I recently got to see an awesome infographic by Azure Collection, which goes into some of the most incredible lost countries that are no longer around. Often, we forget that some of these places were countries until relatively recently. Here are some of the lost countries you should know about:
When British rule ended in 1947, Bengal was split up- with East Bengal becoming East Pakistan and West Bengal becoming part of India. In 1971, East Pakistan officially separated, becoming Bangladesh. Bengal was known for its incredible culture, particularly for music, literature, and art. Things to see in this area include Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, and Neval Beach, Chittagong.
I’d never heard of Champa, but it eventually disappeared in the 15th Century during the Vietnamese War. 120,000 people were either killed or captured and any remaining Chams fled to Cambodia. Champa is now part of both Cambodia and Vietnam, with a population of 400,000.
In the area, you’ll find Hai Van Pass in Da Nang, the old town of Hoi An, and the incredible Po Nagar Cham Towers in Nha Trang.
Dinetah (Navajo Nation)
In 1868, the Navajo Nation had 90% of their land confiscated. It has been gradually returned over the years, and it’s now the largest Indian reservation in the United States. While it’s now an unrecognized country in the USA, it has a population of 300,000 people.
If you’ll be traveling in this area, don’t miss Window Rock Tribal Park, Navajo Mountain, and Monument Valley.
Rhodesia was once a country in South Africa- for just fourteen years. In 1979, it gained independence and is now known as Zimbabwe. The population of Zimbabwe is 7 million, and people speak both Shona and English there. If I make it to Zimbabwe, I’ll definitely be planning to go bungy jumping in Victoria Falls National Park, but you can also visit the National Galley of Zimbabwe.
This is one of the most recent countries. In 2009, it separated from Nicaragua. The land was previously a part of Nicaragua for 115 years. Today, the population is 150,000, and languages spoken include Spanish, English, and Miskito.
When Bolivar, the dictator of Gran Colombia wanted a constitution, he ended up resigning when no one else voted in favor of it. Instead, it became part of Ecuador, Venezuela, and New Granada.