The phrase ‘in the middle of nowhere’ takes on a deeper meaning for these places, which – for various complex reasons – don’t fall under the official definition of a state. We’ve kept our list to places that are neither member states nor observers at the United Nations, alongside places that aren't recognised by any UN members or – in the case of the Republic of Somaliland – any nations at all.
Click through this gallery to see the world's most incredible places that don’t officially exist...
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) – also known as the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic or Saharan Arab Democratic Republic – was declared on the northwest coast of Africa in 1976. Attempts by the SADR (flag pictured) to be officially recognised as an independent state have, however, been constantly thwarted. This swathe of the Western Sahara was previously a Spanish colony, and Morocco annexed the region after Spain withdrew.
The Sahrawis are the Indigenous nomadic inhabitants of the Western Sahara and make up most of the membership of the Polisario Front, an organisation based in Algeria. It was this group that swiftly declared the region’s independence and established a government-in-exile following Spain’s departure, battling Morocco and neighbouring Mauritania for control. The latter ceded in 1979, prompting Morocco to lay claim to the whole territory, whose capital is Laayoune, home to the Place du Méchouar (pictured).
A UN-brokered ceasefire ended the long war in 1991, but the fight for independence is ongoing. Referendums on the region’s independence were promised from the 1990s onwards but never happened, with Moroccan leadership eventually ruling them out. Because of this, the status of the SADR – whose government remains in exile in Algeria, where there are also several Sahrawi refugee camps – is still uncertain to say the least. Pictured here is Dakhla, a popular kitesurfing spot on a sandy peninsula within the disputed territory.
Western Sahara has been recognised on the UN’s list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963, and has a population of around 612,000. Its independence has at various points been acknowledged by other countries, but it's still not officially recognised as an autonomous state, and remains a disputed territory with a buffer strip of landmines and fortifications separating Polisario Front-controlled eastern areas from the west, under Morocco. This photo captures ornate architecture in Laayoune.
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The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic – more commonly referred to as Transnistria – declared independence in 1990, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet it’s only recognised as an autonomous state by two non-UN members who also happen to be on our list: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Despite this, Transnistria has a president along with its own laws and infrastructure. This photo shows Bendery Fortress, a 16th-century Ottoman structure.
The tiny, landlocked region – which is heavily subsidised by Russia – borders Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and is internationally recognised as part of the latter. Its move to independence began when Moldova started distancing itself from the Soviet Union during the 1980s, and a proposal to ban the Russian language proved the final straw. Moldova’s own declaration of independence – encompassing Transnistria – sparked military conflict in the early 1990s, ended by a 1992 ceasefire. This photo shows a statue of Vladimir Lenin in front of Transnistria’s parliament building in Tiraspol.
Only Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or TRNC, which covers the northeastern part of the Mediterranean island nation. Pictured here is the divided capital Nicosia, with the Turkish and TRNC flags painted on the mountain. Human history on Cyprus stretches back more than 10,000 years and in myth it was home to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, though conflict has blighted the landscape for decades.
The island was a British colony and became independent in 1960, after which the longstanding tension between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority flared. Turkish troops invaded in 1974 and declared a de facto state in the northern portion of the island in 1975. They named the region, which covers around a third of Cyprus, the TRNC and declared its independence in 1983. It was swiftly labelled invalid by the UN Security Council, which passed Resolution 541 to that effect. Pictured here is the Karpasia or Karpass Peninsula.
Northern Cyprus is, like most of the island, a hugely popular tourist destination, thanks to its golden beaches and striking landmarks like mountaintop Kantara Castle (pictured). The whole island is considered largely safe for visitors, though the Cypriot government considers anyone who enters the country via the disputed northeastern areas to have entered illegally. Cars hired in the south are generally not insured for use in the north, while there are controls on bringing some goods over the so-called 'Green Line' that divides the country.
Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish), known for its castle and harbour (pictured), is a district that falls under the control of the TRNC. No other country has recognised the Turkish claim as legitimate and there are growing concerns over the region's economy, with international embargoes in place. The currency is also unstable, as the Turkish lira was introduced soon after independence was declared.
Abkhazia, or Abkhaziya, is an area of northwestern Georgia that declared itself independent in 1999, a few years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Few UN member states have recognised it as an autonomous republic, but Russia notably has, and maintains a military presence in the area. Russia was the first nation to recognise the territory in 2008, just after battling Georgia for South Ossetia, another separatist region. Pictured here is the New Athos Monastery along the region’s coastline.
Other member states to recognise Abkhazia are Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Syria. It’s thought that the latter offered its recognition after pressure from Russia, which used military force against Syrian rebels and has supported the Syrian government. Georgia has accused the Russian government of offering diplomatic, economic and military aid in return for recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This photo shows a waterfall in New Athos.
The history of Abkhazia is as complex as its present. An independent kingdom was formed in the 8th century and later became part of Georgia before again becoming independent in 1463 – and then falling under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. A treaty brought it under a Russian protectorate in 1810 and by 1930 it was an autonomous republic within Georgia. It remained part of Georgia when the country became independent in 1991. Pictured is Lake Ritsa.
Abkhazia, which has an estimated population of 244,000, edges the eastern part of the Black Sea with a diverse landscape made up of beaches (pictured), rivers, hills and a portion of the dramatic Caucasus Mountains. Ethnic Abkhaz people made up a small proportion of the population prior to the 1990s, but they’re now the majority.
South Ossetia – Yuzhnaya Osetiya in Russian – also lies within Georgia’s borders and declared independence in 1992, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. The autonomous republic is, as with Abkhazia, recognised by a few UN countries including Russia, which has a military presence there and has voiced support for the separatist region. This photo shows the South Ossetian flag set against the Caucasus Mountains, which dominate the area.
Tensions began in the late 1980s when a separatist movement sought independence from Georgia and unification with North Ossetia–Alania (pictured), which is in Russia. The situation escalated following Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, with heavy fighting between Ossetian and Georgian forces. A ceasefire a year later was followed by a constitution establishing a republic and presidential elections in 1996.
The de facto government held a referendum in 2006 with the majority of the population – standing at an estimated 56,000, most of whom are native Ossetians – voting in favour of independence, though the results and subsequent declaration have not been recognised. Russian forces supported the separatists and took control of the capital, Tskhinvali (pictured), soon afterwards, and another ceasefire failed to end tensions.
The majority of the high-lying region, which is on Georgia’s northern border with Russia, is more than 3,300 feet (1,005m) above sea level, with a hilly landscape grazed by sheep interspersed with swathes of dense forest. The landscape is also criss-crossed by rivers, often harnessed for hydroelectric power. Pictured here is the Truso Valley, a popular hiking area in Georgia that’s right by the border with South Ossetia.
The Republic of Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in East Africa in 1991, but has never been recognised as an independent nation by any other country – making it the only place to have zero international support despite having its own currency, laws and institutions. Brazilian author Guilherme Canever, who visited Somaliland in 2009 and wrote about it in his book Unrecognized Nations: Travels to Countries That Do Not Exist, described how the territory’s status – or lack thereof – was causing economic issues.
In the Horn of Africa and on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, the Republic of Somaliland – whose capital, Hargeisa, is pictured here – borders Djibouti and Ethiopia. Adding to the confusion, Somaliland was historically the name of the area that now includes Somalia and Djibouti. The republic was established in the aftermath of the civil war that ravaged Somalia in the 1980s, leading to the government being overthrown in 1991.
Opposition group the Somali National Movement took over the area that was previously British Somaliland and declared it an independent state. Despite the absence of international recognition, the region was relatively stable until 1998 when Puntland, an area in the northeast, declared itself an autonomous region and battled with Somaliland over territory. It’s an ongoing dispute that remains unresolved. This photo shows a food market in Hargeisa.
A 2001 referendum demonstrated that Somaliland’s population supported independence, though the referendum did not receive international recognition and the government has rejected invitations to peace talks aimed at reunification with Somalia. This photo shows the Laas Geel cave paintings, believed to be the earliest examples of rock art in the region at between 5,000 and 10,000 years old.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, some years after a period of civil war and oppression at the hands of Serbian president Slobodan Milošević. The republic has a stronger position than many territories on our list as it’s recognised and supported as an independent nation by just over half of all UN member states, including the US, Canada and most of Europe. This photo shows mountains near the village of Brod.
The country is still not a UN member, however, thanks to opposition from countries including Russia and Serbia. The area’s tenuous status stretches back centuries. Ruled by the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years until Serbia took control in 1913, after the First Balkan War, Kosovo was initially partitioned between Serbia and Montenegro and became part of the region later named Yugoslavia. Pictured is the old town of Prizren, Kosovo’s second-most populous city.
World War II saw it become part of Italian-occupied Albania and then fall under Nazi rule, before finally becoming an autonomous province of Serbia within Yugoslavia. Kosovan Albanians' protests and calls for full republic status were violently quashed, and Milošević rose to power in the late 1980s on the back of promises to support Kosovo’s Serbian minority, whipping up paranoia against ethnic Albanians. (Pictured: a monument to Ismail Qemali, the first prime minister of independent Albania from 1912, in front of a youth and sports centre in Pristina.)
A campaign of terror ensued and, with peaceful resistance failing to end it, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) formed in the 1990s. The Serbian president’s brutality against the KLA and Kosovon civilians sparked NATO intervention and airstrikes. Kosovo moved towards independence under UN supervision, though Serbia continues to view the mountainous region as part of its territory. This photo shows a waterfall on the White Drin river, close to the village of Radavc.
More commonly referred to as Taiwan, the Republic of China or ROC views itself as a separate nation to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – though it is not officially a country. Historically, Taiwan was self-governing until the 17th century when it briefly became a colony of the Netherlands. It eventually fell under Chinese rule until 1895, when Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War and forced China to hand over the island. Pictured is the capital, Taipei.
The ROC was formed in 1912 and, following Japan’s surrender after World War II, was recognised by the majority as the sole government of China, ruling Taiwan with the consent of allied nations like the UK and the US. The situation became even more complex, however, with the rise of Communist leader Mao Zedong, who forced China’s former leader Chiang Kai-shek to flee to Taiwan with his troops in 1949. Pictured is the temple at Jiufen Old Street in Taipei.
The ROC has been based in Taiwan ever since, though the political situation has been fluid. Chiang Kai-shek’s son, Chiang Ching-kuo, began the move away from authoritarian rule, a process furthered by constitutional changes introduced by President Lee Teng-hui, who ruled from 1988 to 2000. The first democratic election saw Chen Shui-bian come to power that year. This photo shows Sun Moon Lake in the foothills of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range.
The split between ROC and PRC remains today, and Taiwan's status as a sovereign nation is still under question. Currently, only 12 countries recognise the ROC government, and its attempts to join the UN, including under the name Taiwan, have failed. Current PRC premier Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated his intention to "reunify" the island, but the US State Department has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself if necessary. Pictured is the archway at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, honouring the former leader.
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