List of World Map Changes - 20th Century - 1970s

1970s

1979
  • December 12 — The Republic of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia is taken back over by the United Kingdom
  • October 27 — Independence of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from United Kingdom
  • September 20 — Central African Empire is renamed Central African Republic
  • September 13 — The Republic of Venda is given independence by South Africa
  • July 12 — Independence of the Gilbert Islands from the United Kingdom as the Republic of Kiribati
  • June 1 — The Republic of Rhodesia becomes the transitional state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia
  • April 1 — Iran changes its name to the Islamic Republic of Iran
  • March 26 — Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, Sinai Peninsula is returned to Egypt
  • March 2 — Rhodesia declares independence from the United Kingdom with no recognition
  • February 22 — Independence of Saint Lucia from United Kingdom
  • February 11 — The Imperial State of Iran changes its name to Iran
  • January 10 — The People's Republic of Kampuchea after an overthrow of the democratic government comes into existence where Cambodia is
1978
  • December 29 — After a transition to democracy, the Spanish State is renamed the Kingdom of Spain
  • November 3 — Independence of the Commonwealth of Dominica from the United Kingdom
  • October 1
    • Independence of Tuvalu from the United Kingdom
    • The State of the Comoros is renamed the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
  • September 7 — The Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka is renamed the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  • July 7 — Independence of Solomon Islands from the United Kingdom
  • April 30 — The Republic of Afghanistan is renamed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
  • The capital of Sri Lanka is moved from Colombo to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
1977
  • December 6 — The Republic of Bophuthatswana is declared independent by South Africa
  • June 27 — Independence of French Territory of the Afars and Issas as Djibouti
  • March 2 — The Libyan Arab Republic is renamed the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  • In Pakistan, the city of Lyallpur is renamed to Faisalabad
1976
  • December 28 — The People's Republic of Albania is renamed the Socialist People's Republic of Albania
  • December 4 — The Central African Republic is renamed the Central African Empire
  • October 26 — The Republic of Transkei is given independence by South Africa
  • August 7 — The Republic of North Solomons is taken by Papua New Guinea
  • July 2 — The Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam merges into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
  • June 29 — Independence of the Republic of Seychelles from the United Kingdom
  • June 24 — The capital of the Philippines moves from Quezon City (official) and Baguio (summer) to Manila
  • June 23 — In the British Indian Ocean Territory, the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches are returned to Seychelles, six days before its independence
  • March 1 — Trinidad and Tobago is renamed the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
  • February 27 — The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declares independence from Morocco and Mauritania in Western Sahara
  • February 3 — In Mozambique, the city of Lourenço Marques is renamed to Maputo
1975
  • December 30 — The Malagasy Republic is renamed the Democratic Republic of Madagascar
  • December 7 — East Timor is completely taken over by Indonesia
  • December 2 — The Kingdom of Laos is overthrown, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic takes power
  • November 30 — The Republic of Dahomey is renamed the People's Republic of Benin
  • November 28 — The Democratic Republic of East Timor declares independence from Portugal it is annexed by Indonesia by military force, but still achieves independence for a little over 1 week
  • November 25 — Independence of the Republic of Suriname from the Netherlands
  • November 11
    • Due to Angola achieving independence, Angolan Forces invaded the Republic of Cabinda, successfully taking it back
    • Independence of the People's Republic of Angola from Portugal
  • September 16 — Independence of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea from Australia
  • September 1 — The Republic of North Solomons declares independence from Australia
  • August 1 — The Republic of Cabinda declares independence from Portugal with little recognition
  • July 12 — Independence of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe from Portugal
  • July 6 — Independence of the State of the Comoros from France
  • July 5 — Independence of the Republic of Cape Verde from Portugal
  • June 25 — Independence of the People's Republic of Mozambique from Portugal
  • May 16 — Sikkim officially becomes the 22nd state of the Indian Union
  • April 30 — Due to losing the Vietnam War, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) is disestablished, and the socialist republican government of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, allied with North Vietnam takes over
  • April 17 — The Khmer Republic was disestablished, and the Democratic Kampuchea takes control of Cambodia
1974
  • December 13 — The State of Malta is renamed the Republic of Malta
  • October 19 — Niue becomes a state in free association with New Zealand, sharing New Zealand citizenship
  • September 12 — The Empire of Ethiopia is overthrown by the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia (or Derg)
  • September 10 — The Independence of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is internationally recognized, and the capital is moved from Madina do Boe to Bissau
  • June 29 — The Tanna Nation is taken back by the Anglo-French New Hebrides Condominium
  • March 24 — The Tanna Nation declares independence from the Anglo-French New Hebrides Condominium
  • February 7 — Independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom
  • January 3 — The Union of Burma is renamed the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
  • The capital of Malawi is moved from Zomba to Lilongwe
1973
  • September 24 — Independence of Portuguese Guinea from Portugal as the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, which is internationally unrecognized
  • July 17 — The Kingdom of Afghanistan is renamed the Republic of Afghanistan
  • July 10 — Independence of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas from the United Kingdom
  • June 1
    • British Honduras is renamed Belize
    • The Kingdom of Greece is renamed the Hellenic Republic
  • In India, the State of Mysore is renamed Karnataka
  • In the Gambia, Bathurst is renamed Banjul
1972
  • June 2 — The Federal Republic of Cameroon is renamed the United Republic of Cameroon
  • May 22 — The Dominion of Ceylon is renamed the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka
  • May 14 — Ryukyu Islands are returned to Japan
  • February 11 — The Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah joins the United Arab Emirates
  • February 10 — The Island of Rockall Act 1972 formally incorporated Rockall into the United Kingdom
  • The capital of Indonesia, Djakarta, is renamed Jakarta
1971
  • Formation of the United Arab Emirates:
    • December 2 — The Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Emirate of Ajman, the Emirate of Dubai, the Emirate of Fujairah, the Emirate of Sharjah, and the Emirate of Umm al-Quwain form to become the United Arab Emirates
    • December 1 — The Trucial States declare independence from the United Kingdom as these countries: The Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Emirate of Ajman, the Emirate of Dubai, the Emirate of Fujairah, the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, the Emirate of Sharjah, and the Emirate of Umm al-Quwain
  • Independence of Bangladesh:
    • December 16 — Bangladesh wins independence from Pakistan
    • March 26 — The People's Republic of Bangladesh, previously the province of Pakistan under the name East Pakistan, declares independence
  • October 27 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo is renamed the Republic of Zaire
  • September 11 — The United Arab Republic is renamed the Arab Republic of Egypt
  • September 3 — Independence of the State of Qatar from the United Kingdom
  • August 15 — Independence of the State of Bahrain from the United Kingdom
  • April 19 — Sierra Leone is renamed the Republic of Sierra Leone
1970
  • December 1 — The People's Republic of Yemen is renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
  • October 10 — Independence of the Dominion of Fiji from the United Kingdom
  • October 9 — The Kingdom of Cambodia is renamed the Khmer Republic
  • August 9 — The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman is renamed the Sultanate of Oman
  • June 4 — Independence of the Kingdom of Tonga from the United Kingdom
  • April 24 — The Gambia is renamed the Republic of the Gambia
  • March 2 — Rhodesia is renamed the Republic of Rhodesia
  • February 23 — Guyana is renamed the Co-operative Republic of Guyana
  • January 12 — The Republic of Biafra is taken back over by Nigeria
  • January 3 — The Republic of the Congo is renamed the People's Republic of the Congo
  • The capital of British Honduras is moved from Belize City to Belmopan due to vast destruction by Hurricane Hattie

Read more about this topic:  List Of World Map Changes, 20th Century