Country Date Significant event

Afghanistan August 19 Independence from United Kingdom control over Afghan

foreign affairs in 1919.
November (Dita e Pavarësisë) Declared by Ismail Qemali in 1912 and
Albania
28 signalled the end of five centuries of Ottoman rule.
Algeria July 5 Independence from France in 1962.
Angola November Portugal grants independence to its former colony in 1975.
11
Antigua and November Independence from the United Kingdom in 1981.
Barbuda 1
Argentina July 9 Independence declared from Spain in 1816.
Armenia September Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
21

Azerbaijan October 18 Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Bahamas July 10 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1973.
Bahrain December Independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.
15
Bangladesh March 26 Independence was declared from Pakistan and this led to a
nine month war ending on December 16, 1971.
Barbados November Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
30
Belarus July 3 Liberation of Minsk from German occupation by Soviet
troops in 1944.
Belgium July 21 (Belgian revolution) Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld takes
the oath as first king of the Belgians in 1831.
Belize September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. See
21 September Celebrations.
Benin August 1 Independence from France in 1960.
Bolivia August 6 Independence from Spain in 1825.
Bosnia and March 1 Independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of
Herzegovina Yugoslavia in 1992.
Botswana September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
30
Brazil September (Sete de Setembro) Declared Independence from Portugal on
7 that date in 1822. It was declared by Dom Pedro I, son of the
King of Portugal and the first Brazilian Emperor, but the
independence act was not recognized until August 29, 1825.
Brunei January 1 Independence from United Kingdom in 1984
Bulgaria September Independence from Ottoman Empire in 1908
22
Burkina Faso August 5 Independence from France in 1960
Burundi July 1 Independence from Belgium in 1962
Cambodia November Independence from France in 1953
9
Cape Verde July 5 (Cape Verde Independence Day) Independence from Portugal
Islands in 1975.
Central August 13 Independence from France in 1960.
African
Republic
Chad August 11 Independence from France in 1960.
Chile February Declared Independence from Spain on that date in 1818.
12 Actually, Chileans celebrate the date of the first Government
Junta, September 18. This date was not recognized as until 25
April 1844.
Colombia July 20 Independence from Spain in 1810.
and August
07
Democratic June 30 Independence from Belgium in 1960.
Republic of
the Congo
Costa Rica September Independence from Spain in 1821.
15
Croatia October 8 Independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
Cyprus October 1 Independence from the United Kingdom on August 16, 1960,
but Cyprus Independence Day is commonly celebrated on
October 1.[1][2]
Czech & October 28 As Czechoslovakia, marking restored independence from
Slovak Austria-Hungary in 1918.
Republics November
17 As Czechoslovakia, marking the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
Dominican February Independence from Haiti in 1844, after a 22-year occupation.
Republic 27
East Timor May 20 Independence from Indonesia in 2002. Portugal granted
independence to East Timor in 1975, but was soon after
invaded by Indonesia, which only recognized East Timorese
independence in 2002.

Ecuador August 10 Proclaimed independence from Spain on August 10, 1809, but
and May 24 failed with the execution of all the conspirators of the
movement on August 2, 1810. Independence finally occurred
on May 24, 1822 at the Battle of Pichincha.
El Salvador September Independence from Spain in 1821
15
Eritrea May 24 Independence from Ethiopia in 1993.
Estonia February Independence from the Bolshevist Russia in 1918.
24
Fiji October 10 Fiji Independence Day Independence from United Kingdom
in 1970.
Finland December Independence Day of Finland Independence from Russia in
6 1917.
Republic of September (Den na nezavisnosta or Ден на независноста) Independence
Macedonia 8 from Yugoslavia in 1991.
The Gambia February Independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.
18
Georgia May 26 Day of First Republic in 1918.

April 9 Independence from USSR in 1991.

Ghana March 6 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1957.
Declaration of independence from Ottoman Empire in 1821.
Greece March 25
Start of the Greek War of Independence
Guatemala September Independence from Spain in 1821.
15
Guyana May 26 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
Haiti January 1 Declaration of Independence from France in 1804.
Hawaiʻi November Independence from Great Britain in 1843.
28
Honduras September Independence from Kingdom of Spain in 1821.
15
Iceland June 17 Independence from Kingdom of Denmark in 1944.
India August 15 Independence (Freedom/svatantrataa/सवतंतता) from the
British in 1947.
Indonesia August 17 Proclamation of Independence day (Hari Proklamasi
Kemerdekaan R.I.) from Japan in 1945. The Netherlands
acknowledged Indonesian independence and sovereignty in
1949.
Ireland Easter Proclamation of the Irish Republic commencing the Easter
Monday Rising in 1916.

Israel 5 Iyar (Yom Ha'atzmaut) celebrated on Tuesday, Wednesday or

Thursday nearest to 5 Iyar, so it actually occurs between the
3rd and 6th of Iyar, which may fall between April 15 and May
15. The Gregorian date in which Israeli independence was
proclaimed is May 14, 1948 (from the British Mandate of
Palestine).
Jamaica August 6 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
Jordan May 25 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1946.
Kazakhstan December Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
16
Kenya December Independence from the United Kingdom in 1963.
12
Korea, North September Founding of the DPRK in 1948.
9
Korea, South August 15 (Gwangbokjeol) Independence from Japan in 1945.
Kosovo February Independence from Serbia in 2008. (From 1999 under
17 administration of United Nations)
Kuwait January 26 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1961.
Kyrgyzstan August 31 Independence from USSR in 1991.
Latvia November Independence from Russia in 1918.
18 Independence from Soviet Union in 1990
4 May
Lebanon November Independence from France in 1943.
22
Lesotho October 4 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966.
Liberia July 26 Independence from the United States in 1847.
Lithuania February Independence from Russia and Germany in February, 1918;
16 and independence from the Soviet Union in March, 1990.
March 11
Madagascar June 26 Independence from France in 1960.
Malawi July 6 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1964.
Malaysia August 31 (Hari Merdeka) Independence from the United Kingdom in
1957
Maldives July 26 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 join[3]
Mali September Independence from France in 1960
22
Malta September (Independence Day (Malta)) Independence from the United
21 Kingdom in 1964.
Mauritius March 12 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.
Mexico September (Grito de Dolores) Independence from Spain declared in
16 1810. Recognized on September 27, 1821
Moldova August 27 Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
Mongolia November Independence from China on July 11, 1921
26
Montenegro May 21 Independence from State union with Serbia, in 2006
Morocco November Independence from France and Spain in 1956
18
Mozambique June 25 Independence from Portugal in 1975
Myanmar January 4 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1948
Namibia March 21 Independence from South African mandate in 1990
Nicaragua September Independence from Spain in 1821
15
Niger August 3 Independence from France in 1960
Nigeria October 1 Independence from United Kingdom in 1960

Norway May 17 (Constitution Day, or "syttende mai") The signing of the

Norwegian Constitution in Eidsvoll, May 17, 1814.
Pakistan August 14 (Yaum e Azadi) Independence from the United Kingdom in
1947.
Panama November Independence from Spain in 1821. The 1903 separation from
28 Colombia is also celebrated (on November 3, Separation
Day).
Papua New September Independence from Australia of the former Territories of New
Guinea 16 Guinea, and Papua, in 1975.
Paraguay May 15 (Día de Independencia) Independence from Spain in 1811.
Peru July 28 Independence from Spain in 1821.
Philippines June 12 (Araw ng Kalayaan) Independence from the United States in
1898.
Poland November (Święto Niepodległości) Restoration of Poland's
11 independence in 1918 after 123 years of partitions by Austro-
Hungary, Prussia, and Russia.
Portugal December Restoration of Portugal's independence (from Spain) in 1640.
1
The country's original independence (from the Kingdom of
León) was recognized on 5 October of 1143. That day is a
holiday in Portugal, but for a different reason. (Implantation
of the Republic, or Republic Day. Event of 1910.) Note that
none of these events are similar to today's declarations or
recognition of independence as these are in fact the
recognition of the rule of a king to the land. Portugal existed
as a separate entity before 1143 and during the union with
Spain between 1580-1640.
Puerto Rico none Independence from Spain's colonial rule was unsuccessfully
attempted during an uprising called Grito de Lares on
September 23, 1868; Puerto Rico finally achieves autonomic
powers from Spain on November 9, 1897 only to be invaded
by U.S. troops on July 25, 1898, and becomes a U.S. territory
as the result of the Treaty of Paris (1898) at the end of the
Spanish-American War. As of today Puerto Rico is a U.S.
commonwealth, so it hasn't achieved its independence.
Qatar December The assumption of power of Sheikh Jassem bin Mohamed al-
18 Thani, ancestor of the current ruling family, in 1878.
Russia November (День народного единства) was first celebrated in Russia in
4 2005. It commemorates the popular uprising which expelled
the Polish occupation force from Moscow in November 1612.
Romania May 9 Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877.
Rwanda July 1 Independence from Belgium in 1962.
Saint September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1983.
Christopher 19
and Nevis
São Tomé and July 12 Independence from Portugal in 1975.
Príncipe
Serbia February The beginning of the First Uprising against Ottoman
15 occupation in 1804.
Seychelles June 29 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1976.
Sierra Leone April 27 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1961.
Singapore August 9 (National Day Parade) Marks exit / separation from Malaysia
in 1965.
Solomon July 7 ]]) Marks exit / independence from United Kingdom in 1978.
Islands
Slovakia July 17 Declaration of Independence in 1992 (only a remembrance
day), de iure independence came on January 1, 1993 after the
division of Czechoslovakia (public holiday).
Slovenia December (Independence and Unity Day) Date of the release of the
26 and June official results of the independence plebiscite in 1990,
25 confirming secession from Yugoslavia. (Statehood Day)
Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
South Africa December Independence from the United Kingdom in 1931. Not a
11 public holiday. Union of South Africa formed on 31 May
1910 and Republic of South Africa declared on 31 May 1961
Sri Lanka February 4 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.
Suriname November Independence from The Netherlands in 1975.
25
Swaziland September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.
6
Sweden June 6 Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden in 1523.
Switzerland August 1 Alliance against the Holy Roman Empire in 1291.
Tajikistan September Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
9
December
Tanzania Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1961.
9
Trinidad and August 31 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
Tobago
Tonga June 4 Tonga was never a colony, but late King's birthday was
celebrated on 4 July.
Togo April 27 Independence from the Republic of Togo in 1960.
Tunisia March 20 Declaration of independence from France in 1956.
Ukraine January 22 Independence from Russia in 1918;
August 24 Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
United Arab December (National Day) Independence from the United Kingdom in
Emirates 2 1971.
United States July 4 (Fourth of July) Declaration of Independence from the
of America Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776.
Uruguay August 25 (Día de la Independencia) Declaration of independence from
Brazil in 1825.
Uzbekistan September Independence from USSR in 1991.
1
Vanuatu July 30 Independence from United Kingdom and France in 1980.
Vatican City February Lateran Treaty signed with Italy in 1929.
11
Venezuela July 5 Declaration of independence from Spain in 1811.
Vietnam September Declaration of independence from France and Japan in 1945.
2
Yemen November South Yemen Declaration of independence from United
30 Kingdom in 1967.
Zambia October 24 Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1964.
Zimbabwe April 18 Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1980.