21st century

===New countries and territorial changes===
Some territories and states have gained independence during the 21st century. This is a list of sovereign states that have gained independence in the 21st century and have been recognized by the [[United Nations|UN]].[[File:Kosova independence Vienna 17-02-2008 b.jpg|thumb|Celebration of the [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|Declaration of Independence]] of [[Kosovo]]]]
* '''{{Flag|East Timor}} ''' (Timor-Leste)<ref>Grolier- the new book of knowledge, section "E"</ref> on 20 May 2002.
* '''{{Flag|Montenegro}} ''' on 3 June 2006.
* '''{{flag|Serbia}} ''' on 3 June 2006.
* ''' {{Flag|South Sudan}} ''' on 9 July 2011.

These nations gained sovereignty through government reform.
* '''{{Flag|Comoros}} ''' on 23 December 2001.

The [[Union of the Comoros]] replaced the [[Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros]]
* {{Flagicon|Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan}} '''[[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]]''' on 13 July 2002.

The [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]].
* {{Flagicon|Serbia and Montenegro}} '''[[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]]''' on 4 February 2003.

The [[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]] replaced the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]].
* {{Flagicon|Afghanistan|2004}} '''[[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]''' on 7 December 2004.

The [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]]
* {{Flagicon|Nepal}} '''[[Nepal|Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal]]''' on 28 May 2008.

The [[Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal]] replaced the [[Kingdom of Nepal]].
* {{Flagicon|Libya}} '''[[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]]''' on 20 October 2011.

The [[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]] replaced the [[Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya]].
* {{Flagicon|Libya}} '''[[State of Libya]]''' on 8 August 2012.

The [[State of Libya]] replaced the [[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]].
* {{Flagicon|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}} '''[[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]''' on 15 August 2021.

The [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]].

These territories have declared independence and secured relative autonomy but they have only been recognized by some UN member states:
* {{Flagicon|Kosovo}} '''[[Republic of Kosovo|Kosovo]]''' on 17 February 2008. ([[International recognition of Kosovo|partially recognized]])
* {{Flagicon|South Ossetia}} '''[[South Ossetia]]''' on 26 August 2008. ([[International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|partially recognized]])
* {{Flagicon|Abkhazia}} '''[[Abkhazia]]''' on 26 August 2008. ([[International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|partially recognized]])

These territories have declared independence and secured relative autonomy but they have been recognized by no one:
* {{Flagicon|ISIS}} '''[[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]''' in June 2014. Had [[ISIL territorial claims|taken over much of Iraq, Syria and Libya]]. It [[List of designated terrorist groups|is considered]] a terrorist organization and no longer holds any significant territorial control.
* {{Flagicon|Catalonia}} '''[[Catalonia|Republic of Catalonia]]''' on 27 October 2017. The [[Parliament of Catalonia|Catalan Parliament]] proclaimed the Catalan Republic, but the [[Spain|Kingdom of Spain]] did not recognise this and for a time imposed direct rule. (See [[2017 Catalan independence referendum]] and [[2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis]])
* {{Flagicon|South Yemen}} '''[[Southern Transitional Council]]''' in March 2017. Claimed the majority of the southern part of Yemen and the restoration of [[South Yemen]].

These territories were annexed from a sovereign country, the action has only been recognized by some UN member states:
* {{Flagicon|Crimea}} '''[[Republic of Crimea|Crimea]]''' [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed]] from Ukraine into the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014.
* '''{{flag|Donetsk People's Republic}}''',{{efn|See [[Russian occupation of Donetsk Oblast]].}} {{flagicon image|Flag of Kherson Oblast (Russia).svg}} '''[[Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast|Kherson Oblast]]''', '''{{flag|Luhansk People's Republic}}''',{{efn|See [[Russian occupation of Luhansk Oblast]].}} and {{flagicon image|Flag of the Russian administered Zaporizhzhia Oblast.svg}} '''[[Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast|Zaporizhzhia Oblast]]''' [[Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts|annexed]] from Ukraine into the Russian Federation on 30 September 2022.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

These territories were ceded to another country:
* {{Flagicon|Bangladesh}} {{Flagicon|India}} '''[[India–Bangladesh enclaves]]''', traded between the two countries in 2015.
* {{Flagicon|Artsakh}} '''[[Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh]]''' and the '''[[Lachin corridor]]''', surrendered by [[Armenia]] to [[Azerbaijan]] at the end of the [[Second Nagorno-Karabakh War]].