A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a
state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a
dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area, or dependency (sometimes referred as an external territory) is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state and remains politically outside the controll ...
that enjoys
autonomy
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...
over most of its internal affairs, while still recognizing the
suzerainty
A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...
of a more powerful
sovereign state
A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that Sovereignty#Sovereignty and independence, a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the ter ...
without being a possession.
In exchange, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations depending on the terms of their arrangement.
[ Usually protectorates are established ]de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...
by a treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
.[ Under certain conditions—as with Egypt under British rule (1882–1914)—a state can also be labelled as a de facto protectorate or a veiled protectorate.
A protectorate is different from a ]colony
A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...
as it has local rulers, is not directly possessed, and rarely experiences colonization
475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence.
Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...
by the suzerain state. A state that is under the protection of another state while retaining its "international personality" is called a "protected state", not a protectorate.
History
Protectorates are one of the oldest features of international relations, dating back to the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. ''Civitates foederatae'' were cities that were subordinate to Rome for their foreign relations. In the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, Andorra
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
was a protectorate of France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Modern protectorate concepts were devised in the nineteenth century.
Typology
Foreign relations
In practice, a protectorate often has direct foreign relations only with the protector state, and transfers the management of all its more important international affairs to the latter.[ Similarly, the protectorate rarely takes military action on its own but relies on the protector for its defence. This is distinct from ]annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
, in that the protector has no formal power to control the internal affairs of the protectorate.
Protectorates differ from League of Nations mandates and their successors, United Nations trust territories, whose administration is supervised, in varying degrees, by the international community
The international community is a term used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world.
Usage
Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is typically used to imply the ...
. A protectorate formally enters into the protection through a bilateral agreement with the protector, while international mandates are stewarded by the world community-representing body, with or without a administering power.
Protected state
A protected state has a form of protection where it continues to retain an "international personality" and enjoys an agreed amount of independence in conducting its foreign policy.
For political and pragmatic reasons, the protection relationship is not usually advertised, but described with euphemisms such as "an independent state with special treaty relations" with the protecting state. A protected state appears on world maps just as any other independent state.
International administration of a state can also be regarded as an internationalized form of protection, where the protector is an international organisation rather than a state.
Colonial protection
Multiple regions—such as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, the Colony and Protectorate of Lagos, and similar—were subjects of colonial protection. Conditions of protection are generally much less generous for areas of colonial protection. The protectorate was often reduced to a condition similar to a colony, but with the pre-existing native state continuing as the agent of indirect rule. Occasionally, a protectorate was established by another form of indirect rule: a chartered company, which becomes a state in its European home state (but geographically overseas), allowed to be an independent country with its own foreign policy and generally its own armed forces.
In fact, protectorates were often declared despite no agreement being duly entered into by the state supposedly being protected, or only agreed to by a party of dubious authority in those states. Colonial protectors frequently decided to reshuffle several protectorates into a new, artificial unit without consulting the protectorates, without being mindful of the theoretical duty of a protector to help maintain a protectorate's status and integrity. The Berlin agreement of February 26, 1885, allowed European colonial powers to establish protectorates in Black Africa (the last region to be divided among them) by diplomatic notification, even without actual possession on the ground. This aspect of history is referred to as the Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonialism, colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the era of ...
. A similar case is the formal use of such terms as ''colony'' and ''protectorate'' for an amalgamation—convenient only for the colonizer or protector—of adjacent territories, over which it held () sway by protective or "raw" colonial power.
Amical protection
In amical protection—as of United States of the Ionian Islands by Britain—the terms are often very favourable for the protectorate. The political interest of the protector is frequently moral (a matter of accepted moral obligation, prestige, ideology, internal popularity, or dynastic, historical, or ethnocultural ties). Also, the protector's interest is in countering a rival or enemy power—such as preventing the rival from obtaining or maintaining control of areas of strategic importance. This may involve a very weak protectorate surrendering control of its external relations but may not constitute any real sacrifice, as the protectorate may not have been able to have a similar use of them without the protector's strength.
Amical protection was frequently extended by the great powers to other Christian (generally European) states, and to states of no significant importance. After 1815, non-Christian states (such as the Chinese Qing dynasty) also provided amical protection of other, much weaker states.
In modern times, a form of amical protection can be seen as an important or defining feature of microstates. According to the definition proposed by Dumienski (2014): "microstates are modern protected states, i.e. sovereign states that have been able to unilaterally depute certain attributes of sovereignty to larger powers in exchange for benign protection of their political and economic viability against their geographic or demographic constraints".
Argentina's protectorates
* Liga Federal (1815–1820)
* Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
(1817–1818)
* Republic of Tucumán (1820–1821)
* Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
(1820–1822)
* Gobierno del Cerrito (1843–1851)
* Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
(1876)
Brazil's protectorates
* Republic of Acre (1899–1903)
* Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
(1869–1876)
* Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
(1828–1835)
British Empire's protectorates and protected states
Americas
* Mosquitia (1638–1860; over Central America's Miskito Indian nation)
Europe
* Malta Protectorate (1800–1813); Crown Colony of Malta
The Crown Colony of the Island of Malta and its Dependencies (commonly known as the Crown Colony of Malta or simply Malta) was the British colony in the Maltese islands, that has become the modern Republic of Malta. It was established when the ...
proclaimed in 1813 (de jure part of the Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily (; ; ) was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian peninsula, Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in Kingdom of Africa, Northern Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was ...
but under British protection)
*
Ionian islands (1815–1864; a Greek state and amical protectorate of Great Britain between 1815 and 1864)
* British Cyprus
British Cyprus (Modern Greek, Greek: Βρετανική Κύπρος; Turkish language, Turkish: ''Britanya Kıbrısı'') was the island of Cyprus under the dominion of the British Empire, administered sequentially from 1878 to 1914 as a British ...
(1878–1914; put under British military administration (1914–22) then proclaimed a Crown Colony (1922–60))
South Asia
* Cis-Sutlej states (1809–1862)
* (1816–1923; protected state)
* (1861–1947), (1947–1972)
*
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
(1776–1965, 1965–1968, 1968–1990)
* Various British Raj
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
princely states (1845–1947)
* (1906–1947 and 1948; protected state)
West and Central Asia
* British Residency of the Persian Gulf (1822–1971; headquarters based in Bushire, Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
)
** (1880–1971; protected state)
** Sheikhdom of Kuwait (1899–1961; protected state)
** Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, protected state (1916–1971)
** (1892–1971; precursor state of the modern UAE, protected states)
*** Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
(1820–1971)
*** Ajman (1820–1971)
*** Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
(1835–1971)
*** Fujairah
Fujairah City () is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Em ...
(1952–1971)
*** Ras Al Khaimah (1820–1971)
*** Sharjah (1820–1971)
**** Kalba (1936–1951)
*** Umm al-Qaiwain (1820–1971)
** (1892–1971; informal, protected state)
* Aden Protectorate (1872–1963; precursor state of South Yemen
South Yemen, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, abbreviated to Democratic Yemen, was a country in South Arabia that existed in what is now southeast Yemen from 1967 until Yemeni unification, its unification with the Yemen A ...
)
** Eastern Protectorate States (mostly in Hadhramaut) (1963–1967; later the Protectorate of South Arabia)
*** Kathiri
*** Mahra
*** Qu'aiti
*** Upper Yafa
Upper Yafa or Upper Yafa'i ( ''),'' officially the State of Upper Yafa ( '')'', was a military alliance in the British Aden Protectorate and the Protectorate of South Arabia. It was ruled by the Harharah dynasty and its capital was Mahjaba, ...
(consisted of five Sheikhdoms: Al-Busi, Al-Dhubi, Hadrami, Maflahi, and Mawsata)
*** Hawra
*** Irqa
** Western Protectorate States (1959 and 1962–1967; later the Federation of South Arabia
The Federation of South Arabia (FSA; ') was a federal state under British protectorate, British protection in what would become South Yemen. Its capital was Aden.
History
Originally formed on April 4, 1962 from 15 states of the Federation ...
, including Aden Colony
Aden Colony () was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1963 located in the southern part of modern-day Yemen. It consisted of the port city of Aden and also included the outlying islands of Kamaran, Perim and the Khuriya Muriya ...
)
*** Wahidi Sultanates (these included: Balhaf, Azzan, Bir Ali, and Habban)
*** Beihan
*** Dhala and Qutaibi
*** Fadhli
*** Lahej
*** Lower Yafa
*** Audhali
*** Haushabi
*** Upper Aulaqi Sheikhdom
*** Upper Aulaqi Sultanate
The Upper Aulaqi Sultanate ( ') was a state in the British Empire, British Aden Protectorate and the Federation of South Arabia. Its capital was Nisab, Yemen, Nisab.
History
The Lower Aulaqi sultans separated from the Upper Aulaqi in the 18th ...
*** Lower Aulaqi
*** Alawi
*** Aqrabi
*** Dathina
*** Shaib
* (1879–1919; protected state)
* (1919–1947, 1948, 1950, 1956)
Africa
* (1884–1990)
* Bechuanaland Protectorate
The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a British protectorate, protectorate established on 31 March 1885 in Southern Africa by the United Kingdom. It became the Botswana, Republic of Botswana on 30 September 1966.
History
Scottish missionary ...
(1885–1966)
* Protectorate (1889–1980)
* Nyasaland Protectorate (1893–1964)
**
British Central Africa Protectorate (1889–1907)
* (1890–1964)
* Sultanate of Wituland (1890–1964)
* Gambia Colony and Protectorate* (1894–1971)
*
Uganda Protectorate (1894–1963)
* East Africa Protectorate (1895–1920)
* Sierra Leone Protectorate* (1896–1961)
* Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
* (1914–1964)
* Northern Nigeria Protectorate (1900–1914)
* Swaziland (1903–1968)
* Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1900–1914)
* Northern Territories of the Gold Coast (British protectorate) (1901–1957)/(1957–1960)
* Sultanate of Egypt (1914–1922)
* Kenya Protectorate* (1920–1963'1964)
* (1922–1936)
* (1924–1964'1965'1980)
*protectorates which existed alongside a colony of the same name
De facto
* Khediviate of Egypt (1882–1913)
Oceania
* (1884–1888)
* Tokelau
Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, an ...
(1877–1916)
*
Cook Islands (1888–1893)
* (1892–1916)
* British Solomon Islands
The British Solomon Islands Protectorate was first established in June 1893, when Captain Herbert Gibson of declared the southern Solomon Islands a British protectorate.''Commonwealth and Colonial Law'' by Kenneth Roberts-Wray, London, S ...
(1893–1978)
* Niue (1900–1901)
* (1900–1970)
Southeast Asia
* British North Borneo (1888–1946)
* (1888–1984)
* (1888–1946)
* Federation of Malaya
Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It succeeded the Malayan Union and, before that, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settleme ...
(1948–1963)
** (1895–1963)
*** (1888–1895)
****
Sungai Ujong (1874–1888)
**** Jelebu (1886–1895)
*** (1888–1895)
*** (1874–1895)
*** (1874–1895)
** Unfederated Malay States (1904/09–1946)
*** (1914–1946)
**** Muar (1897–1909)
*** (1909–1946)
**** Kulim (1894–1909)
*** (1909–1946)
*** (1909–1946)
*** (1909–1946)
China's protectorates
* Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
:
** Protectorate of the Western Regions
* Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
:
** Protectorate General to Pacify the West
** Protectorate General to Pacify the North
** Protectorate General to Pacify the East
* Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
:
** Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
(1270–1356)
* Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
:
** Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
Dutch Empire's protectorates
Various sultanates in the Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
(present day Indonesia):
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
* Tarumon Kingdom (1830–1946)
* Langkat Sultanate (26 October 1869 – December 1945)
* Deli Sultanate (22 August 1862 – December 1945)
* Asahan Sultanate (27 September 1865 – December 1945)
* Bila (1864–1946)
* Tasik (Kota Pinang) (1865 – December 1945)
* Siak Sultanate (1 February 1858 – 1946)
* Sungai Taras (Kampong Raja) (1864–1916)
* Panei (1864–1946)
* Sultanate of Serdang (1865 – December 1945)
* Indragiri Sultanate (1838 – September 1945)
* Jambi Sultanate (1833–1899)
* Kuala
Kuala is a town and administrative district of Langkat Regency in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. It borders Selesai to the north, Salapian to the west, and Sei Bingai to the south and east. Most people in Kuala are Javanese people, with a significa ...
(1886–1946)
* Pelalawan (1859 – November 1945)
* Siantar (1904–1946)
* Tanah Jawa (1904–1946)
Riau Archipelago
* Lingga-Riau (1819–1911)
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
* Banten (1682–1811)
* Cirebon (1684–1819)
* Yogjakarta Sultanate (13 February 1755 – 1942)
* Mataram Sultanate (later Surakarta Sunanate) (26 February 1677 – 19 August 1945)
* Principality of Mangkunegara (24 February 1757 – 1946)
* Duchy of Pakualaman (22 June 1812 – 1942)
* Semarang
Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
(1682–1809)
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
* Klungkung (1843–1908)
* Badung (1843–1906)
* Bangli (1843–1908)
* Buleleng (1841–1872 and 1890–1893)
* Gianyar (1843–1908)
* Jembrana (1849–1882)
* Karang Asem (1843–1908)
* Tabanan (1843–1906)
Lombok
* Lombok (1843–1894)
* Sumbawa (1908–c. 1948)
* Bima (8 December 1669 – 1949)
* Dompu (1905–1942)
Flores and Solor
* Larantuka (1860–1904)
* Tanah Kuna Lima (1917–1924)
* Ndona (1917–1924)
* Sikka (1879–c. 1947)
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
* Sultanate of Banjar (1826–1860)
* Pontianak Sultanate (16 August 1819 – 1942)
* Sambas Sultanate (1819–1949)
* Kubu (4 June 1823 – 1949)
* Landak (1819–c. 1949)
* Mempawah Kingdom (1819–1942)
* Sanggau Kingdom (182?–1949)
* Sekadau (182?–c. 1949)
* Simpang (1822–c. 1949)
* Sintang (1822–1949)
* Sukadana (1828–c.1949)
* Kota Waringin Sultanate (1824–1949)
* Kutai Kertanegara Sultanate (8 August 1825 – 1949)
* Gunung Tabur (1844–c.1945)
* Bulungan Sultanate (1844–c.1949)
* Simbaliung (1844–c. 1949)
* Kubu (1823–1949)
* Tayan (1823–c. 1949)
Celebes
* Gowa Sultanate (1669–1906; 1936–1949)
* Bone Sultanate (1669–1905)
* Bolaang Mongonduw (1825–c. 1949)
* Laiwui (1858–c. 1949)
* Luwu (1861–c. 1949)
* Soppeng (1860–c. 1949)
* Butung (1824–c. 1949)
* Siau (1680–c. 1949)
* Banggai (1907–c. 1949)
* Tallo (1668–1780)
* Wajo (1860–c. 1949)
* Tabukan (1677–c. 1949)
Ajattappareng Confederacy (1905–c. 1949)
* Malusetasi
* Rapang
* Swaito (union of Sawito and Alita, 1908)
* Sidenreng
* Supa
Mabbatupappeng Confederacy (1906–c. 1949)
* Barru
* Soppengriaja (union of Balusu, Kiru, Kamiri, 1906)
* Tanette
Mandar Confederacy (1906–c. 1949)
* Balangnipa
* Binuang
* Cenrana
* Majene
* Mamuju
* Pambauang
* Tapalang
Massenrempulu Confederacy (1905–c. 1949)
* Allah
* Batulapa
* Bontobatu
* Enrekang
* Kasa
* Maiwa
* Malua
Moluccas
* Ternate Sultanate (12 October 1676 – 1949)
* Bacan Sultanate (1667–1949)
* Tidore (1657–c.1949)
West Timor and Alor
* Amanatun (1749–c. 1949)
* Amanuban (1749–c. 1949)
* Amarasi (1749–c. 1949)
* Amfoan (1683–c. 1949)
* Beboki (1756–c. 1949)
* Belu (1756–c.1949)
* Insana (1756–c.1949)
* Sonbai Besar (1756–1906)
* Sonbai Kecil (1659–1917)
* Roti (Korbafo before 1928) (c. 1750–c.1949)
* TaEbenu (1688–1917)
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
* Dutch New Guinea:
** Kaimana Sultanate (1828-1949)
France's protectorates and protected states
Africa
"Protection" was the formal legal structure under which French colonial forces expanded in Africa between the 1830s and 1900. Almost every pre-existing state that was later part of French West Africa
French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...
was placed under protectorate status at some point, although direct rule gradually replaced protectorate agreements. Formal ruling structures, or fictive recreations of them, were largely retained—as with the low-level authority figures in the French Cercles—with leaders appointed and removed by French officials.
* Benin
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
traditional states
** Independent of Danhome, under French protectorate, from 1889
** Porto-Novo a French protectorate, 23 February 1863 – 2 January 1865. Cotonou a French Protectorate, 19 May 1868. Porto-Novo French protectorate, 14 April 1882.
* Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...
traditional states:
** French protectorate over Dar al-Kuti (1912 Sultanate suppressed by the French), 12 December 1897
** French protectorate over the Sultanate of Bangassou, 1894
* Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...
was from 20 February 1895 a French protectorate named Upper Volta (Haute-Volta)
* Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
: Baghirmi state 20 September 1897 a French protectorate
* Côte d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...
: 10 January 1889 French protectorate of Ivory Coast
* Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
: 5 August 1849 French protectorate over coastal region; (Riviéres du Sud).
* Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
, Sultanate of Damagaram ( Zinder), 30 July 1899 under French protectorate over the native rulers, titled Sarkin Damagaram or Sultan
* Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
: 4 February 1850 First of several French protectorate treaties with local rulers
* Comoros: 21 April 1886 French protectorate ( Anjouan) until 25 July 1912 when annexed.
* Present Djibouti
Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...
was originally, from 24 June 1884, the Territory of Obock and Protectorate of Tadjoura (Territoires Français d'Obock, Tadjoura, Dankils et Somalis), a French protectorate recognized by Britain on 9 February 1888, renamed on 20 May 1896 as French Somaliland (Côte Française des Somalis).
* Mauritania
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
: 12 May 1903 French protectorate; within Mauritania several traditional states:
** Adrar emirate from 9 January 1909 French protectorate (before Spanish)
** The Taganit confederation's emirate (founded by Idaw `Ish dynasty), from 1905 under French protectorate.
** Brakna confederation's emirate
** Emirate of Trarza: 15 December 1902 placed under French protectorate status.
* Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
– most of the sultanate was under French protectorate (30 March 1912 – 7 April 1956) although, in theory, it remained a sovereign state under the Treaty of Fez; this fact was confirmed by the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...
in 1952.
** The northern part of Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
was under Spanish protectorate in the same period.
* Traditional Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
States
** Kingdom of Imerina under French protectorate, 6 August 1896. French Madagascar colony, 28 February 1897.
* Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
(12 May 1881 – 20 March 1956): became a French protectorate by treaty
Americas
* Second Mexican Empire (1863–1867), established by Emperor Napoleon III during the Second French intervention in Mexico and ruled by the Austrian-born, French puppet monarch Maximilian I
Asia
* French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...
until 1953/54:
** Annam and Tonkin 6 June 1884
** Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
11 August 1863
** Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
3 October 1893
** Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
6 June 1884
Europe
* Rhenish Republic (1923–1924)
* Saar Protectorate (1946–1956), not colonial or amical, but a former part of Germany that would by referendum return to it, in fact a re-edition of a former League of Nations mandate. Most French protectorates were colonial.
Oceania
* French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
, mainly the Society Islands (several others were immediately annexed). All eventually were annexed by 1889.
** Otaheiti (native king styled Ari`i rahi) becomes a French protectorate known as Tahiti, 1842–1880
** Raiatea and Tahaa (after temporary annexation by Otaheiti; (title Ari`i) a French protectorate, 1880)
** Mangareva
Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north. Mangareva has a permanent p ...
(one of the Gambier Islands; ruler title `Akariki) a French protectorate, 16 February 1844 (unratified) and 30 November 1871
* Wallis and Futuna:
** Wallis (island), Wallis declared to be a French protectorate by List of kings of Uvea, King of Uvea (Wallis and Futuna), Uvea and Captain Mallet, 4 November 1842. Officially in a treaty becomes a French protectorate, 5 April 1887.
** Sigave and Alo (Wallis and Futuna), Alo on the islands of Futuna (Wallis and Futuna), Futuna and Alofi Island, Alofi signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate on 16 February 1888.
Germany's protectorates and protected states
The German Empire used the word ', literally protectorate, for all of its colonial possessions until they were lost during World War I, regardless of the actual level of government control. Cases involving indirect rule included:
* German New Guinea (1884–1920), now part of Papua New Guinea
* German South West Africa (1884–1920), present-day Namibia
* Togoland (1884–1914), now part of Ghana and Togo
* North Solomon Islands (1885–1920), now part of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
* Wituland (1885–1890), now part of Kenya
* Ruanda-Urundi (1894–1920)
* German Samoa (1900–1920), present-day Samoa
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru, various officials posted with the Head Chiefs
* Gwandu, Gando Emirate (1895–1897)
* Gourma Province, Gulmu (1895–1897)
Before and during World War II, Nazi Germany designated the rump of occupied Czechoslovakia and Denmark as protectorates:
* Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–1945), however it was also considered a partially annexed territory of Germany
* Denmark in World War II, Denmark (1940–1943)
India's protectorates
* Kingdom of Bhutan, Bhutan (1947–1971).
* Kingdom of Sikkim (1950–1975), later 1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum, acceded to India as Sikkim, State of Sikkim.
Italy's protectorates and protected states
* Italian protectorate over Albania, The Albanian Republic (1917–1920) and the Italian protectorate of Albania (1939–1943), Albanian Kingdom (1939–1943)
* Monaco under amical Protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia 20 November 1815 to 1860.
* Ethiopia : 2 May 1889 Treaty of Wuchale, in the Italian language version, stated that Ethiopia was to become an Italian protectorate, while the Ethiopian Amharic language version merely stated that the Emperor could, if he so chose, go through Italy to conduct foreign affairs. When the differences in the versions came to light, Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, Menelik II abrogated first the article in question (XVII), and later the whole treaty. The event culminated in the First Italo-Ethiopian War, in which Ethiopia was victorious and defended her sovereignty in 1896.
* Italian Libya, Libya: on 15 October 1912 Italian protectorate declared over Cirenaica (Cyrenaica) until 17 May 1919.
* Banaadir, Benadir Coast in Somalia: 3 August 1889 Italian protectorate (in the northeast; unoccupied until May 1893), until 16 March 1905 when it changed to Italian Somaliland.
** Majerteen#The Majeerteen Sultanates, Majeerteen Sultanate since 7 April 1889 under Italian protectorate (renewed 7 April 1895), then in 1927 incorporated into the Italian colony.
** Sultanate of Hobyo since December 1888 under Italian protectorate (renewed 11 April 1895), then in October 1925 incorporated into the Italian colony (known as ''Obbia'').
Japan's protectorates
* Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, Korean Empire (1905–1910)
* Manchukuo (1932–1945)
* Mengjiang (1939–1945)
Poland's protectorates
* Feodosia#Kaffa (Genoese colony), Kaffa (1462–1475)
Portugal's protectorates
* Cabinda (province), Cabinda (Portuguese Congo) (1885–1974), Portugal first claimed sovereignty over Cabinda in the February 1885 Treaty of Simulambuco, which gave Cabinda the status of a protectorate of the Portuguese Crown under the request of "the princes and governors of Cabinda".
* Kingdom of Kongo (1857–1914)
* Gaza Empire (1824–1895), now part of Mozambique
* Angoche Sultanate (1903–1910)
* Kingdom of Larantuka (1515–1859)
Russia's and the Soviet Union's protectorates and protected states
* Cossack Hetmanate (1654–1764)
*
Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti (1783–1801)
* Kingdom of Imereti (1804–1810)
* Revolutionary Serbia (1807–1812)
* Principality of Serbia (1826–1856), now part of Serbia
* Moldavia, Principality of Moldova (1829–1856), now part of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine
* Wallachia, Principality of Wallachia (1829–1856)
* Emirate of Bukhara (1873–1920)
* Khanate of Khiva (1873–1920)
* Uryankhay Krai (1914)
* Second East Turkestan Republic (1944–1949), now part of Xinjiang, China
''De facto''
Some sources mention the following territories as ''de facto'' Russian protectorates:
* South Ossetia (2008–present)
* Transnistria (1992–present)
* Abkhazia (1994–present)[
* Donetsk People's Republic (2015–2022)
* Luhansk People's Republic (2015–2022)
* Republic of Artsakh (2020–2023)
]
Spain's protectorates
* Spanish protectorate in Morocco, Spanish Morocco protectorate from 27 November 1912 until 2 April 1958 (Northern zone until 7 April 1956, Southern zone (Cape Juby) until 2 April 1958).
* Sultanate of Sulu (1851–1899)
Turkey's and the Ottoman Empire's protectorates and protected states
* Aceh Sultanate (1569–1903)
* Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
(1560–1590)
* Cossack Hetmanate (1669–1685)
''De facto''
* Northern Cyprus (1983–present)
United Nations' protectorates
United States' protectorates and protected states
After becoming independent nations in 1902 and 1903 respectively, Cuba and Panama became protectorates of the United States. In 1903, Cuba and the U.S. signed the Cuban–American Treaty of Relations (1903), Cuban–American Treaty of Relations, which affirmed the provisions of the Platt Amendment, including that the U.S. had the right to intervene in Cuba to preserve its independence, among other reasons (the Platt Amendment had also been integrated into the 1901 Constitution of Cuba, 1901 constitution of Cuba). Later that year, Panama and the U.S. signed the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which established the Panama Canal Zone and gave the U.S. the right to intervene in the cities of Panama City, Panama and Colón, Panama, Colón (and the adjacent territories and harbors) for the maintenance of public order. The Constitution of Panama#Earlier constitutions, 1904 constitution of Panama, in Article 136, also gave the U.S. the right to intervene in any part of Panama "to reestablish public peace and constitutional order." Haiti later also became a protectorate after the ratification of the Haitian–American Convention (which gave the U.S. the right to intervene in Haiti for a period of ten years, which was later expanded to twenty years through an additional agreement in 1917) on September 16, 1915.
The U.S. also attempted to establish protectorates over the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua through the Bryan–Chamorro Treaty.
* Republic of Cuba (1902–1959), Cuba (1902–1934)
* Panama (1903–1941)
* Republic of Haiti (1859–1957), Haiti (1915–1936)
''De facto''
* Republic of Negros (1899–1901)
* Republic of Zamboanga (1899–1903)
* Sultanate of Sulu (1899–1915)
Contemporary usage by the United States
Some agencies of the Federal government of the United States, United States government, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, refer to the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia and insular areas of the United States—such as American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands—as protectorates. However, the agency responsible for the administration of those areas, the Office of Insular Affairs within the United States Department of the Interior, uses only the term "insular area" rather than protectorate.
* Washington, D.C., District of Columbia
* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* United States Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands
Joint protectorates
* Republic of Ragusa (1684–1798), a joint Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Austrian–Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Turkish protectorate
* The United States of the Ionian Islands and the Septinsular Republic were federal republics of seven formerly Venetian (see Provveditore) Ionian Islands (Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca (island), Ithaca, Cerigo, and Paxos (island), Paxos), officially under joint protectorate of the allied Christian powers, a British amical protectorate from 1815 to 1864.
* Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956)
* Independent State of Croatia (1941–1943)
* Allied-occupied Germany (1945–1949)
* Allied-occupied Austria (1945–1955)
See also
* British Protected Person
* Client state
* European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
* EUFOR Althea
* High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
* League of Nations mandate
* Peace Implementation Council
* Protector (title), Protector (titles for Head of State, Heads of State and other individual persons)
* Protectorate (imperial China)
* Timeline of national independence
* Tribute
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
Client state
Colonialism,
Constitutional state types