James Baquet

In various countries around the world there are no fewer than 126 holidays called “independence day” (sometimes with words such as “national” in front of the words). This does not count those with different formulations, such as Ecuador’s “Declaration of Independence of Quito.”

Like America’s Fourth of July, many of these take place in the northern hemisphere’s summer months of July and August. These two months have 44 such days, a disproportionate 35 percent of the total.

Deep winter, on the other hand, has the fewest. There are only five in December, three in January, and seven in February. These 15 make up less than 12 percent of the total.

In addition to the American celebration, July’s independence days include those of three African countries which celebrate July 1. Somalia was formed from a former Italian and a former British colony in 1960. Burundi and Rwanda together separated from Belgium in 1962.

The former Soviet country of Belarus recognizes several turning points in its independence, including July 3, 1944, when its capital of Minsk was liberated from the Nazis, on July 27, 1991, when its sovereignty was declared and on Dec. 26, 1991, when its independence was formalized after the Soviet Union collapsed. However, since 1996, the July 3 date has been observed.

One source claims that the partially recognized state of Abkhazia, formerly part of the country of Georgia, coincidentally celebrates its independence July 4.

Algeria in north Africa, and Cape Verde, off that continent’s west coast, both celebrate July 5, as does Venezuela, on the northern coast of South America. Though the two African countries are relatively near each other, they achieved independence in different years and from different countries.

The same holds true for the African island country of Comoros off the east coast, and Malawi, a landlocked inland country from the east coast, which attained independence July 6 in the years 1975 (from France) and 1964 (from the United Kingdom), respectively.

We’ll look at the other July independence days next time.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. having independent status as a government

2. at least

3. asserts, declares

4. ways of expressing something

5. set free

6. happen, occur

7. not in proper relationship

8. surrounded by other countries

9. away from the sea coast

10. territory separated from a “mother country”