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)
• 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), Occupied in 1696

• "New Courland", (1637, 1642, 1654–1659, 1680–1690)
• Courlander Gambia
  • Fort Bayona, 1651-1660
  • Fort Jacob, 1651-1660
  • Fort Jillifree, , 1651-1660

• Klein-Venedig,1528–1545

• Hanauish-Indies, Planned in 1669 but later canceled in 1672

• Neu-Askania, 1828-1856

The following were German African protectorates:

German colonies in Africa, 1914

• German South West Africa, 1884 to 1919
• German West Africa, 1884 to 1919
  • Togoland, 1884 to 1919
  • Kamerun, from 1884 to 1919
  • Kapitaï and Koba, 1884 to 1885
  • Mahinland, March 11, 1885 to October 24, 1885
• German East Africa, 1885 to 1919,
• Witu Protectorate, 1885 to 1890
• German Somali Coast, 1885 to 1888
• German Congo, 1884 to 1885
• German Katanga, 1886
• Gando Protectorate, 1895 to 1897
• Gulmu Protectorate, 1895 to 1897
• German South Africa, 1884 to 1885

Map of German Colonies in the Pacific, 1914. Brown, German New Guinea; Orange, North Solomons; Red, German Samoa; Yellow, Other Pacific Territories

These were German colonies established in the Pacific:

• German New Guinea, 1884 to 1919
  • Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, 1885 to 1919
  • Bismarck Archipelago, 1885 to 1919
  • German Solomon Islands Protectorate, 1885 to 1919
    • Bougainville Island, 1885 to 1919
    • Buka Island, 1885 to 1919
    • Choiseul Island, 1885 to 1900
    • Shortland Islands, 1885 to 1900
    • Santa Isabel Island, 1885 to 1900
  • Nauru, 1888 to 1919
  • Northern Mariana Islands, 1899 to 1919
  • Caroline Islands, 1899 to 1919
  • Palau Islands, 1899 to 1919
  • Marshall Islands, 1885 to 1919
• German Samoa, 1900 to 1919

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

• Kiautschou Bay concession, 1898 to 1914
• German concession in Tientsin, 1895 to 1919
• German concession in Hankou, 1895 to 1917
• Chefoo, 1901 to 1918