<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> This is a list of countries and territories formerly ruled or administered by the United Kingdom or part of the British Empire, with their independence days . Some countries did not gain their independence on a single date, therefore the latest day of independence is shown with a break down of dates further down . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Year of Independence </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> <Th> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Afghanistan </Td> <Td> 19 August </Td> <Td> 1919 </Td> <Td> Anglo - Afghan Treaty of 1919 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Antigua and Barbuda </Td> <Td> 1 November </Td> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> 1 January </Td> <Td> 1901 </Td> <Td> Australia Act 1986 <P> Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia on 16 September 1975 . </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The Bahamas </Td> <Td> 10 July </Td> <Td> 1973 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bahrain </Td> <Td> 15 August </Td> <Td> 1971 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Barbados </Td> <Td> 30 November </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> Barbados Independence Act 1966 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Belize </Td> <Td> 21 September </Td> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> September Celebrations of Belize </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Botswana </Td> <Td> 30 September </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Brunei </Td> <Td> 1 January </Td> <Td> 1984 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Canada </Td> <Td> 1 July </Td> <Td> 1867 </Td> <Td> British North America Act 1867, Canada Day <P> Constitution Act, 1982 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cyprus </Td> <Td> 1 October </Td> <Td> 1960 </Td> <Td> 16 August 1960, but Cyprus Independence Day is commonly celebrated on 1 October . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dominica </Td> <Td> 3 November </Td> <Td> 1978 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Egypt </Td> <Td> 28 February </Td> <Td> 1922 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fiji </Td> <Td> 10 October </Td> <Td> 1970 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The Gambia </Td> <Td> 18 February </Td> <Td> 1965 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ghana </Td> <Td> 6 March </Td> <Td> 1957 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Grenada </Td> <Td> 7 February </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Independence Day (Grenada) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Guyana </Td> <Td> 26 May </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> India </Td> <Td> 15 August </Td> <Td> 1947 </Td> <Td> Independence Day (India) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ireland </Td> <Td> 6 December </Td> <Td> 1922 </Td> <Td> Republic of Ireland Act and Ireland Act 1949 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Iraq </Td> <Td> 3 October </Td> <Td> 1932 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jamaica </Td> <Td> 6 August </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> Independence Day (6 August) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Jordan </Td> <Td> 25 May </Td> <Td> 1946 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kenya </Td> <Td> 12 December </Td> <Td> 1963 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kiribati </Td> <Td> 12 July </Td> <Td> 1979 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kuwait </Td> <Td> 19 June </Td> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lesotho </Td> <Td> 4 October </Td> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Libya </Td> <Td> 24 December </Td> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> Libya had been under the rule of the Ottoman Empire since the middle of the sixteenth century . Following the Italo - Turkish war of 1912, Libya became an Italian colony . With their defeat in World War II, the Italians lost control of Libya . The country came under UN administration . Control was split between France and Britain, with France administering the province Fezzan while the British administered the provinces of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania . In 1949, the UN General Assembly declared that Libya should become an independent country by 1 January 1952 . On 24 December 1951, Libya declared its independence from France and Britain becoming the United Kingdom of Libya, a constitutional and hereditary monarchy under King Idris . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Malawi </Td> <Td> 6 July </Td> <Td> 1964 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Malaysia </Td> <Td> 31 August </Td> <Td> 1957 </Td> <Td> Hari Merdeka <P> Singapore gained independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965 . </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Maldives </Td> <Td> 26 July </Td> <Td> 1965 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Malta </Td> <Td> 21 September </Td> <Td> 1964 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mauritius </Td> <Td> 12 March </Td> <Td> 1968 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Myanmar </Td> <Td> 4 January </Td> <Td> 1948 </Td> <Td> Gained independence as Burma . Renamed Myanmar in 1989, but still officially known by the United Kingdom government as Burma . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nauru </Td> <Td> 31 January </Td> <Td> 1968 </Td> <Td> Independence from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand on 31 January 1968 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> New Zealand </Td> <Td> 26 September </Td> <Td> 1907 </Td> <Td> Dominion Day <P> Samoa gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January 1962 . </P> <P> New Zealand has responsibilities for two freely associated states: Cook Islands (from 4 August 1965) Niue (from 19 October 1974) </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nigeria </Td> <Td> 1 October </Td> <Td> 1960 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pakistan </Td> <Td> 14 August </Td> <Td> 1947 </Td> <Td> Independence Day (Pakistan) <P> Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 (recognised in 1972). </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Qatar </Td> <Td> 3 September </Td> <Td> 1971 </Td> <Td> Qatar National Day </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Saint Lucia </Td> <Td> 22 February </Td> <Td> 1979 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Saint Kitts and Nevis </Td> <Td> 19 September </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Saint Vincent and the Grenadines </Td> <Td> 27 October </Td> <Td> 1979 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Seychelles </Td> <Td> 29 June </Td> <Td> 1976 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sierra Leone </Td> <Td> 27 April </Td> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Solomon Islands </Td> <Td> 7 July </Td> <Td> 1978 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Somalia </Td> <Td> 1 July </Td> <Td> 1960 </Td> <Td> The State of Somaliland gained independence from Britain on 26 June 1960 and later was unified with the Trust Territory of Somaliland which was under Italian administration to form the Somali Republic on 1 July 1960 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> South Africa </Td> <Td> 11 December </Td> <Td> 1910 </Td> <Td> 1931 adoption of Statute of Westminster . Not a public holiday . Union of South Africa formed on 31 May 1910 and Republic declared on 31 May 1961 and left the British Commonwealth on the same day . South Africa later rejoined the British Commonwealth in 1994 . <P> Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990 . </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sri Lanka </Td> <Td> 4 February </Td> <Td> 1948 </Td> <Td> Gained independence as the Dominion of Ceylon . Renamed Sri Lanka in 1972 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sudan </Td> <Td> 1 January </Td> <Td> 1956 </Td> <Td> South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Swaziland </Td> <Td> 6 September </Td> <Td> 1968 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tanzania </Td> <Td> 9 December </Td> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tonga </Td> <Td> 4 June </Td> <Td> 1970 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Trinidad and Tobago </Td> <Td> 31 August </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tuvalu </Td> <Td> 1 October </Td> <Td> 1978 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Uganda </Td> <Td> 9 October </Td> <Td> 1962 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United Arab Emirates </Td> <Td> 2 December </Td> <Td> 1971 </Td> <Td> National Day (United Arab Emirates) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> 4 July </Td> <Td> 1776 </Td> <Td> Fourth of July . Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776 . Independence achieved de facto 1781, and de jure 1783 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Vanuatu </Td> <Td> 30 July </Td> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> Independence from United Kingdom and France in 1980 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yemen </Td> <Td> 30 November </Td> <Td> 1967 </Td> <Td> South Yemen 1967 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zambia </Td> <Td> 24 October </Td> <Td> 1964 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zimbabwe </Td> <Td> 18 April </Td> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> Rhodesia declared independence from United Kingdom on 11 November 1965 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Year of Independence </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> <Th> </Th> </Tr>

First colony to gain independence from the british empire