List of countries that have gained independence from Spain

The list of countries obtaining independence from Spain is a list of countries that broke away from Spain for independence, or occasionally incorporation into another country, as depicted in the map below. These processes came about at different periods and world regions starting in the 17th century (Portugal).

Independence waves

edit

Since its beginnings in the 16th century, the Spanish empire conquered new areas starting out from its Castilian core kingdom. In 1597, the Spanish (Castilian) crown lost the Netherlands (Holland). In 1640, Portugal split away after Philip II had incorporated it to its domains in 1581. A second independence tide came about following the Independence of the Thirteen Colonies in North America and the Battle of Trafalgar that heralded the end of the Spanish Atlantic hegemony. Venezuela (1811), under the influence of the Basque Enlightenment, sparked the independence movements of Central and Southern America, spearheaded by Simon Bolivar.[1][2]

During the Spanish Restoration in the late 19th century, the last major colonies Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines detached from the metropolis with the support of the United States. Since the 1950s, Spain lost the last continental lands in Africa, Spanish protectorate in Morocco, Ifni, Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara.[2][1]

States

edit
No Country Modern state Pre-independence name

(if different)

Date year note
1   Dutch Republic   Netherlands   Spanish Netherlands part of   Holy Roman Empire 30 January 1648 Peace of Münster[3]
2   Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves   Portugal   Iberian Union 1 December 1640 Treaty of Lisbon
3   Dutch Formosa   Taiwan   Spanish Formosa ? 1642 It was ceded to the Dutch Republic during the Eighty Years' War.
4   Sardinia   Sardinia part of   Italy Kingdom of Sardinia part of   Spanish Empire 8 August 1720 Philip V's viceroy handed Sardinia over to an Austrian representative, who in turn transferred it to the viceroy of Victor Amadeus
5   Austrian Netherlands part of   Holy Roman Empire   Luxembourg   Spanish Netherlands part of   Holy Roman Empire 7 March 1714 Treaty of Rastatt
6   Austrian Netherlands part of   Holy Roman Empire   Belgium   Spanish Netherlands part of   Holy Roman Empire 7 March 1714 Treaty of Rastatt
7   Kingdom of Naples (Ruled by the Austrian monarchy)   Kingdom of Naples

  (Spanish viceroyalty) Spanish Empire

7 March 1714 Treaty of Rastatt
8   Saint-Domingue   Haiti   Captaincy General of Santo Domingo ? 1795 Peace of Basel, ceded eastern portion to France
9 21 March 1801 Treaty of Aranjuez
10   Republic of West Florida 26 September 1810 officially the State of Florida, was a short-lived republic in the western region of Spanish West Florida in 1810. It was annexed and occupied by the United States later in 1810
11   First Republic of Paraguay   Paraguay   Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 14 May 1811 May Revolution part of Spanish American wars of independence
12   First Republic of Venezuela   Venezuela   Captaincy General of Venezuela 5 July 1811 Venezuelan wars of independence
13   Uruguay   Uruguay   Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata ? 1811 Uruguay gained independence from Spain, was annexed by the Empire of Brazil, then regained independence in 1825.
14   United Provinces of the Río de la Plata   Argentina   Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 9 July 1816 Argentine wars of independence
15   State of Chile   Chile   Captaincy General of Chile 12 February 1818 Chilean wars of independence
16   Gran Colombia   Colombia   Viceroyalty of New Granada 17 December 1819 Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada
17   Protectorate of Peru   Peru   Viceroyalty of Peru 28 July 1821 Peruvian War of Independence
18   First Mexican Empire   Mexico   New Spain 15 September 1821 Mexican War of Independence
19   Costa Rica 15 September 1821 Costa Rica part of 1st Mexican Empire. Then later got independence and creation of Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. Then later dissolved in 1841 creation of Costra Rica.
20   El Salvador 15 September 1821 El Salvador part of 1st Mexican Empire. Then later got independence and creation of Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. Then later dissolved in 1841 creation of El Salvador.
21   Guatemala

  Belize

15 September 1821 Guatemala part of 1st Mexican Empire. Then later got independence and creation of Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. Then later dissolved in 1841 creation of Guatemala. late British annexed north-east Guatemala and made colony of British Honduras
22   Honduras 15 September 1821 Honduras part of 1st Mexican Empire. Then later got independence and creation of Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. Then later dissolved in 1841 creation of Honduras.
23   Nicaragua 15 September 1821 Nicaragua part of 1st Mexican Empire. Then later got independence and creation of Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. Then later dissolved in 1841 creation of Nicaragua.
24   Panama   Panama   Viceroyalty of New Granada 28 November 1821 Independence of Panama (Bloodless revolution)
25   Ecuador   Ecuador   Viceroyalty of New Granada 24 May 1822 Ecuadorian War of Independence
26   Bolivian Republic   Bolivia   Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 6 August 1825 Bolivia war of independence
27   Second Dominican Republic   Dominican Republic   Captaincy General of Santo Domingo

(Spanish occupation of the Dominican Republic)

15 July 1865 Spain ceded the island to France in the Peace of Basel. Spain recaptured the eastern portion of Santo Domingo 1809-1821 (the España Boba period). The Republic of Spanish Haiti gained independence from Spain in 1821, was occupied by Haiti, then gained independence as the First Dominican Republic; reoccupied by Spain 1861-1865, the Second Dominican Republic gained independence but was occupied by the United States 1916-1924. The Third Dominican Republic followed the U.S. occupation.
28    Cuba   Cuba   Captaincy General of Cuba 10 October 1898 Prior to its independence from Spain, the United States occupied the island until the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1898), which ended the Spanish–American War). The U.S. Armed Forces left the island in 1902.
29   First Philippine Republic   Philippines   Captaincy General of Philippines 12 June 1898 The Philippines got independence from Spain. But United States occupied Philippines (USA and Spain has sigin deal of Treaty of Paris (1898). Spain give Philippines to USA to end Spanish American war) . But Empire of japan occupied Philippines during WWII and Japan has Surrender due to after atomic bomb and USA take control Philippines .Then later the Philippines got independence from USA in 1946 and established Third Republic of the Philippines
30   German New Guinea   Spanish East Indies 11 February 1899 Spain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty
30 11 April 1899 Treaty of Paris (1898)
31   Morocco   Spanish protectorate in Morocco 7 April 1956 Decolonisation of Africa
32   Equatorial Guinea   Spanish Guinea 12 October 1968 Decolonisation of Africa
33   Ifni 30 June 1969 Decolonisation of Africa
34   Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic   Spanish Sahara 26 February 1976 Decolonisation of Africa

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Humanities › History & Culture Independence from Spain in Latin America". ThoughtCo. Dotdash. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Simón Bolívar: The Liberator". latinamericanstudies.org. Dr. Antonio Rafael de la Cova. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ Onnekink, David (2018-05-03), "Eighty Years' War (1568-1648)", The Encyclopedia of Diplomacy, Oxford, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 1–6, doi:10.1002/9781118885154.dipl0415, ISBN 978-1-118-88791-2, retrieved 2022-11-13