. GeoJournal 56, 213–224 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025165118672
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025165118672