Independence In 36 editions of 36.

5 July 1962 (from France)

11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

1 August 1960 (from France)

30 September 1966 (from UK)

5 August 1960 (from France)

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

13 August 1960 (from France)

11 August 1960 (from France)

6 July 1975 (from France)

30 June 1960 (from Belgium)

15 August 1960 (from France)

7 August 1960 (from France)

27 June 1977 (from France)

28 February 1922 (from UK)

12 October 1968 (from Spain)

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

6 September 1968 (from UK)

oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

17 August 1960 (from France)

18 February 1965 (from UK)

6 March 1957 (from UK)

2 October 1958 (from France)

24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

12 December 1963 (from UK)

4 October 1966 (from UK)

26 July 1847

24 December 1951 (from Italy)

26 June 1960 (from France)

6 July 1964 (from UK)

22 September 1960 (from France)

28 November 1960 (from France)

12 March 1968 (from UK)

none (territorial collectivity of France)

2 March 1956 (from France)

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)

3 August 1960 (from France)

1 October 1960 (from UK)

none (overseas department of France)

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

12 July 1975 (from Portugal)

4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960

29 June 1976 (from UK)

27 April 1961 (from UK)

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)

31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

• 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

27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

20 March 1956 (from France)

9 October 1962 (from UK)

24 October 1964 (from UK)

18 April 1980 (from UK)

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; foreign affairs is the responsibility of Denmark, but Greenland actively participates in international agreements relating to Greenland)

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

none (territory of Norway)

19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

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

8 August 1949 (from India)

• 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty);
• 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic);
• 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)

9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

15 August 1947 (from UK)

660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)

16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

26 July 1965 (from UK)

11 July 1921 (from China)

1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)

14 August 1947 (from UK)

24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

4 February 1948 (from UK)

9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

1 November 1981 (from UK)

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

10 July 1973 (from UK)

30 November 1966 (from UK)

21 September 1981 (from UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)

3 November 1978 (from UK)

27 February 1844 (from Haiti)

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

7 February 1974 (from UK)

none (overseas department of France)

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

1 January 1804 (from France)

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

6 August 1962 (from UK)

none (overseas department of France)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)

none (commonwealth associated with the US)

19 September 1983 (from UK)

22 February 1979 (from UK)

27 October 1979 (from UK)

31 August 1962 (from UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel)

1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)

25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne)

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy

20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

486 (unified by Clovis)

• 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

none (overseas territory of the UK)

1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)

none (British crown dependency)

• 11 February 1929 (from Italy);
• note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, 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

1001 (unification by King Stephen I)

6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)

none (British crown dependency)

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)

none (British crown dependency)

21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire)

11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

1839 (from the Netherlands)

21 September 1964 (from UK)

27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi)

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; it was not until 1648 that Spain recognized their independence)

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia)

7 June 1905 (Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union)

11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed)

9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)

3 September 301

27 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY - now Serbia and Montenegro - formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY)

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

• 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

6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

• 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

15 August 1971 (from UK)

16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these proclamations are only recognized by Turkey

1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)

• 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration);
• note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government

14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

19 June 1961 (from UK)

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)

3 September 1971 (from UK)

23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)

17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

2 December 1971 (from UK)

• 22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen 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]);
• note - previously North Yemen had become independent in November of 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized)

16 September 1810 (from Spain)

none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)

4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

none (territory of the US)

1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

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)

10 October 1970 (from UK)