Countries That Were Never Colonized: The Full List

Roughly ten countries are commonly cited as never having been formally colonized by European powers: Japan, Thailand, Ethiopia, Liberia, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan, Tonga, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan. Every one of these cases carries caveats — foreign occupations, unequal treaties, or spheres of influence complicate the tidy label of "never colonized."

Introduction

Between the 15th and 20th centuries, European empires came to control the vast majority of the planet. By some estimates, over 80% of the world's land surface was at some point claimed, occupied, or administered by a European colonial power. Against that backdrop, the short list of nations that escaped formal colonization stands out.

But "never colonized" is a slippery phrase. Some of these countries suffered military occupations, lost territory, signed humiliating treaties, or fell into foreign spheres of influence without ever becoming an official colony. This guide walks through the well-established cases and, crucially, the nuance behind each one.

The Countries Usually Named

• Japan: Never colonized. Forced open by US Commodore Perry in 1853–54 and pressured into unequal treaties, Japan responded with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, modernizing rapidly and becoming an imperial power itself. It was occupied by Allied forces after 1945, but that followed World War II rather than colonization.
• Thailand (Siam): Never colonized, though it lost territory. Thailand survived as a buffer state between British Burma and French Indochina, and skilled diplomacy by kings such as Chulalongkorn preserved its independence. It did cede peripheral lands to both Britain and France.
• Ethiopia: Never formally colonized, with one major exception. Ethiopia famously defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. However, Fascist Italy did militarily occupy the country from 1936 to 1941. Because that occupation was brief and never internationally recognized as legitimate rule, Ethiopia is generally still counted as uncolonized.
• Liberia: Never a European colony, but a special case. Liberia was settled from the 1820s by freed and formerly enslaved Black Americans under the American Colonization Society and declared independence in 1847. Some historians argue this settler arrangement was a form of colonization by the settlers over indigenous peoples.
• Iran (Persia): Never formally colonized, but heavily dominated. Britain and Russia carved Iran into spheres of influence in 1907 and occupied parts of it during both world wars. It retained nominal sovereignty throughout.

More Contested and Isolated Cases

• Nepal: Never colonized. After the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–16, Nepal ceded territory and accepted a British resident, but it remained a sovereign kingdom and was never absorbed into British India.
• Bhutan: Never colonized, though its foreign affairs were guided by Britain and later India through treaties. It preserved internal self-rule as a mountain kingdom.
• Tonga: Never formally colonized. Tonga became a British protected state in 1900, keeping its own monarchy and internal government, and regained full control of its foreign affairs in 1970. Protectorate status is distinct from being a colony, though the line is debated.
• Saudi Arabia: The unified kingdom, founded in 1932, was never colonized. Parts of the Arabian Peninsula did fall under Ottoman or British influence earlier, but the modern Saudi state emerged independent.
• Afghanistan: Never formally colonized despite repeated invasions. Britain fought three Anglo-Afghan wars and controlled Afghan foreign policy for a period, but never established it as a colony. It served, like Thailand, as a buffer — here between British India and Russia.

Cases People Get Wrong

Korea is sometimes added to these lists, but that is a mistake in the European sense: Korea was annexed and colonized by Japan from 1910 to 1945. It was colonized — just not by a European power. This highlights a common framing issue, since many "never colonized" lists silently mean "never colonized by Europeans."

China is another gray area. It was never fully colonized, yet it endured the "century of humiliation," losing Hong Kong to Britain, ceding treaty ports, and watching foreign powers carve out concessions. Whether that counts as colonization is genuinely debated by historians.

Good to Know

How many countries were never colonized?

There is no single agreed number, but roughly ten are commonly listed: Japan, Thailand, Ethiopia, Liberia, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan, Tonga, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan. The exact count depends on how strictly you define "colonized" and whether protectorates, occupations, and unequal treaties are excluded.

Was Ethiopia ever colonized?

Ethiopia was never formally colonized, but it was militarily occupied by Fascist Italy from 1936 to 1941. That occupation was short-lived, faced continuous resistance, and was never recognized as legitimate, so Ethiopia is still generally counted among the uncolonized nations.

Why do these lists say "by European powers"?

Most "never colonized" lists focus on European overseas empires, which dominated global colonization from the 1400s to the 1900s. That framing is why Korea, colonized by Japan, is usually excluded — it was colonized, but by an Asian power rather than a European one.