The current world map looks completely different from what it was a century ago, as the world witnessed many important historical transformations, starting with the collapse of ancient empires, up to the renaming of countries.
In a report published by the Australian edition of Readersdigest, writer Tina Donvito reviews a list of the most prominent countries that existed on the world map a century ago, but disappeared and were replaced by other countries.
1. Yugoslavia
100 years ago, World War I wreaked havoc in Europe.
The southeastern European country of Yugoslavia, founded in 1918, was then known as the "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes", and its name changed to Yugoslavia a decade later.
It included many culturally and ethnically diverse territories that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The former Yugoslav federation included the countries now known as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.
The country was occupied and divided during World War II, later unified, before collapsing in the late last century.
2. Tibet
Tibet, in northwest India, has been disputed for centuries.
Tibet was an independent country between 1912 and 1951, before China annexed it and granted it autonomy.
Currently, the efforts of the Tibetan people to restore their "independence" are still underway.
Tibet is a destination for adventure seekers and mountaineers as it is home to the nearly 8,849-meter-high Mount Everest, which borders Nepal.
3. Morcente Neutrality
This small country, measuring just two and a half kilometers in size, was founded following an agreement between the Dutch and the Prussians in 1816 that gave both countries access to its zinc mine.
This state had its own flag and national currency.
Efforts were made to transform this small nation into a utopia with its own artificial "world language" called Esperanto.
But it fell victim to the First World War, and then became part of Belgium.
1949 Newfoundland became a Canadian province now known as Newfoundland and Labrador (Getty Images)
4. Newfoundland
This island off the northeastern coast of North America was once a British colony, but its isolation created a culture distinct from the surrounding area.
Newfoundland was self-governing, although still under British domination, from 1907 until 1934, then voluntarily opting to return to Britain after a major depression hit the region.
In 1949, Newfoundland became a Canadian province now known as Newfoundland and Labrador.
5. Abyssinia
Ethiopia was known 100 years ago as Abyssinia.
In the midst of the western advance to colonize Africa at the end of the nineteenth century, Italy tried to colonize it, but it was unable to overthrow its monarchy.
This country had never been colonized in its history and was one of the few independent countries in Africa, until the Italians managed to occupy it for a brief period in the late 1930s.
6. Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia was part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and consisted of the historical regions of Moravia, Slovakia, and Bohemia.
The Nazi occupation of the region caused Europe to participate in World War II.
After it was liberated by the Soviet Union, it became an Eastern Bloc nation in the latter half of the 20th century.
In 1993, Czechoslovakia was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Czech Republic, part of Czechoslovakia that split in 199 into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Getty Images)
7. Ceylon
Until 1972, Sri Lanka in southern India was known as Ceylon, the name given to it by Europeans when they colonized the island centuries earlier.
Ceylon was under British control until 1948, after which it became an independent country in 1972, changing its name to Sri Lanka.
8. Basutoland
Basutoland is currently known as Lesotho since its independence from Britain in 1966. Basutoland is one of 3 countries in the world completely surrounded by another country (along with both the Vatican and San Marino which is surrounded by Italy).
Basutoland was located in what is today South Africa.
Lesotho is still run by a royal family, and is now a constitutional monarchy.
The Ottoman Empire in 1923 lost most of its territory and its scope was reduced to what is known today as the Turkish Republic (Getty Images)
9. Ottoman Empire
Unlike the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire survived the First World War and its borders until 1920 spanned Turkey and some of the surrounding areas.
But in 1923 it lost most of its territory and its area was greatly reduced to what is known today as the Turkish Republic.
Before the outbreak of World War II, the Ottoman Empire ruled for more than 600 years and its borders included parts of Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Its influence is still visible to this day in Turkey's culture and architecture.
10. Sikkim
The Kingdom of Sikkim enjoyed sovereignty from 1642 until it became an Indian protectorate in 1950, and then fully integrated into India in 1975. It borders the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and today's Nepal, and snow-capped mountains dominate most of Sikkim's area.
11. Persia
The name Persia evokes the history of an ancient Middle Eastern kingdom that is one of the ancient civilizations in history.
Since the height of its power in antiquity, this country has fought many conflicts but retained its old title until 1935, after which it was officially called Iran.
Thailand was formerly known as Siam, and its name was changed in 1939 (Foreign Press)
12. Siam
Thailand was formerly known as Siam, and its name was changed in 1939. This country was not colonized by Europeans, but rather was an absolute monarchy.
Following upheavals in the 20th century, Thailand turned into a constitutional monarchy.
With hundreds of islands, crystal clear waters, and gorgeous coastlines, Thailand is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations.
13. Prussia
The existence of this state, which included lands in Central and Eastern Europe including present-day Germany and Poland, continued until 1947. The Kingdom of Prussia prospered in the eighteenth century but began to lose territory by the nineteenth century, until the unification of the German Empire and the installation of the Prussian king on her head in 1871.
Prussia's influence declined following the defeat of the empire and the abolition of the Prussian monarchy after World War I.
Prussia was turned into a German province after its dissolution, and the name was officially rejected after World War II to disappear from the map forever.
The descendants of the former monarchy still retain their titles.
Zanzibar was independent in the 19th century and merged with Tanganyika to form a new country called Tanzania (the island).
14. Zanzibar
The Zanzibar Islands, an archipelago off the eastern coast of Africa, once enjoyed an important trading position, and were an independent sultanate in the 19th century.
Although it became a British protectorate soon after, the sultan's rule lasted until 1964. After gaining full independence in 1964, Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika to form a new country called Tanzania.
15. Sarawak
Sarawak is currently one of the provinces of Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It was established by British explorer James Brooke as a kingdom in the 1840s, and he and his descendants ruled it until World War II, and it was occupied by Japan and later ceded to Britain.
In 1963, Sarawak became a territory of the new state of Malaysia.