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 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.

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.

Current countries/territories +Modern countryPre-independence nameYear of IndependenceNotesPart of the Kingdom of Sicily1530Agreement between Charles V and the Order of MaltaSpanish Netherlands1581Originally referred to as the Dutch RepublicKingdom of Portugal1640Previously in a personal union with CastileProvince of Paraguay1811Independence recognized in 1842Captaincy General of VenezuelaAchieved real independence from Colombia in 1830Viceroyalty of New Granada1813Originally referred to as the United Provinces of New GranadaViceroyalty of the Río de la Plata1816Originally referred to as the United Provinces of the Río de la PlataCaptaincy General of Chile1818Also previously known as the Kingdom of ChileKingdom of Quito1820Originally referred to as the Free Province of GuayaquilProvince of Costa Rica1821Initially as part of the Federal Republic of Central AmericaReal Audiencia of Santo DomingoAchieved real independence from the Spain in 1865Province of San SalvadorInitially as part of the Federal Republic of Central AmericaKingdom of GuatemalaOriginally referred to as the Federal Republic of Central AmericaProvince of ComayaguaInitially as part of the Federal Republic of Central AmericaViceroyalty of New SpainOriginally referred to as the Empire of MexicoProvince of LeónInitially as part of the Federal Republic of Central AmericaProvince of PanamaInitially as part of the Republic of ColombiaViceroyalty of PeruIndependence achieved in 1824Real Audiencia of Charcas1825Originally referred to as the State of Upper PeruProvince of MontevideoFought against Spain, Brazil and Argentina for independenceCaptaincy General of Cuba1898Detached 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. Captaincy General of the PhilippinesDetached 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. (U.S.)Captaincy General of Puerto RicoDetached from Spain by way of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, becoming an unincorporated territory of the United States to the present. Protectorate in Morocco1956Morocco also achieved independence from France in 1956Territories on the Gulf of Guinea1968Last Spanish territory to achieve independence

Historical countries +CountryModern statePre-independence name (if different)DateYearNotes Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves Kingdom of Portugal under the Iberian Union1 December1640Treaty of Lisbon Spanish Netherlands part of 30 January1648Peace of Münster Austrian Netherlands part of 7 March 1714Treaty of Rastatt Kingdom of Naples (Ruled by the Austrian monarchy)

Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Abruzzo, Molise Lazio Kingdom of Naples (Spanish viceroyalty) Spanish Empire part of Kingdom of Sardinia part of Spanish Empire 8 August1720The Peace of Utrecht in 1713 ceded Sardinia to the Habsburg monarchy, who would then exchange it with Victor Amadeus II for Sicily in the Treaty of the Hague. Saint-Domingue Captaincy General of Santo Domingo?1795Peace of Basel, ceded eastern portion to France French First Republic Louisiana

Iowa Missouri Kansas Oklahoma Nebraska Minnesota Louisiana New Mexico Texas North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming Montana Colorado

Alberta Saskatchewan Spanish Empire Louisiana 21 March 1801Treaty of Aranjuez Republic of West Florida New Spain Spanish West Florida 26 September1810officially 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 Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata14 May1811May Revolution part of Spanish American wars of independence First Republic of Venezuela Venezuela Captaincy General of Venezuela5 JulyVenezuelan wars of independence Uruguay 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 Argentina9 July 1816Argentine wars of independence State of Chile Captaincy General of Chile 12 February1818Chilean wars of independence Gran Colombia Colombia Viceroyalty of New Granada17 December 1819Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada Protectorate of Peru Peru Viceroyalty of Peru28 July1821Peruvian War of Independence First Mexican Empire New Spain15 SeptemberMexican War of Independence First Mexican Empire Costa Rica New Spain Captaincy General of Guatemala 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. First Mexican Empire El Salvador First Mexican Empire Guatemala First Mexican Empire Honduras First Mexican Empire Nicaragua Panama Viceroyalty of New Granada28 NovemberIndependence of Panama (Bloodless revolution) Ecuador 24 May1822Ecuadorian War of Independence Bolivian Republic Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata6 August1825Bolivia war of independence Second Dominican Republic Captaincy General of Santo Domingo (Spanish occupation of the Dominican Republic)15 July 1865Spain 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 Captaincy General of Cuba10 October 1898Prior 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 Captaincy General of Philippines12 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

Spanish East Indies11 February 1899Spain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty (Unincorporated) (Unincorporated) Spanish Empire Captaincy General of Puerto Rico Spanish East Indies11 AprilTreaty of Paris (1898) Spanish protectorate in Morocco7 April 1956Decolonisation of Africa Spanish Guinea12 October 1968 Sidi Ifni Province Ifni30 June1969 Spanish Sahara26 February 1976

See also Mexican War of Independence Spanish American wars of independence Philippines revolution Spanish–American War Eighty Years' War War of the Spanish Succession List of national independence days Spanish-American war

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