Former British Colonies

The modern-day Canadian province of Newfoundland was once a British colony.
  • The British Empire was the largest of its kind in history, and once covered about one quarter of all the land on Earth.
  • One of the last major colonies to be given up by Britain was Hong Kong which was given back to China on July 1st 1997.
  • Britain began colonizing the world back in the 16th century and spread its power through a strong army and by partnering with local authorities to conduct business.

The British Empire is famous for spreading itself to almost every corner of the globe. An empire is a group of colonies that are ruled by a single power, and while Britain itself has always been quite small in land mass and located far away from many of the places it governed, it succeeded in manifesting the largest empire in history. Historians debate exactly how this happened; many say the British Empire was made possible by conquering the world by sea, investing in a formidable army, and partnering with local people to further its spread. 

At its height in 1921, this empire had become a refined worldwide network, ruling approximately one-quarter of all the land on Earth. The nations conquered were linked by trade as well as politics, and this lasted for quite a while. While various countries gained their independence over time, even by 1952 when Queen Elizabeth took the throne, over 70 colonies still existed in the empire overseas. Nothing lasts forever, however. The end of this era, which began in the 16th century, finally came in 1997 when Hong Kong, one of the empire’s most prominent territories, was transferred back to China

Today, Queen Elizabeth is the former head of state for 16 Commonwealth countries outside the UK. These include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Australia, Belize, Barbados, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

Indian troops replacing 10,000 British troops captured by the Turks in Iraq, 1916. Image credit: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

As far as current British overseas territories go, the list includes land in the Antarctic as well as Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, St Helena and its Dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the Turks & Caicos Islands

What happened to the rest? Here is a brief look at some former British Colonies and how they came to be. 

India

The area encompassing India and the adjacent Pakistan and Bangladesh was under the rule of Britain from 1858 to 1947 under the moniker "British Raj." While legally this area was not officially a colony, thus requiring India's declaration of war against Germany rather than solely Britain's during the World Wars, the likeness was identical in terms of hierarchy. It all began back in the 1600s when Britain first set up the East India Company to bring silk, spices, tea, and salt from India to Europe. The company set up relationships that were mutually beneficial for both Britain and locals in India and other countries throughout the Indian subcontinent. In doing so, this presence grew to be more than just an element of commerce. From the 1750s until 1947, Britain ruled the subcontinent. Following World War II, Britain lost much of its wealth and authority which led to granting India its independence as dissatisfaction with British rule was growing in the colony. British influence in India has been long-lasting, and English is commonly used as a lingua franca in the country.

Hong Kong

During the First Opium War between China and Britain in 1839, China temporarily gave Hong Kong Island over to the British. This was done with the 1841 Convention of Chuenpi. In 1842, this temporary setup became a permanent deal with the Treaty of Nanjing. In 1860, Kowloon was won by the British, and in 1898, the modern dividing line between mainland China and Hong Kong was established. 

Britain ruled Hong Kong with an agreement that the empire would give Hong Kong back to China 99 years after signing the deal, on July 1, 1997, which it did. Today, Hong Kong is governed under the “one country, two systems” relationship. Right now, Hong Kong is a special administrative region (SAR) of China, but that will change in 2047 when China will likely take complete control of the region. 

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China, but formerly it was British territory. Image credit: ESB Professional/Shutterstock

The Gold Coast

The British Empire ruled over many countries in Africa, beginning in 1870. These included what are now Kenya, Sudan, Lesotho, Botswana, Northern Somalia, Egypt, Eastern Ghana, Gambia, Niger, and Benin. These were all places Britain wanted to dominate for access to goods such as rubber, salt, gold, ivory, and other natural products. Therefore, the modern-day region of Ghana was titled "The Gold Coast" during its colonization. Through purchase and invasion, Britain established dominion over the former kingdoms that inhabited these areas. As is typical of colonial investment, the empire put in place infrastructure like schools and hospitals, which led to Gold Coast academically-promising youth studying in Britain. The primary kingdom that resisted British rule was the Ashanti, who initiated several wars from 1822 until their independence was lost by 1900, although uprisings persisted. A form of indirect rule was established for the sake of law and order, in which former chiefs were reinstituted in leadership positions, yet communities had a newfound ability to replace that representative if dissatisfied. Communication systems, novel agriculture, and railroads transformed the social and economic landscape, although modern assessments of living-standards during colonial rule are constrained by a lack of data. By the 1940s, the desire for independence was growing. Leaders who had been educated in British school systems sought non-violent and diplomatic solutions, and by 1957, Ghana was born. In contrast, one of the last British colonies in Africa to gain its independence was Zimbabwe in 1980. 

A stamp of Gold Coast overprinted in black, Ghana Independence shows country on African continent and queen Elizabeth II, 1957, on September 18, 2014, Zagreb, Croatia. Image credit: Zvonimir Atletic/Shutterstock 

British North America and Colonial America

Both Canada and the United States have areas in them that were once British colonies. Today, the US is not governed by the UK, and Canada is a sovereign nation but a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of Canada (Queen Elizabeth) as the head of state. 

The British empire ruled over British North America in what is now Canada, beginning in about 1860. At this time, these included New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and “Canada” which was comprised of Upper and Lower Canada, today the provinces of Ontario and Quebec

Canada’s road to independence has been long and winding. The last province to join since the 1867 confederation was Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949 and the last territory was Nunavut in 1999.

Currier & Ives lithograph depicting General George Washington accepting the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown. Image credit: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

In what is now the eastern US, thirteen British colonies were set up during the 17th and 18th centuries. These areas became prosperous economically and many people living in them began to rally support around the contentious issue of "taxation without representation." This eventually led to the American War of Independence, also known as the Revolutionary War, which took place from 1775 to 1783. 

The British Empire was massive and was created with crafty, creative, and domineering ways of thinking. It grew at a unique time in history, and while it has shrunk considerably since it began, the effects of the empire are felt globally to this day. It remains to be seen if any one power will again dominate over such a large portion of the globe, but history does tend to repeat itself. Who will be next? 

Former British Colonies

RankFormer British ColoniesYear of Independence from Britain
1Aden Protectorate1967
2Anglo-Egyptian Sudan1956
3Auckland Islands1931
4Bahamas1973
5Bahrain1971
6Bangladesh1971 (From Pakistan)
7Barbados1966
8Basutoland (Lesotho)1966
9Bechuanaland (Botswana)1966
10Bermuda1995
11British Borneo (Brunei)1984
12British Cameroon1961
13British East Africa (Kenya)1963
14British East Africa (Uganda)1962
15British Egypt1922
16British Guiana1966
17British Honduras (Belize)1981
18British India1947
19British Malaya (Malaysia)1957
20British Solomon Islands1978
21British Somaliland (Somalia)1960
22British Togoland1957
23British Western Pacific Territories1976
24Burma (Myanmar)1948
25Ceylon (Sri Lanka)1948
26Colonial Fiji1970
27Colonial Nigeria1960
28Colony of Newfoundland1949 (Became a province of Canada)
29Cyprus1960
30Emirate of Transjordan (Jordan)1946
31Gambia Colony and Protectorate1965
32Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Kiribati and Tuvalu)1978
33Gold Coast (Ghana)1957
34Helgoland1890 (Now part of Germany)
35Hong Kong1997 (Now a Chinese special administrative region)
36Ionian Islands1830
37Ireland1921
38Island of St. John (Antigua and Barbuda)1981
39Jamaica1962
40Kingdom of Rarotonga (Cook Islands)1965 (self governing island state in free association with New Zealand)
41Kingdom of Sarawak1963 (now a state of Malaysia)
42Leeward Islands1983
43Malta1964
44Mandatory Iraq1932
45Mandatory Palestine (Israel, Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, Palestine Protectorate)1948
46Menorca (Spanish Island)1802 (now part of Spain)
47Mosquito Coast1860 (now part of Nicaragua and Honduras)
48Muscat and Oman1951
49Nauru1968
50New Hebrides (Vanuatu)1906
51New South Wales (state in Australia)1901
52Nigeria1960
53Niue1974 (from New Zealand)
54Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)1964
55Nyasaland (Malawi)1964
56Oregon Country1846 (became a US territory, then a state)
57Pakistan1947
58Phoenix Islands1979 (now part of Kiribati)
59Province of East Florida1783 (became a Spanish colony, later a US territory
60Province of Nova Scotia (one of the founding provinces of Canada)1867
61Province of Quebec (one of the founding provinces of Canada)1867
62Province of West Florida1783 (became a Spanish colony, later a US territory
63Qatar1868
64Queensland (state in Australia)1901
65Rupert's Land1869 (became part of the Canadian confederation)
66Sheikhdom of Kuwait1961
67Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate1961
68Singapore1963 (became a state of Malaysia, then separated in 1965)
69Solomon Islands1978
70South Africa1931
71South Arabia1932
72South Australia (state in Australia)1901
73South-West Africa1931 (South Africa territory until 1990)
74Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)1980
75Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malaysia, Borneo)1946 (Separated and passed to other nations)
76Sultanate of Zanzibar1963
77Swan River Colony (Western Australia, state in Australia)1901
78Swaziland1968
79Tanganyika Territory (Tanzania)1961
80Territory of New Guinea1975
81Thirteen Colonies (United States)1776
82Tokelau1949 (Became a territory of New Zealand)
83Tonga1970
84Trucial States (Oman)1951
85Uganda Protectorate1962
86Unfederated Malay States1957
87Van Diemen's Land1856
88Victoria (State in Australia)1901
89Western Samoa1970
90Windward Islands1979
Share

More in World Facts