National Holiday

Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia

Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil

Brunei Bulgaria

Date Significant event August 19 Independence from United Kingdom control over Afghan foreign affairs in 1919. November (Dita e Pavarësisë) Declared by Ismail Qemali in 1912 and 28 signalled the end of five centuries of Ottoman rule. July 5 Independence from France in 1962. November Portugal grants independence to its former colony in 1975. 11 November Independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. 1 July 9 Independence declared from Spain in 1816. September Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 21 October 18 July 10 December 15 March 26

Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1973. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.

Independence was declared from Pakistan and this led to a nine month war ending on December 16, 1971. November Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. 30 July 3 Liberation of Minsk from German occupation by Soviet troops in 1944. July 21 (Belgian revolution) Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld takes the oath as first king of the Belgians in 1831. September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. See 21 September Celebrations. August 1 Independence from France in 1960. August 6 Independence from Spain in 1825. March 1 Independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992. September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. 30 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. January 1 Independence from United Kingdom in 1984 September Independence from Ottoman Empire in 1908 22

Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cape Verde Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile

Colombia

Democratic Republic of the Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus

Czech & Slovak Republics Dominican Republic East Timor

Ecuador

El Salvador

August 5 July 1 November 9 July 5

Independence from France in 1960 Independence from Belgium in 1962 Independence from France in 1953

(Cape Verde Independence Day) Independence from Portugal in 1975. August 13 Independence from France in 1960.

August 11 Independence from France in 1960. 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. July 20 Independence from Spain in 1810. and August 07 June 30 Independence from Belgium in 1960.

September Independence from Spain in 1821. 15 October 8 Independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. October 1 Independence from the United Kingdom on August 16, 1960, but Cyprus Independence Day is commonly celebrated on October 1.[1][2] October 28 As Czechoslovakia, marking restored independence from Austria-Hungary in 1918. November 17 As Czechoslovakia, marking the Velvet Revolution in 1989. February Independence from Haiti in 1844, after a 22-year occupation. 27 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. 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. September Independence from Spain in 1821 15

Eritrea Estonia

Georgia

May 24 Independence from Ethiopia in 1993. February Independence from the Bolshevist Russia in 1918. 24 October 10 Fiji Independence Day Independence from United Kingdom in 1970. December Independence Day of Finland Independence from Russia in 6 1917. September (Den na nezavisnosta or Ден на независноста) Independence 8 from Yugoslavia in 1991. February Independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. 18 May 26 Day of First Republic in 1918.

Ghana

April 9 March 6

Fiji Finland Republic of Macedonia The Gambia

Greece Guatemala Guyana Haiti Hawaiʻi Honduras Iceland India Indonesia

Ireland

Independence from USSR in 1991. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Declaration of independence from Ottoman Empire in 1821. March 25 Start of the Greek War of Independence September Independence from Spain in 1821. 15 May 26 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. January 1 Declaration of Independence from France in 1804. November Independence from Great Britain in 1843. 28 September Independence from Kingdom of Spain in 1821. 15 June 17 Independence from Kingdom of Denmark in 1944. August 15 Independence (Freedom/svatantrataa/सवतंतता) from the British in 1947. August 17 Proclamation of Independence day (Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan R.I.) from Japan in 1945. The Netherlands acknowledged Indonesian independence and sovereignty in 1949. Easter Proclamation of the Irish Republic commencing the Easter Monday Rising in 1916.

Israel

5 Iyar

Jamaica

August 6

(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). Independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.

Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia

Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Lithuania

Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique

May 25 December 16 December 12 September 9 August 15 February 17 January 26 August 31 November 18 4 May November 22 October 4 July 26 February 16 and March 11 June 26 July 6 August 31

Independence from the United Kingdom in 1946. Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1963. Founding of the DPRK in 1948. (Gwangbokjeol) Independence from Japan in 1945. Independence from Serbia in 2008. (From 1999 under administration of United Nations) Independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. Independence from USSR in 1991. Independence from Russia in 1918. Independence from Soviet Union in 1990 Independence from France in 1943. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. Independence from the United States in 1847. Independence from Russia and Germany in February, 1918; independence from the Soviet Union in March, 1990.

Independence from France in 1960. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. (Hari Merdeka) Independence from the United Kingdom in 1957 July 26 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 join[3] September Independence from France in 1960 22 September (Independence Day (Malta)) Independence from the United 21 Kingdom in 1964. March 12 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. September (Grito de Dolores) Independence from Spain declared in 16 1810. Recognized on September 27, 1821 August 27 Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 November Independence from China on July 11, 1921 26 May 21 Independence from State union with Serbia, in 2006 November Independence from France and Spain in 1956 18 June 25 Independence from Portugal in 1975

Myanmar Namibia Nicaragua

Independence from the United Kingdom in 1948 Independence from South African mandate in 1990 Independence from Spain in 1821

Niger Nigeria

January 4 March 21 September 15 August 3 October 1

Norway

May 17

Pakistan

August 14

Panama

November 28

Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines

September 16 May 15 July 28 June 12

Poland

November 11

Portugal

December 1

(Constitution Day, or "syttende mai") The signing of the Norwegian Constitution in Eidsvoll, May 17, 1814. (Yaum e Azadi) Independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. Independence from Spain in 1821. The 1903 separation from Colombia is also celebrated (on November 3, Separation Day). Independence from Australia of the former Territories of New Guinea, and Papua, in 1975. (Día de Independencia) Independence from Spain in 1811. Independence from Spain in 1821. (Araw ng Kalayaan) Independence from the United States in 1898. (Święto Niepodległości) Restoration of Poland's independence in 1918 after 123 years of partitions by AustroHungary, Prussia, and Russia. Restoration of Portugal's independence (from Spain) in 1640.

Puerto Rico

none

Independence from France in 1960 Independence from United Kingdom in 1960

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. 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 Russia

December 18 November 4

The assumption of power of Sheikh Jassem bin Mohamed alThani, ancestor of the current ruling family, in 1878. (День народного единства) was first celebrated in Russia in 2005. It commemorates the popular uprising which expelled the Polish occupation force from Moscow in November 1612. May 9 Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. July 1 Independence from Belgium in 1962. September Independence from the United Kingdom in 1983. 19

Romania Rwanda Saint Christopher and Nevis São Tomé and July 12 Príncipe Serbia February 15 Seychelles June 29 Sierra Leone April 27 Singapore August 9 Solomon Islands Slovakia

July 7

Slovenia

December 26 and June 25

South Africa

December 11

Sri Lanka Suriname

February 4 November 25 September 6 June 6 August 1 September 9 December 9 August 31

Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Tanzania Trinidad and

July 17

Independence from Portugal in 1975. The beginning of the First Uprising against Ottoman occupation in 1804. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1976. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. (National Day Parade) Marks exit / separation from Malaysia in 1965. ]]) Marks exit / independence from United Kingdom in 1978. Declaration of Independence in 1992 (only a remembrance day), de iure independence came on January 1, 1993 after the division of Czechoslovakia (public holiday). (Independence and Unity Day) Date of the release of the official results of the independence plebiscite in 1990, confirming secession from Yugoslavia. (Statehood Day) Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1931. Not a public holiday. Union of South Africa formed on 31 May 1910 and Republic of South Africa declared on 31 May 1961 Independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Independence from The Netherlands in 1975. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden in 1523. Alliance against the Holy Roman Empire in 1291. Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1961. Independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.

Tobago Tonga

June 4

Togo Tunisia Ukraine

April 27 March 20 January 22 August 24 United Arab December Emirates 2 United States July 4 of America Uruguay August 25 Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

September 1 July 30 February 11 July 5 September 2 November 30 October 24 April 18

Tonga was never a colony, but late King's birthday was celebrated on 4 July. Independence from the Republic of Togo in 1960. Declaration of independence from France in 1956. Independence from Russia in 1918; Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. (National Day) Independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. (Fourth of July) Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776. (Día de la Independencia) Declaration of independence from Brazil in 1825. Independence from USSR in 1991. Independence from United Kingdom and France in 1980. Lateran Treaty signed with Italy in 1929. Declaration of independence from Spain in 1811. Declaration of independence from France and Japan in 1945. South Yemen Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1967. Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1964. Declaration of independence from United Kingdom in 1980.