on 26 June 1960, and Italian
Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered
UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)

South Africa
31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a
republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

Spain
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of
independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in
the early 8th century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the
small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost
immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this
event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is
traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

Sri Lanka
4 February 1948 (from UK)

Sudan
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

Suriname
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

Svalbard
none (territory of Norway)

Swaziland
6 September 1968 (from UK)

Sweden
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

Switzerland
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

Syria
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

Tajikistan
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Tanzania
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December
1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became
independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with
Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and
Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

Thailand
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

Togo
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

Tokelau
none (territory of New Zealand)

Tonga
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

Trinidad and Tobago
31 August 1962 (from UK)

Tunisia
20 March 1956 (from France)

Turkey
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

Turkmenistan
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Turks and Caicos Islands
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Tuvalu
1 October 1978 (from UK)

Uganda
9 October 1962 (from UK)

Ukraine
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

United Arab Emirates
2 December 1971 (from UK)

United Kingdom
England has existed as a unified entity since the
10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284
with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an
Act of