Lost States, Breakaway Republics and Micronations
Countries, states and territories that came and went.
The map of the United States was never fixed. Settlers declared their own republics, Congress turned down whole states, territories were carved up and handed back, and a few places still declare independence for the fun of it. These are the most notable, from the Republic of Texas to a backyard nation in the Nevada desert.
| # | Place | Why it's here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Republic of TexasAustin, Texas |
Independent nation, 1836–1845, recognized abroad |
| 2 |
 Vermont RepublicWindsor, Vermont |
Independent republic, 1777–1791, then the 14th state |
| 3 |
 State of FranklinJonesborough, Tennessee |
Breakaway state in East Tennessee, 1784–1788 |
| 4 |
 Republic of West FloridaSt. Francisville, Louisiana |
A 75-day republic in 1810, now part of Louisiana |
| 5 |
 Kingdom of HawaiiʻIolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii |
Recognized kingdom, overthrown in 1893 |
| 6 |
 State of DeseretSalt Lake City, Utah |
Proposed Latter-day Saint state, 1849–1851 |
| 7 |
 Indian TerritoryEastern Oklahoma |
Land of removed Native nations, 1834–1907 |
| 8 |
 Dakota TerritoryYankton, South Dakota |
Split into two states on one day in 1889 |
| 9 |
 Panama Canal ZoneBalboa, Panama |
U.S.-run strip across Panama, 1904–1979 |
| 10 |
 The Philippines (U.S. Territory)Manila, Philippines |
U.S. territory, 1898–1946 |
| 11 |
 State of JeffersonYreka, California |
Proposed state that "secedes every Thursday" |
| 12 |
 Conch RepublicKey West, Florida |
Key West’s one-minute secession, 1982 |
| 13 |
 Republic of MolossiaNear Dayton, Nevada |
A backyard micronation in Nevada |
Each place links to its full entry, with key facts, a map and sources. Browse all guides or open the explore map.