1960s Many Independence Days

1960s Many Independence Days

Our world has never been fully at peace despite a “war to end all wars” and armistices declaring it so. Nations continue to feud, disassemble, reassemble, and declare independence.

As of 2021, there are 197 countries in the world. This total comprises countries that are member states of the United Nations and countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. And there are a few places that are not that.

During the 1960s’ counter-cultural  revolution, most Americans thought of it as being limited to the United States. An easy impression, but far too limited.

All over the world, particularly in Africa, millions of people became part of a new nation. Their own nation bringing their own new possibilities.

1960s Many Independence Days

1960

Cameroon

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Motto: “Paix – Travail – Patrie” (French)
“Peace – Work – Fatherland”

Flag of Cameroon

January 1, 1960: Cameroon independent from France and the United Kingdom.  Officially the Republic of Cameroon is a country wedged in West and Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south.

 Senegal

Image result for  Senegal map

Motto: “Un Peuple, Un But, Une Foi” 
“One People, One Goal, One Faith”

Flag of Senegal

April 4, 1960:  Senegal independent from France. It is bordered by Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast, and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest.

Togo

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Motto: “Travail, Liberté, Patrie”
“Work, Liberty, Homeland”

Flag of Togo

April 27, 1960:  Togo independent from France. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.

1960s Many Independence Days
Madagascar

1960s Yields Many Independence Days

Motto: “Fitiavana, Tanindrazana, Fandrosoana” (Malagasy)
“Amour, Patrie, Progrès” (French)
“Love, Fatherland, Progress”

 

June 26, 1960: Madagasar independent from France. Officially the Republic of Madagascar and previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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(no official motto)

1960s Yields Many Independence Days

June 30, 1960: Democratic Republic of the Congo independent from Belgium. It is a country located in Central Africa. It is sometimes referred to by its former name of Zaire, which was its official name between 1971 and 1997. The DRC borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north;  Uganda,  Rwanda,  Burundi, and Tanzania to the east; Zambia to the south; Angola to the southwest; and the Republic of the Congo and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Somalia

1960s Yields Many Independence Days

Motto: Go forward, and never backward

Flag of Somalia

July 1, 1960: Somalia independent from Italy and United Kingdom.  It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Guardafui Channel and Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest.

Benin

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Motto:  “Fraternité, Justice, Travail” (French)
“Fraternity, Justice, Labour”

Flag of Benin

August 1, 1960: Benin independent from France. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.

Niger

1960s Yields Many Independence Days

Motto: “Fraternité, Travail, Progrès” (French)
“Fraternity, Work, Progress”

Flag of Niger

August 3, 1960:  Niger independent from France. It is bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest.

Burkina Faso

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Motto: “Unité–Progrès–Justice” (French)
“Unity–Progress–Justice”

Flag of Burkina Faso

August 5, 1960: Burkina Faso independent from France. It  is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest.

Ivory Coast

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Motto: “Union – Discipline – Travail” (French)
“Unity – Discipline – Work”

Flag of Cote d'Ivoire

August 7, 1960: Ivory Coast [officially the Republic of Côte d’Ivoireindependent from France. Its bordering countries are Guinea and Liberia in the west, Burkina Faso and Mali in the north, and Ghana in the east.

Chad

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Motto: “Unité, Travail, Progrès” (French)
“Unity, Work, Progress”
“الاتحاد، العمل، التقدم” (Arabic)

Flag of Chad

August 11, 1960: Chad independent from France.   It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west.

Central African Republic

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Motto: “Unité, Dignité, Travail” (French)
“Unity, Dignity, Work”

Flag of the Central African Republic

August 13, 1960: Central African Republic independent from France. . It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west.

Republic of the Congo

Image result for Republic of the Congo Map

Motto: “Unité, Travail, Progrès” (French)
“Unity, Work, Progress”

Flag of the Republic of the Congo

August 15, 1960: Republic of the Congo independent from France.  It is bordered by five countries: Gabon and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; Cameroon to the northwest; the Central African Republic to the northeast; the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the east and south; and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda to the southwest.

Gabon

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Motto: “Union, Travail, Justice” (French)
“Union, Work, Justice”

File:Flag of Gabon.svg

August 17, 1960: Gabon independent from France.  Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west.

Mali

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Motto: “Un peuple, un but, une foi” (French)
“One people, one goal, one faith”

File:Flag of Mali.svg

September 22, 1960: Mali independent from France. It is bordered by Algeria to the northeast, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire to the south, Guinea to the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania to the west.

October 1, 1960
Cyprus

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(No official motto)

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Cyprus independent from United Kingdom.  It is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece.

Nigeria

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Motto: “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”

Flag of Nigeria

Nigeria independent from United Kingdom. It  borders Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north.

Mauritania

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Motto: شرف إخاء عدل (Arabic)
“Honor, Fraternity, Justice”

Flag of Mauritania

November 28, 1960: Mauritania independent from France. It  is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.

1960s Many Independence Days

1961

Kuwait

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(no official motto)

Flag of Kuwait

February 25, 1961:  Kuwait independent from United Kingdom. It shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Sierra Leone

Image result for Sierra Leone map

Motto: “Unity, Freedom, Justice”

Flag of Sierra Leone

April 27, 1961:  Sierra Leone independent from United Kingdom. It is bordered by Guinea to the northeast, Liberia to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.

Tanzania

Image result for Tanzania map

Motto: “Uhuru na Umoja” (Swahili)
“Freedom and Unity”

Flag of Tanzania

December 9, 1961:  Tanzania independent from United Kingdom.  It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south; and the Indian Ocean to the east.

1960s Many Independence Days

1962

Samoa

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Motto: “Faʻavae i le Atua Sāmoa”
“Samoa is founded on God”

Flag of Samoa

January 1, 1962: Samoa [officially the Independent State of Samoa] independent from New Zealand.  The two main islands are Savai’i and Upolu with four smaller islands surrounding the landmasses.  The Samoan Islands are an archipelago in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania.

July 1, 1962
Burundi

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Motto: “Ubumwe, Ibikorwa, Amajambere” (Kirundi)
“Unité, Travail, Progrès” (French)

Flag of Burundi

  • Burundi independent from Belgium. It is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It is also considered part of Central Africa.
Rwanda

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Motto: “Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu”
“Unity, Work, Patriotism”

The flag of Rwanda: blue, yellow and green stripes with a yellow sun in top right corner

  • Rwanda independent from Belgium.  Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Algeria

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Motto: بالشّعب وللشّعب
By the people and for the people

Flag of Algeria

July 5, 1962: Algeria Independent from France. It is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.

Jamaica

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Motto: “Out of Many, One People”

Flag of Jamaica

August 6, 1962:  Jamaica independent from United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest island country in the Caribbean and lies about 90 mi  south of Cuba, and  119 mi west of Hispaniola (the island containing the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Trinidad and Tobago

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Motto: Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve

Flag of Trinidad and Tobago

August 31, 1962:  Trinidad and Tobago (officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) independent from United Kingdom. It is situated 81 miles south of Grenada off the northern edge of the South American mainland, 16.8 miles off the coast of northeastern Venezuela.

Uganda

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Motto: “For God and My Country”
“kwa mungu na nchi yangu”

Flag of Uganda

October 9, 1962: Uganda independent from United Kingdom

1960s Many Independence Days

1963

Sarawak

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Motto(s): Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti
United, Striving, Serving

Flag of Sarawak

July 22, 1963: Sarawak was granted self-government by the British and subsequently became one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia established on 16 September 1963. Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of Borneo) to the south, and the independent country of Brunei in the north.

Kenya

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Motto: “Harambee” (Swahili)
“Let us all pull together”

Flag of Kenya

December 12, 1963:  Kenya independent from United Kingdom. It is bordered by Tanzania to the south and south-west, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east.

1960s Many Independence Days

1964

Malawi

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Motto: “Unity and Freedom”

Flag of Malawi

July 6, 1964:  Malawi (officially the Republic of Malawi) independent from United Kingdom. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west.

Malta

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Virtute et constantia (Latin)
Strength and consistency
Flag of Malta

September 21, 1964:  Malta independent from United Kingdom.  It is a  island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 50 mi south of Italy, 176 mi east of Tunisia, and 207 mi north of Libya

Zambia

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Motto: One Zambia, One Nation

Flag of Zambia

October 24, 1964:  Zambia independent from United Kingdom. It borders  the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west.

1960s Many Independence Days

1965

Gambia

Image result for Gambia map

Motto: “Progress, Peace, Prosperity”
Flag of The Gambia

February 18, 1965: The Gambia independent from United Kingdom. It is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal with the exception of its western coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the smallest country within mainland Africa.

Maldives

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Motto:  the script below its national emblem reads الدولة المحلديبية  (State of the Mahal Dibiyat)

Flag of Maldives

July 26, 1965:  Maldives independent from United Kingdom. It is located in the Indian Ocean, situated in the Arabian Sea and lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India.

Singapore

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Motto: “Majulah Singapura” (Malay)
(English: “Onward, Singapore”)

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August 9, 1965:  Singapore leaves Malaysian Federation. It a sovereign city-state and island country.  It lies 85 miles  north of the equator, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, with Indonesia’s Riau Islands to the south and Peninsular Malaysiato the north.

Rhodesia

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Motto: Sit Nomine Digna
“May she be worthy of the name”

Flag of Rhodesia

Flag of Rhodesia above

Flag of Zimbabwe

Flag of Zimbabwe above

November 11, 1965:  Rhodesia proclaimed its independence from Britain. The state endured international isolation and a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces, which culminated in a peace agreement that established universal enfranchisement and de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980.

1960s Many Independence Days

1966

Guyana

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Motto: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”

Flag of Guyana

May 26, 1966: Guyana independent from United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west.

Botswana

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Motto: “Pula!” (Tswana)
“Rain”

Flag of Botswana

September 30, 1966: Botswana independent from United Kingdom.  It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast.

Lesotho

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Motto: “Khotso, Pula, Nala” (Sotho)
“Peace, Rain, Prosperity”

Flag of Lesotho

October 4, 1966: Lesotho independent from United Kingdom. It is entirely surrounded by South Africa.

Barbados

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Motto: “Pride and Industry”

Flag of Barbados

November 30, 1966: Barbados independent from United Kingdom. It is about 104 mi east of both the countries of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 250 mi north-east of Trinidad and Tobago.

1960s Many Independence Days

1967

Anguilla

Image result for map Anguilla

Motto: “Unity, Strength and Endurance”

Flag of Anguilla

May 30, 1967: Anguilla independent from St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. It lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin.

Yemen

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Motto: الله، ٱلْوَطَن، ٱلثَوْرَة، ٱلْوَحْدَة (Arabic)
Allāh, al-Waṭan, ath-Thawrah, al-Waḥdah
“God, Country, Revolution, Unity”

Flag of Yemen

November 30, 1967: Yemen independent from United Kingdom.  It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, the Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel to the south, and the Arabian Sea and Oman to the east.

1960s Many Independence Days

1968

Nauru

1960s Many Independence Days

Motto: “God’s will first”

Flag of Nauru

January 31, 1968: Nauru (officially the Republic of Nauru) independent from Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom.  Its nearest neighbor is Banaba Island  in  Kiribati  190 mi to the east. It further lies northwest of Tuvalu, north of the Solomon Islands, east-northeast of Papua New Guinea, southeast of the Federated States of Micronesia and south of the Marshall Islands.

With 11,347 residents in a 8.1 sq mi area, Nauru is the smallest state in the South Pacific, smallest republic and third-smallest state by area in the world, behind only Vatican City and Monaco.

Mauritius

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Motto: “Stella Clavisque Maris Indici” (Latin)
French: L’étoile et la clé de l’océan Indien
“Star and Key of the Indian Ocean”

Flag of Mauritius

March 12, 1968: Mauritius (officially the Republic of Mauritius) independent from United Kingdom.  It is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 mi off the southeast coast of the African continent.

1960s Many Independence Days
Swaziland

1960s Many Independence Days

Motto: 
“Siyinqaba” (Swati)
“We are a fortress”
“We are a mystery/riddle”
“We hide ourselves away”

 

September 6, 1968: Swaziland independent from United Kingdom. It is a landlocked sovereign state in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west and south.

Equatorial Guinea

1960s Many Independence Days

Motto:  “Unidad, Paz, Justicia” (Spanish)
“Unity, Peace, Justice”
1960s Many Independence Days

October 12, 1968: Equatorial Guinea independent from Spain. It consists of two parts, an insular and a mainland region. The insular region consists of the islands of  Bioko and Annobón, The mainland region, Río Muni, is bordered by Cameroon on the north and Gabon on the south and east.

1960s Many Independence Days