<Tr> <Td> Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic </Td> <Td> Spanish Sahara Southern Provinces </Td> <Td> Spain Morocco </Td> <Td> 27 February 1976 independence not yet effectuated </Td> <Td> El - Ouali Mustapha Sayed Mohamed Abdelaziz </Td> <Td> Western Sahara War Western Sahara conflict </Td> </Tr> <Ol> <Li> Jump up ^ Explanatory notes are added in cases where decolonization was achieved jointly by multiple countries or where the current country is formed by the merger of previously decolonized countries . Although Ethiopia was administered as a colony in the aftermath of the Second Italo - Ethiopian War and was recognized by the international community as such at the time, it is not listed here as its brief period under Italian rule (which lasted for a little more than five years and ended with the return of the previous native government) is now usually seen as a military occupation . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Some territories changed hands multiple times, so in the list is mentioned the last colonial power . In addition, the mandatory or trustee powers are mentioned for territories that were League of Nations mandates and UN Trust Territories . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The dates of decolonization for territories annexed by or integrated into previously decolonized independent countries are given in separate notes, as are dates when a commonwealth realm abolished its monarchy . Any discrepancies between dates listed here and public holidays celebrating the country's independence (and whether the date listed is celebrated as a holiday at all) are noted, as well as the national day if the country does not have an independence day . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ For countries that became independent either as a Commonwealth realm, a monarchy with a strong Prime Minister, or a parliamentary republic the head of government is listed instead . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Liberia would later annexed the Republic of Maryland, another settler colony made up of former African - American slaves, in 1857 . Liberia would not be recognized by the United States until 5 February 1862 . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Stephen Allen Benson was President on the date of the United States' recognition . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As Union of South Africa . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Union of South Africa was constituted through the South Africa Act entering into force on 31 May 1910 . On 11 December 1931 it got increased self - governance powers through the Statute of Westminster which was followed by transformation into republic after the 1960 referendum . Afterwards, South Africa was under apartheid until elections resulting from the negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa on 27 April 1994 when Nelson Mandela became president . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Kingdom of Egypt . Transcontinental country, partially located in Asia . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Not celebrated as a holiday . On 28 February 1922 the British government issued the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence . Through this declaration, the British government unilaterally ended its protectorate over Egypt and granted it nominal independence with the exception of four "reserved" areas: foreign relations, communications, the military and the Anglo - Egyptian Sudan . The Anglo - Egyptian treaty of 1936 reduced British involvement, but still was not welcomed by Egyptian nationalists, who wanted full independence from Britain, which was not achieved until 23 July 1952 . The last British troops left Egypt after the Suez Crisis of 1956 . For this, the 23 July date, celebrated as Revolution Day, serves as Egypt's national day . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Although the leaders of the 1952 revolution (Mohammed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser) became the de facto leaders of Egypt, neither would assume office until September 17 of that year when Naguib became Prime Minister, succeeding Aly Maher Pasha who was sworn in on the day of the revolution . Nasser would succeeded Naguib as Prime Minister on 25 February 1954 . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ From 1 April 1941 to its eventual transfer to Ethiopia, Italian Eritrea was occupied by the United Kingdom . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Date marking the de jure end of Italian rule . Not celebrated as a holiday . The transfer of Eritrea to the Ethiopian Empire occurred on 15 September 1952 . On 24 May 1993 after decades of fighting starting from 1 September 1961, Eritrea formally seceded from Ethiopia . The 24 May date is celebrated as Eritrea's date of independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Emperor of Ethiopia on the date of the transfer . Isaias Afwerki became President of Eritrea upon independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the United Kingdom of Libya . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Part of the British Military Administration originally gained independence as the Cyrenaica Emirate; it was only recognized by the United Kingdom . The Cyrenaica Emirate also merged to form the United Kingdom of Libya . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Anglo - Egyptian Condominium Agreement of 1899, stated that Sudan should be jointly governed by Egypt and Britain, but with real power remaining in British hands . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Kingdom of Tunisia . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ See Tunisian independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Cape Juby was ceded by Spain to Morocco on 2 April 1958 . Ifni was returned from Spain to Morocco on 4 January 1969 . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Dominion of Ghana . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The British Togoland mandate and trust territory was integrated into Gold Coast colony on 13 December 1956 . On 1 July 1960 Ghana formally abolished its Commonwealth monarchy and became a republic . </Li> <Li> ^ Jump up to: Originally as Prime Minister; became President upon the monarchy's abolition . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ After the French Cameroun mandate and trust territory gained independence it was joined by part of the British Cameroons mandate and trust territory on 1 October 1961 . The other part of British Cameroons joined Nigeria . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Minor armed insurgency from Union of the Peoples of Cameroon . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Senegal and French Sudan gained independence on 20 June 1960 as the Mali Federation, which dissolved a few months later into present day Senegal and Mali . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Malagasy Republic . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Malagasy Uprising was an earlier armed uprising that failed to gain independence from France . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Republic of the Congo . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Joseph Kasa - Vubu became President upon independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Congo Crisis occurred after independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Somali Republic . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Trust Territory of Somalia (former Italian Somaliland) united with the State of Somaliland (former British Somaliland) on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic (Somalia). </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Republic of Dahomey . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As Upper Volta . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Part of the British Cameroons mandate and trust territory on 1 October 1961 joined Nigeria . The other part of British Cameroons joined the previously decolonized French Cameroun mandate and territory . </Li> <Li> ^ Jump up to: After both gained independence Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged on 26 April 1964 as Tanzania . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the Kingdom of Burundi . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Assumed office on September 27, 1962 as Prime Minister . From the date of independence to Ben Bella's inauguration, Abderrahmane Farès served as President of the Provisional Executive Council . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Abolished its commonwealth monarchy exactly one year later; Jamhuri Day ("Republic Day") is a celebration of both dates . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Mau Mau Uprising was an earlier armed uprising that failed to gain independence from the United Kingdom . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Sultanate of Zanzibar would later be overthrown within a month of sovereignty by the Zanzibar Revolution . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Abolished its commonwealth monarchy exactly two years later . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Abolished its commonwealth monarchy on 24 April 1970 . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Due the Rhodesia's unwillingness to accommodate the British government's request for black majority rule, the United Kingdom (along with the rest of the international community) refused to recognize the white - minority led government . The former self - governing colony would not be recognized as an independent state until the aftermath of the Rhodesian Bush War, under the name Zimbabwe . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Botswana Day Holiday is the second day of the two - day celebration of Botswana's independence . The first day is also referred to as Botswana Day . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Moshoeshoe II became King upon independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Not celebrated as a holiday . The date 24 September 1973 (when the PAIGC formally declared Guinea's independence) is celebrated as Guinea - Bissau's date of independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the People's Republic of Mozambique </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Pedro Pires was sworn in as Prime Minister three days after independence . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Although the fight for Cape Verdean independence was linked to the liberation movement occurring in Guinea - Bissau, the island country itself saw little fighting . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ As the People's Republic of Angola </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ The Spanish colonial rule de facto terminated over the Western Sahara (then Spanish Sahara), when the territory was passed on to and partitioned between Mauritania and Morocco (which annexed the entire territory in 1979). The decolonization of Western Sahara is still pending, while a declaration of independence has been proclaimed by the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, which controls only a small portion east of the Moroccan Wall . The UN still considers Spain the legal administrating country of the whole territory, awaiting the outcome of the ongoing Manhasset negotiations and resulting election to be overseen by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara . However, the de facto administrator is Morocco (see United Nations list of Non-Self - Governing Territories). </Li> </Ol> <Li> Jump up ^ Explanatory notes are added in cases where decolonization was achieved jointly by multiple countries or where the current country is formed by the merger of previously decolonized countries . Although Ethiopia was administered as a colony in the aftermath of the Second Italo - Ethiopian War and was recognized by the international community as such at the time, it is not listed here as its brief period under Italian rule (which lasted for a little more than five years and ended with the return of the previous native government) is now usually seen as a military occupation . </Li> <Li> Jump up ^ Some territories changed hands multiple times, so in the list is mentioned the last colonial power . In addition, the mandatory or trustee powers are mentioned for territories that were League of Nations mandates and UN Trust Territories . </Li>

When did most former colonies (especially those in africa and asia) achieve independence