This article lacks historical information. Please add it if you can. For help, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Historical information.

This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (March 2008)

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (March 2008)

Below is a list of countries by formation dates, sorted by continent. (This list includes only the 193 internationally recognized sovereign states. For proposed states such as Kosovo, Palestine, or various indigenous nations which consider themselves still under occupation, see list of active autonomist and secessionist movements.)

Nation-building is a long evolutionary process. It is therefore practically impossible to come up with a single date for a nation's "birth". However, most nations have accepted some dates in their respective histories as their symbolic starting points. This is usually done more for nationalistic propaganda than for scientific reasons. For many ancient and medieval nations these starting points are usually the dates when a nation was mentioned in a written document for the first time or simply a date from their national mythology. In Europe, this often coincides with the ruler's conversion to Christianity. For post-colonial nations, starting with the United States, the beginning of statehood is usually considered to be the date when independence was declared, granted and/or recognised.

Independence dates earlier than 1919 should be treated with caution, since prior to the founding of the League of Nations, there was no international body to recognise nationhood, and independence had no meaning beyond mutual recognition of de facto sovereigns (the role of the League of Nations was effectively taken over by the United Nations after the Second World War). See also: disputed territories.

The situation is further complicated by the confusion between two terms commonly used as synonym: nation (generally considered an ethnic or cultural grouping) and state (an independent political entity). Taking this into account a declaration of being the "oldest country" in the world is not fruitful and will inevitably be disputed. The following list contains the formation dates of countries with a short description of those events. For a more detailed description of a country's formation and history please see the main article for each country.

Contents 1 List 1.1 Africa 1.2 Americas 1.3 Asia 1.4 Europe 1.5 Oceania 1.6 Transcontinental countries 2 Single sortable list 3 Notes 4 See also

[edit] List

[edit] Africa

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event
Algeria			1962-07-03	French recognition of Algerian referendum on independence held two days earlier
Angola			1975-11-11	Independence from Portugal.
Benin			1960-08-01	Independence from France	1894-01-15	Borders of French Protectorate of Dahomey set at conclusion of Second Franco-Dahomean War
Botswana			1885-03-31	Establishment of the Bechuanaland Protectorate by the United Kingdom	1894	Extended north into Ngamiland
			1966-09-30	Independence from United Kingdom
Burkina Faso			1958-12-11	Self-government achieved and republic within Franco-African Community	1947-09-04	Restoration of colonial boundaries used from 1919-1932
			1960-08-05	Independence from France
Burundi	1966-11-28	Monarchy replaced by republic	1962-07-01	Independence from Belgium
Cameroon			1960-01-01	Independence from France	1961-10-01	Merger of British Cameroons with Cameroon
Cape Verde			1975-07-05	Independence from Portugal
Central African Republic			1958-12-01	Central African Republic becomes autonomous territory in French Republic
			1960-08-13	Independence from France
Chad			1960-08-11	Independence from France	1994-02-03	Aouzou Strip awarded to Chad
Comoros			1975-07-06	Independence from France declared
Congo, Democratic Republic of the			1884-04-22	Congo Free State recognized as an independent state
			1960-06-30	Independence from Belgium
Congo, Republic of the			1960-08-15	Independence from France
Côte d'Ivoire			1958-12-04	Autonomous republic within French Community
			1960-08-07	Independence from France
Djibouti			1977-06-27	Independence from France
Equatorial Guinea			1968-10-12	Independence from Spain
Eritrea			1993-05-24	Independence from Ethiopia declared.	2002-04-01	Badme ruled to be Eritrean by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC after the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. Contested by Ethiopia.
Ethiopia	1975-03-21	Monarchy abolished and replaced by republic	~800 B.C.	Formation of the state of D'mt.	2002-04-01	Badme ruled to be Eritrean by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC after the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. Contested by Ethiopia.
Gabon			1960-08-17	Independence from France
Gambia			1965-02-18	Independence from United Kingdom
Ghana			1957-03-06	Independence from United Kingdom	1956-12-13	Union of British Togoland with Gold Coast
Guinea			1958-10-02	Independence from France
Guinea-Bissau			1973-09-24	Independence from Portugal declared
			1974-09-10	Independence from Portugal recognized
Kenya			1963-12-12	Independence from United Kingdom
Lesotho			1966-10-04	Independence from United Kingdom	1868-03-12	Area that is now present-day Lesotho placed under British rule
Liberia			1847-07-26	Independence from the United States
Libya	1969-09-01	Monarchy replaced by republic	1951-12-24	Independence from UN Trusteeship (British and French administration after Italian governance ends in 1947)	1984-02-13	Aouzou Strip awarded to Chad
Madagascar			1958-10-14	The Malagasy Republic was created as autonomous state within French Community
			1960-06-26	France recognizes Madagascar's independence
Malawi			1964-07-06	Independence from United Kingdom
Mali			1958-11-25	French Sudan gains autonomy	1960-08-20	Senegal secedes from Mali Federation
			1960-09-22	Independence from France
Mauritania			1960-11-28	Independence from France	1979-08-11	Mauritania withdraws from Tiris al-Gharbiyya (part of Western Sahara)
Mauritius			1968-03-12	Independence from United Kingdom	1965	Separation of Chagos Archipelago
Morocco			1956-03-02	Independence from France	1969-01-04	Return of Ifni to Morocco
			1956-04-07	French protectorate formally relinquished
Mozambique			1975-06-25	Independence from Portugal
Namibia			1990-03-21	Independence from South African rule	1994-03-01	Walvis Bay integrated into Namibia
Niger			1958-12-04	Autonomy within French Community
			1960-08-03	Independence from France
Nigeria			1960-10-01	Independence from United Kingdom	1970-01-15	Biafra re-integrated into Nigeria
					1961-06-01	Northern Cameroons integrated in Nigeria
Rwanda			1962-07-01	Independence from Belgium
São Tomé and Príncipe			1975-07-12	Independence from Portugal
Senegal			1960-08-20	Independence from France
Seychelles			1976-06-29	Independence from United Kingdom
Sierra Leone			1961-04-27	Independence from United Kingdom
Somalia			1960-07-01	Merger of former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland
South Africa	1910-05-31	Creation of the Union of South Africa from the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Orange River	1931-12-11	Statute of Westminster, which establishes a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominion of the Union of South Africa and the UK	1994-04-27	Reincorporation of the nominally independent bantustans into post-Apartheid South Africa
			1961-05-31	Republic declared (South Africa no longer a Commonwealth realm)
Sudan			1956-01-01	Independence from Egyptian and British rule
Swaziland			1968-09-06	Independence from the United Kingdom
Tanzania			1961-12-09	Independence of Tanganyika from United Kingdom	1964-04-26	Merger of Zanzibar with Tanganyika to form Tanzania
Togo			1958-08-30	Autonomy within French Union
			1960-04-27	Independence from France
Tunisia	1957-07-25	Declaration of Republic	1956-03-20	Independence from France
Uganda			1962-03-01	Self-government granted
			1962-10-09	Independence from United Kingdom
Zambia			1964-10-24	Independence from United Kingdom
Zimbabwe			1965-11-11	Unilateral declaration of independence by Southern Rhodesia	1901	BSAC separates North-Eastern Rhodesia from Southern Rhodesia
			1980-04-18	Recognized independence from United Kingdom as Zimbabwe.

[edit] Americas

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event
Antigua and Barbuda			1981-11-01	Independence from the United Kingdom.
Argentina			1810-05-25	May Revolution installs first local government
			1816-07-09	Argentine Declaration of Independence
			1821	Independence recognized by Spain
Bahamas			1964-01-07	Internal self-governance granted
			1973-07-10	Independence from the United Kingdom
Barbados			1966-11-30	Independence from the United Kingdom
Belize			1981-09-21	Independence from United Kingdom	1859	Treaty establishes border between British Honduras and Guatemala
			1964-01-01	Self governing colony
Bolivia			1825-08-06	Bolivian War of Independence	1903-11-11	Signing of the Treaty of Petrópolis with Brazil whereby Bolivia gained lands in Mato Grosso in exchange for the territory of Acre
Brazil	1889-11-15	Proclamation of the Republic	1822-09-07	Independence from Portugal declared	1903-11-11	Signing of the Treaty of Petrópolis with Bolivia whereby Brazil is given the territory of Acre in exchange for lands in Mato Grosso
			1825-08-29	Independence recognized by Portugal
Canada	1867-07-01	Canadian Confederation	1931-12-11	Statute of Westminster	1949-03-31 + 1999-04-01	Newfoundland and Labrador join Confederation + Nunavut is formed from the Northwest Territories
Chile	1810-09-18	First Government Junta declares Chile an autonomous republic within Spain	1818-02-12	Independence declared from Spain	1929-07-03	Chile awarded Arica district in Treaty of Lima
			1844-04-25	Independence recognized by Spain
Colombia			1810-07-10	Independence declared from Spain	1903-11-03	Separation of Panama from Colombia
			1819-08-07	Independence recognized by Spain
Costa Rica			1821-09-15	Costa Rica declared independence from Spain	1824-07-25	Partido de Nicoya
			1838-11-15	Independence from Federal Republic of Central America
Cuba			1868-10-10	Independence from Spain declared
Dominica			1967-02-27	Became an associated state of the United Kingdom
			1978-11-03	Independence from United Kingdom
Dominican Republic			1865-03-03	Independence regained from Spain following the Dominican Restoration War
Ecuador	1809-08-10		1822-05-24	Independence from Spain of Gran Colombia, of which Ecuador is a part	1942-02-26	Rio Protocol ends border dispute with Peru
			1830-05-13	Dissolution of Gran Colombia
El Salvador			1821-09-15	El Salvador becomes state in Federal Republic of Central America, which declared independence from Spain
			1841-02-02	El Salvador declares itself an independent republic, ending the Federal Republic of Central America
Grenada			1967-02-27	Associated state of United Kingdom
			1974-02-07	Full independence from United Kingdom
Guatemala			1821-09-15	Guatemala becomes state in Federal Republic of Central America, which declared independence from Spain
			1839-04-17	Independence from Federal Republic of Central America declared
Guyana			1966-05-26	Independence from United Kingdom
Haiti			1804-01-01	The French colony Saint-Domingue gains independence as Haiti.	1844-02-27	The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti
Honduras			1821-09-15	Honduras becomes state in Federal Republic of Central America, which declared independence from Spain	1972-09-01	Swan Islands returned to Honduras from United States occupation
			1838-10-26	Independence from Federal Republic of Central America
Jamaica			1962-08-06	Independence from United Kingdom
Mexico			1810-09-16	Independence from Spain declared	1853-12-30	Gadsden Purchase
			1821-08-24	Independence recognized by Spain in Treaty of Córdoba
Nicaragua			1821-09-15	Nicaragua becomes state in Federal Republic of Central America, which declared independence from Spain
			1838-11-05	Independence from Federal Republic of Central America
Panama			1903-11-03	Separation of Panama from Colombia	1979-10-1	United States returns Panama the Panama Canal Zone
Paraguay			1811-05-14	Independence from Spain declared	1938	Paraguay awarded a large portion of the Gran Chaco as a result of the Chaco War
Peru			1821-07-28	Independence from Spain declared	1942-02-26	Rio Protocol ends border dispute with Ecuador
			1879	Independence from Spain recognized
Saint Kitts and Nevis			1967-02-27	Associated state of United Kingdom	1980-12-19	Anguilla separated from Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
			1983-09-19	Independence from United Kingdom
Saint Lucia			1967-02-27	Associated statehood
			1979-02-22	Independence from United Kingdom
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines			1969-10-27	Associated statehood
			1979-10-27	Independence from United Kingdom
Suriname			1954-12-15	Self government granted
			1975-11-25	Independence from Netherlands
Trinidad and Tobago			1962-08-31	Independence from United Kingdom
United States	1787-09-17	Ratification of the United States Constitution replaced the previous Articles of Confederation creating a new system of government	1776-07-04	Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain declared	Various + 1959-08-21	Incremental increases of territory + Admission of Hawaii to the Union
			1783-09-03	Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain recognized
Uruguay			1825-08-25	Independence declared, joined in union with United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (current Argentina).(Independence from Brazil declared) Brazil
			1828-08-27	Treaty of Montevideo signed, recognizing Uruguay's independence(
Venezuela			1811-07-05	independence from Spain declared
			1830-01-13	President José Antonio Páez declares Venezuela independent from Gran Colombia

[edit] Asia

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event
Afghanistan			1919-08-20	Treaty of Rawalpindi gives Afghanistan control from the United Kingdom over its own affairs
Armenia	1918-05-28	Establishment of the Republic of Armenia	1990-08-23	Independence from Soviet Union declared	1936-12-05	Establishment of Armenian SSR
	1991-09-21	Independence recognized by Soviet Union
Azerbaijan	1918-05-28	Establishment of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic	1991-10-18	Declaration of independence from Soviet Union	1920-04-28	Establishment of Azerbaijan SSR
Bahrain			1971-08-15	Independence from the United Kingdom	1521-07-01	Portuguese conquest of current territory
Bangladesh			1971-03-26	Independence from Pakistan declared.
Bhutan			1885	Ugyen Wangchuck ends period of civil war and unites Bhutan	1865-11-11	Treaty of Sinchula
Brunei			1984-01-01	Brunei regains its independence after an agreement with the British on 4 January 1979
Cambodia			1989-09-26	Becomes free from Vietnamese occupation; it gets back its name instead of People's Republic of Kampuchea
China, People's Republic of	1949-10-01	Establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the Chinese Civil War nears its end	1949		1999-12-20	Transfer of the sovereignty of Macau from Portugal to the PRC
					1997-06-30	Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong from United Kingdom to the PRC
Georgia	1918-05-26	Establishment of Democratic Republic of Georgia	1991-04-09	Independence from Soviet Union declared	1992-07-23	Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia
					1991-11-28	South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia
India			1947-08-15	Independence from the United Kingdom	1947 + 1948 + 1950 + 1954 + 1961 + 1975-05-16	Accession of Machilipatnam, Kozhikode and Surat + Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Junagudh + Chandernagore+ Pondichéry+ Goa, Daman, Diu + Sikkim to India
Indonesia	1945-08-18	Ratification of the Constitution of Indonesia by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence	1945-08-17	Indonesian Declaration of Independence from Netherlands	2002-05-20	Independence of East Timor, formerly administered as a province of Indonesia
			1949-12-27	Independence from the Netherlands recognized
Iran					6 March 1975	Algiers Accord establishes border with Iraq
Iraq			1932-10-03	Kingdom of Iraq
Israel			1948-05-14	Reading of the Declaration of Independence of Israel before the expiration of the British Mandate of Palestine at midnight	1994-10-26	Signing of the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace, whereby most of the disputed 400 square-kilometer area in the Arabah is handed back to Jordan
Japan	1947-05-03	Coming into force of the current Constitution of Japan, whereby the emperor is deprived of his powers and a liberal democracy is established	1952-04-28	Coming into force of the Treaty of San Francisco, whereby World War II is officially ended and Japan's independence is reinstated	1972-05-14	Return of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan and abolition of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands
Jordan			1946-05-25	End of British League of Nations mandate	1994-10-26	Signing of the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace, whereby most of the disputed 400 square-kilometer area in the Arabah is handed back to Jordan
Kazakhstan			1991-12-16	Independence declared from Soviet Union
Korea, North			1948-09-09	Declaration of creation of North Korea	1953-07-27	Cease-fire in the Korean War creates the southern border along the Military Demarcation Line
Korea, South			1948-08-15	First Republic of South Korea established	1953-07-27	Cease-fire in the Korean War creates the northern border along the Military Demarcation Line
Kuwait			1991-02-28	End of Iraqi occupation (Gulf War)	1969-12-18	Formal division of Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone
Kyrgyzstan			1991-08-31	Independence from Soviet Union
Laos			1949-07-19	Independence from France
Lebanon	1926-05-23	Lebanese Republic formed	1941-11-26	Independence from France declared	1920-09-01	France establishes State of Greater Lebanon with current boundaries
			1943-11-22	Independence from France recognized
Malaysia			1957-08-31	Malayan Independence from the United Kingdom is declared in Independence Square.	1965-08-09	Singapore secedes from the federation after the 1964 Race Riots.
			1963-09-16	Malaysia is formed after the merging Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore into one independent state.
Maldives			1965-07-26	Independence from United Kingdom
Mongolia			1911-12-29	Proclamation of Mongolian independence from Qing Dynasty China
Myanmar			1948-01-04	Myanmar (Burma) declares independence from the British Empire.	1956	Signing of border treaty with the People's Republic of China.
Nepal	2008-05-28	Formation_of_Republic	1768-12-21	Nepali unification	1815-12-02	Sugauli Treaty ends the Gurkha War
Oman			1650-01-26	Expulsion of the Portuguese
Pakistan			1947-08-14	Independence from the UK and the Partition of India, creation of the Dominion of Pakistan	1971-12-16	De facto : Province of East Pakistan dissolved following the surrender of the Pakistani Army at the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War
					1974-02-22	De jure : Recognition by Pakistan of Bangladesh as an independent country, whereby Pakistan definitely surrenders claims over the former province of East Pakistan
Philippines	1935-11-30	The Commonwealth of the Philippines is established through the provisions of the Tydings-McDuffie Act and the Jones Law.[2]	1898-06-12	The First Philippine Republic declares itself independent form the Spanish Empire.[3]	1948/1956	The Turtle Islands is returned by the United Kingdom to the Republic of the Philippines as the successor of the Sultanate of Sulu.
			1946-07-04	The United States recognizes independence on 4 July under the provisions of the Treaty of Manila (1946). The 1935 Philippine constitution remains in effect.
Qatar			1971-09-03	Independence from United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia	1932-09-23	Regions of Al-Hasa, Qatif, Nejd and Hejaz unified to become Saudi Arabia	1927-05-20	Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz recognized as independent in Treaty of Jeddah	2000-06-12	Border with Yemen finalized by Treaty of Jeddah
Singapore			1959-06-03	Self government under United Kingdom
			1965-08-09	Separation from Malaysia
Sri Lanka			1948-02-04	Dominion
			1972-05-22	Full independence from the United Kingdom
Syria			1961-09-28	End of United Arab Republic
China, Republic of	1911-10-10	After the Xinhai Revolution the Republic of China formally replaced the Qing Dynasty.	1949-12-07[4]	Republic of China government moved to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War[5]	1955-02-25	Withdrawal of the Republic of China from the Dachen Archipelago.
Tajikistan			1991-09-09	Independence from the Soviet Union
Thailand			1776	Expulsion of Burmese and reunification of Thailand	1909-03-10	Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909
Timor-Leste			1975-11-28	East Timor declares its independence but is suppressed by the Indonesian invasion.
			2002-05-20	Independence is recognized by the international community following the UN-sponsored act of self-determination of 1999.
Turkmenistan			1991-10-27	Independence from Soviet Union
United Arab Emirates			1971-12-02	End of treaty relationship with United Kingdom	1972-02-11	Ras al-Khaimah joins the UAE
Uzbekistan			1991-08-31	Independence from Soviet Union declared
Vietnam					1976-07-02	Reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam
Yemen			1990-05-22	Unification of North Yemen and South Yemen	1990-05-22	Unification of North Yemen and South Yemen

[edit] Europe

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event
Albania			1912-11-28	Declaration of independence from Ottoman Empire
			1913-07-29	Recognition of independence in Treaty of London
Andorra			1813	Reversal of annexation of Andorra by the Napoleonic Empire, through the Peninsular war
Austria			1955-05-15	Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state	1921-12-14	City of Sopron moved to Hungary after plebiscite
Belarus			1990-07-27	Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic	1945	Curzon Line
			1991-08-25	Independence recognized by Soviet Union
Belgium	1831-07-21	King Leopold I of Belgium swears allegiance to the constitution making the country a constitutional monarchy	1830-10-04	Independence is proclaimed by the provisonial government	1919-06-28	Treaty of Versailles and annexation of the East Cantons
Bosnia and Herzegovina			1992-03-05	Independence declared	1943-11-25	Establishment of Bosnia in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Bulgaria	1989-11-10	People's Republic of Bulgaria is replaced by the Republic of Bulgaria	681	The Byzantine Empire recognizes Bulgaria.	1940-09-07	Under the Vienna Awards, Southern Dobruja is returned to Bulgaria.
Croatia			1991-06-25 (before 925 (became kingdom, recognised by pope))	Declared independence from Yugoslavia
Cyprus			1960-08-16	Independence from United Kingdom
Czech Republic			1993-01-01	Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, creating Czech Republic and Slovakia
Denmark	958, or prior.	The Jelling stones, a pair of rune stones considered to be the "birth certificate" of Denmark reads: "King Haraldr ordered this monument made ... who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian."			1920-06-15	Sønderjylland was recovered from Germany
Estonia	1918-02-24	Estonian Declaration of Independence, whereby a republic was declared.	1918-02-24	Independence declared from the Russian Empire.	1920-07-01	De jure: Signing of the Estonian-Latvian Border Treaty whereby Valga proper was ceded to Estonia.
			1991-08-20	Independence (from the Soviet Union) reasserted, end of occupation	1945-01-01	De facto: Eastern coast of Narva river and Petseri County were transferred to Russian SFSR.
Finland			1917-12-06	Independence from Russian Empire declared	1956	Porkkala returned from Soviet control.
			1918-01-03	Independence from Russia recognized by the highest Soviet executive body - VTsIK.
France	1870-09-04	Establishment of a lasting republican form of government, considered uninterrupted in French law	496	Kingdom of the Franks becomes the first Christian State after the fall of the Roman Empire	1947-02-10	Metropolitan France: Annexation of Tende, La Brigue and other villages formerly in Italy
	1958-10-05	Establishment of the current semi-presidential system known as the Fifth Republic	843	Creation of the Kingdom of France (West Francia), Treaty of Verdun	1962-07-05	Overseas France: Loss of the French departments in Algeria following the latter's independence
Germany	1871-01-18	German Realm (Empire) founded	1955-05-05	Federal Republic of Germany (commonly referred to at the time as West Germany) declared fully sovereign	1990-10-03	Reunification of West Germany and East Germany
Greece	1975	Greek Third Republic	01832-03-04 March 4, 1832	Greek independence from Ottoman Empire	1947-02-10	Peace treaty with Italy awards the Dodecanese to Greece
Hungary	1001-08-20	Foundation of the Hungarian state by King Saint Stephen. (Recognized by the pope)	1849-04-14	Independence declared from Habsburg Empire	1947-02-10	The Treaty of Peace with Hungary returns Hungary to 1920 borders, with small changes
			1991-06-19	End of 46 years long Soviet occupation.
Iceland	930	The Icelandic Commonwealth established.	1944-06-17	Secedes from a Union with Denmark formally as an independent republic.	1972-09-01	No territorial changes on land have taken place, however the expansion of the Exclusive Economic Zone was such an important change in territory for Iceland that in merits a special inclusion here.
			1946	Departure of last US occupation troops
Ireland			1919	Elected Irish Parliament Dail Eireann declares independence from the United Kingdom.	1922-12-08	Northern Ireland is restored to British rule under the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922
Italy	1861-03-17	Italian unification	1945-04-25	Disestablishment of the German-backed Italian Social Republic, whereby the unity and independence of the Italian state is restored	1954-10-26	Official annexation of the city of Trieste to Italy
					1975-11-10	Signing of the Treaty of Osimo which definitely divides the Free Territory of Trieste between Italy and Yugoslavia
Lithuania			1918-02-16	Independence declared from Germany and Russia	1939-10-27 and 1940-08-03	Eastern Vilnius Region ceded to Lithuania
			1990-03-11	Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania independence (from the Soviet Union) reasserted, end of occupation
Latvia			1918-11-18	Independence declared from Germany and Russia	1944	Abrene district ceded to Russian SFSR (modern Russia)
			1990-05-04	Independence (from Soviet Union) reasserted, end of occupation
Liechtenstein			1813-10-19	Dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine	1719-01-23	Purchase of Vaduz
Luxembourg			1945	End of German occupation during World War II	1839-04-19	Partition of Luxembourg under the Treaty of London
Macedonia			1991-09-08	After a referendum, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia
Malta			1964-09-21	Independence from United Kingdom
Moldova			1991-08-27	Independence from Soviet Union	1940-08-02	Moldavian SSR formed
Monaco			1861	Franco-Monegasque Treaty confirms Monaco's sovereignty (formerly a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia)
Montenegro			2006-06-03	Declaration of independence from Serbia and Montenegro
Netherlands	1648-01-30	Treaty of Münster signed, independence from Spain	1945-05-05	German occupying forces surrender.	1839-04-19	The United Kingdom of the Netherlands divided under the Treaty of London (1839).
Norway	1905-06-07	Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905	1945-05-08	German occupying forces surrender.	1930-02-27	Jan Mayen was made part of the Kingdom of Norway.
Poland	1989-06-04	The first partially free Parliament's vote after 45-years long Soviet domination	1918-11-11	Józef Piłsudski was appointed Commandier in Chief of Polish Army, the day is celebrated as Independence Day.	1951-02-15	Polish-Soviet border adjustment treaty
Portugal	1974-04-25	Carnation Revolution ends the authoritarian Estado Novo	1139-07-26	County of Portugal becomes independent from the Kingdom of León after the Battle of Ourique as part of the Reconquista. Recognized by León in 1143 and by the Pope in 1179.	1801-06-06	Spain occupies the present day border town of Olivença since the War of the Oranges.
Romania			1877-05-21	Independence declared from the Ottoman Empire
			1878-07-13	Independence recognized internationally by the Treaty of Berlin
San Marino	1243	Formation of republican government	0301-09-03	Traditional founding	1463	Added Fiorentino, Montegiardino, Serravalle, and Faetano
Serbia	2006-06-05	Republic of Serbia declared legal successor to Serbia and Montenegro, ending the process of the dissolution of Yugoslavia	1945-03-08	Government of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia formed after end of German occupation during World War II	2008-02-17	Republic of Kosovo declares independence from Serbia.[6]
Slovakia			1993-01-01	Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, creating Slovakia and Czech Republic
Slovenia			1991-06-25	Declaration of independence from Yugoslavia
Spain			21 January 1479	Dynastic union of Castile and Aragon into the Catholic Monarchy under Ferdinand and Isabella.[7]	1801-06-06	Spain takes in Olivenza as a result of the War of the Oranges.
Sweden			1523-06-06	Gustav Vasa elected King of Sweden and marking a definite secession from the Kalmar Union.	1809-03-29	Loss of Finland to Imperial Russia.
Switzerland	1848-11-12	Foundation of the federal state after Sonderbund war	1815-08-07	Restoration of the Ancien Régime (federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Ukraine			1991-08-24	Independence from Soviet Union declared	1954-02-19	Transfer of Crimea from Russia to Ukraine
United Kingdom	1707-05-01	Acts of Union, 1707 put into effect the negotiated Treaty of Union that created a 'United Kingdom of Great Britain' on May 1, 1707.[8] This state then merged with Ireland in 1801 to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.	1707-05-01	Acts of Union, 1707, extended by Act of Union, 1801	1922-12-06	Loss of Southern Ireland following the creation of the Irish Free State agreed upon in the Anglo-Irish Treaty [9]
Vatican City	1274	Birth of current form of government the Papal conclave in 1274	1929-06-07	Ratification of the Lateran Treaty, making the Vatican City a sovereign State	1929-02-11	Signing of the Lateran Treaty

[edit] Oceania

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event	Date[1]	Event
Australia	1901-01-01	Commonwealth of Australia established as a Dominion of the British Empire.	1942-10-09	Statute of Westminster is adopted by Australia	1975-09-16	Papua New Guinea becomes formally independent of Australia
			1986-03-03	Australia Act 1986 eliminated the remaining ties between the legislature and judiciary of Australia and their counterparts in the United Kingdom.
Fiji			1970-10-10	Independence from United Kingdom
Kiribati			1979-07-12	Independence from United Kingdom	1975-10-01	Separation of Gilbert Islands (later Kiribati) and Ellice Islands (later Tuvalu)
Marshall Islands	1979-05-01	Constitution and local government established	1986-10-21	Compact of Free Association with the United States
Micronesia	01979-05-10 May 10, 1979	Constitution ratified	1986-11-03	Compact of Free Association with the United States	1979-05-10	Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae unite to form the Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru			1968-01-31	Independence from UN Trusteeship
New Zealand	1840-02-06	Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and the indigenous Māori tribes cedes kawanatanga of New Zealand to Queen Victoria.	De facto: from 1856-05-07	Formation of first responsible ministry in 1856.	1840-02-06	Treaty of Waitangi effectively unites the New Zealand archipelago as a single territory.The Kermadec Islands were incorporated in 1887.
			De jure: 1947-12-10	New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947 receives royal assent.
Palau	1981-01-01	Republic of Palau created upon adoption of constitution	1994-10-01	Emerged from United Nations trusteeship (administered by the United States).
Papua New Guinea			01973-12-01 December 1, 1973	Self governing colony
			1975-09-16	Independence from Australia
Samoa			1962-01-01	Independence from New Zealand
Solomon Islands			1976-01-02	Self government granted by United Kingdom
			01978-07-07 July 7, 1978	Independence from United Kingdom
Tonga			1970-07-04	Independence from United Kingdom	1845-12-04	Unification of what is now the islands of Tonga by George Tupou I of Tonga
Tuvalu	1975-10-01	Separation of Gilbert Islands (later Kiribati) and Ellice Islands (later Tuvalu)	1978-10-01	Independence from United Kingdom	1979-02-07	Treaty with United States recognizing Tuvaluan control over Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, and Niulakita atolls
Vanuatu			1980-07-30	Independence from joint British-French condominium[10]

[edit] Transcontinental countries

Country	Birth of current form of government		Date of acquisition of sovereignty		Date of most recent significant territorial modification
	Date	Event	Date	Event	Date	Event
Egypt	01952-07-23 July 23, 1952	Egyptian Revolution of 1952	01922-02-28 February 28, 1922	Recognition of formal independence by the United Kingdom but continued British military occupation	01982-04-25 April 25, 1982	Withdrawal of last Israeli troops and settlers from Sinai as agreed upon in the peace treaty with Israel
	01953-06-18 June 18, 1953	Republic proclaimed	01956-06-18 June 18, 1956	Withdrawal of last British troops from the Suez Canal Zone
			01961-09-28 September 28, 1961	De facto disestablishment of the United Arab Republic following a military coup in Damascus
Russia	01990-06-12 June 12, 1990	Russian SFSR declares sovereignty over its own territory	01480 1480	Grand Duchy of Muscovy secures its independence from the Golden Horde	01954-02-19 February 19, 1954	Transfer of Crimea from Russia to Ukraine
Turkey	01923-10-29 October 29, 1923	Turkey was declared as a republic.	01923-07-24 July 24, 1923	Treaty of Lausanne recognizes the new Turkish state as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire	01939-06-29 June 29, 1939	Syrian province of Iskanderun transferred by French Mandatory Government to Turkey. Annexed by Turkey as Hatay State

[edit] Single sortable list

In this list, "date of last subordination" refers to the last date of control by an external government. In some cases this is the same as the date of independence marking decolonization or dissolution of a political union. In other cases, a sovereign state submitted to foreign military occupation or political subjugation for a period of time and later regained its independence.

Dates refer to de facto rule or occupation, whether or not legitimized by international recognition.

In a union such as Czechoslovakia, the USSR, or the Kalmar Union, one of the constituents can be considered the dominant power - generally where the seat of government was located.

Country	First acquisition of sovereignty	Date of last subordination	Previous governing power	Notes
Afghanistan	01919-08-19 August 19, 1919	01989 1989	USSR	Occupied in 2001 by US-led forces, but these were in support of the UN-recognized government of Burhanuddin Rabbani. Previously occupied by India, Persia, Bokhara, Russia and UK, until 1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi
Albania	01444-03-02 March 2, 1444	01944-11 November 1944[11]	Germany	Unified 1444 under Skanderbeg. Occupied by Ottoman Empire ca 1480-1912, by Italy 1939-43, and by Germany 1943-44.
Algeria	01962-07-03 July 3, 1962[12]	01962-07-03 July 3, 1962	France
Andorra	01278-09-07 September 7, 1278[13][14]	01944-11 November 1944[15]	France	Acte de paréage 1278; occupied several times by France: 1812-13, 1870, 1914, 1936, 1939
Angola	01975-11-11 November 11, 1975[16]	01975-11-11 November 11, 1975	Portugal	Alvor Agreement
Antigua and Barbuda	01981-11-01 November 1, 1981[17]	01981-11-01 November 1, 1981	United Kingdom
Argentina	01816-07-09 July 9, 1816[18]	01816-07-09 July 9, 1816	Spain	Congress of Tucumán
Armenia	-9809 190 BC	01991-09-23 September 23, 1991[19]	USSR	First independent as Kingdom of Armenia 190 BC – 428 AD
Australia	01942-10-09 October 9, 1942	01942-10-09 October 9, 1942	United Kingdom	Dominion status 1907, Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942.[20]
Austria	01918-11-12 November 12, 1918[21]	01955-05-15 May 15, 1955[22]	World War II Allies	Austrian State Treaty. Previously occupied by Germany.
Azerbaijan	01991 1991[23]	01991 1991	USSR
Bahamas	01973-07-10 July 10, 1973[24]	01973-07-10 July 10, 1973	United Kingdom
Bahrain	01971-12-16 December 16, 1971	01971-12-16 December 16, 1971	United Kingdom	Previously ruled by Portugal, by Persia, and by Oman.
Bangladesh	01971 1971[25]	01971 1971	Pakistan
Barbados	01966-11-30 November 30, 1966	01966-11-30 November 30, 1966	United Kingdom
Belarus	01990 1990	01991 1991	USSR
Belgium	01830-10-04 October 4, 1830	01945 1945	Germany	Part of Netherlands before 1830
Belize	01981-09-21 September 21, 1981[26]	01981-09-21 September 21, 1981	United Kingdom
Benin	01960-08-01 August 1, 1960[27]	01960-08-01 August 1, 1960	France
Bhutan	01634 1634	-none-	-none-	Autonomous since at least the 10th century.[28] Unified 1634, after the Battle of Five Lamas.
Bolivia	01825-08-06 August 6, 1825	01825-08-06 August 6, 1825	Spain
Bosnia and Herzegovina	01992 1992	01992 1992	Yugoslavia
Botswana	01966-09-30 September 30, 1966[29]	01966-09-30 September 30, 1966	United Kingdom
Brazil	01822-09-07 September 7, 1822[30]	01822-09-07 September 7, 1822	Portugal
Brunei	01984 1984	01984 1984	United Kingdom	Previously occupied by Japan
Bulgaria	00681 681[31]	01944 1944	USSR	Previously occupied by Byzantine Empire (1018-1185) and Ottoman Empire (1393-1878)
Burkina Faso	01960-08-05 August 5, 1960[32]	01960-08-05 August 5, 1960	France
Burundi	01962-07-01 July 1, 1962	01962-07-01 July 1, 1962	Belgium
Cambodia	00802 802	01989-09-26 September 26, 1989[33]	Vietnam	Khmer Empire founded 802 according to Sdok Kok Thom Inscription
Cameroon	01960 1960	01961 1961	United Kingdom	Northern part gained independence from France in 1960
Canada	01931-12-11 December 11, 1931	01931-12-11 December 11, 1931	United Kingdom	Dominion status 1867, Statute of Westminster 1931.[34]
Cape Verde	01975-07-05 July 5, 1975	01975-07-05 July 5, 1975[35]	Portugal
Central African Republic	02009	01960 1960	France
Chad	02009	01960 1960	France
Chile	01810-09-18 September 18, 1810	01818-02-12 February 12, 1818	Spain
China, People's Republic of	-9778 221 BC	01945 1945	KMT; CCP	Unified 221 BC under Qin Dynasty. During Japanese occupation, parts of inland China continued under control of Chinese Nationalist and Communist governments.
Colombia	01810-07-20 July 20, 1810	01819-08-07 August 7, 1819	Spain	Battle of Boyacá 1819
Comoros	02009	01975 1975	France
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	01884 1884	01960 1960	Belgium
Congo, Republic of the	02009	01960 1960	France
Costa Rica	01821-09-15 September 15, 1821	01838 1838	Federal Republic of Central America	Previously part of Mexico 1822-23 and a colony of Spain before 1821.
Côte d'Ivoire	02009	01960 1960	France
Croatia	00925 925	01991 1991	Yugoslavia
Cuba	01902-05-20 May 20, 1902	01902-05-20 May 20, 1902	United States	A colony of Spain until 1898, then occupied but not annexed by USA 1899-1902.
Cyprus	01960 1960	01960 1960	United Kingdom
Czech Republic	01918-11-14 November 14, 1918[36]	01968 1968	USSR	Successor to Czechoslovakia, previously occupied by Germany and by Austria-Hungary.
Denmark	00980 980	01945 1945	Germany	Unified ca 980 by Harald Bluetooth.
Djibouti	02009	01977 1977	France
Dominica	02009	01978 1978	United Kingdom
Dominican Republic	01821 1821	01924 1924	United States	Previously occupied by Spain, France, and Haiti
Ecuador	01822-05-24 May 24, 1822	01830-05-13 May 13, 1830	Gran Colombia	Previously a colony of Spain
Egypt	-6849 3150 BC	01922-02-28 February 28, 1922	United Kingdom	Unified in 3150 BC by King Menes, founder of the First Dynasty
El Salvador	01821-09-15 September 15, 1821	01898 1898	Greater Republic of Central America	Previously a part of the Federal Republic of Central America 1823-38, Mexico 1822-23, and a colony of Spain before 1821.
Equatorial Guinea	02009	01968 1968	Spain
Eritrea	02009	01993 1993	Ethiopia
Estonia	01918-02-24 February 24, 1918[37]	01991 1991	USSR	Previously occupied by Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Russia, and Germany.
Ethiopia	00050 50	01944-12 December 1944	United Kingdom	Aksumite Empire founded ca 50. Occupied 1936-1941 by Italy, then administered by UK until 1944 Anglo-Ethiopian Agreement.
Fiji	02009	01970 1970	United Kingdom
Finland	01917-12-06 December 6, 1917	01918 1918	Russian Empire
France	00843 843	01945 1945	Germany	843 Treaty of Verdun established West Francia.
Gabon	02009	01960 1960	France
Gambia	02009	01965 1965	United Kingdom
Georgia	01008 1008	01991 1991	USSR
Germany	01871-01-18 January 18, 1871	01955 1955	World War II Allies
Ghana	02009	01957 1957	United Kingdom
Greece	01821 1821	01944 1944	Germany	Previously occupied jointly by Italy, Germany and Bulgaria; before 1821 by Ottoman Empire.
Grenada	02009	01974 1974	United Kingdom
Guatemala	01821-09-15 September 15, 1821	01838 1838	Federal Republic of Central America	Previously part of Mexico 1822-23 and a colony of Spain before 1821.
Guinea	02009	01958 1958	France
Guinea-Bissau	02009	01973 1973	Portugal
Guyana	02009	01966 1966	United Kingdom
Haiti	01804-01-01 January 1, 1804	01934 1934	United States	Previously a colony of France.
Honduras	01821-09-15 September 15, 1821	01925 1925	United States	Occupied several times by USA. Previously a part of the Greater Republic of Central America 1896-98, the Federal Republic of Central America 1823-38, Mexico 1822-23 and a colony of Spain before 1821.
Hungary	01000-12-25 December 25, 1000	01956 1956	USSR	Ruled by Austria-Hungary before 1918.
Iceland	00930 930	01946 1946	United States	Founded by Norsemen in 930, ruled by Danish monarchs 1380 to 1944, though a Norwegian possession from 1262 to 1814. Regained sovereignty in 1918 as Kingdom of Iceland, current republic founded 1944. Previously occupied by the United Kingdom 1940-41, and the United States from 1941 until withdrawal in 1946.
India	01947-08-15 August 15, 1947	01947-08-15 August 15, 1947	United Kingdom	Previously a colony of the British Empire
Indonesia	02009	01945 1945	Netherlands	Previously occupied by Japan.
Iran	02009	01501 1501	Timurid Empire
Iraq	01932 1932	02009	United States	Occupied by USA since 2003
Ireland	01919-01-21 January 21, 1919	01931-12-11 December 11, 1931	United Kingdom	Independence declared 1919, Dominion status 1922, Statute of Westminster 1931.
Israel	01948 1948	01948 1948	United Kingdom
Italy	01861-03-17 March 17, 1861	01945 1945	World War II Allies
Jamaica	02009	01962 1962	United Kingdom
Japan	-9339 660 BC	01952-04-28 April 28, 1952	World War II Allies	Founded 660 BC according to legend. 1952 Treaty of San Francisco ended postwar occupation.
Jordan	02009	01946 1946	United Kingdom
Kazakhstan	02009	01991 1991	USSR
Kenya	02009	01963 1963	United Kingdom
Kiribati	02009	01979-07-12 July 12, 1979	United Kingdom
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of	02009	01945-08-15 August 15, 1945	Japan
Korea, Republic of	-7666-10-03 October 3, 2333 BC	01945-08-15 August 15, 1945	Japan	Gojoseon kingdom founded 2333 BC according to legend.
Kuwait	02009	01992 1992	Iraq
Kyrgyzstan	02009	01991 1991	USSR
Laos	02009	01949 1949	France
Latvia	01918-11-18 November 18, 1918[38]	01990 1990	USSR	Previously ruled by Lithuania, Sweden, and Russia
Lebanon	02009	01943 1943	France
Lesotho	02009	01966-10-04 October 4, 1966	United Kingdom
Liberia	01847-07-26 July 26, 1847	01847-07-26 July 26, 1847	American Colonization Society	Settled but not claimed by USA[39]
Libya	02009	01951-12-24 December 24, 1951	France/United Kingdom	Previously occupied by Italy and by Ottoman Empire
Liechtenstein	01806 1806	01866 1866	German Confederation	Previously subject to the Confederation of the Rhine. Formed 1719 from Vaduz and Schellenberg, but under the Holy Roman Empire.
Lithuania	01253 1253[40]	01990-03-11 March 11, 1990	USSR	Kingdom of Lithuania; Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania
Luxembourg	01815 1815	01945 1945	Germany	Independent from France 1815 but in personal union with Netherlands until 1890
Macedonia	01991 1991	01991 1991	Yugoslavia
Madagascar	02009	01960-06-26 June 26, 1960	France
Malawi	02009	01964-07-06 July 6, 1964	United Kingdom
Malaysia	02009	01957 1957	United Kingdom
Maldives	02009	01965 1965	United Kingdom
Mali	02009	01960-09-22 September 22, 1960	Mali Federation	Previously a colony of France
Malta	01964-09-21 September 21, 1964	01964-09-21 September 21, 1964	United Kingdom
Marshall Islands	02009	01986-10-21 October 21, 1986	United States	Compact of Free Association
Mauritania	02009	01960-11-28 November 28, 1960	France
Mauritius	02009	01968-03-12 March 12, 1968	United Kingdom
Mexico	01810-09-16 September 16, 1810	01863 1863	France	Parts of northern Mexico continued under control of Benito Juarez. Previously a colony of Spain
Micronesia, Federated States of	02009	01986-11-03 November 3, 1986	United States	Compact of Free Association
Moldova	01991 1991	01991 1991	USSR
Monaco	01297 1297	01945 1945	Germany	Previously occupied by Italy and France. Subject to Sardinia 1815-1861.
Mongolia	02009	01921-03-13 March 13, 1921	China
Montenegro	01878 1878	02006 2006	Serbia and Montenegro	Independent from Ottoman Empire in 1878, union with Serbia/Yugoslavia 1918-2006. Occupied by Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Germany.
Morocco	02009	01956 1956	France
Mozambique	02009	01975 1975	Portugal
Myanmar	02009	01948 1948	Japan
Namibia	02009	01990 1990	South Africa
Nauru	02009	01968 1968	Australia/New Zealand/United Kingdom
Nepal	01768 1768	-none-	-none-	Autonomous throughout its recorded history, and certainly since its 1768 unification.[41]
Netherlands	01581-07-26 July 26, 1581	01945 1945	Germany	Independent from Spain in 1581; occupied by France under Napoleon.
New Zealand	01947-11-25 November 25, 1947	01947-11-25 November 25, 1947	United Kingdom	Dominion status 1907, Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947.[42]
Nicaragua	01821-09-15 September 15, 1821	01933 1933	United States	Previously a part of the Greater Republic of Central America 1896-98, the Federal Republic of Central America 1823-38, Mexico 1822-23, and a colony of Spain before 1821.
Niger	01960-08-03 August 3, 1960	01960-08-03 August 3, 1960	France
Nigeria	01960-10-01 October 1, 1960	01960-10-01 October 1, 1960	United Kingdom
Norway	00872 872	01945-05 May 1945	Germany	Unified ca 872 at Battle of Hafrsfjord. For a long time in unions with Denmark and with Sweden (until 1905). Occupied by Germany 1940-45.
Oman	00751 751	01743 1743	Persia	Previously occupied by Great Seljuq Empire, Ottoman Empire, Portugal (1508–1650), etc.
Pakistan	01947-08-14 August 14, 1947	01947-08-14 August 14, 1947	United Kingdom	Previously a colony of the British Empire.
Palau	01994-10-01 October 1, 1994	01994-10-01 October 1, 1994	United States	Previously ruled by Spain, Germany, Japan.
Panama	01903-11-03 November 3, 1903	01990 1990	United States	A colony of Spain until 1821, then a dependency of Colombia until 1903. Occupied by USA 1989-90.
Papua New Guinea	02009	01975 1975	Australia
Paraguay	01811-05-14 May 14, 1811	01876 1876	Brazil	Occupied 1870-1876 by Brazil, in Triple Alliance with Argentina and Uruguay.[43] Colony of Spain before 1811.
Peru	01821-07-28 July 28, 1821	01821-07-28 July 28, 1821	Spain
Philippines	01946-07-04 July 4, 1946	01898-12-10 December 10, 1898	United States	Spanish colony 1565–1898; declared independence from Spain in 1898; sovereignty passed from Spain to the U.S. in 1898; waged an unsuccessful war of independence against the U.S. 1899–1902; accepted U.S. sovereignty April 19, 1901; occupied by Japan 1942-1944.
Poland	00960 960	01945 1945	USSR	Unified ca 960 by Mieszko I. Partitioned several times between Germany and USSR.
Portugal	01139-07-25 July 25, 1139	01808 1808	France	Convention of Sintra ended French occupation of Lisbon. Independent from Kingdom of León in 1139.
Qatar	01971-09-03 September 3, 1971	01971-09-03 September 3, 1971	United Kingdom
Romania	01878-07-13 July 13, 1878	01956 1956	USSR
Russia	00860 860	01480 1480	Golden Horde	Rurik Dynasty founded ca 860. Great stand on the Ugra river in 1480 marked end of Mongol/Tatar rule.
Rwanda	01962-07-01 July 1, 1962	01962-07-01 July 1, 1962	Belgium
Saint Kitts and Nevis	01983-09-19 September 19, 1983	01983-09-19 September 19, 1983	United Kingdom
Saint Lucia	01979-02-22 February 22, 1979	01979-02-22 February 22, 1979	United Kingdom
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	01979-10-27 October 27, 1979	01979-10-27 October 27, 1979	United Kingdom
Samoa	02009	01962 1962	United Kingdom
San Marino	00301 301	01945 1945	World War II Allies	Previously occupied by Roman Empire, and briefly by Rimini (1503), and Papal States (1739).
Sao Tome and Principe	02009	01975 1975	Portugal
Saudi Arabia	01744 1744	01919-01 January 1919	Ottoman Empire	First Saudi State independent 1744-1818; last Ottoman troops evicted from Medina by Kingdom of Hejaz 1919; Hejaz incorporated 1926 into Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, precursor to Saudi Arabia
Senegal	02009	01960 1960	France
Serbia	01817 1817	01945 1945	Germany	Serbia, independent from Ottoman Empire in 1817, formed the core of Yugoslavia 1918-2003
Seychelles	02009	01976 1976	United Kingdom
Sierra Leone	02009	01961 1961	United Kingdom
Singapore	02009	01965 1965	United Kingdom
Slovakia	02009	01993 1993	Czechoslovakia
Slovenia	02009	01991 1991	Yugoslavia
Solomon Islands	02009	01978 1978	United Kingdom
Somalia	02009	01960 1960	United Kingdom and Italy
South Africa	01931-12-11 December 11, 1931	01931-12-11 December 11, 1931	United Kingdom	Dominion status 1910, Statute of Westminster 1931.
Spain	01492 1492	01814 1814	France	Union of Kingdom of Castile and Kingdom of Aragon in 1492. Previously occupied by Roman Empire, etc.
Sri Lanka	02009	01972 1972	United Kingdom
Sudan	02009	01956 1956	United Kingdom and Egypt
Suriname	02009	01975 1975	Netherlands
Swaziland	02009	01968 1968	United Kingdom
Sweden	unknown[44]	01523-06-06 June 6, 1523	Denmark	No exact date for consolidation of Sweden. In Kalmar Union 1397–1523.
Switzerland	01291 1291	01815 1815	Austria	Old Swiss Confederacy formed 1291. Occupied by France 1798, then Austria 1813. 1815 Congress of Vienna restored independence.
Syria	02009	01961-09-28 September 28, 1961	United Arab Republic
Tajikistan	02009	01991 1991	USSR
Tanzania	02009	01961 1961	United Kingdom
Thailand	01238 1238	01768 1768	Burma	Independent from Khmer Empire in 1238.
Timor-Leste	02009	02002 2002	Indonesia
Togo	02009	01960 1960	France
Tonga	02009	01970 1970	United Kingdom
Trinidad and Tobago	02009	01962 1962	United Kingdom
Tunisia	02009	01956 1956	France
Turkey	02009	01243 1243	Mongol Empire	Battle of Köse Dağ[45]
Turkmenistan	02009	01991 1991	USSR
Tuvalu	02009	01978 1978	United Kingdom
Uganda	02009	01962 1962	United Kingdom
Ukraine	02009	01991 1991	USSR
United Arab Emirates	02009	01971 1971	United Kingdom
United Kingdom	00927 927	01066 1066	Duchy of Normandy	England unified 927 by Athelstan. After 1066 conquest, Norman rulers moved court to England, were later assimilated, and lost Normandy to France in 1204. UK is successor to England, with addition of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
United States of America	01776-07-04 July 4, 1776	01781 1781	United Kingdom
Uruguay	02009	01828-08-25 August 25, 1828	Brazil
Uzbekistan	02009	01991 1991	USSR
Vanuatu	02009	01980-07-30 July 30, 1980	United Kingdom and France
Vatican City	02009	01929-02-11 February 11, 1929	Italy
Venezuela	01811-07-05 July 5, 1811	01830-01-13 January 13, 1830	Gran Colombia	Previously a colony of Spain
Viet Nam	01953 1953	01976 1976	France
Yemen	01918-11-01 November 1, 1918	01967-11-30 November 30, 1967	United Kingdom	North Yemen independent from Ottoman Empire 1918; South Yemen from UK in 1967; unified 1990
Zambia	02009	01964 1964	United Kingdom
Zimbabwe	02009	01980 1980	United Kingdom

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

• Independence Day
• List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
• List of countries by continent
• List of countries in chronological order of achieving statehood
• List of former European colonies
• List of European countries by date of independence
• Timeline of country and capital changes

v • d • e Lists of countries by political rankings Freedom Economic (historical) · Trade · Press (Freedom House · Reporters Without Borders) Other Bribes · Competitiveness · Corruption perceptions · Democracy · e-Government · Ease of business · Empires · Formation date (chronological) · Globalization · Privacy · Property rights · Stability Lists of countries · Lists by country · List of international rankings · List of statistically superlative countries