List of countries that have gained independence from Spain

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

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 overseas territories Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Philippines detached from the metropolis with the support of the United States during the Spanish–American War in 1898. Since the 1950s, Spain lost the last continental lands in Africa, Spanish protectorate in Morocco, Ifni, Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara.[2][1]

Current countries/territories

More information Modern country, Pre-independence name ...
Modern country Pre-independence name Year of Independence Notes
Malta Part of the Kingdom of Sicily 1530 Agreement between Charles V and the Order of Malta
Netherlands Spanish Netherlands 1581 Originally referred to as the Dutch Republic
Portugal Kingdom of Portugal 1640 Previously in a personal union with Castile
Paraguay Province of Paraguay 1811 Independence recognized in 1842
Venezuela Captaincy General of Venezuela Achieved real independence from Colombia in 1830
Colombia Viceroyalty of New Granada 1813 Originally referred to as the United Provinces of New Granada
Argentina Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 1816 Originally referred to as the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Chile Captaincy General of Chile 1818 Also previously known as the Kingdom of Chile
Ecuador Kingdom of Quito 1820 Originally referred to as the Free Province of Guayaquil
Costa Rica Province of Costa Rica 1821 Initially as part of the Federal Republic of Central America
Dominican Republic Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo Achieved real independence from the Spain in 1865
El Salvador Province of San Salvador Initially as part of the Federal Republic of Central America
Guatemala Kingdom of Guatemala Originally referred to as the Federal Republic of Central America
Honduras Province of Comayagua Initially as part of the Federal Republic of Central America
Mexico Viceroyalty of New Spain Originally referred to as the Empire of Mexico
Nicaragua Province of León Initially as part of the Federal Republic of Central America
Panama Province of Panama Initially as part of the Republic of Colombia
Peru Viceroyalty of Peru Independence achieved in 1824
Bolivia Real Audiencia of Charcas 1825 Originally referred to as the State of Upper Peru
Uruguay Province of Montevideo Fought against Spain, Brazil and Argentina for independence
Cuba Captaincy General of Cuba 1898 Detached from Spain by way of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, becoming a protectorate of the United States. Gained independence from the U.S. in 1902, but remained under its direct influence until 1934 through the Platt Amendment.
Philippines Captaincy General of the Philippines Detached from Spain by way of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, becoming a territory of the United States. Gained independence from the U.S. in 1946 through the Treaty of Manila.
Puerto Rico (U.S.) Captaincy General of Puerto Rico Detached from Spain by way of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, becoming an unincorporated territory of the United States to the present.
Morocco Protectorate in Morocco 1956 Morocco also achieved independence from France in 1956
Equatorial Guinea Territories on the Gulf of Guinea 1968 Last Spanish territory to achieve independence
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Historical countries

More information Country, Modern state ...
Country Modern state Pre-independence name (if different) Date year note
Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves  Portugal Iberian Union 1 December 1640 Treaty of Lisbon
 Dutch Republic  Netherlands Spanish Netherlands part of Holy Roman Empire 30 January 1648 Peace of Münster[3]
Austrian Netherlands part of Holy Roman Empire  Luxembourg 7 March 1714 Treaty of Rastatt
 Belgium
Kingdom of Naples (Ruled by the Austrian monarchy) Kingdom of Naples

(Spanish viceroyalty) Spanish Empire

 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
Saint-Domingue Haiti Captaincy General of Santo Domingo ? 1795 Peace of Basel, ceded eastern portion to France
21 March 1801 Treaty of Aranjuez
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
First Republic of Paraguay Paraguay Paraguay Spain Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 14 May 1811 May Revolution part of Spanish American wars of independence
First Republic of Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela Spain Captaincy General of Venezuela 5 July Venezuelan wars of independence
Uruguay Uruguay Uruguay Spain Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata ? Uruguay gained independence from Spain, was annexed by the Empire of Brazil, then regained independence in 1825.
United Provinces of the Río de la Plata Argentina Argentina 9 July 1816 Argentine wars of independence
State of Chile  Chile Spain Captaincy General of Chile 12 February 1818 Chilean wars of independence
Gran Colombia Colombia Colombia Spain Viceroyalty of New Granada 17 December 1819 Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada
Protectorate of Peru Peru Peru Spain Viceroyalty of Peru 28 July 1821 Peruvian War of Independence
First Mexican Empire Mexico Spain New Spain 15 September Mexican War of Independence
 Costa Rica Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua were part of the First Mexican Empire. They later got independence and formed the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. The Federal Republic of Central America dissolved in 1841, leading to the creation of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The British had annexed northeastern Guatemala, which became the colony of British Honduras.
El Salvador
Guatemala

Belize

Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama Panama Spain Viceroyalty of New Granada 28 November Independence of Panama (Bloodless revolution)
Ecuador Ecuador 24 May 1822 Ecuadorian War of Independence
Bolivia Bolivian Republic Bolivia Spain Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata 6 August 1825 Bolivia war of independence
Dominican Republic Second Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Spain 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.
Cuba Cuba Spain 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.
First Philippine Republic First Philippine Republic Philippines Spain Captaincy General of Philippines 12 June The Philippines gained its independence from Spain. But United States occupied Philippines (USA and Spain had signed the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Spain give the Philippines to USA to end the Spanish-American war). The Empire of Japan then occupied Philippines during the Second World War before surrendering, after which point the US took control of the Philippines. The Philippines gained independence from the US in 1946 and established the Third Republic of the Philippines
German New Guinea Spain Spanish East Indies 11 February 1899 Spain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty
11 April Treaty of Paris (1898)
Morocco Spanish protectorate in Morocco 7 April 1956 Decolonisation of Africa
Equatorial Guinea Francoist Spain Spanish Guinea 12 October 1968
Francoist Spain Ifni 30 June 1969
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Francoist Spain Spanish Sahara 26 February 1976
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References

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