Independence Day Around the World - Celebrate Freedom in Other Countries

All of the nations listed below were taken over during times of war and exploration, or have always existed, and at some point, the people within rose up to change the way things were in their country.

Some nations contained warring factions of people with different government views and ethnicities that split the country or drove out aggressors, others were taken over during expansion and were eventually reclaimed as their own, and others overthrew governments or rebuked colonial control so as to form their own nation.

The list shows many claims lost by England/UK, Spain, France, Portugal and Belgium. These were the major territorial powers up to the mid to late 20th century, and as time went on, more and more countries rose to their own rule.

Some territories and countries broke away from others as is the case in Africa, Europe and Asia as new boundaries were drawn and new countries were created.

A great deal of line re-drawing occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union, allowing the satellite nations that had been absorbed into the USSR to regain their previous sovereignty.

Some nations now cease to exist as they have either been absorbed by other countries, or have been carved up to form multiple new countries. In some of these cases, the loss of a nation is mourned, but to some of those people, it is the opportunity to celebrate the rise of a nation for a particular race, class, ethnicity or religion.

Haiti - January 1, 1804 - Declared independence from France, and abolished slavery in the process. France tried in vain to reconquer the island, but were fought off. In 1825, France sent a fleet of ships with troops to try to retake Haiti, but with the former slaves now in control, they had the financial power to buy off the attackers and ended any further aggression diplomatically.

Sudan - January 1, 1956 - A constitution was drafted ending British occupation and Egyptian Rule. Civil war has raged almost continuously since then, and has been punctuated by conflict with the portion of Sudan known as Darfur.

Myanmar - January 4, 1948 - Declared independence from Great Britain.

Nauru - January 1, 1968 - This Micronesian and Polynesian island country was annexed by Germany and control was given to the UK after World War I. World War II would see it taken over by the Japanese before returning it to British rule. In 1968, after a two year constitutional convention, the Nauru people were able to peacefully declare independence from the UK.

Spain - January 2, 1942

Brunei - January 1, 1984 - United Kingdom

Kuwait - January 26, 1961 - United Kingdom

Ukraine - January 24, 1918 - Russia (See August)

Grenada - February 7, 1974 - Great Britain

Lithuania - February 16, 1918 - Russia and Germany left Lithuania alone after World War I, but after World War II, the USSR reclaimed Lithuania for its union. On March 11, 1990, Lithuania regained its independence again after the USSR remitted the countries it had gained during the cold war.

Gambia - February 18, 1965 - United Kingdom

Saint Lucia - February 22 -

Estonia - February 24, 1918 - Russia

Dominican Republic - February 27, 1844 - Haiti

Serbia - Statehood day is February 15, after the Serbian Revolution in 1804. Serbia didn't gain practical independence until the latter part of the century. After being absorbed by Yugoslavia in the 20th century, Serbia and Montenegro renamed Yugoslavia on February 4, 2003 to the 'State Union of Serbia and Montenegro'. In June of 2006 the two states broke apart creating two separate and free countries - Serbia and Montenegro

Bosnia and Herzegovina - March 1, 1992 - Yugoslavia

Ghana - March 6, 1957 - United Kingdom

Mauritius - March 12, 1968 - United Kingdom

Tunisia - March 20, 1956 - France

Namibia - March 21, 1990 - South Africa

Senegal - April 4

Syria - April 17

Zimbabwe - April 18, 1980 - United Kingdom

Togo - April 27

Sierra Leone - April 27, 1961 - United Kingdom

Paraguay - May 15, 1811 - Spain

East Timor May 20, 2002 - Indonesia

Cuba - May 20

Jordan - May 25, 1946 - United Kingdom

Georgia - May 26, 1918 - Russia

Guyana - May 26, 1966 - United Kingdom

Armenia - May 28, 1918 - Turkey

Azerbaijan - May 28, 1991 - USSR

Romania - May 9 - Ottoman Empire (See December)

Slovenia - June 25, 1991 - Statehood Day - officially declared independence after seceding from Yugoslavia (See December)

Russian Federation - June 12, 1990 - USSR

Mozambique - June 25, 1975 - Portugal

Seychelles - June 29, 1976 - United Kingdom

Congo, The Democratic Republic of - June 30, 1960 - Belgium

Burundi - July 1, 1962 - Belgium

Rwanda - July 1, 1962 - Belgium

Belarus - July 3, 1944 - Germany - Belarussians still celebrate the liberation of the capital city of Minsk by Soviet forces at the end of World War II.

United States - July 4, 1776 - Kingdom of Great Britain - Although the United States of America still had many years of fighting ahead of them, the signing of the Declaration of Independence sealed the American Founding Fathers' intent to take control of the new colonial country for themselves. - Star Spangled Banner

Algeria - July 5, 1962 - France

Cape Verde - July 5, 1975 - Portugal

Solomon Islands - July 7

Argentina - July 9 - Spain

Bahamas - July 10, 1973 - United Kingdom

Sao Tome and Principe, July 12

France - July 14, 1789 - France - In a case of its own people rising up, the French underclasses, fearful of losing representation in courts and being forever oppressed by the monarchy, rose up and stormed the Bastille, a fort which held political prisoners and weapons to be used in the coming battles. The attack there and the pressure placed by the French people resulted in the creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Liberia - July 26, 1847 - Created as a place where freed African-American slaves could return to Africa, this territory was recognized by British authorities in the area as an American interest, but belonged to the African people who returned there.

Madagascar - July 26, 1960 - France

Maldives - July 26, 1965 - United Kingdom

Peru - July 28, 1821 - Spain

Vanuatu - July 30

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Niger - August 3, 1960 - France

Bolivia - August 6, 1825 - Spain

Jamaica - August 6, 1962 - United Kingdom

Bhutan - August 8

Ecuador - August 10, 1809 - Spain - It took the better part of 12 years for Ecuador to secure its independence. After the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, Spain finally ceded Ecuador.

Chad - August 11, 1960 - France

Central African Republic - August 13

Pakistan - August 14, 1947 - United Kingdom

India - August 15 - 1947 - United Kingdom

Indonesia - August 17, 1945 - Netherlands and Japan - Sometimes it takes an invader to gain your independence. The Japanese pushed the Dutch out of Indonesia as they took over the Pacific in World War II, but once Japan was defeated and pulled out of Indonesia, the island nation declared its sovereignty, freeing itself from the invading Japanese and the previous Dutch traders.

Afghanistan - August 19, 1919 - United Kingdom

Ukraine - August 24, 1991 - USSR

Uruguay - August 25, 1825 - Brazil

Moldova, Republic of - August 27, 1991 - USSR

Kyrgyzstan - August 31, 1991 - USSR

Trinidad and Tobago - August 31, 1962 - United Kingdom

Uzbekistan - September 1, 1991 - USSR

Swaziland - September 6, 1968 - United Kingdom

Brazil - September 7, 1822 - Portugal

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of - September 8, 1991 - Yugoslavia

Tajikistan - September 9, 1991 - USSR

El Salvador - September 15, 1821 - Spain

Costa Rica - September 15, 1821 - Spain

Guatemala - September 15, 1821 - Spain

Honduras - September 15, 1821 - Spain

Nicaragua - September 15, 1821 - Spain

Mexico - September 16, 1810 - Spain - Mexico declared its independence on this date but it was not recognized until September 27, 1821, almost two weeks later than other Central American countries that won their independence from Spain.

Chile - September 18 (also February 12), 1810 - Spain - Although Chile declared independence in February, the ruling junta did not take effect until September and most Chileans consider this the effective time of independence.

Saint Kitts and Nevis - September 19, 1983 - United Kingdom

Belize - September 21, 1981 - United Kingdom

Malta - September 21, 1964 - United Kingdom

Bulgaria - September 22, 1878 - Ottoman Empire

Guinea Bissau - September 28

Cyprus - October 1

Tuvalu - October 1

Nigeria - October 1

Lesotho - October 4

Croatia - October 8

Uganda - October 9

Equatorial Guinea - October 12

Zambia - October 24

Turkmenistan - October 27

Saint Pierre and Miquelon - October 27

Antigua and Barbuda - November 1

Dominica - November 3

Cambodia - November 9

Guinea - November 10

Angola - November 11

Poland - November 11

Morocco - November 18

Lebanon - November 22

Suriname - November 25

Albania - November 28

Mauritania - November 28

Barbados - November 30

Yemen - November 30

Portugal - December 1, 1640 - Spain - As a controller of many territories across the Atlantic, Portugal itself was once joined with Spain for 60 years.

Lao People's Democratic Republic - December 2

Finland - December 6, 1917 - Russia

Kazakhstan - December 16

Slovenia - December 26, 1990 - Confirmed secession from Yugoslavia (See June)

South Africa - December 11, 1931 - United Kingdom. Didn't become the Republic of South Africa until May 31, 1961.

Tanzania - December 9, 1961 - United Kingdom

Trico Island - December 23, 1904 - France

United Arab Emirates - December 2, 1971 - United Kingdom

Romania - December 11, 1861 - First official use of the country name "Romania" after freedom from the Ottoman Empire.

Kazakhstan - December 16, 1991 - USSR

Kenya - December 12, 1963 - United Kingdom

Bahrain - December 15, 1971 - United Kingdom