Colonialism is the rule of one country by another based on state power in the hands of a foreign power. The foreign power or colonisers were majorly European countries. Although many European countries engaged in conquest fights and eventually colonised some countries from the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, colonialism as we know it today happened full-scale from the middle of the 19th century.
Colonialism was prompted by the industrial revolution that occurred in Europe in the 19th century. European powers discovered that they needed political control to maintain an economic sphere of influence on countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas to help resolve their own (Europeans) economic problems. In addition, the quest to acquire more lands and turn them into their colonies where they could exert political power and influence, leading to “effective occupation” to ensure their (European) countries became large empires, also fuelled colonialism.
However, there were countries in which “effective occupation” did not occur for various reasons. Some of these countries had occupiers invade them for a period, but the occupiers were unsuccessful and either left or were chased away.
This piece, therefore, presents a list of 11 countries that were not colonised by European powers.
Liberia
Liberia is one of the two countries in Africa that did not experience effective colonisation. This West African country was established in 1821 by freed African American slaves who had decided to move to Africa. Most Americans who settled in the country were moved there by the American Colonization Society (ACS).
The ACS saw Liberia as a place where former slaves could be repatriated. The Americans who moved there ruled as a privileged minority, and they were empowered following the decision of US and European powers to ship their former slaves there. The US was said to have, at a time, sent some 13,000 African Americans to Liberia. This may largely account for why Liberia was not effectively occupied and colonised by the Europeans and the US.
The settled Americans governed Liberia for over 17 years before the country gained partial independence through the Commonwealth Declaration of 4 April 1839. Full independence for the West African country occurred on 26 July 1847.
ALSO READ: Top 20 most powerful countries in the world
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the second African country not have had an experience of colonisation. This East African country is one of the oldest in world history, as its existence was documented in the bible as the Kingdom of Axum as far back as 440 BC.
Ethiopia, formerly called Abyssinia, was not colonised partly due to the established monarchical system of government operated in the country at the time and the dexterity of the monarchs – who were kings – in ruling their country and negotiating with foreign powers.
Its independence was, however, challenged several times. The British army attacked Ethiopia in 1868 following the imprisonment of many Britons under the order of King Tewodros, who was unhappy that Queen Victoria of England did not respond to a letter he sent to her a year earlier. But the invading army failed in its mission and withdrew after they were militarily defeated.
Twenty years later, precisely in 1888, Italian forces attacked Ethiopia in a bid to colonise the country. This led to the First Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895-1896, in which the Italians were soundly defeated in the Battle of Adwa in March 1896.
But despite signing the Treaty of Addis Ababa recognising Ethiopia as an independent state in October 1896, Italy, under the leadership of dictator Benito Mussolini, ordered a second invasion of the East African country in 1935. The Italians succeeded in May 1936 as their forces occupied the country and overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie.
On 1 June 1936, the Italians annexed Ethiopia, merging it with Eritrea and Italian Somalia as Italian East Africa. Italy militarily occupied Ethiopia from 1935 to 1941 when Emperor Haile Selassie, with the support of some European powers, was able to defeat the Italian forces. Emperor Selassie regained control of the country on 5 May 1941.
Japan
No European or western power ever colonised Japan. This island nation in East Asia was probably far too big and far too far away for the Europeans to control.
Japan came in contact with the Europeans as early as the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived. Although it accepted the Portuguese technology of guns and gunpowder, it banned the Europeans’ propagation of Catholicism and all forms of foreign religions. In effect, Japan fought against domination from acclaimed world powers partly due to their strength and diplomacy.
Instead, Japan became a coloniser and established a strong presence in Taiwan, Korea, and southern Sakhalin. This strength of imperial Japan helped the country crush China in the Sino-Japanese War and successfully fought against the invasion by the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. However, Japan lost almost all its colonies after World War II as it was forced to accept humiliating terms in the treaties signed with such colonies.
ALSO READ: Top 5 richest countries in Africa and the world
Thailand
Thailand is another country in the Far East that the Europeans did not colonise. However, this South-East Asia country, formerly known as Siam, was influenced by its Asian neighbours such as Japan and China.
Thailand, just like Ethiopia, has been ruled by monarchs virtually since its existence as a country. The kings who ruled Thailand in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, especially King Chulalongkorn, ensured that the country avoided colonisation by building ties with Britain, which had a significant interest in the country. Britain and France annexed some border areas in Thailand but could not fully control those areas under the sphere of their influence permanently. Instead, the British and French Empires decided to let the country remain independent to act as a buffer between British-controlled Burma (now called Myanmar) and French Indochina (now known as Vietnam).
The country was briefly occupied by Japan during the latter’s imperial period during its early 20th century but was not colonised.
Bhutan
Bhutan is also one of the Far East countries never to have been colonised. However, this South Asia country had to engage in serious military combat to maintain its sovereignty and independence.
One of the reasons that could be attributed to their staunch defence is that the Himalayan Mountain, which forms Bhutan’s land boundary, is very difficult for outsiders to invade and navigate through into the country. Despite this, Bhutan lost parts of North Bengal to Britain in a military battle from 1772 to 1774, and the latter governed the area.
But Bhutan reached an agreement with the British and signed a Treaty of Peace with the British East India Company on 25 April 1774. The treaty gave Britain a small chunk of control of Bhutan’s foreign affairs and permission to harvest timber in the country. However, the brokered settlement did not stop both parties from perpetually being in conflict until 1947, when India became independent. The independence of India necessitated the withdrawal of British forces from Bhutan, which India saw as their sphere of influence.
ALSO READ: Cheapest countries you can migrate to from Nigeria
Iran
Iran appealed to European powers in the 18th century because of its strategic location connecting Asia to Europe. However, this Western Asia country, which has existed since 678 BC, thereby making it one of the oldest countries in the world, was never colonised.
But it is imperative to note that the country, formerly known as the Persian Empire, was divided between British and Russian spheres of influence for some years. This occurred because members of the Qajar Dynasty, which governed the country from the late 18th century, borrowed money from European banks and gallivanted across the world for luxury tours but could not repay the loans.
Following their inability to pay, the British and Russian governments – the world powers at the time – insisted they would control and share Persian revenues from various revenues. Although the Persian Empire never agreed to this condition, its implementation prevented the country known as Iran today from being the colony of any European power.
Instead, Russia controlled some of the northern areas of the Persian Empire (present-day Turkmenistan), while Britain took over some areas of the Empire (which is near present-day Pakistan).
Nepal
Nepal is another country that had to rely on its staunch military defence and its mountainous terrain to prevent it from being colonised.
Just as it was in Bhutan, the Nepalese government had to resist the expansionist British Empire in the Anglo-Nepalese War (also known as the Gorkha War), which lasted from 1814 to 1816. The Nepalese army could keep much of the country’s territory within its control but lost 30 per cent to the British army, which had support provided by the British East India Co.
However, the mountainous terrain discouraged the British from intensifying the conquest and moving further into other parts of Nepal. Consequently, the British forces left Nepal, leaving it as an independent country and making it a “buffer state” as it created a border zone for British India.
ALSO READ: Visa-free countries for Nigerian passport holders
Tonga
Many may be surprised by the appearance of Tonga on this list, despite its open and close association with the British Empire. However, this country in Oceania has never been colonised at any time in its history.
Instead, what happened was that Tonga voluntarily chose to become a British protectorate in 1900 in a bid to avoid colonisation by Germany. Even with its status as a British protectorate, the sovereignty of Tonga was not threatened as the country remained under full control of Tonga’s royal family.
Tonga ceased to be a British protectorate when it gained full independence in 1970.
China
There is a debate among historians about the status of China, the world’s most populous country, as a non-colonised country. The debate ensues because some European powers such as Britain and France, as well as its neighbour Japan, controlled parts of Chinese coastal cities or trade ports like Shanghai and Hong Kong. This is why some scholars insist that this East Asian nation was a “semi-colony” or a partially colonised country.
However, no country has ever controlled the entire Chinese territory. This can be attributed to its powerful army and government over the years and its large size, which would have made it extremely difficult for a single country to conquer. Only the Mongols were able to successfully invade China in the 13th and 14th centuries but were repelled years later.
Other cities were divided into multiple European concessions under the Qing Dynasty, thereby suffering heavy casualties but did not lose control of the country. Some other world powers such as the US, Russia, and Italy attempted to gain control but were defeated.
ALSO READ: How the various forms of government practised by countries operate
Afghanistan
Like its neighbour, the Persian Empire (now Iran), European powers sought to control Afghanistan due to its strategic location.
The British made their first attempt to capture this South Asia country in what is referred to as the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1839 but were defeated by the Afghan Army. British forces again attempted to take control of Afghanistan in the Second Anglo-Afghan War from 1878 to 1880. This time, the invading force succeeded as the Afghans relinquished part of their foreign relations’ control to them as part of the Treaty of Gandamak of 1879, while it fully retained domestic control. But in the end, Britain decided it was best to leave, and it became a buffer state in the “Great Game” between the British Empire (in British-ruled India) and the Russian Empire.
Russia also attempted to have a sphere of influence in Afghanistan, its Central Asian neighbour to the south, in the 19th century; after all, the Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought over perceived Russian influence in the region.
Saudi Arabia
Even though it was occupied for a while, Saudi Arabia never experienced the vent of colonisation. It was occupied by the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) in the 16th century.
This Middle Eastern country also came under partial occupation in the early 1900s as the Empire wrestled control from the tribal leaders. However, the Saudi royal family, led by Ibn Saud, began to fight to regain control of the country. With British support, Ibn Saud succeeded in his conquest, and by 1932, the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia was formed.
While it was a British protectorate during the Saud’s fight during World War I, the British left much of the Arabian Peninsula’s vast interior relatively untouched.
ALSO READ: Nigeria’s Independence Day: Facts and importance of the national birthday
