======================================================================
@2088 Independence
Afghanistan
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign
affairs)
Albania
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
Algeria
5 July 1962 (from France)
American Samoa
none (territory of the US)
Andorra
1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French
count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel)
Angola
11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Anguilla
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Antigua and Barbuda
1 November 1981 (from UK)
Argentina
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Armenia
21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Aruba
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Australia
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Austria
1156 (from Bavaria)
Azerbaijan
30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Bahamas, The
10 July 1973 (from UK)
Bahrain
15 August 1971 (from UK)
Bangladesh
16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March
1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December
1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation
of the state of Bangladesh
Barbados
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Belarus
25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Belgium
4 October 1830 a provisional government declared
independence from the Netherlands; 21 July 1831 the ascension of
King Leopold I to the throne
Belize
21 September 1981 (from UK)
Benin
1 August 1960 (from France)
Bermuda
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Bhutan
8 August 1949 (from India)
Bolivia
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for
independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3
March 1992)
Botswana
30 September 1966 (from UK)
Brazil
7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
British Virgin Islands
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Brunei
1 January 1984 (from UK)
Bulgaria
3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)
Burkina Faso
5 August 1960 (from France)
Burma
4 January 1948 (from UK)
Burundi
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian
administration)
Cambodia
9 November 1953 (from France)
Cameroon
1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
Canada
1 July 1867 (from UK)
Cape Verde
5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Cayman Islands
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Central African Republic
13 August 1960 (from France)
Chad
11 August 1960 (from France)
Chile
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
China
221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty 221 BC;
Qing or Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912;
People's Republic established 1 October 1949)
Christmas Island
none (territory of Australia)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
none (territory of Australia)
Colombia
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Comoros
6 July 1975 (from France)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Congo, Republic of the
15 August 1960 (from France)
Cook Islands
none (became self-governing in free association with
New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move
to full independence by unilateral action)
Costa Rica
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Cote d'Ivoire
7 August (1960) (from France)
Croatia
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Cuba
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the
US from 1898 to 1902)
Cyprus
16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriot area
proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975
Czech Republic
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia)
Denmark
first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849
became a constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
27 June 1977 (from France)
Dominica
3 November 1978 (from UK)
Dominican Republic
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
East Timor
28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence
from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of
international recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia
Ecuador
24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Egypt
28 February 1922 (from UK)
El Salvador
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Equatorial Guinea
12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Eritrea
24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
Estonia
regained on 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Ethiopia
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest
in the world - at least 2,000 years
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
none (overseas territory of the
UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Faroe Islands
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Fiji
10 October 1970 (from UK)
Finland
6 December 1917 (from Russia)
France
486 (unified by Clovis)
French Guiana
none (overseas department of France)
French Polynesia
none (overseas territory of France)
Gabon
17 August 1960 (from France)
Gambia, The
18 February 1965 (from UK)
Georgia
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Germany
18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into
four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945
following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West
Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and
French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
Ghana
6 March 1957 (from UK)
Gibraltar
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Greece
1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Greenland
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979)
note: foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but
Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating
to Greenland
Grenada
7 February 1974 (from UK)
Guadeloupe
none (overseas department of France)
Guam
none (territory of the US)
Guatemala
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Guernsey
none (British crown dependency)
Guinea
2 October 1958 (from France)
Guinea-Bissau
24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by
Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)
Guyana
26 May 1966 (from UK)
Haiti
1 January 1804 (from France)
Holy See (Vatican City)
11 February 1929 (from Italy)
note: on 11 February 1929, three treaties were signed with Italy
which, among other things, recognized the full sovereignty of the
Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin
of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably
in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century
Honduras
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Hong Kong
none (special administrative region of China)
Hungary
1001 (unification by King Stephen I)
Iceland
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish
Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
India
15 August 1947 (from UK)
Indonesia
17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27 December
1949, Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands)
Iran
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Iraq
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
Ireland
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
Israel
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
Italy
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not
finally unified until 1870)
Jamaica
6 August 1962 (from UK)
Japan
660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
Jersey
none (British crown dependency)
Jordan
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
Kazakhstan
16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Kenya
12 December 1963 (from UK)
Kiribati
12 July 1979 (from UK)
Korea, North
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Korea, South
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Kuwait
19 June 1961 (from UK)
Kyrgyzstan
31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Laos
19 July 1949 (from France)
Latvia
21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Lebanon
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)
Lesotho
4 October 1966 (from UK)
Liberia
26 July 1847
Libya
24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Liechtenstein
23 January 1719 Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein
established; 12 July 1806 established independence from the Holy
Roman Empire
Lithuania
11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)
Luxembourg
1839 (from the Netherlands)
Macau
none (special administrative region of China)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
8 September 1991
referendum by registered voters endorsing independence (from
Yugoslavia)
Madagascar
26 June 1960 (from France)
Malawi
6 July 1964 (from UK)
Malaysia
31 August 1957 (from UK)
Maldives
26 July 1965 (from UK)
Mali
22 September 1960 (from France)
Malta
21 September 1964 (from UK)
Man, Isle of
none (British crown dependency)
Marshall Islands
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN
trusteeship)
Martinique
none (overseas department of France)
Mauritania
28 November 1960 (from France)
Mauritius
12 March 1968 (from UK)
Mayotte
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Mexico
16 September 1810 (from Spain)
Micronesia, Federated States of
3 November 1986 (from the
US-administered UN Trusteeship)
Moldova
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Monaco
1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi)
Mongolia
11 July 1921 (from China)
Montserrat
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Morocco
2 March 1956 (from France)
Mozambique
25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Namibia
21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
Nauru
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered
UN trusteeship)
Nepal
1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Netherlands
1579 (from Spain); note - the northern provinces of the
Low Country concluded the Union of Utrecht, but it was 1648 before
Spain finally recognized their independence
Netherlands Antilles
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
New Caledonia
none (overseas territory of France); note - a
referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new
referendum is scheduled for 2014
New Zealand
26 September 1907 (from UK)
Nicaragua
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Niger
3 August 1960 (from France)
Nigeria
1 October 1960 (from UK)
Niue
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary
government in free association with New Zealand
Norfolk Island
none (territory of Australia)
Northern Mariana Islands
none (commonwealth in political union with
the US)
Norway
7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved;
26 October 1905 Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union
Oman
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Pakistan
14 August 1947 (from UK)
Palau
1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship)
Panama
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain
28 November 1821)
Papua New Guinea
16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered
UN trusteeship)
Paraguay
14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Peru
28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Philippines
12 June 1898 (from Spain)
Pitcairn Islands
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Poland
11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
Portugal
1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
Puerto Rico
none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Qatar
3 September 1971 (from UK)
Reunion
none (overseas department of France)
Romania
9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey;
independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin;
kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December
1947)
Russia
24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Rwanda
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
Saint Helena
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
19 September 1983 (from UK)
Saint Lucia
22 February 1979 (from UK)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
none (territorial collectivity of France;
has been under French control since 1763)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
27 October 1979 (from UK)
Samoa
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
San Marino
3 September 301
Sao Tome and Principe
12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Saudi Arabia
23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)
Senegal
4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was
achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
Serbia and Montenegro
27 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
or FRY formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY)
Seychelles
29 June 1976 (from UK)
Sierra Leone
27 April 1961 (from UK)
Singapore
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
Slovakia
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia)
Slovenia
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Solomon Islands
7 July 1978 (from UK)
Somalia
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which
became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian
Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered
UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
South Africa
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a
republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum
Spain
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of
independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in
the early 8th Century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the
small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost
immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this
event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is
traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Sri Lanka
4 February 1948 (from UK)
Sudan
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Suriname
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)
Svalbard
none (territory of Norway)
Swaziland
6 September 1968 (from UK)
Sweden
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)
Switzerland
1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)
Syria
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)
Tajikistan
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Tanzania
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December
1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became
independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with
Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and
Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
Thailand
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
Togo
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
Tokelau
none (territory of New Zealand)
Tonga
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
Trinidad and Tobago
31 August 1962 (from UK)
Tunisia
20 March 1956 (from France)
Turkey
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Turkmenistan
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Turks and Caicos Islands
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Tuvalu
1 October 1978 (from UK)
Uganda
9 October 1962 (from UK)
Ukraine
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
United Arab Emirates
2 December 1971 (from UK)
United Kingdom
England has existed as a unified entity since the
10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284
with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an
Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland
agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union
of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the
adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of
Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United
Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in
1927
United States
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
Uruguay
25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
Uzbekistan
1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Vanuatu
30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
Venezuela
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Vietnam
2 September 1945 (from France)
Wallis and Futuna
none (overseas territory of France)
Yemen
22 May 1990, Republic of Yemen was established with the merger
of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the
Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen
(Aden) or South Yemen]; previously North Yemen had become
independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South
Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
Zambia
24 October 1964 (from UK)
Zimbabwe
18 April 1980 (from UK)