Geopolitics can be a funny beast. While Earth’s landmass has stayed virtually identical for most of human history, borders have been drawn and redrawn time again as our planet’s inhabitants jockey for position.
Whether the dissolution of these countries is due to warfare, colonization, or straightforward diplomacy, it’s fascinating to think back on these former nations. While the landmass and the people remain, the country itself is long gone.
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia was one of several countries to emerge from the chaos of World War I, in this case coming from a merger between the Kingdom of Serbia with the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs.
The country had a tough history — it came into existence in 1918, was decimated by World War II, then saw various economic and political crises in the decades to come. After a series of revolutions in 1989, it divided into five countries.