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The nations that are no more
Nations have risen and fallen in their hundreds since the dawn of history. From city states to countries forced into existence to long-gone kingdoms, click or scroll through as we take a look at how and why 22 countries are no more.
Republic of Venice (697–1797)
The Most Serene Republic of Venice thrived for more than a millennium. Founded in 697, the iconic city-state became a hugely influential maritime and economic power, enabling its fabulously wealthy merchant class to spend lavishly on beautiful buildings and art.
At its peak, Venice spanned modern-day northeastern Italy and parts of Croatia, Albania and Greece. The republic's power waned in the 18th century as new maritime trade routes opened up. A series of crushing defeats decimated the navy, and Venice was overrun by French and Austrian troops in 1797. It was subsequently divided up between the respective empires.
Couto Mixto (c.900–1864)
Wedged between Spain and Portugal in northwestern Iberia, this tiny microstate operated as a free and independent nation for a staggering seven centuries due to a quirk in medieval manorial relations, which put it outside the control of both countries.
Made up of three miniscule villages, Couto Mixto enjoyed all sorts of privileges, from tax-free status to the right to grant asylum. This special treatment was never going to last forever of course, and the microstate was finally abolished by the Treaty of Lisbon in 1864.
Kingdom of Bohemia (1198–1918)
This venerable kingdom, which more or less covered the modern-day Czech Republic, was established at the end of the 12th century by the royal House of Přemyslid. It formed part of the Holy Roman Empire, a complex of largely independent states that spanned central Europe.
The kingdom was at its height during the so-called Golden Age of Czech history in the 14th century. When the Holy Roman Empire collapsed in 1806, Bohemia was absorbed into the Austrian Empire, and survived until 1918 when it formed the integral part of the newly-created Czechoslovakia.
Abyssinia (1270–1974)
Abyssinia, aka the Ethiopian Empire, was a kingdom that encompassed what is modern-day Ethiopia and, later down the line, Eritrea. It endured for seven centuries. The nation was controlled by the Solomonic Dynasty, who claimed descent from the Biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.
Abyssinia was the only African nation aside from Liberia to resist colonization during the 19th-century Scramble for Africa, and existed until 1974, when Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the communist Derg, which went on to establish the People's Republic of Ethiopia.
Kingdom of Sardinia (1324–1861)
The precursor to modern Italy, the Kingdom of Sardinia was created in 1324 by James II of Aragon and went on to become part of the Spanish Empire. It was ceded in 1720 to the Duke of Savoy, who unified the territory with his possessions on the Italian mainland.
The kingdom was united under a single system in 1848 and had annexed Lombardy, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the central Italian states by 1861. That same year, the Kingdom of Sardinia changed its name to the Kingdom of Italy, and the capital was moved from Turin to Florence and, eventually, Rome.
Moldavia (1346–1859)
Located in modern-day Romania, Moldova and the Ukraine, the Principality of Moldavia was founded in 1346 and remained an independent state until ruler Bogdan III The One-Eyed submitted to Ottoman rule in 1514.
Moldavia nevertheless enjoyed a great degree of autonomy, and was a distinct country for centuries. The nation's end came in 1859 when it merged with Wallachia, and went on to form the basis of modern Romania.
Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767)
The Ayutthaya Kingdom, which comprised much of modern-day Thailand, had become richer than many European nations by the 17th century. The Siamese kingdom was a center of international trade and its eponymous capital rivaled Paris in size and splendor.
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