Political Geography Research

United States

United States declared independence on July 4, 1776

From the 1500s through the 1700s, they were settled and colonized by the Spanish, British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and other European nations.  The original thirteen colonies were held by Great Britain until the Revolutionary War, after which they became the first thirteen states.  There are now 50 states in the United States.  The United States is considered the last true superpower, with the world's largest military and the world's largest economy.

Israel

Israel became an independent state on May 14, 1948.

Following World War Two, the newly-formed United Nations drafted a treaty dividing up some of Palestine's land.  They established an independent Arab state and an independent Jewish state.  Many Jews emigrated to the new nation of Israel post WWII.  Creation of this new Jewish state was not universally accepted by Arabs, even though Israel was officially admitted to the UN on May 11, 1949.  There is still controversy surrounding Israel's very existence in the Middle East.

China

China's official date of independence is October 1, 1949.

China is one of the world's oldest civilizations.  As long ago as 221 BC, China was unified as a nation during the Qin dynasty.  They formed a republic on January 1, 1912.  The current Communist government, officially called the People's Republic of China, was formed in 1949.  

Mexico

Mexico declared independence on September 16, 1810.

Mexico has been around for longer than two millennia. First populated more than 13,000 years ago, the country produced complex indigenous civilizations like the Aztecs before being conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century. Since the Spanish Conquest, Mexico has fused its long-established native civilizations with European culture. It was taken over by Spain from 1519 - 1810 and was finally recognized as an independent nation by Spain in September 27, 1821. France also invaded Mexico in 1861 and set Maximilian I on the Mexican throne, which lasted until 1867.

Iran

Iran's official date of independence on April 1, 1979.

The Persian Empire proper begins in the Iron Age, following the influx of Iranian peoples which gave rise to the Median, Achaemenid, the Parthians, the Sassanid dynasties during classical antiquity. Once a major empire of superpower proportions, Persia, as it had long been called, has been overrun frequently and has had its territory altered throughout the centuries. Invaded and occupied by Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, and others, Persia has always reasserted its national identity and has developed as a distinct political and cultural entity. Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC. The Medes unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. The Islamic conquest of Persia (633–656) ended the Sassanid Empire and was a turning point in Iranian history. The achievements of the previous Persian civilizations were not lost, but were to a great extent absorbed by the new Islamic polity and civilization.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia unified their nation on September 23, 1932.

The modern state of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 with the union of the kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd. the region existed in relative obscurity and isolation, although from the 7th century the cities of Mecca and Medina had the highest spiritual significance for the Islamic world, Mecca being the destination for the Hajj annual pilgrimage. They were at a few points under the influence of Turkey and the British Empire, not many countries wanted to take over the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has always been an independent nation and has never needed to declare independence from another country.

This country has played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy. The British Empire in the 19th century spread over 1 out of 4 of the earth's surface. It declared independence in April 12th 1927.  On that date the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Acts establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  They were never under anyone's rule, they instead took over other countries, including the United States. 

Venezuela

Venezuela gained their independence on July 5, 1811.

In 1522, Spain began their colonization of Venezuela. But, on December 17, 1819 the Congress of Angostura declared Gran Colombia an independent country. After two more years of war, which killed half of Venezuela's White population, the country achieved independence from Spain in 1821 under the leadership of its most famous son, Simón Bolívar. Venezuela, along with the present-day countries of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, formed part of the Republic of Gran Colombia until 1830, when Venezuela separated and became a sovereign country.

Afghanistan

 

Declared Independence  August 19,1919 from the United Kingdom.

 It was never officialy part of the British Empire. The Afganistan people fought three wars with the British before they won there independence called the  First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842), the Second Anglo-Afghan War(1878–80) , and the Third Anglo- Afgan War(1919).




Brazil

 Independence Day is September 7,1822The first European to explore  Brazil was sponcered by Portugal named Pedro Álvares Cabral. From the 16th to 19th centuries Brazil was a Colony of Portugal. It declared its independence on September 7, 1822 and became The Empire of Brazil.  Brazil was first a constitutional monarchy when they  first won their independence, but then in 1889 it became a republican goverment. Brazil has also been a dictatorship and  had military rule it for awhile.

France

There is no official date for their independence day but they celebrate it on the 14th of July. It is referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.The anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation.



Germany

 The Indepence day  is the  18th of January, 1871. It was divided into four zones  (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 after World War II.Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) annonced independence  on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zone. The  German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed on 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone. West Germany and East Germany unified on 3 October 1990. Now  all four powers formally divided now united rights on 15 March 1991.  The National Holiday is celebrated on October 3, 1990.


India

The date of Independence is  August 15, 1947 from the United Kingdom. They celebrate this holiday called republic Day  on January 26th. India got its freedom following an independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress.