Neocolonialism is a system where empires pretend to let their colonies be free, but they continue to run them secretly. The term "neo" means "new", so it means that the system is a new version of colonialism. The word neocolonialism was carefully explained by socialists in the 1960s, who were afraid their countries wouldn't really be independent. The socialists mostly talked about the old empires controlling the politics and economy of their countries, but some people also talk about neocolonialism as a way to control culture too.
Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana after it became independent from the British Empire, wrote a well-known book about neocolonialism. Many people have heard of the idea because of his book. Che Guevara is another famous opponent of neocolonialism.
Most people who use the word neocolonialism and believe it describes the world today are socialists, anti-imperialists, and other types of leftists. Liberals and right-wing people tend to disagree with the idea of neocolonialism.
Latvia at the Olympics
Latvia was first at the Olympic Games in 1924. After the nation was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvian athletes were part of Soviet Union at the Olympics between 1952 and 1988. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and independence of Latvia in 1991, the nation returned to the Olympic Games in 1992. They have been at every Games since then.
The National Olympic Committee for Latvia was first formed in 1922. The current NOC is the Latvian Olympic Committee, which was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1991.
Liechtenstein at the Olympics
Liechtenstein at the Olympics is a history which began in 1948.
The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Liechtenstein was LIC. It is now LIE.
Liechtenstein was first at the Olympic Games in 1936. They have been in most Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games since then.
Athletes from Liechtenstein have won a total of nine medals, all in alpine skiing. It is the only nation to have won all of its medals at the Winter Olympics.
The National Olympic Committee for Liechtenstein was formed in 1935.
Xaver Frick, a founding member of the country's NOC, is the only Liechtenstein athlete to have been in both the summer and winter Olympic games.
Lithuania at the Olympics
Lithuania was first in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Luxembourg at the Olympics
Luxembourg at the Olympicsis a history which began in 1912.
The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Luxembourg is LUX.
Teams from Luxembourg have been in 28 modern Olympic Games. Luxembourg's National Olympic Committee, the Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois, was formed in 1912. They sent their first team to the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
Luxembourg has won four Olympic medals (one gold and three silver) in its 28 Olympic appearances.
Luxembourg was first at the Winter Olympic Games in 1928. They have been in seven Winter Games.
North Macedonia at the Olympics
The Republic of North Macedonia was first at the Olympic Games at the 1996 Summer Olympics. They have been in every Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games since then. Until 1988 North Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia.
Several other athletes from the Socialist Republic of Macedonia (a constituent country of the former SFR Yugoslavia) have also won Olympic medals, competing for Yugoslavia.
Monaco at the Olympics
Albania at the Olympics is a history which began in 1920.
The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Monaco is MON.
A team from Monaco was first at the Olympic Games in 1920. They have been in most Summer Olympic Games since then. They were not at the 1932 Games, the 1956 Games, and the 1980 Games. Monaco has also been in every Winter Olympic Games since 1984.
As of 2010, no athlete from Monaco has ever won an Olympic medal. Monaco has the most appearances at the Olympics (25) without winning a medal.
The National Olympic Committee for Monaco was formed in 1907 but not recognized by the International Olympic Committee until 1953.
San Marino at the Olympics
San Marino at the Olympics is a history of 21 games in 16 countries and 80+ athletes. Since 1960, San Marino has contributed to the growth of the "Olympic Movement".
The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for San Marino was SMA. It is now SMR.
A team from San Marino was first at the 1960 Summer Olympics. They have been in 12 Summer Olympics and 7 Winter Olympics. The country has never won a medal.
Among its most successful athletes are Francesco Amici and Emanuela Felici. Both competed in shooting at the 2004 Summer Olympics and "missed out on places in the finals by the narrowest of margins".
Montenegro at the Olympics
Montenegro was at the Olympic Games for the first time as an independent nation in 2008 at the Beijing Games. Before Montenegrin athletes were part of Serbia and Montenegro in 2004 and as part of Yugoslavia before that.
The National Olympic Committee for Montenegro is the Montenegrin Olympic Committee. It was formed in 2006 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2007.
Saar at the 1952 Summer Olympics
A National Olympic Committee of the Saarland was created in spring of 1950 in the "Saar protectorate", a part of Western Germany that was controlled in 1945 by France. As a separate team, they only took part in the 1952 Summer Olympics. The athletes of Saar joined the German team for the summer games of 1956. 36 people, 31 men and 5 women, took part in 32 events in 9 sports. The Protectorate became the German state of Saarland after 1956.
After World War II, the Saarland was not allowed to become part of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949. Its annexation by France was not allowed by the other Allies and the Atlantic charter's points 2 and 3.
Because local population did not want to join France, separate international organisations were created. These included the Saarland football team and in 1950 a NOC, in German called "Nationales Olympisches Komitee des Saarlandes". The region did not send athletes to Oslo for the 1952 Winter Olympics.
The Saarland had history of over 500 years of coal mining. They gave a miner's safety lamp in which the flame of the torch relay of the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki could be carried safely on airplanes. At the opening ceremony, 36 athletes from the Saarland marched in front of the team of Germany. They did not win a medal. They were ranked 44th among a total of 69 teams Many other teams with no wins were all ranked 44th together.
The Saar treaty of October 1956 allowed the Saarland to rejoin Germany as of 1 January 1957.
Although it was possible, no separate Saarland teams were sent to the 1956 games. A United Team of Germany that included athletes of all three German states took part in the Olympics that year. 1952 was the only Olympic appearance of the Saarland as a separate team. The "Olympic Committee of the Saarland" ended in February 1957 and its members became part of the German NOC.
Netherlands at the Olympics
Netherlands at the Olympics is a history which began in 1900.
The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for the Netherlands was NLD. It is now NED.
The Netherlands sent athletes to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. They have taken part in almost all Games since then. In 1956, the nation boycotted the Games in Melbourne as a protest against the Soviet invasion in Hungary just a few weeks before the Games. They did have one person take part in the Equestrian events that were held in Stockholm a few months before the rest of the Games.
The Netherlands hosted the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The Netherlands want to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in either Amsterdam or Rotterdam, as a 100 year celebration of the 1928 Games.