List of countries that have gained independence from the United Kingdom facts for kids

The United Kingdom once had a huge empire called the British Empire. It included many countries and territories all over the world. Over time, these places became independent, meaning they started to rule themselves. This article lists the countries and territories that were once part of the British Empire and then gained their freedom. Some countries became independent on one specific day, while others had a longer journey. In total, 65 countries have become independent from the British Empire or the United Kingdom.

This map shows countries that gained independence from the UK.

Countries That Became Independent

Many countries that were once under British rule became independent. These places were often called colonies, protectorates, or mandates. A colony was a territory directly controlled by Britain. A protectorate was a territory that had its own ruler but was protected and partly controlled by Britain. A mandate was a territory given to Britain to manage after World War I.

Here is a list of these countries and when they gained their independence:

Country	Old Name (if different)	Independence Date	Year
Afghanistan		August 19	1919
Antigua and Barbuda	Antigua, Leeward Islands	November 1	1981
Bahrain		August 15	1971
Barbados		November 30	1966
Belize	British Honduras	September 21	1981
Botswana	Bechuanaland	September 30	1966
Brunei		January 1	1984
Cyprus		August 16	1960
Dominica	Dominica, Windward Islands	November 3	1978
Egypt		February 28	1922
Eswatini	Swaziland	September 6	1968
Fiji		October 10	1970
Ghana	Gold Coast	March 6	1957
Grenada	Grenada, Windward Islands	February 7	1974
Guyana	British Guiana	May 26	1966
India	British India	August 15	1947
Iraq		October 3	1932
Israel	Mandatory Palestine	May 14	1948
Jamaica		August 6	1962
Jordan	Transjordan	May 25	1946
Kenya		December 12	1963
Kiribati	Gilbert and Ellice Islands	July 12	1979
Kuwait		June 19	1961
Lesotho	Basutoland	October 4	1966
Libya		December 24	1951
Malawi	Nyasaland	July 6	1964
Malaya		August 31	1957
Maldives		July 26	1965
Malta		September 21	1964
Mauritius		March 12	1968
Myanmar	Burma	January 4	1948
Nauru		January 31	1968
Nigeria		October 1	1960
Oman	Sultanate of Muscat and Oman	December 20	1970
Pakistan	British India	August 14	1947
Qatar	British Qatari Protectorate	September 3	1971
Saint Lucia	St Lucia, Windward Islands	February 22	1979
Saint Kitts and Nevis	St Kitts–Nevis and Anguilla	September 19	1983
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	St Vincent, Windward Islands	October 27	1979
Seychelles		June 29	1976
Sierra Leone		April 27	1961
Solomon Islands	British Solomon Islands	July 7	1978
Somaliland	British Somaliland Protectorate	June 26	1960
South Yemen	Protectorate of South Arabia	November 30	1967
Sri Lanka	Ceylon	February 4	1948
Sudan		January 1	1956
Tanganyika		December 9	1961
The Bahamas		July 10	1973
The Gambia	Gambia	February 18	1965
Tonga		June 4	1970
Trinidad and Tobago		August 31	1962
Tuvalu	Gilbert and Ellice Islands	October 1	1978
Uganda		October 9	1962
United Arab Emirates	Trucial States	December 2	1971
United States	Thirteen American Colonies	July 4	1776
Vanuatu	New Hebrides	July 30	1980
Zambia	Northern Rhodesia	October 24	1964
Zanzibar		December 10	1963
Zimbabwe	Southern Rhodesia	April 18	1980

How Some Countries Became Independent (Dominions)

Some countries, called dominions, had a special path to independence. They were self-governing parts of the British Empire but still had ties to the UK. Over time, these ties became looser until they were fully independent.

Country	Became a Dominion	Final Independence Step	Last British Power Removed	What Happened
Australia	January 1, 1901	March 3, 1986	March 3, 1986	Australia Act 1986
Canada	July 1, 1867	April 17, 1982	April 17, 1982	Canada Act 1982
Ireland	December 6, 1922	April 18, 1949	April 18, 1949	Became a Republic
Dominion of Newfoundland	September 26, 1907	April 17, 1982	April 17, 1982	Joined Canada
New Zealand	September 26, 1907	December 13, 1986	December 13, 1986	Constitution Act 1986
South Africa	May 31, 1910	May 21, 1961	May 21, 1961	Became a Republic
Dominion of India	1947	1950	1950	Became a Republic
Ceylon	1948	1972	1972	Became a Republic (Sri Lanka)
Dominion of Pakistan	1947	1956	1956	Became a Republic

Countries That Briefly Declared Independence and Returned to British Rule

Some places tried to become independent from Britain but later returned to being under British control.

Country	Date	Year	Notes
Anguilla	July 12	1967	Anguilla tried to break away from Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1967. But by 1971, most people in Anguilla wanted to return to being a British territory, which happened in 1980.
Rhodesia	November 11	1965	Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) declared independence in 1965, but many countries didn't recognize it. It returned to British control in 1979 before becoming fully independent as Zimbabwe in 1980.

British Territories That Voted Against Independence

Some British territories held votes (called referendums) to decide if they wanted to become independent. In these cases, the people chose to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Territory	Date	Year	Notes
Bermuda	August 16	1995	In 1995, people in Bermuda voted against independence. About 74% wanted to stay with the UK.
Gibraltar	November 7	2002	In 2002, Gibraltar voted on whether to share control with Spain. Over 98% of voters said no, choosing to remain a British territory.
Falkland Islands	March 11	2013	In 2013, almost 100% of people in the Falkland Islands voted to stay a British territory.

Parts of the United Kingdom That Voted Against Independence

Even within the United Kingdom, some regions have held votes to decide if they should become independent countries.

Country	Date	Year	Notes
Northern Ireland	March 8	1973	In 1973, Northern Ireland voted to stay part of the United Kingdom. About 99% voted to remain, though some groups did not take part in the vote.
Scotland	September 18	2014	In 2014, Scotland voted on whether to become an independent country. About 55% voted no, choosing to remain part of the UK.

See also

• Self-determination
• Commonwealth of Nations
• List of national independence days
• Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Special Committee on Decolonization