This map, published in 2010 by the United Nations Cartographic Section, shows the political and legal division of the world’s territories in 1945, the year in which the United Nations Charter came into force.
The countries are shown in different colours, with information on their stance regarding the Charter of the United Nations:
- Light blue: Founding member states of the UN (51 in total).
- Orange: founding members that gained independence after the UN was established.
- Light green: territories under the mandate of the League of Nations.
- Purple: Countries with a special treaty with a UN member state.
- Dark green: territories under the UN trusteeship system in 1949.
- Yellow: Non-UN member states.
- Red: other dependent territories.
The map illustrates the significant influence of colonialism at the time the United Nations was founded. Across the entire African continent, only South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and Liberia are shown as sovereign states.
It is worth noting that Belarus and Ukraine, despite being constituent parts of the Soviet Union, are listed as founding members of the UN, as they had their own representation thanks to a diplomatic arrangement by Stalin to increase the number of Soviet votes in the new organisation.
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