This is a list of former German Empire colonies and protectorates () outside of the Empire's European borders, the German colonial empire.

Brandenburger-Prussian colonies

These were colonies unsucessfully settled by the Kingdom of Prussia or of Bradenburg before the foundation of the German Empire in 1871.

Africa

• Groß Friedrichsburg (in Ghana), 1683–1718

• Arguin (in Mauretania), 1685–1721

• Whydah (in present Togo), circa 1700 (this Brandenburg 'colony' was just a minor point of support, a few dwellings at a site co-inhabited by British and Dutch)

North America

These territories were held briefly under lease or occupation during the early European colonizations of the so-called New World.

• Saint Thomas. Leased by Brandenburg from the Danish West India Company, 1685–1720.

• Island of Crabs (Krabbeninsel in German) (Caribbean, now US), Brandenburg annexation in the Danish West Indies, 1689–1693

• Tertholen (Caribbean), 1696. Occupation.

German imperial colonies

These are colonies settled by and controlled by the German Empire from 1884-1919.

Africa

The following are German African protectorates.

• German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika)

• *Tanganyika - which in 1962 became independent and in 1964 joined with former British protectorate of the sultanate of Zanzibar to form present-day Tanzania

• *Ruanda-Urundi (1885–1917) - present-day Rwanda and Burundi

• *Wituland (1885–1890) - since 1890 in Kenya

• *Kionga Triangle - since 1920 (earlier occupied) in Portuguese Mozambique

• German South West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika) - present-day Namibia (except then-British Walvis Bay) and part of Botswana (Südrand des Caprivi-Zipfels)

• German West Africa (Deutsch-Westafrika) - existed as one unit only for two or three years, then split into two colonies due to distances:

• *Kamerun (1884–1914) - after World War I, separated into a British part, Cameroons, and a French Cameroun, which became present Cameroon. The British part was later split in half, with one part joining Nigeria and the other Cameroon. (Kamerun, Nigeria-Ostteil, Tschad-Südwestteil, Zentralafrikanische Republik-Westteil, Republik Kongo-Nordostteil, Gabun-Nordteil)

• *Togoland (1884–1914) - after World War I it separated into two parts: a British part (Ghana-Westteil), which joined Ghana, and a French one, which became Togo

Pacific

These are German colonies in the Pacific.

• German New Guinea (Deutsch-Neuguinea) (1884–1914)

• *Kaiser-Wilhelmsland

• *Bismarck Archipelago (Bismarck-Archipel)

• *German Solomon Islands or Northern Solomon Islands (Salomonen or Nördliche Salomon-Inseln) (1885–1899)

• *Bougainville Island (Bougainville-Insel) (1888–1919)

• *Nauru (1888–1919)

• *Marshall Islands (Marshall-Inseln) (1885–1919)

• *Mariana Islands (Marianen) (1899–1919) - present-day Northern Mariana Islands

• *Caroline Islands (Karolinen) (1899–1919) - present-day Federated States of Micronesia and Palau

• German Samoa (Deutsch-Samoa) (1899–1914) - present-day Samoa

thumb|center|500 px|Colonial Possessions and Protectorates of the German Empire, 1883-1920, confirmed by Treaty, International Agreement, or Purchase

China

These are German concessions in China leased to it by the Qing Dynasty.

• Jiaozhou Bay (Deutsch-Kiautschou) (1898-1914)

• Chefoo (190?-1918)

Other

These are other colonies.

• New Swabia was a part of Antarctica, claimed by Nazi Germany 19 January 1939 - 25 May 1945, but not effectively colonized; the claim was completely abandoned afterward

See also

• German colonization of the Americas

• German colonial empire

• Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty

• Postage stamps and postal history of the German colonies

Sources and external links

Germanypee
da:Tyske kolonierde:Deutsche Kolonienes:Lista de antiguas colonias alemanasnl:Duitse koloniënno:Liste over tidligere tyske kolonierpt:Colônias alemãsru:Территориально-политическая экспансия Германииsv:Tyska kolonier