A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state. In 2010, the UN's International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion in Kosovo that "International law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence", though the state from which the territory wishes to secede may regard the declaration as rebellion, which may lead to a war of independence or a constitutional settlement to resolve the crisis.

List of declarations of independence

StateDeclarationDateAssociationSignatoriesFirst recognizing state(s)
AlgeriaDeclaration of 1 November 1954November 1, 1954AlgeriaAlgerian WarFrench Algeria
AlbaniaAlbanian Declaration of IndependenceNovember 28, 1912Ottoman EmpireAssembly of VlorëAustria-Hungary
Ambazonia AmbazoniaAmbazonian Declaration of IndependenceOctober 1, 2017CameroonSouthern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front
ArmeniaDeclaration of Independence of ArmeniaMay 28, 1918TDFRArmenian National Congress (1917), Armenian Revolutionary FederationOttoman Empire
ArmeniaDeclaration of State Sovereignty of ArmeniaAugust 23, 1990Soviet UnionLevon Ter-Petrosyan and Supreme Council of Armenia secretary Ara SahakianLithuania
ArtsakhProclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh RepublicSeptember 2, 1991Soviet UnionNagorno-Karabakh Regional and Shahumyan District Councils of People's Deputies of the Azerbaijan SSR
AzawadAzawadi Declaration of IndependenceApril 6, 2012MaliNational Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
AzerbaijanDeclaration of Independence of AzerbaijanMay 28, 1918TDFRAzerbaijani National CouncilOttoman Empire
AzerbaijanAct on Restoration of State Independence of AzerbaijanOctober 18, 1991Soviet UnionSupreme Council of AzerbaijanTurkey
BangladeshProclamation of Bangladeshi Independence 1947August 15, 1947United KingdomConstituent Assembly of BangladeshUnited Kingdom
BangladeshProclamation of Bangladeshi IndependenceMarch 26, 1971{United KingdomConstituent Assembly of BangladeshIndia
BelarusThird Constituent CharterMarch 25, 1918Russian SFSRRada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
BelarusAnnouncement of the Declaration of Independence of the Soviet Socialist Republic of ByelorussiaJuly 31, 1920PolandCommunist Party (Bolsheviks) of Byelorussia, trade unionsRussian SFSR
BelarusDeclaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist RepublicJuly 27, 1990Soviet UnionSupreme Soviet of the BSSRTurkey
BelgiumBelgian Declaration of IndependenceOctober 4, 1830NetherlandsProvisional Government of Belgium
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnian Declaration of IndependenceMarch 1, 1992YugoslaviaBulgaria
BougainvilleBougainville Declaration of IndependenceMay 1990Papua New GuineaBougainville Interim Government
BrazilDeclaration of the Independence of BrazilSeptember 7, 1822PortugalPedro I of BrazilUnited States
BulgariaBulgarian Declaration of IndependenceSeptember 22, 1908Ottoman EmpireFerdinand of Bulgaria and the Government of BulgariaRussia
BurmaBurmese Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 4, 1948United Kingdom
CataloniaDeclaration of the Catalan Republic as a state of the Iberian FederationApril 14, 1931SpainFrancesc Macià, Generalitat Government of Catalonia
CataloniaDeclaration of the Catalan state within the Federal Republic of SpainOctober 6, 1934SpainLluís Companys, Generalitat Government of Catalonia
CataloniaDeclaration from the representatives of Catalonia as the Catalan RepublicOctober 27, 2017Spain
Central America (present-day: Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua)Act of Independence of Central AmericaSeptember 15, 1821Spain
ChileChilean Declaration of IndependenceFebruary 12, 1818SpainNational CongressPortugal
ColombiaColombian Declaration of IndependenceJuly 20, 1810Spain
ComorosComorian Declaration of IndependenceJuly 6, 1975FranceGuinea
CrimeaDeclaration of Independence of the Republic of CrimeaMarch 11, 2014UkraineSupreme Council of CrimeaRussia
CroatiaDeclaration of the Establishment of the Sovereign and Independent Republic of CroatiaJune 25, 1991YugoslaviaIceland
CyberspaceA Declaration of the Independence of CyberspaceFebruary 8, 1996GovernmentsJohn Perry Barlow
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovak Declaration of IndependenceOctober 18, 1918Austria-HungaryCzechoslovak National CouncilUnited States
CzechoslovakiaMartin DeclarationOctober 30, 1918Austria-HungarySlovak National CouncilFrance
Dominican RepublicDominican Act of Independence (1844)February 27, 1844HaitiUnited Kingdom
Dominican RepublicDominican Act of Independence (1863)August 16, 1863SpainSpain
East TimorEast Timorese declaration of independenceNovember 28, 1975PortugalMorocco
EgyptUnilateral Declaration of Egyptian IndependenceFebruary 28, 1922United KingdomUnilateral grant of independence by the British governmentUnited Kingdom
EstoniaEstonian Declaration of IndependenceFebruary 24, 1918Germany RussiaEstonian Salvation CommitteeFinland
EstoniaEstonian Reconfirmation of IndependenceAugust 20, 1991Soviet UnionCongress of EstoniaIceland (reconfirmed earlier recognition)
FinlandFinnish Declaration of IndependenceDecember 6, 1917RussiaParliament of FinlandRussian SFSR
First Mexican Empire (present-day Mexico)Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire (real independence)[clarification needed]September 28, 1821SpainSupreme Provisional Governmental BoardUnited Kingdom
FloridaFlorida's Constitution of 1861January 10, 1861United StatesFlorida State Legislature
GaliciaDeclaration of the Republic of GaliciaJune 27, 1931Spain
Georgia, Democratic Republic ofGeorgian Declaration of Independence, 1918May 26, 1918TDFRGeorgian National CouncilGermany
Georgia, Republic ofAct of Restoration of State Independence of GeorgiaApril 9, 1991Soviet UnionSupreme Council of the Republic of GeorgiaSwitzerland
Georgia, State ofGeorgia's secession declarationJanuary 29, 1861United States
GreeceGreek Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 15, 1822Ottoman EmpireFirst National AssemblyHaiti
Guinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau Declaration of IndependenceSeptember 24, 1973Portugal
HaitiHaitian Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 1, 1804FranceJean-Jacques DessalinesFrance
HungaryHungarian Declaration of IndependenceApril 14, 1849Habsburgs
IcelandIcelandic Declaration of IndependenceJune 17, 1944DenmarkUnited States
IndiaIndian Rebellion of 1857May 10, 1857United KingdomMughal Empire
IndiaDeclaration of the Independence of IndiaJanuary 26, 1930United Kingdom
IndiaDeclaration of IndependenceAugust 15, 1947United Kingdom
IndonesiaProclamation of Indonesian IndependenceAugust 17, 1945NetherlandsSukarno & Mohammad HattaKingdom of Egypt
IraqIraq Declaration of IndependenceOctober 3, 1932United KingdomUnited Kingdom
IrelandProclamation of the Irish RepublicApril 24, 1916United KingdomProvisional Government of the Irish Republic
Irish RepublicIrish Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 21, 1919United KingdomDáil ÉireannRussian SFSR
IsraelIsraeli Declaration of IndependenceMay 14, 1948United KingdomJewish People's CouncilUnited States
KatangaKatangan Declaration of Independence[citation needed]July 11, 1960Congo-Léopoldville
KazakhstanOn the State Independence of the Republic of KazakhstanDecember 16, 1991Soviet UnionSupreme Soviet of the Republic of KazakhstanTurkey
KoreaKorean Declaration of IndependenceMarch 1, 1919JapanProvisional Government of the Republic of KoreaRepublic of China
KosovaProclamation of the Republic of KosovaSeptember 22, 1992FR YugoslaviaAssembly of KosovoAlbania
KosovoKosovo declaration of independenceFebruary 17, 2008Serbia UN Administration"Democratically elected leaders of our people"Costa Rica
LatviaLatvian Declaration of IndependenceNovember 18, 1918Germany Russian SFSRPeople's Council of LatviaRussian SFSR
LatviaOn the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of LatviaMay 4, 1990Soviet UnionSupreme Soviet of the Latvian SSRIceland
LiberiaLiberian Declaration of IndependenceJuly 16, 1847American Colonization SocietyLiberian Constitutional ConventionUnited Kingdom
LithuaniaAct of Independence of LithuaniaFebruary 16, 1918Germany Russian SFSRCouncil of LithuaniaGermany
LithuaniaAct of the Re-Establishment of the State of LithuaniaMarch 11, 1990Soviet UnionSupreme Council of LithuaniaIceland
Lower CanadaDeclaration of Independence of Lower CanadaFebruary 22, 1838United KingdomRobert Nelson
MacedoniaIndependence of the Republic of MacedoniaSeptember 8, 1991YugoslaviaBulgaria
Malaya (present-day Malaysia)Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957August 31, 1957United KingdomTunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of MalaysiaUnited Kingdom
MississippiA Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal UnionJanuary 9, 1861United States
MoldovaDeclaration of Independence of the Republic of MoldovaAugust 27, 1991Soviet UnionParliament of the Republic of MoldovaRomania
MontenegroMontenegro declaration of independenceJune 3, 2006Serbia and MontenegroAssembly of the Republic of MontenegroIceland
MoroccoMoroccan Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 11, 1944FranceIstiqlal Party
NetherlandsAct of AbjurationJuly 26, 1581SpainUnion of Utrecht
Northern America (present-day Mexico)Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of Northern AmericaNovember 6, 1813SpainCongress of Anáhuac
Northern CyprusDeclaration of Independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusNovember 15, 1983CyprusTurkey
Northern EpirusNorthern Epirote Declaration of IndependenceFebruary 28, 1914AlbaniaProvisional Government of Northern Epirus
North SolomonsDeclaration of Independence of the Republic of the North SolomonsSeptember 1, 1975Territory of Papua and New Guinea (Australia)UnknownVatican City
Norway (Kingdom of Norway)Declaration of Independence of Norway (short after,[clarification needed] sovereign under the Swedish monarchy), and the Constitution of NorwayMay 17, 1814Denmark-Norway (As of Treaty of Kiel)Norwegian Constituent Assembly
North KoreaNational Liberation Day of KoreaSeptember 9, 1948JapanKim Il SungSoviet Union
PadaniaPadanian Declaration of IndependenceSeptember 15, 1996Italy
PakistanLahore ResolutionMarch 24, 1940United KingdomMuslim League (Pakistan)
PalestinePalestinian Declaration of IndependenceNovember 15, 1988Palestinian territories Jordan (claimed the West Bank until 1988)Palestinian National CouncilArab League
PeruAct of the Declaration of Independence of PeruJuly 28, 1821SpainJosé de San MartínArgentina
Panama PanamaSecession of Panama from ColombiaNovember 3, 1903ColombiaUnited States
PhilippinesPhilippine Declaration of IndependenceJune 12, 1898Spain98 representatives of Dictatorial Government of the Philippines (ratified on September 29, 1898, by the Malolos Congress)
Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day: Argentina Bolivia Uruguay)Argentine Declaration of IndependenceJuly 9, 1816SpainCongress of TucumánHawaii
RhodesiaRhodesian Unilateral Declaration of IndependenceNovember 11, 1965United KingdomIan Smith and the rest of the Cabinet
RomaniaRomanian Declaration of IndependenceMay 22, 1877Ottoman EmpireKing Carol I
RussiaBelovezha AccordsDecember 12, 1991Soviet UnionSupreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR
Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicBir Lehlou DeclarationFebruary 27, 1976Spanish SaharaPolisario FrontMadagascar
ScotlandDeclaration of ArbroathApril 6, 1320EnglandScottish leaders
SerbiaThe Proclamation (Proglašenije/Проглашеније)February 1809Ottoman EmpireKarađorđe Petrović and Serbian MPs
SingaporeProclamation of SingaporeAugust 9, 1965MalaysiaLee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of SingaporeUnited Kingdom
SlovakiaSlovak National Council's Declaration of Independence of the Slovak NationJuly 17, 1992CzechoslovakiaSlovak National CouncilCzech Republic
SloveniaSlovenian Declaration of IndependenceJune 25, 1991YugoslaviaCroatia
SomalilandSomaliland Declaration of IndependenceMay 18, 1991Somalia
South KoreaNational Liberation Day of KoreaAugust 15, 1948JapanSyngman RheeUnited States
South CarolinaDeclaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal UnionDecember 24, 1860United StatesSouth Carolinians in Charleston
Sri LankaDeclaration of Independence of Sri Lanka (Then known as "Ceylon")February 4, 1948United Kingdom
SyriaSyrian Declaration of Independence (1920)March 8, 1920Ottoman EmpireSyrian National Congress
SyriaSyrian Declaration of Independence (1941)September 27, 1941Free FranceGeorges CatrouxUnited Kingdom Egypt
Texas, Republic ofTexas Declaration of IndependenceMarch 2, 1836MexicoFrance
Texas, State ofA Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal UnionFebruary 1, 1861United StatesTexas Legislature
TibetTibet's Declaration of IndependenceFebruary 13, 1913China13th Dalai LamaBogd Khanate of Mongolia
TurkmenistanAbout Independence and Bases of a State System of TurkmenistanOctober 27, 1991Soviet UnionnoneTurkey
UkraineIV UniversalJanuary 22, 1918Russian SFSRCentral Council of Ukraine
UkraineDeclaration of Independence of UkraineAugust 24, 1991Soviet UnionVerkhovna RadaCanada Poland
United StatesUnited States Declaration of IndependenceJuly 4, 1776Great BritainSecond Continental CongressMorocco
United Tribes of New ZealandDeclaration of the Independence of New ZealandOctober 28, 1835—Māori chiefsUnited Kingdom
UzbekistanDeclaration of IndependenceAugust 31, 1991Soviet UnionSupreme Council of UzbekistanTurkey
VenezuelaVenezuelan Declaration of IndependenceJuly 5, 1811SpainNational Congress
VermontVermont Declaration of IndependenceJanuary 15, 1777United States British Quebec
VietnamProclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of VietnamSeptember 2, 1945FranceHồ Chí MinhChina
Democratic Republic of the YorubalandDeclaration of IndependenceApril 13, 2024NigeriaModupe Onitiri-Abiola and Ominira Yoruba Group

See also

Explanatory notes

External links

  • Media related to Declarations of independence at Wikimedia Commons