Year
|
Previous entity
|
Newly independent entity
|
Event
|
June 17, 1946
|
United Kingdom
|
Jordan
|
Previously a
League of Nations Mandate
|
July 4, 1946
|
United States
|
Philippines
|
Restoration of Independence after
American rule.. Initial declaration of independence in
1897
|
August 15, 1947
|
United Kingdom
|
India
|
|
August 15, 1947
|
United Kingdom
|
Pakistan
|
|
January 4, 1948
|
United Kingdom
|
Burma
|
Independence restored after British rule. Initial establishment in
849 Name changed to
Myanmar in 1989.
|
February 4, 1948
|
United Kingdom
|
Ceylon
|
Renamed
Sri Lanka in 1972.
|
August 15, 1948
|
United States
|
South Korea
|
|
September 8, 1948
|
Soviet Union
|
North Korea
|
|
May 14, 1948
|
United Kingdom
|
Israel
|
Previously a
Leage of Nations mandate.
|
December 24, 1951
|
United Kingdom and
France
|
Libya
|
|
November 9, 1953
|
France
|
Cambodia
|
Independence restored after
French protectorate status. Initial establishment in
802
|
October 22, 1953
|
France
|
Laos
|
|
January 1, 1956
|
United Kingdom and
Egypt
|
Sudan
|
|
March 20, 1956
|
France
|
Tunisia
|
Independence restored after period as a French protectorate. Initial independence in
1705
|
March 6, 1957
|
United Kingdom
|
Ghana
|
|
August 14, 1957
|
France
|
Morocco
|
Independence restored after French protectorate. Initial founding in
788.
|
August 31,1957
|
United Kingdom
|
Malaya
|
Name changed to
Malaysia in 1963.
|
October 2, 1958
|
France
|
Guinea
|
|
January 1, 1960
|
France
|
Cameroon
|
|
April 27, 1960
|
France
|
Togo
|
|
June 20, 1960
|
France
|
Mali
|
|
June 26, 1960
|
France
|
Madagascar
|
|
June 30, 1960
|
Belgium
|
Congo-Leopoldville
|
Named
Zaire from 1971-1997. Now known as Democratic Republic of the Congo or
Congo-Kinshasa.
|
July 1, 1960
|
Italy
|
Somalia
|
|
July 31, 1960
|
France
|
Dahomey
|
Renamed to
Benin in 1975.
|
August 5, 1960
|
France
|
Upper Volta
|
Renamed to
Burkina Faso in 1984.
|
August 8, 1960
|
France
|
Niger
|
|
August 7, 1960
|
France
|
Ivory Coast
|
|
August 11, 1960
|
France
|
Chad
|
|
August 13, 1960
|
France
|
Central African Republic
|
Central African Empire from 1976-1979.
|
August 15, 1960
|
France
|
Congo-Brazzaville
|
|
August 16, 1960
|
United Kingdom
|
Cyprus
|
|
August 17, 1960
|
France
|
Gabon
|
|
August 20, 1960
|
Mali
|
Senegal
|
|
November 28, 1960
|
France
|
Mauritania
|
|
October 1, 1960
|
United Kingdom
|
Nigeria
|
|
April 27, 1961
|
United Kingdom
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
June 19, 1961
|
United Kingdom
|
Kuwait
|
Independence restored after period of British protectorate. Initial independence in 1752.
|
January 1, 1962
|
New Zealand
|
Samoa
|
Independence restored after German and New Zealand rule. Initial independence c. 1300.
|
July 1, 1962
|
Belgium
|
Rwanda
|
Independence restored after German and Belgian protectorate. Initial establishment
around the 12th century.
|
July 1, 1962
|
Belgium
|
burundi
|
Independence restored after German and Belgian protectorate. Initial establishment c. 1680.
|
July 5, 1962
|
France
|
Algeria
|
Independence restored after French colonial rule. Initial founding in
1516
|
August 6, 1962
|
United Kingdom
|
Jamaica
|
|
August 31, 1962
|
United Kingdom
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
|
October 9, 1962
|
United Kingdom
|
Uganda
|
|
November 12, 1963
|
United Kingdom
|
Kenya
|
|
July 6, 1964
|
United Kingdom
|
Malawi
|
|
September 21, 1964
|
United Kingdom
|
Malta
|
Independence restored after French and British rule. Initial independence in
1520
|
October 24, 1964
|
United Kingdom
|
Zambia
|
|
February 18, 1965
|
United Kingdom
|
The Gambia
|
|
July 26, 1965
|
United Kingdom
|
Maldives
|
Independence restored after British protectorate. Initial establishment before 1117.
|
August 4, 1965
|
New Zealand
|
Cook Islands
|
Partially unrecognized.
|
August 9, 1965
|
Malaysia
|
Singapore
|
|
May 26, 1966
|
United Kingdom
|
Guyana
|
|
September 30, 1966
|
United Kingdom
|
Botswana
|
|
October 4, 1966
|
United Kingdom
|
Lesotho
|
Independence restored after period of British protectorate. Initial establishment around 1822.
|
January 31, 1968
|
Australia
|
Nauru
|
|
November 30, 1962
|
United Kingdom
|
Barbados
|
|
March 12, 1968
|
United Kingdom
|
Mauritius
|
|
September 6, 1968
|
United Kingdom
|
Eswatini
|
Restoration of independence after British protectorate, initial establishment around 1745. Name changed to Eswatini in 2018.
|
October 12, 1968
|
Spain
|
Equatorial Guinea
|
|
October 10, 1970
|
United Kingdom
|
Fiji
|
Restoration of independence after British colonial rule. Initial founding in
1871.
|
August 15, 1971
|
United Kingdom
|
Bahrain
|
Independence restored after British protectorate. Initial independence in 1783.
|
September 3, 1971
|
United Kingdom
|
Qatar
|
Independence restored after British protectorate. Initial independence in 1868.
|
December 2, 1971
|
United Kingdom
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|
December 16, 1971
|
Pakistan
|
Bangladesh
|
|
July 10, 1973
|
United Kingdom
|
The Bahamas
|
|
September 24, 1973
|
Portugal
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
|
February 7, 1972
|
United Kingdom
|
Grenada
|
|
October 19, 1974
|
New Zealand
|
Niue
|
Independence restored after British and New Zealand rule. Initial establishment before 1887. Partially unrecognized.
|
June 25, 1975
|
Portugal
|
Mozambique
|
|
July 5, 1975
|
Portugal
|
Cape Verde
|
|
July 6, 1975
|
France
|
Comoros
|
|
July 12, 1975
|
Portugal
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
|
September 16, 1975
|
Australia
|
Papua New Guinea
|
|
November 11, 1975
|
Portugal
|
Angola
|
|
November 25, 1975
|
Netherlands
|
Suriname
|
|
February 27, 1976
|
Spain
|
Western Sahara
|
Partially unrecognized.
|
June 29, 1976
|
United Kingdom
|
Seychelles
|
|
June 27, 1977
|
France
|
Djibouti
|
|
July 7, 1978
|
United Kingdom
|
Solomon Islands
|
|
October 1, 1978
|
United Kingdom
|
Tuvalu
|
|
November 3, 1978
|
United Kingdom
|
Dominica
|
|
February 22, 1979
|
United Kingdom
|
Saint Lucia
|
|
July 12, 1979
|
United Kingdom
|
Kiribati
|
|
October 27, 1979
|
United Kingdom
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
|
April 18, 1980
|
United Kingdom
|
Zimbabwe
|
Restoration of independence after a brief return to British rule after the
Rhodesian Bush War. Initial independence in 1965 as
Rhodesia.
|
July 7, 1980
|
United Kingdom and
France
|
Vanuatu
|
|
September 21, 1981
|
United Kingdom
|
Belize
|
|
November 1, 1981
|
United Kingdom
|
Antigua and Barbuda
|
|
September 19, 1983
|
United Kingdom
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
|
November 15, 1983
|
Cyprus
|
Northern Cyprus
|
Largely unrecognized.
|
January 1, 1984
|
United Kingdom
|
Brunei
|
Independence restored after British protectorate. Initial establishment in 1368.
|
March 11, 1990
|
Soviet Union
|
Lithuania
|
Independence restored after Russian and Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1236. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
March 21, 1990
|
South Africa
|
Namibia
|
|
May 4, 1990
|
Soviet Union
|
Latvia
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in 1918. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
December 22, 1990
|
United States
|
Marshall Islands
|
|
December 22, 1990
|
United States
|
Micronesia
|
|
April 9, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Georgia
|
Independence restored after Russian and Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1008. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
May 18, 1991
|
Somalia
|
Somaliland
|
Independence restored after union with Somalia. Initial independence in
1960. Unrecognized.
|
May 29, 1991
|
Ethiopia
|
Eritrea
|
|
June 25, 1991
|
Yugoslavia
|
Slovenia
|
|
June 25, 1991
|
SFR Yugoslavia
|
Croatia
|
Independence restored after Habsburg and Yugoslav rule. Initial independence in
the 6th century.
|
August 20, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Estonia
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in 1918. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
August 24, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Ukraine
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1917. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
August 27, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Moldova
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1917. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
August 30, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Azerbaijan
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1918. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
August 31, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Uzbekistan
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
August 31, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
September 9, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Tajikistan
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
September 17, 1991
|
Yugoslavia
|
Macedonia
|
Name changed to North Macedonia in 2019.
|
October 27, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Turkmenistan
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
November 5, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Transnistria
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union. Largely unrecognized.
|
November 23, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Armenia
|
Independence restored after Russian and Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
331 BC. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
December 10, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Belarus
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1918. Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
December 16, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Kazakhstan
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union.
|
December 21, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
South Ossetia
|
Not official until the formal disestablishment of the Soviet Union. Largely unrecognized.
|
December 26, 1991
|
Soviet Union
|
Russia
|
Independence restored after Soviet rule. Initial establishment in
1547.
|