Timeline of national independence

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This list includes sovereign states (list) and states with limited recognition that have declared independence from a predecessor state or an occupying power. Various states have never declared independence throughout their formations and hence are not included in the list. The list generally does not include duplicated entries for states declaring independence in several stages, with the exception of those states that have been militarily occupied for a significant length of time. Subnational entities are usually not included in the list unless they were independent countries prior to joining a larger country (e.g. Zanzibar, which joined Tanganyika to form Tanzania). Some of these dates of independence might be disputed. Entries in the "events" table are written in the present tense.

Timeline[edit]

Decolonization of the Europe[edit]

Country Date of current form of government Birth of current form of government Date of acquisition of sovereignty Acquisition of sovereignty Date of territorial modification
 Bulgaria 10 November 1989 People's Republic of Bulgaria was replaced by the Republic of Bulgaria 681 on territories of the Eastern Roman Empire (Danubian) Bulgaria 28 October 1944
1185 Second Bulgarian Empire formed
13 July 1878 Autonomy within Ottoman Empire recognized internationally by the Treaty of Berlin
22 September 1908 Independence from Ottoman Empire
 Andorra 28 April 1993 Current Constitution of Andorra entered force 1278 Independence from Aragon 28 August 2001
 Austria 12 November 1918 Declaration of the Republic of German-Austria 17 September 1156 Privilegium Minus: Sovereignty from Duchy of Bavaria as a Duchy of the Holy Roman Empire 14 December 1921
11 August 1804 Proclamation of the Austrian Empire
27 April 1945 Restoration of the Republic of Austria
 Belarus 28 November 1996 Constitutional amendment abolishes the Supreme Soviet and establishes the National Assembly 882 Formation of the Kievan Rus'
27 July 1990 Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic 1945
25 August 1991 Independence recognized by Soviet Union[1]
 Belgium 21 July 1831 King Leopold I of Belgium swears allegiance to the constitution making the country a constitutional monarchy 4 October 1830 Independence was proclaimed by the provisonial government 28 June 1919
1 July 1962
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 March 1992 3 March 1992 Independence declared from the SFR Yugoslavia 25 November 1943
 Albania 29 April 1991 Socialist People's Republic of Albania was replaced by the Republic of Albania. 1190 c. Principality of Arbër was established by archon Progon. 1945
28 November 1912 Declaration of independence from Ottoman Empire
28 November 1944 Albanian state re-established after Italian/German occupation
 Croatia 8 October 1991 Independence from SFR Yugoslavia[note 1] 879 Duke Branimir was recognized as an independent ruler of the Duchy of Croatia by Pope John VIII. 10 February 1947
925 Formation of Kingdom of Croatia by King Tomislav
 Czech Republic 1 January 1993 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, creating Czech Republic and Slovakia October 1918 Creation of Czechoslovakia
 Denmark 5 June 1953 Constitutional Act of Denmark 965 Harald Bluetooth unifies Denmark 15 June 1920
 Estonia 24 February 1918 Estonian Declaration of Independence, whereby a republic was declared[Europe 1] 20 August 1991 Independence (from the Soviet Union) reasserted, end of occupation[note 2] 1 January 1945
 Finland 29 March 1809 Diet of Porvoo, birth of Finland as an autonomous state entity within Russian Empire 6 December 1917 Independence from Russian Empire declared 26 January 1956
3 January 1918 Independence from Russia recognized by the highest Soviet executive body, VTsIK
 France 4 October 1958 Establishment of the current semi-presidential system known as the Fifth Republic 481 then

843

First creation with (Clovis), king of the Franks. Then creation of the Kingdom of France (West Francia), Treaty of Verdun 10 February 1947
22 September 1792 French Republic founded. 30 July 1980
 Germany 23 May 1949 The Basic Law of Germany comes into effect. 843 then

962

Creation of East Francia

East Francia becomes the Holy Roman Empire (with the Kingdom of Germany as a main part of the empire)

3 October 1990
1815 German Confederation founded
18 January 1871 German Empire founded
1954 German Democratic Republic (commonly referred to at the time as East Germany) declared fully sovereign
5 May 1955 Federal Republic of Germany (commonly referred to at the time as West Germany) declared fully sovereign
15 May 1991 Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany ends the Four Power occupation.
 Greece 11 June 1975 Third Hellenic Republic 600 BC Peloponnesian League / Spartan Alliance 10 February 1947
478 BC Delian League / Athenian Empire
338 BC League of Corinth /

Hellenic League

3 February 1830 Modern Greece Independence recognized by the London Protocol as Kingdom of Greece.
 Hungary 23 October 1989 People's Republic of Hungary was replaced by the Republic of Hungary. 895 Principality of Hungary formed 10 February 1947
1 January 2012 The Basic Law of Hungary comes into effect. 1000 Formation of the Kingdom of Hungary by Stephen I of Hungary.
 Iceland 930 The Icelandic Commonwealth established and first meeting held of the Althingi (Parliament). 1 December 1918 Iceland becomes sovereign and independent from Denmark as the Kingdom of Iceland but retains a personal union with the King of Denmark. 1 September 1972
1 July 1845 The Althingi resumes meeting after hiatus since 1799. 17 June 1944 Kingdom of Iceland becomes a Republic.
 Ireland 21 January 1919 Elected Irish Parliament Dáil Éireann unilaterally declares Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom 6 December 1922 Irish Free State secedes from United Kingdom by agreement in accordance with the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty but remains a dominion of the British Empire 8 December 1922
11 December 1931 Statute of Westminster confers legislative independence from the United Kingdom N/A
29 December 1937 Constitution of Ireland establishes the roles of Taoiseach and President, and replaces the Irish Free State (or Saorstat Eireann in Irish language) with a new state named Ireland (or Éire in Irish language). 18 April 1949 Republic of Ireland Act 1948 terminates the functions of the British King in Ireland's diplomatic relations; domestic United Kingdom law purports that Ireland was one of the King's dominions until this date; Irish law does not accept this interpretation. 2 December 1999
 Italy 2 June 1946 Italian Republic founded. 1720 Sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sardinia, existing since 1324 as part of the Spanish Empire first and subsequently of the Holy Roman Empire. 1 January 1948
17 March 1861 Italian unification
25 April 1945 Disestablishment of the German-backed Italian Social Republic, whereby the unity and independence of the Italian state was restored
 Kosovo 17 February 2008 Kosovo Republic founded 2008 Kosovan-Serbian War 2008
 Latvia 7 November 1922 Constitution of Latvia enforced[Europe 1] 4 May 1990 Independence (from Soviet Union) reasserted[note 2] 1944
 Liechtenstein 16 March 2003 The 2003 Liechtenstein constitutional referendum increases the Prince's powers and makes the country a semi-constitutional monarchy 18 August 1866 Dissolution of the German Confederation 23 January 1719
 Lithuania 11 March 1990 Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania independence (from the Soviet Union) reasserted, end of occupation[note 2][Europe 1] 16 February 1918 Independence declared from Germany and Russia 27 October 1939 and

3 August 1940

 Luxembourg 23 November 1890 Separates from union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, becomes Grand Duchy in its own right 1945 End of German occupation during World War II 19 April 1839
 Malta 13 December 1974 The State of Malta became a republic 21 September 1964 Independence from United Kingdom 20 August 1801
 Moldova 27 August 1997 Constitution of Moldova (1997) 27 August 1991 Independence from Soviet Union[1] 2 August 1940
2 September 1990
 Monaco 17 December 1962 Amendment to Constitution of Monaco curtails the power of the prince and establishes the modern National Council 1297 François Grimaldi captures the fortress atop the Rock of Monaco. 1848
 Montenegro 22 October 2007 Constitution of Montenegro 3 June 2006 Declaration of independence from Serbia and Montenegro.
 Netherlands 24 August 1815 Adoption of the constitution of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. 26 July 1581 Plakkaat van Verlatinghe signed, independence from Spain 16 March 1839
15 December 1954 Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed 5 May 1945 Surrender of Nazi forces occupying the Netherlands 25 November 1975
 North Macedonia

(until 2019 Republic of Macedonia)

17 November 1991 Constitution of North Macedonia 8 September 1991 After a referendum, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia[note 1] 2 August 1944
 Norway 1814 Constitution of Norway 872 King Harald I of Norway unifies the Petty kingdoms of Norway. 27 February 1930
1814 Dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark.
7 June 1905 Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden.
8 May 1945 German occupying forces surrender.
 Poland 4 June 1989 The first partially free Parliament's vote after 45-year-long Soviet domination 966 Adoption of Christianity by the first historically documented Polish ruler Mieszko I. 15 February 1951
11 November 1918 Poland regains its independence.
 Portugal 2 April 1976 Constitution of Portugal 5 October 1143 Formation of Kingdom of Portugal by Treaty of Zamora signing. 6 June 1801
20 December 1999
20 May 2002
 Romania 22 December 1989 Romanian Revolution of 1989 24 January 1859 Autonomous Principality of Romania founded; becomes kingdom in 1866 and achieved independence 1878 Ottoman Empire 10 February 1947
13 July 1878 International recognition by the Treaty of Berlin.
 San Marino 1600 Constitution of San Marino 3 September 301 Independence from Roman Empire 1463
 Serbia 27 April 1992 Independence from SFR Yugoslavia, forming the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[note 1] 780 8th century-Creation of the Principality of Serbia in the Southeastern Europe. 17 February 2008 (disputed)
8 June 2006 Republic of Serbia declared legal successor to Serbia and Montenegro, ending the process of the dissolution of Yugoslavia. 13 July 1878 International recognition by the Treaty of Berlin.
 Slovakia 1 January 1993 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia October 1918 Creation of Czechoslovakia
 Slovenia 13 December 1991 Constitution of Slovenia 25 June 1991 Declaration of independence from Yugoslavia[note 1] 19 February 1945
 Spain 6 December 1978 Spanish Constitution 1479 Dinastical unification of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by the Catholic Monarchs. The governments, institutions, and legal traditions of each kingdom remained independent of each other; alien laws (Leyes de extranjeria) determined that the national of one kingdom was a foreigner in the other Crowns/States. 26 February 1976
1707~1716 De jure by the Nueva Planta decrees
1831 Dissolution of crowns and kingdoms and creation de jure, of the unified Kingdom of Spain.
 Sweden 1 January 1974 Instrument of Government 970 (Or prior) Eric the Victorious, the first king of Sweden about whom anything definite is known, becomes king. 29 March 1809
6 June 1523 Gustav Vasa elected King of Sweden and marking a definite secession from the Kalmar Union.
  Switzerland 12 November 1848 Foundation of the federal state after Sonderbund war 1291 Traditional founding 1815
7 August 1815 Restoration of the Ancien Régime (federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
 Ukraine 24 August 1991 Independence of former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from Soviet Union declared.[1] 882 Formation of the Kievan Rus' 30 September 2022 (disputed)
22 January 1918 Ukraine declares independence as the Ukrainian People's Republic.
 United Kingdom 8 December 1922 The Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by agreement in accordance with the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922, however Northern Ireland opted to exclude itself from the Irish Free State two days later creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 927 Kingdom of England 1603
843 Kingdom of Scotland

(Devolved Parliament since 1999)

1057

1165

Kingdom of Wales then

Principality of Wales

(Annexed by England in 1542)

(Devolved Assembly since 1999)

1171 then

1542

Lordship of Ireland then

Kingdom of Ireland

1 May 1707 Kingdom of Great Britain

(United the parliaments of Scotland and England)

1 January 1801 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 6 December 1922

then 8 December 1922

12 April 1927 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

(Updated to current name)

2 December 1999
 Vatican City 1274 Birth of current form of government the Papal conclave in 1274 7 June 1929 Ratification of the Lateran Treaty, making the Vatican City a sovereign state 11 February 1929

Decolonization of the Americas[edit]

Country Colonial name Colonial power Independence
 United States Thirteen Colonies  British Empire July 4, 1776; September 3, 1783[note 3]
 Haiti Saint-Domingue  Kingdom of France (until 1792)
 French First Republic 		January 1, 1804[note 4]
 Argentina Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata  Spanish Empire May 25, 1810; July 9, 1816[note 5]
 Paraguay May 14, 1811
 Chile Captaincy General of Chile February 12, 1818[note 6]
 Colombia
as part of  Gran Colombia 		Viceroyalty of New Granada August 7, 1819[note 7]
 Venezuela
as part of  Gran Colombia 		Captaincy General of Venezuela June 24, 1821 [note 8]
 Costa Rica
as part of Federal Republic of Central America 		Captaincy General of Guatemala September 15, 1821[note 9][note 10]
 Guatemala
as part of Federal Republic of Central America 		September 15, 1821[note 9][note 11]
 Nicaragua
as part of Federal Republic of Central America 		September 15, 1821[note 9]
 Honduras
as part of Federal Republic of Central America 		September 15, 1821[note 9][note 12]
 El Salvador
as part of Federal Republic of Central America 		September 15, 1821[note 9][note 13]
 Mexico Viceroyalty of New Spain September 27, 1821
 Dominican Republic[note 14] Captaincy General of Santo Domingo November 20, 1821[note 15]
 Panama
as part of  Gran Colombia 		Viceroyalty of New Granada November 28, 1821
 Ecuador
as part of  Gran Colombia 		May 24, 1822[note 16]
 Peru Viceroyalty of Peru December 9, 1824
 Bolivia Real Audiencia of Charcas August 6, 1825[note 17]
 Brazil[note 18] United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves  Portuguese Empire August 29, 1825[note 19]
 Uruguay Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata;
Cisplatina Province 		 Spanish Empire;
 Empire of Brazil 		August 27, 1828[note 20]
 Dominican Republic[note 21] Captaincy General of Santo Domingo  Spanish Empire August 16, 1865[note 22]
 Canada Province of Canada
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia 		 United Kingdom July 1, 1867[note 23]
 Cuba Restoration (Spain) Captaincy General of Cuba  Spain[note 24] December 10, 1898[note 25]
 Jamaica  Jamaica  United Kingdom August 6, 1962
 Trinidad and Tobago  Trinidad and Tobago August 31, 1962[note 26]
 Guyana  British Guiana May 26, 1966[note 27]
 Barbados  Barbados November 30, 1966
 Bahamas  Bahamas July 10, 1973
 Grenada  British Windward Islands February 7, 1974
 Suriname  Dutch Guiana  Netherlands November 25, 1975
 Dominica  British Windward Islands  United Kingdom November 3, 1978
 Saint Lucia February 22, 1979
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines October 27, 1979
 Belize  British Honduras September 21, 1981
 Antigua and Barbuda  British Leeward Islands November 1, 1981
 Saint Kitts and Nevis September 19, 1983

Decolonization of the Africa[edit]

Country Date of acquisition of sovereignty Acquisition of sovereignty
 Algeria 3 July 1962 French recognition of Algerian referendum on independence held two days earlier
 Angola 11 November 1975 Independence from Portugal
 Benin 1 August 1960 Independence from France
 Botswana 30 September 1966 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Burkina Faso 5 August 1960 Independence from France
 Burundi 1 July 1962 Independence from Belgium
 Cabo Verde 24 September 1973
10 September 1974 (recognised)
5 July 1975[a] 		Independence from Portugal
 Cameroon 1 January 1960 Independence from France
 Central African Republic 13 August 1960 Independence from France
 Chad 11 August 1960 Independence from France
 Comoros 6 July 1975 Independence from France declared
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 30 June 1960 Independence from Belgium
 Republic of Congo 15 August 1960 Independence from France
 Djibouti 27 June 1977 Independence from France
 Egypt 28 February 1922 The UK ends its protectorate, granting independence to Egypt
 Equatorial Guinea 12 October 1968 Independence from Spain
 Eritrea 1 June 1936
5 May 1941
19 May 1941
10 February 1947
19 February 1951
15 September 1952 		Abyssinian campaign Independence from Ethiopia declared
 Eswatini 6 September 1968 Independence from the United Kingdom under the name Swaziland
 Ethiopia 5 May 1941 Abyssinian campaign
 Gabon 17 August 1960 Independence from France
 Gambia 18 February 1965 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Ghana 6 March 1957 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Guinea 2 October 1958 Independence from France
 Guinea-Bissau 24 September 1973
10 September 1974 (recognised)
5 July 1975[b] 		Independence from Portugal declared
 Ivory Coast 4 December 1958 Autonomous republic within French Community
 Ivory Coast 7 August 1960 Independence from France
 Kenya 12 December 1963 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Lesotho 4 October 1966 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Liberia 26 July 1847 Independence from American Colonization Society
 Libya 24 December 1951 Independence from UN Trusteeship (British and French administration after Italian governance ends in 1947)
 Madagascar 14 October 1958 The Malagasy Republic was created as autonomous state within French Community
26 June 1960 France recognizes Madagascar's independence
 Malawi 6 July 1964 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Mali 25 November 1958 French Sudan gains autonomy
24 November 1958
4 April 1959
20 June 1960
20 August 1960
22 September 1960 		Independence from France
 Mauritania 28 November 1960 Independence from France
 Mauritius 12 March 1968 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Morocco 7 April 1956 Independence from France and Spain
 Mozambique 25 June 1975 Independence from Portugal
 Namibia 21 March 1990 Independence from South African rule
 Niger 4 December 1958 Autonomy within French Community
23 July 1900
13 October 1922
13 October 1946
26 July 1958
20 May 1957
25 February 1959
25 August 1958
3 August 1960
8 November 1960
10 November 1960 		Independence from France
 Nigeria 1 October 1960 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Rwanda 1 July 1962 Independence from Belgium
 São Tomé and Príncipe 12 July 1975 Independence from Portugal
 Senegal 25 November 1957
24 November 1958
4 April 1959
4 April 1960
20 August 1960
20 June 1960
22 September 1960
18 February 1965
30 September 1989 		Independence from France
 Seychelles 29 June 1976 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Sierra Leone 27 April 1961 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Somalia 20 July 1887
26 May 1925
1 June 1936
3 August 1940
19 August 1940
8 April 1941
25 February 1941
10 February 1947
1 April 1950
26 June 1960
1 July 1960 		Union of Trust Territory of Somalia (former Italian Somaliland) and State of Somaliland (formerly British Somaliland)
 South Africa 11 December 1931 Statute of Westminster, which establishes a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominion of the Union of South Africa and the UK
31 May 1910 Creation of the autonomous Union of South Africa from the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Orange River
 South Sudan 9 July 2011 Independence from Sudan after a civil war.
 Sudan 1 January 1956 Independence from Egyptian and British joint rule
 Tanzania 9 December 1961 Independence of Tanganyika from the United Kingdom
 Togo 30 August 1958 Autonomy within French Union
27 April 1960 Independence from France
 Tunisia 20 March 1956 Independence from France
 Uganda 1 March 1962 Self-government granted
9 October 1962 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Zambia 24 October 1964 Independence from the United Kingdom
 Zimbabwe 11 November 1965 Unilateral declaration of independence by Southern Rhodesia
18 April 1980 Recognized independence from the United Kingdom as Zimbabwe

Decolonisation of Oceania[edit]

Timeline of decolonising Oceania
Country Colonial name Colonial power
 New Zealand New Zealand Dominion of New Zealand  United Kingdom 20th century
 Australia  Australia 20th century
 Indonesia[2]  Dutch East Indies

 Netherlands New Guinea

 Netherlands 27 December 1949 (East Indies)

1 May 1963 (New Guinea)[3]

 Samoa  Western Samoa Trust Territory  New Zealand 1 January 1962
 Nauru  Nauru Trust Territory  Australia[4] 31 January 1968
 Tonga Tonga Kingdom of Tonga  United Kingdom 4 June 1970
 Fiji[5] Kingdom of Fiji

Colony of Fiji

5 June 1871

13 August 1877 10 October 1970[6]

 Papua New Guinea German New Guinea

Territory of New Guinea Trust Territory of Papua and New Guinea

 German Empire

 United Kingdom[7]  Australia

16 September 1975
 Solomon Islands Solomon Islands British Solomon Islands  United Kingdom 7 July 1978
 Tuvalu  Gilbert and Ellice Islands  United Kingdom 1 January 1976

1 October 1978 12 July 1979

 Kiribati  Gilbert and Ellice Islands  United States United Kingdom 1 January 1976

1 October 1978 12 July 1979

 Vanuatu United KingdomFrance New Hebrides  United Kingdom

 France[8]

30 July 1980
 Marshall Islands  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands  United States 2 September 1945

21 October 1986

 Federated States of Micronesia  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 2 September 1945

3 November 1986

 Palau  Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands  United States 2 September 1945

25 May 1994 (de facto)

1 October 1994 (de jure)

 Cook Islands Cook Islands  New Zealand 4 August 1965/1992/
 Niue Niue  New Zealand 19 October 1974/1994/current

Decolonisation of Asia[edit]

Country/ region[c] Colonial name Colonial power[d] Independence declared and/or achieved[e]
 Philippines Spanish East Indies  Spain 12 June 1898 declared
 Philippines  Empire of Japan

 United States

4 July 1946
Republic of the Philippines  United States 4 July 1946 achieved
 Yemen[f]  Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen  Ottoman Empire 1 November 1918
 Colony and Protectorate of Aden  British Empire 30 November 1967
 Afghanistan  Emirate of Afghanistan  British Empire 19 August 1919
 Egypt[g] Sultanate of Egypt 28 February 1922[h]
 Iraq Mandatory Iraq 3 October 1932[i]
 Lebanon Greater Lebanon  France 22 November 1943
 Syria Mandate of Syria 30 November 1943
 Indonesia[j]  Dutch East Indies  Netherlands 17 August 1945
 Empire of Japan  Japan 27 December 1949[k]
 Vietnam[l]  French Indochina  Empire of Japan  France

 Japan

2 September 1945
 Jordan Emirate of Transjordan  British Empire 25 May 1946
 Pakistan[m]  India  British Empire 14 August 1947
 Bangladesh

as part of  Pakistan

14 August 1947[n]
 India[o] 15 August 1947[p]
 Myanmar[q]  Japan 1 August 1943
 British Burma 4 January 1948
 Sri Lanka[r]  British Ceylon 4 February 1948
22 February 1972
 Israel  Mandatory Palestine  British Empire

 Arab League

14 May 1948[s]
 South Vietnam[t]  French Indochina  France 28 May 1948
23 October 1955
 South Korea Japanese Korea  Empire of Japan 15 August 1945
15 August 1948[u]
 North Korea 15 August 1945
9 September 1948[v]
 China[w]  Manchukuo 9 August 1945
China Nationalist government on Mainland China  Republic of China 1 October 1949[x]
Taiwan and Penghu[y] Taiwan  Japan 15 August 1945
25 October 1945[z]
28 April 1952[aa]
 Laos[ab]  French Indochina  France 22 October 1953[ac]
 Cambodia 9 November 1953
 Malaysia  Malaya

Colony of North Borneo Colony of Sarawak

 British Empire 31 August 1957
16 September 1963
 Cyprus British Cyprus 16 August 1960[ad]
 Kuwait Sheikhdom of Kuwait 19 June 1961[ae]
 Oman  Muscat and Oman[af] 9 August 1970
 Singapore  Straits Settlements 31 August 1963
9 August 1965[ag]
 Maldives Maldives 26 July 1965
 Qatar Qatar 3 September 1971
 United Arab Emirates  Trucial States 2 December 1971[ah]
 Bahrain  Bahrain 15 August 1971[10][ai]
 East Timor  Dutch East Indies  Dutch East Indies

 German Empire

 Portuguese Timor  Portugal

 United Kingdom

 Empire of Japan  Japan
 Portuguese Timor  Portugal 28 November 1975[aj]
 Timor Timur  Indonesia 1999[ak]
 United Nations United Nations East Timor 20 May 2002
 Brunei  Brunei  British Empire 1 January 1984
 Hong Kong  British Hong Kong 1 July 1997[al]
 Macau  Portuguese Macau  Portugal 20 December 1999[al]
 Palestine  Mandatory Palestine

 West Bank

 British Empire

 Arab League  Jordan

14 May 1948

10 June 1967; 15 November 1988; independence pending due to territorial dispute with Israel

Country comparison[edit]

The 15 states may be divided into four subregions. Not included in these categories are the several de facto independent states presently lacking international recognition (read below: Separatist conflicts).

Subregion Country Symbols Independence
Flag
Central Asia Kazakhstan

(Republic of Kazakhstan)

16 December 1991
Kyrgyzstan

(Kyrgyz Republic)

31 August 1991
Tajikistan

(Republic of Tajikistan)

9 September 1991
Turkmenistan

(formerly the Republic of Turkmenistan)

27 October 1991
Uzbekistan

(Republic of Uzbekistan)

1 September 1991
Total Central Asia
Eastern Europe Belarus

(Republic of Belarus)

25 August 1991
Moldova

(Republic of Moldova)

27 August 1991
Russia

(Russian Federation)

12 December 1991
Ukraine 24 August 1991
Total Eastern Europe
Baltics Estonia

(Republic of Estonia)

20 August 1991
Latvia

(Republic of Latvia)

21 August 1991
Lithuania

(Republic of Lithuania)

11 March 1990
Total Baltic states
South Caucasus Armenia

(Republic of Armenia)

23 September 1991
Azerbaijan

(Republic of Azerbaijan)

18 October 1991
Georgia

(formerly the Republic of Georgia)

9 April 1991
Total South Caucasus


Timeline of national independence[edit]

Country Continent Acquisition

of sovereignty

Date of last

subordination

Previous governing power
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan Asia July 1747 (Durrani Empire) 1796 Afsharid Empire
 Albania Europe 28 Nov 1912 Nov 1944[12] Germany
 Algeria Africa 3 July 1962[13] 3 July 1962[14]  France
 Andorra Europe 7 Sep 1278[15][16] Nov 1944[17] France
 Angola Africa 11 Nov 1975[18] 11 Nov 1975  Portugal
 Antigua and Barbuda The Americas 1 Nov 1981[19] 1 Nov 1981  United Kingdom
 Argentina The Americas 25 May 1810 9 July 1816[20] Spain
 Armenia Asia/Europe 28 May 1918 23 Sep 1991[21] Soviet Union
 Australia Australia 9 Oct 1942 [note 28] 9 Oct 1942 United Kingdom
 Austria Europe 1156 27 Apr 1945[note 29] World War II Allies (Allied-occupied Austria)
 Azerbaijan Asia/Europe 28 May 1918 30 Aug 1991 Soviet Union
 Bahamas The Americas 10 July 1973[22] 10 July 1973  United Kingdom
 Bahrain Asia 16 Dec 1971 16 Dec 1971  United Kingdom
 Bangladesh Asia 16 Dec 1971 16 Dec 1971  Pakistan
 Barbados The Americas 30 Nov 1966 30 Nov 1966  United Kingdom
 Belarus Europe 25 Aug 1991[note 30] 25 Aug 1991 Soviet Union
 Belgium Europe 4 Oct 1830 1945 Germany
 Belize The Americas 21 Sep 1981[23] 21 Sep 1981  United Kingdom
 Benin Africa 1 Aug 1960 1 Aug 1960  France
 Bhutan Asia 1634 1634 (none)
 Bolivia The Americas 6 Aug 1825 6 Aug 1825 Spain
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe 3 Mar 1992 3 Mar 1992 Yugoslavia
 Botswana Africa 30 Sep 1966[24] 30 Sep 1966  United Kingdom
 Brazil The Americas 7 Sep 1822[25] 29 Aug 1825 (Treaty of Rio de Janeiro) United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves
 Brunei Asia 1 Jan 1984 1 Jan 1984  United Kingdom
 Bulgaria Europe 5 Oct 1908[26] 5 Oct 1908 Ottoman Empire

 Soviet Union

 Burkina Faso Africa 5 Aug 1960[27] 5 Aug 1960  France
 Burundi Africa 1 July 1962 1 July 1962  Belgium
 Cambodia Asia 9 Nov 1953 9 Nov 1953[28]  France
 Cameroon Africa 1 Jan 1960 1 Oct 1961  United Kingdom
 Canada The Americas 11 Dec 1931 [note 31] 11 Dec 1931 United Kingdom
 Cape Verde Africa 5 July 1975 5 July 1975[29]  Portugal
 Central African Republic Africa 13 Aug 1960 13 Aug 1960  France
 Chad Africa 11 Aug 1960 11 Aug 1960  France
 Chile The Americas 12 Feb 1818[note 32] 12 Feb 1818 Spain
 China Asia 1600 BC c. (Shang dynasty) [note 33] 2 September 1945 Japan (partial occupation)
 Colombia The Americas 20 July 1810 7 Aug 1819 Spain
 Comoros Africa 6 July 1975 6 July 1975  France
 Congo, Democratic Republic of the Africa 30 June 1960 30 June 1960  Belgium
 Congo, Republic of the Africa 15 Aug 1960 15 Aug 1960  France
 Cook Islands Australia 1965 4 August 1965  New Zealand
 Costa Rica The Americas 14 Nov 1838 1838 Federal Republic of Central America
 Croatia Europe 8 Oct 1991[30][31][32][33][34] 8 Oct 1991 Yugoslavia
 Cuba The Americas 20 May 1902 2 February 1909  United States
 Cyprus Europe 16 Aug 1960 16 Aug 1960  United Kingdom
 Czechia Europe 870 1 Jan 1993 Czechoslovakia
 Denmark Europe 714[35] 5 May 1945 Germany
 Djibouti Africa 27 June 1977 27 June 1977  France
 Dominica The Americas 3 Nov 1978 3 Nov 1978  United Kingdom
 Dominican Republic The Americas 27 Feb 1844 [note 34] 27 Feb 1844 Haiti
 Ecuador The Americas 13 May 1830 13 May 1830 Gran Colombia
 Egypt Africa/Asia 28 Feb 1922[note 35] 28 Feb 1922 United Kingdom
 El Salvador The Americas 29 Nov 1898 29 Nov 1898 Greater Republic of Central America Greater Republic of Central America
 Equatorial Guinea Africa 12 Oct 1968 12 Oct 1968 Spain
 Eritrea Africa 24 May 1993 24 May 1993 Ethiopia
 Estonia Europe 24 Feb 1918[36] 20 Aug 1991 Soviet Union
 Eswatini Africa 6 Sep 1968 6 Sep 1968  United Kingdom
 Ethiopia Africa 900 c. (Zagwe Kingdom)[note 36] 5 May 1941 Italy
 Fiji Australia 10 Oct 1970 10 Oct 1970  United Kingdom
 Finland Europe 6 Dec 1917 4 Jan 1918 Russia
 France Europe 481 1944 Germany
 Gabon Africa 17 Aug 1960 17 Aug 1960  France
 Gambia Africa 18 Feb 1965 18 Feb 1965  United Kingdom
 Georgia Asia/Europe 26 May 1918 9 Apr 1991 Soviet Union
 Germany Europe 1 July 1867 (North German Confederation) 15 Mar 1991 West Germany

East Germany West Berlin

 Greece Europe 25 Mar 1822 1945  Bulgaria

 Nazi Germany  Italy

 Ghana Africa 6 May 1957 6 May 1957  United Kingdom
 Grenada The Americas 7 Feb 1974 7 Feb 1974  United Kingdom
 Guatemala The Americas 17 Apr 1839 17 Apr 1839 Federal Republic of Central America
 Guinea Africa 2 Oct 1958 2 Oct 1958  France
 Guinea-Bissau Africa 24 Sep 1973 10 Sep 1974  Portugal
 Guyana The Americas 26 May 1966 26 May 1966  United Kingdom
 Haiti The Americas 1 Jan 1804 1 Jan 1804 France
 Honduras The Americas 29 Nov 1898 29 Nov 1898 Greater Republic of Central America Greater Republic of Central America
 Hungary Europe 895 1918

23 Oct 1989

 Austria-Hungary

 Soviet Union

 Iceland Europe 1 Dec 1918 1 Dec 1918  Denmark
 India Asia 15 Aug 1947 15 Aug 1947  United Kingdom
 Indonesia Asia/Australia 17 Aug 1945 27 Dec 1949 Netherlands
 Iran Asia 1501 (Safavid Empire) [note 37] 17 October 1941  United Kingdom/ Soviet Union

Anglo-Soviet withdrawal from Tehran

 Iraq Asia 3 Oct 1932 1 May 2003  United Kingdom
 Ireland Europe 11 Dec 1931 [note 38] 11 Dec 1931 United Kingdom
 Israel Asia 14 May 1948 14 May 1948  United Kingdom
 Italy Europe 1003 (County of Savoy) 17 May 1861 Sardinia

Lombardy–Venetia Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Papal States United Provinces of Central Italy

 Ivory Coast Africa 7 Aug 1960 7 Aug 1960  France
 Jamaica The Americas 6 Aug 1962 6 Aug 1962  United Kingdom
 Japan Asia 539 c. [note 39]. 28 Apr 1952 Allied occupation of Japan
 Jordan Asia 25 May 1946 2 Aug 1958 Arab Federation
 Kazakhstan Asia/Europe 16 Dec 1991 16 Dec 1991 Soviet Union
 Kenya Africa 12 Dec 1963 12 Dec 1963  United Kingdom
 Kiribati Australia 12 July 1979 12 July 1979  United Kingdom
 North Korea Asia 9 Sep 1948 9 Sep 1948  Soviet Union
 South Korea Asia 15 Aug 1948 15 Aug 1948  United States
 Kuwait Asia 1752 Feb 1991  Iraq
 Kyrgyzstan Asia 31 Aug 1991 31 Aug 1991 Soviet Union
 Laos Asia 22 Oct 1953 22 Oct 1953  France
 Latvia Europe 18 Nov 1918[37] 4 May 1990 Soviet Union
 Lebanon Asia 22 Nov 1943 31 Dec 1946  France
 Lesotho Africa 4 Oct 1966 4 Oct 1966  United Kingdom
 Liberia Africa 26 July 1847 26 July 1847 American Colonization Society
 Libya Africa 24 Dec 1951[38] 24 Dec 1951 Cyrenaica Emirate

 France  United Kingdom

 Lithuania Europe 16 Feb 1918 11 Mar 1990 Soviet Union
 Luxembourg Europe 15 Mar 1815 1945 Germany
 Madagascar Africa 26 June 1960 26 June 1960  France
 Malawi Africa 6 July 1964 6 July 1964  United Kingdom
 Malaysia Asia 31 Aug 1957[39] 31 Aug 1957  United Kingdom
 Maldives Asia 26 July 1965 26 July 1965  United Kingdom
 Mali Africa 20 Aug 1960 20 Aug 1960  Mali Federation
 Malta Europe 21 Sep 1964 21 Sep 1964  United Kingdom
 Marshall Islands Australia 21 Oct 1986 21 Oct 1986  United States
 Mauritania Africa 28 Nov 1960 28 Nov 1960  France
 Mauritius Africa 12 Mar 1968 12 Mar 1968  United Kingdom
 Mexico The Americas 16 Sep 1810 1864 Spain
 Micronesia, Federated States of Australia 3 Nov 1986 3 Nov 1986  United States
 Moldova Europe 27 Aug 1991 27 Aug 1991  Soviet Union
 Monaco Europe 2 Feb 1861 1945 Germany
 Mongolia Asia 29 Dec 1911 13 Mar 1921 Republic of China
 Montenegro Europe 21 May 2006[note 40] 21 May 2006 (independence referendum)

June 3, 2006

Serbia and Montenegro
 Morocco Africa 788[40] 7 Apr 1956 France

Spain

 Mozambique Africa 25 June 1975 25 June 1975  Portugal
 Myanmar Asia 4 Jan 1948 4 Jan 1948  United Kingdom
 Namibia Africa 21 Mar 1990 21 Mar 1990 South Africa
 Nauru Australia 31 Jan 1968 31 Jan 1968  Australia/ New Zealand/ United Kingdom Trust Territory of Nauru
   Nepal Asia 1559 c. (Gorkha Kingdom) 1768 (Unification of Nepal) (none)
 Netherlands Europe 26 July 1581 (de facto)

30 Jan 1648 (de jure)

1945 Germany
 New Zealand Australia 25 Nov 1947 [note 41] 25 Nov 1947 United Kingdom
 Nicaragua The Americas 29 Nov 1898 29 Nov 1898 Greater Republic of Central America Greater Republic of Central America
 Niger Africa 3 Aug 1960 3 Aug 1960  France
 Nigeria Africa 1 Oct 1960 1 Oct 1960  United Kingdom
 North Macedonia Europe 8 Sep 1991 8 Sep 1991 Yugoslavia
 Norway Europe 872 8 May 1945 Germany
 Oman Asia 1626 [note 42] 1743 Afsharid Empire
 Pakistan Asia 14 Dec 1947 14 Dec 1947  United Kingdom
 Palau Australia 1 Oct 1994 1 Oct 1994  United States
 Palestine Asia Sovereignty disputed by  Israel 15 Nov 1988  Israel
 Panama The Americas 3 Nov 1903 31 Jan 1990  Colombia
 Papua New Guinea Australia 16 Sep 1975 16 Sep 1975  Australia
 Paraguay The Americas 14 May 1811 (de facto)

Nov 25, 1845 (formal declaration of Independence)

1876  Empire of Brazil


 Argentina

 Uruguay

 Peru The Americas 28 July 1821 25 Aug 1839 North Peru

South Peru

 Philippines Asia 4 July 1946 [note 43] 4 July 1946 [note 44]  United States
 Poland Europe 11 November 1918 (as a new state, not as a nation) 1945 Germany

 Soviet Union

 Portugal Europe 25 July 1139 30 Aug 1808  France
 Qatar Asia 3 Sep 1971 3 Sep 1971  United Kingdom
 Romania Europe 13 July 1878 13 July 1878 United Principalities

 Soviet Union

 Russia Asia/Europe 1471 (Grand Duchy of Moscow) 26 Dec 1991 (de facto)

12 Dec 1993 (de jure)[note 45]

 Soviet Union
 Rwanda Africa 1 July 1962 1 July 1962  Belgium
 Saint Kitts and Nevis The Americas 19 Sep 1983 19 Sep 1983  United Kingdom
 Saint Lucia The Americas 22 Feb 1979 22 Feb 1979  United Kingdom
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The Americas 27 Oct 1979 27 Oct 1979  United Kingdom
 Samoa Australia 1 Jan 1962 1 Jan 1962  New Zealand
 San Marino Europe 1243 21 Sep 1944 World War II Allies
 São Tomé and Príncipe Africa 12 July 1975 12 July 1975  Portugal
 Saudi Arabia Asia 13 Jan 1902 (Emirate of Riyadh)[note 46] 23 Sep 1932 Emirate of Jabal Shammar
 Senegal Africa 20 Aug 1960 20 Aug 1960  Mali Federation
 Serbia Europe 13 July 1878 (as a new state, not as a nation.) [note 47] 3 June 2006  Yugoslavia

Serbia and Montenegro

 Seychelles Africa 29 June 1976 29 June 1976  United Kingdom
 Sierra Leone Africa 27 Apr 1961 27 Apr 1961  United Kingdom
 Singapore Asia 9 Aug 1965 9 Aug 1965  Malaysia
 Slovakia Europe 1 Jan 1993 1 Jan 1993  Czechoslovakia
 Slovenia Europe 25 June 1991 25 June 1991  Yugoslavia
 Solomon Islands Australia 7 July 1978 7 July 1978  United Kingdom
 Somalia Africa 1 July 1960 1 July 1960  United Kingdom

 Italy

 South Africa Africa 11 Dec 1931[note 48] 11 Dec 1931 United Kingdom United Kingdom
 South Sudan Africa 9 July 2011 9 July 2011  Sudan
 Spain Europe 542 (Visigothic Spain of Toledo) [note 49][42] 1813  France
 Sri Lanka Asia 4 Feb 1948 4 Feb 1948  United Kingdom
 Sudan Africa 1 Jan 1956 [note 50] 1 Jan 1956  United Kingdom

Egypt

 Suriname The Americas 25 Nov 1975 25 Nov 1975 Netherlands Kingdom of the Netherlands
 Sweden Europe 970c. 970 none
  Switzerland Europe 24 Oct 1648 1815  Austria
 Syria Asia April 17, 1946 28 Sep 1961[note 51]  United Arab Republic
 Tajikistan Asia 9 Sep 1991 9 Sep 1991  Soviet Union
 Tanzania Africa 9 Dec 1961 9 Dec 1961  United Kingdom
 Thailand Asia 4 Mar 1351 (Ayutthaya Kingdom) 1945  Japan
 Timor-Leste Asia 28 Nov 1975 20 May 2002 United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
 Togo Africa 27 Apr 1960 27 Apr 1960  France
 Tonga Australia 4 June 1970 4 June 1970  United Kingdom
 Trinidad and Tobago The Americas 31 Aug 1962 31 Aug 1962  United Kingdom
 Tunisia Africa 20 Mar 1956 20 Mar 1956  France
 Turkey Asia/Europe 1299[note 52] 1923  Greece

Italy  United Kingdom  France Armenia Armenia

 Turkmenistan Asia 27 Oct 1991 27 Oct 1991  Soviet Union
 Tuvalu Australia 1 Oct 1978 1 Oct 1978  United Kingdom
 Uganda Africa 9 Oct 1962 9 Oct 1962  United Kingdom
 Ukraine Europe 24 August 1991[note 53] 24 Aug 1991  Soviet Union
 United Arab Emirates Asia 2 Dec 1971 2 Dec 1971  United Kingdom
 United Kingdom Europe 498 (Dál Riata) [note 54] 1266  Kingdom of England

 Kingdom of Scotland  Kingdom of Ireland

 United States The Americas 4 July 1776 19 Oct 1781 Great Britain
 Uruguay The Americas 25 Aug 1825 27 Aug 1828  Empire of Brazil
 Uzbekistan Asia 1 Sep 1991 1 Sep 1991  Soviet Union
 Vanuatu Australia 30 July 1980 30 July 1980  United Kingdom

 France

 Vatican City Europe 11 Feb 1929 11 Feb 1929 Italy
 Venezuela The Americas 13 Jan 1830 13 Jan 1830 Gran Colombia
 Vietnam Asia 2 Sep 1945 2 July 1976 Vietnam North Vietnam

South VietnamSouth Vietnam

 Yemen Asia 1 Nov 1918 22 May 1990  North Yemen

 South Yemen

 Zambia Africa 24 Oct 1964 24 Oct 1964  United Kingdom
 Zimbabwe Africa 11 Nov 1965 18 Apr 1980  United Kingdom

Yugoslavia Legacy[edit]

For a later former country that was also referred to as Yugoslavia, see Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. For a country that used to be called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, see North Macedonia.
2008 map of the former Yugoslavia

The present-day states which succeeded Yugoslavia are still today sometimes collectively referred to as the former Yugoslavia (or shortened as Ex-Yu or similar). These countries are, listed chronologically:

Before 19th century[edit]

Year Previous entity Newly independent entity Event
1480 Great Horde Grand Duchy of Moscow
1581 Spain Dutch Republic
1640 Iberian Union Portugal
1776 Great Britain United States

19th century to World War I[edit]

Year Previous entity Newly independent entity
1804 France Haiti
1811 Spain Paraguay
Venezuela
Gran Colombia (today Colombia and Panama)
1815 Spain Uruguay
1816 Spain Argentina
1818 Spain Chile
1821 Spain Mexico
Central America (today Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and part of Mexico)
Dominican Republic
Peru
Ottoman Empire Greece
1822 Spain Ecuador
Portugal Brazil
1831 Netherlands Belgium
1836 Mexico Republic of Texas
1847 United States Liberia
1848 United Kingdom Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
1851 United Kingdom Prince Edward Island
1852 Ottoman Empire Serbia and Montenegro
1854 United Kingdom Newfoundland and Labrador
1865 Spain Dominican Republic
1877 Ottoman Empire Romania
1898 Spain Cuba, Philippines
1900 United Kingdom Australia
1902 United States Cuba
1907 United Kingdom New Zealand
1908 Ottoman Empire Bulgaria
1910 United Kingdom South Africa
1911 Qing dynasty Outer Mongolia (today part of Mongolia and Tuva, Russia)
Tibet
1912 Ottoman Empire Albania

Interwar period[edit]

Year Previous entity Newly independent entity
1917 Russia Finland
Crimean People's Republic (located on the Crimean Peninsula)[am]
Idel-Ural State (today part of Russia)
Alash Autonomy (predecessor to Kazakhstan)
1918
Second Polish Republic (predecessor to Poland)
Russia Moldavian Democratic Republic (today mostly Moldova and partially Ukraine)
Transcaucasia, Armenia 1R, Azerbaijan DR, Georgia DR (predecessors to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia respectively)
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Ukrainian People's Republic (predecessor to Ukraine)
Austria-Hungary Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (today Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ukraine
Denmark Iceland
1919 United Kingdom Afghanistan
1920 Ottoman Empire Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine (today Israel and Palestine)
1921 China Mongolia
1922 United Kingdom Irish Free State (now named the "Republic of Ireland")
1922 United Kingdom Egypt
1931 China Chinese Soviet Republic (consisting of Jiangxi and Fujian with other disconnected areas)
1932 United Kingdom Iraq
1940 France Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia[43]
1941 Italy Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia[44]
1943 France Lebanon
1944 Denmark[45] Iceland
1945 Empire of Japan Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia[43]
Korea (today North Korea and South Korea)
Taiwan (today administered by the Republic of China, claimed by the People's Republic of China)
Indonesia

Cold War[edit]

Year Previous entity Newly independent entity
1946 United States Philippines
United Kingdom Jordan
France Syria
1947 United Kingdom India, Pakistan
1948 United Kingdom Myanmar, Sri Lanka
Israel
1949 Dutch East Indies United States of Indonesia
1951 France, United Kingdom Libya
1953 France Cambodia, Laos
1954 France Vietnam
1956 United Kingdom, Egypt (de jure, de facto just United Kingdom) Sudan (today Sudan and South Sudan)
France Tunisia
France, Spain Morocco
1957 United Kingdom Ghana
Malaysia
1958 France Guinea
1960 United Kingdom Cyprus (today de facto Cyprus and Northern Cyprus)
Nigeria
Italy, United Kingdom Somalia (today de facto Somalia and Somaliland)
France Ivory Coast, Benin, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali Federation (today Mali and Senegal)
Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon
Cameroon, Togo
Madagascar
Belgium Democratic Republic of the Congo
1961 United Kingdom Tanzania
Sierra Leone
Kuwait
British Cameroons (today part of Nigeria and part of Cameroon)
1962 United Kingdom Uganda
Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago
France Algeria
Belgium Rwanda, Burundi
New Zealand Samoa
1963 United Kingdom Kenya, Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania)
Sarawak (today part of Malaysia), North Borneo (today part of Malaysia), Singapore
1964 United Kingdom Zambia, Malawi
Malta
Soviet Union Romania
1965 United Kingdom Rhodesia
The Gambia
Maldives
1966 United Kingdom Barbados, Guyana
Botswana, Lesotho
1967 United Kingdom South Yemen (today part of Yemen)
1968 United Kingdom Mauritius
Swaziland
Spain Equatorial Guinea
Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom (de jure, de facto just Australia) Nauru
1970 United Kingdom Oman
1971 United Kingdom Fiji, Tonga
United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar
Pakistan Bangladesh
1973 United Kingdom The Bahamas
Portugal Guinea-Bissau
1974 United Kingdom Grenada
1975 France Comoros
Portugal Angola, Mozambique
Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe
East Timor
Netherlands Suriname
Australia Papua New Guinea
Spain Western Sahara (self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
1976 United Kingdom Seychelles
1977 France Djibouti
1978 United Kingdom Dominica
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu
1979 United Kingdom Kiribati
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia
1980 United Kingdom Zimbabwe
United Kingdom, France Vanuatu
1981 United Kingdom Belize, Antigua and Barbuda
1983 United Kingdom Saint Kitts and Nevis
1984 United Kingdom Brunei
1990 South Africa Namibia
Soviet Union Lithuania
Marshall Islands, Micronesia
1991 Soviet Union Estonia
Georgia
Latvia
Belarus, Ukraine
Moldova, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan
Yugoslavia Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Republic of Serbian Krajina

Post–Cold War era[edit]

Year Previous entity Newly independent entity
1992 Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
1993 Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea (Ethiopia) Eritrea
1994
Palau
Palestinian National Authority (self-declared State of Palestine)
2002
East Timor
2006
Serbia, Montenegro
2008
Kosovo
2011 Sudan South Sudan
2014 Ukraine Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference SFRJ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c The annexation of the Baltic states in 1940 is considered an illegal occupation by the current governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and by a number of Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, who assert that the states were independent countries occupied by the Soviet Union. The three corresponding Soviet republics were officially sovereign entities in a federation, according to Article 76 of the Constitution of the Soviet Union. However, the Soviet Union was heavily centralized and was de facto a single federal state and the three states consider the corresponding Soviet republics to have been illegitimate entities.
  3. ^ After independence the United States colonized and later incorporated in their federal structure, territories on their own. The last acquisition in the Americas was in 1935, the last incorporation in 1959, but some of the territories remain unincorporated.
  4. ^ Not recognized by France until April 17, 1825.
  5. ^ Not recognized by Spain until April 29, 1857.
  6. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. The date September 18, 1810 (when the Government Junta was formed) is celebrated as Chile's date of independence. Chile would not be recognized by Spain until April 25, 1844.
  7. ^ Celebrated as Battle of Boyacá Day. The date July 20, 1810 (when Viceroy Antonio José Amar y Borbón formally declared New Granada's independence) is celebrated as Colombia's date of independence.
  8. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. After declaring independence from Spain on July 5, 1811 with the enactment of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, the territory of present-day Venezuela continued to struggle for its independence until June 24, 1821 when the decisive victory of Simón Bolívar and Venezuelan forces over the Spanish at the Battle of Carabobo led to the independence of the country from Spain and the establishment of the Republic of Gran Colombia, from which Venezuela gained independence on January 13, 1830. Venezuela celebrates July 5, 1811 as its independence day.
  9. ^ a b c d e After gaining independence from Spain, the Federal Republic of Central America was annexed by the Mexican Empire on January 25, 1822. The Federal Republic would regain independence on July 1, 1823.
  10. ^ On November 15, 1838, Costa Rica formally withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and then declared itself as an independent republic on September 28, 1848
  11. ^ Sometime around 1840 Guatemala formally withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and became an independent republic on March 21, 1847.
  12. ^ On November 15, 1838, Honduras formally withdrew from the Federal Republic of Central America and became an independent state.
  13. ^ On February 18, 1841, El Salvador (by then the only member remaining in the Federal Republic of Central America), formally withdrew and became an independent state.
  14. ^ as the Republic of Spanish Haiti
  15. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. After gaining independence from Spain, the Republic of Spanish Haiti was annexed by Haiti on February 9, 1822. On November 6, 1844, after months of fighting starting from February 27 of that year, the Dominican Republic regained sovereignty upon the ratification of the Constitution of the Dominican Republic. The February 27 date is celebrated as the Dominican Republic's date of independence.
  16. ^ Celebrated as Battle of Pichincha Day. The date August 10, 1909 (when the city of Quito formally declared Ecuador's independence) is celebrated as Ecuador's date of independence. On May 13, 1830, Ecuador formally seceded from Gran Colombia.
  17. ^ Not recognized by Spain until July 21, 1847.
  18. ^ As the Empire of Brazil.
  19. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. Brazil’s independence from Portugal was officially recognized on August 29, 1825 by the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro. The date September 7, 1822 (when then-Prince Regent Dom Pedro formally declared Brazil's independence) is celebrated as Brazil's date of independence.
  20. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. After its decisive victory over Spanish forces at the Battle of Las Piedras, Uruguay continued to struggle for its independence against Spain. From 1816 to 1820, the territory of present-day Uruguay was invaded and conquered by the Portuguese Empire during the Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental. Uruguay was formally annexed firstly by the Portuguese Empire in 1821 and secondly by the Empire of Brazil in 1822 as a Brazilian province under the name Cisplatina. Uruguay declared independence from the Empire of Brazil on August 25, 1825, but its independence was officially recognized on August 27, 1828 by the Preliminary Peace Convention. Uruguay celebrates August 25, 1825 as its independence day.
  21. ^ On March 18, 1861, the Dominican Republic under Pedro Santana formally rejoined the Spanish Empire as a colony. This proved to be very unpopular among the Dominican people, and on August 16, 1865, the Dominican Republic became independent once again.
  22. ^ Celebrated as Restoration Day.
  23. ^ Celebrated as Canada Day. The Dominion of Canada was constituted through the Constitution Act, 1867 entering into force on July 1, 1867. On December 11, 1931, it got increased self-governance powers through the Statute of Westminster, followed by complete sovereignty on April 17, 1982, after the passage of the Canada Act 1982. Because of these decades-long steps, Canada Day is not considered to be a celebration of Canada's independence (although it is usually celebrated as such).
  24. ^ De jure. De facto the  United States.
  25. ^ Date marking the end of Spanish rule over Cuba. Not celebrated as a holiday. From this date to May 20, 1902, Cuba was occupied by the United States, supposedly to help Cuba prepare for independence. However, the terms of the Platt Amendment meant that the United States continued to dominate Cuba long after independence, including another period of occupation. This dominance would last until the end of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959. As a result, Cuba celebrates the date October 10, 1868, as its date of independence, when Carlos Manuel de Céspedes formally declared Cuba's independence and launched the Ten Years' War.
  26. ^ Abolished its commonwealth monarchy on August 1, 1976.
  27. ^ Abolished its commonwealth monarchy on February 23, 1970.
  28. ^ Full sovereignty. Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931
  29. ^ Austrians date their national identity back to the establishment of the Duchy of Austria (later the Archduchy of Austria) in the Middle Ages (a state of the Holy Roman Empire that only had full sovereignty after the dissolution of the Empire in the 19th century). Another important states in the identity of the Austrian nation is the Austrian Empire, Cisleithania, Republic of German-Austria, the First Austrian Republic, Federal State of Austria (this later annexed by Nazi Germany). As an independent and sovereign state the current Austrian state dates back to 1945, when the country seceded from Nazi Germany after the end of World War II. However the Moscow Conference of 1943 declared the German annexation of Austria in 1938 null and void
  30. ^ The medieval Principality of Polotsk became an extinct state after its dissolution. Modern state of Belarus dates from 1991
  31. ^ Full sovereignty. Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Canada becomes completely sovereign, having consulates and embassies in other countries
  32. ^ The Kingdom of Chile (Patria Vieja) became an extinct state after its reconquest by Spain. Modern state of Chile dates from 1818
  33. ^ People's Republic of China consider itself the successor state of the Republic of China, the latter considers itself the successor state of the Qing Empire, and through the mandate of heaven all Chinese imperial states considered themselves successors to previous dynasties, with the Shang dynasty being historically the first non-legendary dynasty of that country.
  34. ^ The Republic of Spanish Haiti became an extinct state after its reconquest by Haiti. Modern state of Dominican Republic dates from 1844
  35. ^ Egypt is one of the oldest nations in the world, its national identity dating back to the First Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. But it is important to stress the difference between state and nation. As a state the nation lost its sovereignty and was conquered by other states several times in History. The current Egyptian state, as an independent sovereign state, dates from 1922
  36. ^ Zagwe was one of the kingdoms that emerged from the collapse of the Kingdom of Aksum, that became an extinct or abolished state in 960 AD. It is the direct historical predecessor of the Ethiopian Empire, regardless of the Solomonic dynasty of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum having overthrown the Zagwe dynasty in 1270 and assumed their throne. Dynastic lineages are irrelevant to current international law, mainly because of the fact of the majority of the states in the current world scenario are republics.
  37. ^ Iran is one of the oldest nations in the world, its national identity dating back to the Median Empire and the Achaemenid Empire. But it is important to stress the difference between state and nation. As a state the nation lost its sovereignty and was conquered by other states several times in History. The current Iranian state, as an independent state in a contiguous way, dates from 1501
  38. ^ Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Internationally recognized independence, by nations that aren't members of the Commonwealth of Nations
  39. ^ Beginning of the reign of the first Japanese emperor proven to have existed historically
  40. ^ Montenegrins date their national identity to the founding of Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro in 1516. However, the Montenegrin state became an extinct state at the time of the Podgorica Assembly, which led to the annexation and extinction of the Kingdom of Montenegro by the Kingdom of Serbia. The current Montenegrin state emerged in 2006 after separating from Serbia.
  41. ^ Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931
  42. ^ The region was conquered by Portuguese forces under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque in 1507, and remained under Portuguese control until they were expelled by the Ya'rubids.
  43. ^ The First Philippine Republic was an unrecognized state and became an extinct state after being terminated by the United States. Modern state of Philippines dates from 1946. However, Filipinos celebrate their independence date on June 12 (the date of establishment of the First Philippine Republic) in order to avoid celebrating their national date on the same day that their former colonizers (the USA) celebrate their national date (July 4).
  44. ^ Independence recognized via the Treaty of Manila (1946).
  45. ^ Russia dates its national identity back to the Kievan Rus, medieval state that was extinguished when it was conquered by the Mongols of the Golden Horde. A new Russian state arose and existed continuously and without loss of sovereignty from 1480 until 1922, when of its own accord it ceased to be a sovereign state and became a subnational unit of the Soviet Union. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the nation again had a sovereign state, with the current Russian sovereign state dating back to 1991. The Russian Federation is regarded as the successor state to the former Soviet Union, inheriting its seat as a UN member state, after a letter by president Boris Yeltsin was received by the secretary-general Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.
  46. ^ Saudi Arabia dates its national identity from the establishment of the Emirate of Diriya (First Saudi State), however this state later became extinct, as did the Emirate of Nejd (the Second Saudi State). The current and Third Saudi State came into being in 1903 when it separated from the Emirate of Jabal Shammar. Through wars of conquest it conquered other states and made a real union with Hejaz before adopting the current name Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932
  47. ^ Serbia consider itself as the successor state of Yugoslavia. The current Serbian state emerged in 1878, after independence de jure from the Ottoman Empire. Other Serbian states existed before this date, but ceased to exist due to the conquest of other states. It is important not to confuse the concept of state with that of the nation, as a nation the Serbian people have existed since the Middle Ages, and just like other ethnic groups (such as the Greeks, Jews, Egyptians, etc.) it went through periods of its history in which it was a Stateless nation
  48. ^ Adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931
  49. ^ During the Visigoth kingdom of Toledo, the names of the Visigoth kingdom (Regnum Gothorum) and Spain (Hispaniae or Spaniae) were used more and more frequently as synonymous terms, beginning to have not only a geographical meaning, but also a political one (especially since the year 624, when Swinthila finally defeated the Byzantines and the Visigoths dominated the entire Iberian Peninsula). Historiographers of the time such as Isidore of Seville, Julian of Toledo, John of Biclaro, as well as from abroad, the Franks Gregory of Tours, Fredegar, or Pope Leo II, referred to the Visigoth kingdom or its kings, as Hispania or kings of Hispania. On the other hand, there was an adoption by the Visigoths of the Hispano-Roman culture, with a progressive intention to merge the Gothic and Hispano-Roman societies into a common one, politically (kingdom administered from the capital of Toledo, and in accordance with Roman ecclesiastical power through the Councils of Toledo), religiously (Reccared I converted from Arianism to Chalcedonian Christianity in 589), common legislation (Code of Leovigild, and later Visigothic Code), militarily (army composed of Hispano-Romans and Visigoths), with a monetary unit (Visigothic royal currency from 580 to 710), and linguistically (Visigoths spoke Latin), taking advantage of the pre-existing cohesion left by the Hispania of the Roman Empire.[41] Spain is a unitary state that emerged from the political union by incorporating union of different states throughout history. Using the modern criteria of the United Nations, which considers the date of admission of other states that emerged from political unions (such as Tanzania, Malaysia and Yemen) as the date of the oldest predecessor state to be admitted, it will soon be seen that the oldest state that merged to form modern Spain is the Kingdom of León, one of the states in personal union that integrated the Crown of Castile, with such state dating its origins directly from the Kingdom of Asturias. Spain was until 1715 a composite monarchy, i.e. several small states in personal union, only passing through a political union in 1715 with the Nueva Planta decrees
  50. ^ Sudan dates its national identity to the Kingdom of Kerma, Kingdom of Kush and other ancient kingdoms that existed in its territory, i.e Nubia (mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts). However, as an independent sovereign state, the current Sudanese state dates back to 1956.
  51. ^ By uniting with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic into a political union, the Second Syrian Republic ceased to exist as a sovereign state and became an extinct state, with Syria becoming a subnational unit of the United Arab Republic. The current Syrian state emerged as a new state when it broke up politically in 1961. However, Syrians celebrate April 17 as their independence day, as it was on April 17, 1946 that the nation ceased to be a colony of France.
  52. ^ The Republic of Turkey is the successor state of the Ottoman Empire. Despite being known in English as the Turkish War of Independence, Turks call it in their language Kurtuluş Savaşı (lit. Liberation War). "War of Independence" in Turkish is "bağımsızlık savaşı". The country's national date is the Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı), which commemorates the change of government regime from a monarchy to a republic.
  53. ^ Ukraine dates its national identity back to the Kievan Rus, however this state became an extinct state when it was conquered by the Mongols of the Golden Horde. Another state with historical importance for Ukrainians in their national identity is the medieval Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which however also became an extinct state. In the 17th century the Ukrainian nation established another Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, however this state became extinct upon being conquered by the Russian Empire. Between 1917 and 1919, two new Ukrainian states was established, being unified in 1919 but again lost its sovereignty by becoming a subnational unit of the Soviet Union. The current Ukrainian sovereign state dates from 1991, emerging after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  54. ^ The United Kingdom is a unitary state that emerged from the political union by incorporating union of different states throughout history. Northern Ireland has been part of this political union since 1922, when the rest of Ireland separated from the United Kingdom. Ireland had united with Great Britain in 1800 to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Kingdom of Great Britain itself emerged from the political union between the Kingdom of England (which had already conquered and annexed the Principality of Wales centuries before) and the Kingdom of Scotland. Using the modern criteria of the United Nations, which considers the date of admission of other states that emerged from political unions (such as Tanzania, Malaysia and Yemen) as the date of the oldest predecessor state to be admitted, it will soon be seen that of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (today subnational units and not sovereign countries) the oldest is Scotland (unified in 843), which dates its origin to the Dál Riata, which conquered the existing small Pictish states in future Scotland to form the Kingdom of Scotland, which existed until 1707 when it merged with England (originated in 927, when the various Anglo-Saxon kings swore their allegiance to Æthelstan of Wessex (r. 924–939), unifying most of modern England under a single king

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference SovietSovereignRepublic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Transcontinental country, partially located in Asia.
  3. ^ Not celebrated as a holiday. Netherlands New Guinea was separated from the Dutch East Indies on 29 December 1949. Following skirmishes with Indonesia in 1961 and the New York Agreement, the Netherlands transferred the authority of Dutch New Guinea to a UN protectorate on 1 October 1962 and it was integrated into Indonesia on 1 May 1963. The date 17 August 1945 (when Sukarno formally proclaimed Indonesia's independence) is celebrated as Indonesia's date of independence.
  4. ^ As a League of Nations mandate and later UN Trust Territory Nauru was under effective Australian administration with the United Kingdom and New Zealand as nominal co-trustees.
  5. ^ As the Dominion of Fiji.
  6. ^ Celebrated as Fiji Day. (While Fiji does not have a holiday called Independence Day, Fiji Day is celebrated as such). On 7 October 1987 after two military coups, Fiji formally abolished its Commonwealth monarchy and became a republic.
  7. ^ The main part of German New Guinea after the World War I became a League of Nations mandate and later a UN Trust Territory as the Territory of New Guinea under Australian administration. The Territory of Papua was a British colony transferred to the British Dominion of Australian administration in 1902.
  8. ^ Vanuatu was a joint British-French Condominium
  9. ^ King, Joan Wucher (1989) [First published 1984]. Historical Dictionary of Egypt. Books of Lasting Value. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 259–260. ISBN 978-977-424-213-7.
  10. ^ "The World Factbook: Field Listing: Independence". Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  11. ^ "National Day 2022, 2023 and 2024 in Bahrain". Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  12. ^ An Outline of the People's Republic of Albania. 8 Nëntori. 1978. p. 47.
  13. ^ The Regency of Algiers ceased to exist and became an extinct or abolished state when France conquered Algeria. The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is a new state that emerged after separating from the French Republic
  14. ^ Shillington, Kevin (2005). Encyclopedia of African history. CRC Press. p. 60. ISBN 1-57958-453-5.
  15. ^ Blaustein, Albert P.; Sigler, Jay A.; Beede, Benjamin R. (1977). Independence documents of the world. Brill Archive. p. 11. ISBN 0-379-00794-0.
  16. ^ Whittlesey, Derwent (June 1934). "Andorra's Autonomy". The Journal of Modern History. 6 (2): 147–155. doi:10.1086/236113. S2CID 145133794.
  17. ^ Archambault, G.H. (Nov 16, 1944). "Andorra Occupied by French Police; De Gaulle Acts Under Historic Authority to Keep Order in Pyrenees Republic". The New York Times. p. 5. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  18. ^ "1975: Divided Angola gets independence". BBC On This Day. 1975-11-11. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  19. ^ "Background Note: Antigua and Barbuda". state.gov. US Department of State. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  20. ^ "Congress of Tucumán". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  21. ^ Howe, G. Melvyn; Dowsett, Charles James Frank; Mints, Aleksey Aleksandrovich; Suny, Ronald Grigor (23 April 2019). "Armenia: Independence". Britannica.com.
  22. ^ Kurian, George Thomas (1987). The Encyclopedia of the Third World. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Facts on File. p. 115. ISBN 0-8160-1118-4.
  23. ^ "U.S. Relations With Belize". state.gov. US Department of State. December 22, 2016.
  24. ^ "Botswana". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  25. ^ "Brazil". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  26. ^ "Bulgaria". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  27. ^ "Burkina Faso". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  28. ^ Tucker, Spencer (1999). Vietnam. Routledge. pp. 196–197. ISBN 1-85728-922-6.
  29. ^ "Background Note: Cape Verde". state.gov. US Department of State. June 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hrvatska povijest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference Grboslovlje u Hrvata Krunisani was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference geni.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference visitecroatia.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Cite error: The named reference Croatia – World Leaders Index was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  35. ^ McKitterick, Rosamond, ed. (1995). The New Cambridge Medieval History. Volume II c.700–c.900. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 205. ISBN 0-521-36292 X.
  36. ^ "Estonian Declaration of Independence, 24 February 1918". President of the Republic of Estonia. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  37. ^ "November 18, 1918 – Proclamation of Latvia's independence". LETA. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  38. ^ At the end of World War II, the region was abandoned by the Italians. The French and British occupy the region militarily, with the French settling in Fezzan, the British in Tripolitania and the Emirate of Cyrenaica being established as an independent country. King Idris I unified the country on December 24, 1951, uniting the territories into a single federal state, named the United Kingdom of Libya, later becoming the unitary Kingdom of Libya
  39. ^ Cite error: The named reference Federation of Malaya Independence Act was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  40. ^ The independent government of the Moroccan Sultan still existed, in nominal form, during the period when the country was a protectorate of European colonial powers. Source: Treaty of Fes
  41. ^ "El concepto de España en la historiografía visigoda y asturiana" (The concept of Spain in Visigothic and Asturian historiography). Alexander Pierre Bronisch, 2006.
  42. ^ Hispania-Spania. El nacimiento de España. Conciencia hispana en el reino visigodo de Toledo (Santiago Cantera Montenegro). Hispania-Spania. The birth of Spain. Hispanic consciousness in the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo. (Santiago Cantera Montenegro)
  43. ^ a b The Japanese rule over French Indochina is usually seen on par with other occupations at that time.
  44. ^ The Italian rule over Ethiopia is often put on par with other occupations at that time despite its administration showing characteristics of colonial rule. Probably motivated by its short duration spanning only 5 years.
  45. ^ Occupied by Germany.
  1. ^ a b c The date of formation of the current states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is subject to an international dispute. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all maintain that they were illegally occupied by the Soviet Union, and that the current states are direct continuations of the pre-WWII states, which continued to exist through governments-in-exile. Russia maintains that the current three states are legally distinct entities newly created after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. All three states were admitted the UN as independent nations, not successor states of the USSR. For more information, see State continuity of the Baltic states.


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