The Youngest Countries in the World: Every Nation Born This Century (and the Stories Behind Them)
The Youngest Countries in the World: Every Nation Born This Century
Pop quiz: What's the newest country in the world?
If you said South Sudan, congratulations โ you're correct (as of 2026). The world's youngest nation only celebrated its first decade of independence in 2021, making it newer than the iPhone, Instagram, and countless things we consider thoroughly modern.
But South Sudan is just the latest chapter in a remarkable era of nation-building. Since 1990, over 30 new countries have appeared on the world map โ more than at any time since the post-colonial wave of the 1960s. The Soviet Union's collapse alone created 15 new states overnight. Yugoslavia shattered into seven pieces. Czechoslovakia peacefully divided in two.
Let's explore every country born in the modern era โ from the 21st century newcomers to the wave of nations that emerged from the rubble of the Cold War.
๐ Countries Born in the 21st Century
These nations are younger than many people reading this article. They've only existed in a world of smartphones, social media, and globalization.
๐ธ๐ธ South Sudan (2011) โ The World's Newest Country
Independence Date: July 9, 2011
Independence From: Sudan
Capital: Juba
Population: ~11 million
Recognition: 193 UN member states
South Sudan holds the distinction of being the world's youngest country โ the 193rd member of the United Nations and the first new nation of the 2010s.
#### The Road to Independence
South Sudan's path to statehood was paved with decades of civil war. The predominantly Christian and animist south had been fighting for autonomy from the Arab-Muslim north since Sudan's independence from Britain in 1956. Two brutal civil wars (1955โ1972 and 1983โ2005) killed an estimated 2 million people and displaced millions more.
The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended hostilities and guaranteed the south a referendum on independence. On January 9, 2011, nearly 99% voted for separation โ one of the most lopsided referendum results in history.
Six months later, on July 9, 2011, South Sudan raised its flag for the first time.
#### Challenges Since Independence
Unfortunately, independence didn't bring peace. Civil war erupted in 2013 between factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar. The conflict displaced over 4 million people and caused a famine in parts of the country.
Despite abundant oil reserves, South Sudan remains one of the world's least developed countries. But the 2018 peace agreement has held, and the young nation is slowly rebuilding.
Fun fact: South Sudan has no railway system and fewer than 100 km of paved roads. Its capital Juba is one of the few world capitals without traffic lights.
๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo (2008) โ The Controversial Nation
Independence Date: February 17, 2008
Independence From: Serbia
Capital: Pristina
Population: ~1.8 million
Recognition: 104 UN member states (partial recognition)
Kosovo is the most recent country to declare independence โ but its status remains hotly contested. While over half of UN member states recognize Kosovo, Serbia (which considers it a province), Russia, China, and about 80 other countries do not.
#### Why Kosovo Declared Independence
Kosovo was an autonomous province within Serbia (itself part of Yugoslavia). Around 90% of its population is ethnic Albanian. When Serbian leader Slobodan Miloลกeviฤ revoked Kosovo's autonomy in 1989, tensions escalated into armed conflict.
The Kosovo War (1998โ1999) saw brutal ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Serbian forces. NATO intervened with a 78-day bombing campaign that forced Serbian withdrawal. Kosovo became a UN-administered territory.
After years of failed negotiations, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on February 17, 2008. The United States and most EU countries recognized it immediately.
#### The Recognition Battle
Kosovo's independence remains in limbo. It can't join the UN because Russia and China have veto power in the Security Council. Serbia considers the declaration illegal.
In 2010, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that Kosovo's declaration didn't violate international law โ but carefully avoided ruling on whether Kosovo actually is a state.
The EU has been mediating "normalization" talks between Serbia and Kosovo, but as of 2026, the dispute continues.
Fun fact: Kosovo's international calling code is complicated โ it uses Slovenia's +386, Serbia's +381, and Monaco's +377 depending on the carrier.
๐ฒ๐ช Montenegro (2006)
Independence Date: June 3, 2006
Independence From: Serbia and Montenegro (the State Union)
Capital: Podgorica
Population: ~620,000
Recognition: 193 UN member states
Montenegro is the Adriatic's youngest country and one of Europe's smallest. Its name means "Black Mountain" in Italian (and Venetian, its historical trading partner).
#### The Divorce from Serbia
After Yugoslavia dissolved, Serbia and Montenegro remained linked โ first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992โ2003), then as the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro (2003โ2006). The arrangement was always awkward, with Montenegro maintaining its own currency, customs, and economic policy.
The EU brokered a deal requiring Montenegro to wait three years and win at least 55% in a referendum before declaring independence. On May 21, 2006, Montenegro voted โ and hit exactly 55.5% in favor, barely clearing the threshold.
Serbia acknowledged the result peacefully, and Montenegro became independent on June 3, 2006.
#### Modern Montenegro
Today, Montenegro is a tourist hotspot famous for the stunning Bay of Kotor (a UNESCO site) and luxury resorts along its Adriatic coast. It's been a NATO member since 2017 and an EU candidate country since 2010.
Fun fact: Montenegro has a village called "Godinje" where residents once produced so much wine that they reportedly built a pipeline to transport it.
๐ท๐ธ Serbia (2006)
Independence Date: June 5, 2006
Independence From: Serbia and Montenegro (the State Union)
Capital: Belgrade
Population: ~6.7 million
Recognition: 193 UN member states
Serbia is technically also a "young" country in its current form, having become fully independent when Montenegro left the union in 2006. However, Serbia sees itself as the successor state to the State Union (and before that, Yugoslavia), so it counts its history as continuous.
Belgrade served as Yugoslavia's capital, and Serbia inherited most of the federal infrastructure. After Montenegro's departure, Serbia simply continued as the Republic of Serbia.
๐น๐ฑ Timor-Leste / East Timor (2002)
Independence Date: May 20, 2002
Independence From: Indonesia (via UN administration)
Capital: Dili
Population: ~1.3 million
Recognition: 193 UN member states
Timor-Leste (East Timor) occupies the eastern half of Timor island in Southeast Asia. It's the first new sovereign state of the 21st century.
#### A Brutal Path to Freedom
East Timor was a Portuguese colony for 400 years until Portugal withdrew in 1975. Within days, Indonesia invaded and occupied the territory for the next 24 years.
The Indonesian occupation was catastrophic. An estimated 100,000 to 180,000 East Timorese died from fighting, famine, and disease โ proportionally one of the worst death tolls since World War II. Indonesia tried to erase Timorese identity through transmigration and cultural suppression.
When Indonesian dictator Suharto fell in 1998, a UN-supervised referendum was held in 1999. Nearly 78.5% voted for independence.
But before withdrawing, Indonesian military and pro-Indonesian militias unleashed a wave of violence, destroying 70% of the country's infrastructure and displacing most of the population. Australian-led peacekeepers eventually restored order.
After two and a half years of UN transitional administration, Timor-Leste became fully independent on May 20, 2002.
#### Building a Nation from Scratch
Timor-Leste started with almost nothing โ shattered infrastructure, few educated professionals (most had been Indonesian or Portuguese), and deep trauma. But oil and gas revenues have funded rebuilding, and the country has made steady progress.
Fun fact: Timor-Leste is one of only two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia (the other is the Philippines), a legacy of Portuguese colonization.
๐ด Countries Born from the Soviet Collapse (1991)
The Soviet Union's dissolution on December 26, 1991, created 15 independent states overnight โ the largest single creation of new countries in modern history. Here are the nations that emerged:
The Baltic States (Already Internationally Recognized)
The Baltic countries โ Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania โ declared independence in 1990 and were recognized internationally before the Soviet Union officially collapsed. They're unique because they never considered themselves Soviet republics legally; they were illegally occupied in 1940 and simply restored their pre-war independence.
| Country | Independence Date | Capital | Population |
|---------|-------------------|---------|------------|
| ๐ฑ๐น Lithuania | March 11, 1990 | Vilnius | 2.8 million |
| ๐ช๐ช Estonia | August 20, 1991 | Tallinn | 1.3 million |
| ๐ฑ๐ป Latvia | August 21, 1991 | Riga | 1.9 million |
All three are now EU and NATO members with thriving tech sectors. Estonia is particularly famous for its e-governance and digital society โ you can become an "e-resident" online.
Other Former Soviet Republics
| Country | Independence Date | Capital | Population |
|---------|-------------------|---------|------------|
| ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine | August 24, 1991 | Kyiv | 37 million |
| ๐ง๐พ Belarus | August 25, 1991 | Minsk | 9.3 million |
| ๐ฒ๐ฉ Moldova | August 27, 1991 | Chiศinฤu | 2.6 million |
| ๐ฆ๐ฟ Azerbaijan | August 30, 1991 | Baku | 10 million |
| ๐ฐ๐ฌ Kyrgyzstan | August 31, 1991 | Bishkek | 6.7 million |
| ๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan | September 1, 1991 | Tashkent | 35 million |
| ๐น๐ฏ Tajikistan | September 9, 1991 | Dushanbe | 10 million |
| ๐ฆ๐ฒ Armenia | September 21, 1991 | Yerevan | 3 million |
| ๐น๐ฒ Turkmenistan | October 27, 1991 | Ashgabat | 6 million |
| ๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan | December 16, 1991 | Astana | 19 million |
| ๐ท๐บ Russia | December 25, 1991 | Moscow | 144 million |
| ๐ฌ๐ช Georgia | April 9, 1991 | Tbilisi | 3.7 million |
Interesting fact: Kazakhstan was the last Soviet republic to declare independence, doing so only after the USSR was already dissolving. Russia itself "declared independence" from the Soviet Union, becoming the Russian Federation.
๐ต Countries Born from Yugoslavia's Breakup (1991โ2008)
Yugoslavia's violent dissolution created seven countries over 17 years:
| Country | Independence Date | Capital | How It Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ธ๐ฎ Slovenia | June 25, 1991 | Ljubljana | Ten-Day War |
| ๐ญ๐ท Croatia | June 25, 1991 | Zagreb | Croatian War of Independence |
| ๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia | September 8, 1991 | Skopje | Peaceful separation |
| ๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina | March 1, 1992 | Sarajevo | Bosnian War |
| ๐ฒ๐ช Montenegro | June 3, 2006 | Podgorica | Referendum |
| ๐ท๐ธ Serbia | June 5, 2006 | Belgrade | Montenegro's departure |
| ๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo | February 17, 2008 | Pristina | Unilateral declaration (disputed) |
Slovenia's "Ten-Day War" was the shortest, with minimal casualties. Bosnia's was the bloodiest, with over 100,000 dead and the Srebrenica genocide.
๐ก Other Young Countries (1990s)
๐ช๐ท Eritrea (1993)
Independence From: Ethiopia
Capital: Asmara
Eritrea won independence after a 30-year war of liberation โ one of Africa's longest conflicts. The 1993 referendum saw 99.8% vote for independence. Relations with Ethiopia remained tense, including a bloody 1998โ2000 border war, though a 2018 peace agreement has improved ties.
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia and ๐ธ๐ฐ Slovakia (1993)
Independence From: Each other (Czechoslovakia)
Capitals: Prague and Bratislava
The "Velvet Divorce" is the gold standard for peaceful national separation. After communism fell, Czech and Slovak leaders couldn't agree on the country's future structure. Rather than holding a referendum (polls showed most citizens opposed separation), parliament voted to dissolve the federation on January 1, 1993.
Both countries are now EU and NATO members with strong economies.
๐ต๐ผ Palau (1994)
Independence From: United States (UN Trust Territory)
Capital: Ngerulmud
This Pacific island nation was the last UN Trust Territory to achieve independence. With just 18,000 people spread across 340 islands, it's one of the world's smallest and most remote countries.
๐ณ๐ฆ Namibia (1990)
Independence From: South Africa
Capital: Windhoek
Namibia was illegally occupied by South Africa for decades after the mandate from the League of Nations expired. After a guerrilla war and international pressure, it finally gained independence in 1990.
๐ค Could There Be New Countries Soon?
Several territories have active independence movements:
- โขScotland โ Held a referendum in 2014 (55% voted No), but Brexit has renewed calls for another vote
- โขCatalonia โ Held a disputed referendum in 2017 (90% Yes, but only 43% turnout due to boycott)
- โขBougainville โ Voted 98% for independence from Papua New Guinea in 2019; negotiations ongoing
- โขNew Caledonia โ Held three referendums (2018, 2020, 2021); all rejected independence, though the last was boycotted
- โขSomaliland โ De facto independent from Somalia since 1991, but unrecognized by any country
- โขTaiwan โ Functions as an independent country but claims (and is claimed by) China; recognition is geopolitically complicated
Will the world's 194th country emerge soon? History suggests it's just a matter of time.
๐ฎ Test Your Knowledge
Think you know your young nations? Try to answer these:
- 1What's the only country to gain independence in the 2010s?
- 2Which two countries separated in the "Velvet Divorce"?
- 3How many countries emerged from the Soviet Union?
- 4What's the capital of South Sudan?
- 5Which Balkan country declared independence but isn't universally recognized?
(Answers: South Sudan, Czechia and Slovakia, 15, Juba, Kosovo)
Key Takeaways
- โขSouth Sudan (2011) is the world's newest country
- โขKosovo (2008) is the most recent independence declaration, but disputed
- โขThe 1990s saw the most new countries since decolonization (30+ nations)
- โขThe Soviet collapse created 15 countries; Yugoslavia's breakup created 7
- โขSeveral territories may become independent in the coming decades
The world map is never truly finished. Countries rise and fall, merge and split, declare independence and get annexed. Today's 195 UN members may look very different a century from now.
Want to test your knowledge of these young nations? Try our geography quiz and see if you can identify them all on a map!