The Atlas of Forgotten Nations highlights countries that never made it into your geography book, in most cases because they only existed for a few weeks, were tucked into odd corners of the world, or were never formally recognized by much of anyone, such as:
Karelia, Republic of– Karelia, a Finnic region which comprises the eastern half of the Scandinavian peninsula, rebelled against the Russian Republic in February of 1917. British peacekeeping troops occupied the area until early 1920. In March of 1920, the Red Army occupied Karelia. The Karelians revolted again in early 1921 and declared their independence in April. The Bolsheviks reconquered Karelia in 1922.
Kororareka Association– Before New Zealand was annexed by Great Britain, it was overrun by foreign traders and settlers, all of whom were nominally the subjects of local Maori chiefs. Exasperated with the sheer non-Britishness of this system, a group of settlers at Kororareka organized the Association to guard their lives and property. All male members of the Association were required to carry a rifle, two pistols, and a cutlass. Judicial decisions were swift, and punishment ranged from stiff fines and horsewhipping to giving the most hardened criminals three coats of tar and feathers. Despite wide denunciation, visitors grudgingly admitted that Kororareka was virtually free of theft and other petty crimes. After the establishment of more lenient British law, Kororareka became famous for its women of loose morals.
(via BoingBoing)