Liberation
Independence days of Africa.
Fifty-four sovereign states, each with a date, a power it was taken from, and people who made it happen. Some were won at a conference table in a single afternoon; some took thirty years of war. Every country here opens its own page.
Coming up
1 January 1956Sudanfrom the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium1 January 1960Cameroonfrom France (UN trusteeship)18 February 1965Gambiafrom the United Kingdom28 February 1922Egyptfrom the United Kingdom2 March 1956Moroccofrom France (and Spain, in the north)6 March 1957Ghanafrom the United Kingdom12 March 1968Mauritiusfrom the United Kingdom20 March 1956Tunisiafrom France21 March 1990Namibiafrom South African occupation4 April 1960Senegalfrom France18 April 1980Zimbabwefrom the United Kingdom, after white minority rule27 April 1960Togofrom France (UN trusteeship)27 April 1961Sierra Leonefrom the United Kingdom27 April 1994South Africafrom apartheid minority rule5 May 1941Ethiopiafrom Italian occupation24 May 1993Eritreafrom Ethiopia25 June 1975Mozambiquefrom Portugal26 June 1960Madagascarfrom France27 June 1977Djiboutifrom France29 June 1976Seychellesfrom the United Kingdom30 June 1960DR Congofrom Belgium1 July 1960Somaliafrom Italy and the United Kingdom1 July 1962Burundifrom Belgium (UN trusteeship)1 July 1962Rwandafrom Belgium (UN trusteeship)5 July 1962Algeriafrom France5 July 1975Cape Verdefrom Portugal6 July 1964Malawifrom the United Kingdom6 July 1975Comorosfrom France9 July 2011South Sudanfrom Sudan12 July 1975São Tomé and Príncipefrom Portugal26 July 1847Liberiafrom the American Colonization Society1 August 1960Beninfrom France3 August 1960Nigerfrom France5 August 1960Burkina Fasofrom France7 August 1960Ivory Coastfrom France11 August 1960Chadfrom France13 August 1960Central African Republicfrom France15 August 1960Congofrom France17 August 1960Gabonfrom France6 September 1968Eswatinifrom the United Kingdom22 September 1960Malifrom France24 September 1973Guinea-Bissaufrom Portugal30 September 1966Botswanafrom the United Kingdom1 October 1960Nigeriafrom the United Kingdom2 October 1958Guineafrom France4 October 1966Lesothofrom the United Kingdom9 October 1962Ugandafrom the United Kingdom12 October 1968Equatorial Guineafrom Spain24 October 1964Zambiafrom the United Kingdom11 November 1975Angolafrom Portugal28 November 1960Mauritaniafrom France9 December 1961Tanzaniafrom the United Kingdom (UN trusteeship)12 December 1963Kenyafrom the United Kingdom24 December 1951Libyafrom Italian rule and Allied administration, via the United Nations
54 states. Where a single date hides a longer story — Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau — each page says so.
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