List of former German colonies

• Groß Friedrichsburg (in Ghana), 1683–1718
• Arguin (in Mauritania), 1685–1721
• Whydah (in present Bénin), circa 1700 (this Brandenburg 'colony' was just a minor point of support, a few dwellings at a site co-inhabited by British and Dutch)

These territories were held briefly under lease or occupation during the early European colonization of the 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.

• Klein-Venedig,1528–1545

The following were German African protectorates:

German colonies in Africa, 1884–1920

• German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika):
  • Tanganyika: In 1922 became a League of Nations mandate under the United Kingdom. In 1961 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 after the Belgian mandate period.
  • Wituland (1885–1890): Part of Kenya since 1890.
  • Kionga Triangle: since 1920 (earlier occupied) part of 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 the following.
    • A British part, Cameroons, later split in half, with one part joining Nigeria and the other becoming part of modern Cameroon. (Kamerun, Nigeria-Ostteil, Tschad-Südwestteil, Zentralafrikanische Republik-Westteil, Republik Kongo-Nordostteil, Gabun-Nordteil)
    • French Cameroun, which became present Cameroon.
  • Togoland (1884–1914): after World War I it separated into
    • A British part (Ghana-Westteil), which joined Ghana.
    • A French part, which became Togo republic, according to the Treaty of Versailles concluding World War I.

These were German colonies in the Pacific:

• German New Guinea (Deutsch-Neuguinea) (1884–1914) and Micronesia (later incorporated into the German New Guinea)
  • 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 (Marschall-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.

Colonial Possessions and Protectorates of the German Empire, 1883–1920, confirmed by Treaty, International Agreement, or Purchase

These Treaty ports were German concessions in China, leased to it by the Qing Dynasty:

• Jiaozhou Bay concession (Deutsch-Kiautschou) (1898–1914)
• Chefoo (1901–1918)
• Tsingtao (1891–1914)