Independence from Spain by Country 2025

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Country↑
Modern State
Date Obtained
Preindependence Name
Previous Name
Additional Details
ArgentinaArgentina09-07-1816Viceroyalty of the Río de la PlataUnited Provinces of the Río de la PlataArgentine wars of independence
BelgiumBelgium07-03-1714Spanish NetherlandsAustrian NetherlandsTreaty of Rastatt
BelizeGuatemala | Belize15-09-1821New Spain Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire GuatemalaGuatemala 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.
BoliviaBolivia06-08-1825Viceroyalty of the Río de la PlataBolivian RepublicBolivian war of independence
ChileChile12-02-1818Captaincy General of ChileState of ChileChilean wars of independence
ColombiaColombia17-12-1819Viceroyalty of New GranadaGran ColombiaBolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada
Costa RicaCosta Rica15-09-1821New Spain | Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire | Costa RicaCosta Rica declared its independence from Spain in 1821, declared its independence from the First Mexican Empire in 1823, declared its independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838, and was internationally recognized as Costa Rica in 1850.
CubaCuba10-10-1868Captaincy General of CubaCubaCuba's independence from Spain led directly to an occupation by the United States. (The 1898 Treaty of Paris at the end of the Spahish-American War awarded Cuba to the US). Cuba gained its independence from the USA in 1902.
Dominican RepublicDominican Republic15-07-1865Captaincy General of Santo Domingo | (Spanish occupation of the Dominican Republic)Second Dominican RepublicSpain 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.
EcuadorEcuador24-05-1822Viceroyalty of New GranadaEcuadorEcuadorian War of Independence
El SalvadorEl Salvador15-09-1821New Spain | Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire | El SalvadorEl Salvador declared its independence from Spain in 1821, declared its independence from the First Mexican Empire in 1823, declared its independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1824, and was internationally recognized as El Salvador in 1841.
Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea12-10-1968Spanish GuineaEquatorial GuineaDecolonisation of Africa
GuamGuam11-04-1899Spanish Empire Captaincy General of Puerto Rico | Spanish East IndiesGuamTreaty of Paris (1898)
GuatemalaGuatemala | Belize15-09-1821New Spain | Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire GuatemalaGuatemala declared its independence from Spain in 1821, declared its independence from the First Mexican Empire in 1823, declared its independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1839, and adopted its current constitution in 1985.
HaitiHaiti1795Captaincy General of Santo DomingoSaint-DominguePeace of Basel, ceded eastern portion to France
HondurasHonduras15-09-1821New Spain | Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire HondurasHondruas declared its independence from Spain in 1821, declared its independence from the First Mexican Empire in 1823, and declared its independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838.
ItalyCampania | Calabria | Apulia | Basilicata | Abruzzo | Molise | Lazio 07-03-1714Kingdom of Naples | (Spanish viceroyalty) Spanish EmpireKingdom of Naples | (Ruled by the Austrian monarchy)Treaty of Rastatt
LuxembourgLuxembourg07-03-1714Spanish NetherlandsAustrian NetherlandsTreaty of Rastatt
MexicoMexico15-09-1821New SpainFirst Mexican EmpireMexican War of Independence
MicronesiaFederated States of Micronesia | Marshall Islands | Northern Mariana Islands | Palau11-02-1899Spanish East IndiesGerman New GuineaSpain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty.
Morocco07-04-1956 | 30-06-1969Spainsh protectorate in Morocco | IfniMorocco | Sidi Ifni ProvinceDecolonisation of Africa
NetherlandsNetherlands30-01-1648Spanish NetherlandsDutch RepublicPeace of Münster
NicaraguaNicaragua15-09-1821New Spain | Captaincy General of GuatemalaFirst Mexican Empire | NicaraguaNicaragua declared its independence from Spain in 1821, declared its independence from the First Mexican Empire in 1823, declared its independence from the Federal Republic of Central America in 1838, and was internationally recognized as Nicaragua in 1850.
Northern Mariana IslandsFederated States of Micronesia | Marshall Islands | Northern Mariana Islands | Palau11-02-1899Spanish East IndiesGerman New GuineaSpain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty.
PalauFederated States of Micronesia | Marshall Islands | Northern Mariana Islands | Palau11-02-1899Spanish East IndiesGerman New GuineaSpain sold other smaller islands to Germany in the German–Spanish Treaty.
PanamaPanama28-11-1821Viceroyalty of New GranadaPanamaIndependence of Panama (Bloodless revolution)
ParaguayParaguay14-05-1811Viceroyalty of the Río de la PlataFirst Republic of ParaguayMay Revolution part of Spanish American wars of independence
PeruPeru28-07-1821Viceroyalty of PeruProtectorate of PeruPeruvian War of Independence
PhilippinesPhilippines12-06-1898Captaincy General of PhilippinesFirst Philippine RepublicThe Philippines were transferred from Spanish control to US control as part of the Treaty of Paris in 1898. The Empire of japan occupied the Philippines during WWII, but the United States regained control by the end of the war. In 1946, the Philippines gained independence from the USA and established the Third Republic of the Philippines.
PortugalPortugal01-12-1640Iberian UnionKingdom of Portugal and the AlgarvesTreaty of Lisbon
Puerto Rico11-04-1899Spanish Empire | Captaincy General of Puerto Rico | Spanish East IndiesPuerto RicoTreaty of Paris (1898)
TaiwanTaiwan1642Spanish FormosaDutch FormosaCeded to the Dutch Republic during the Eighty Years' War.
United StatesArkansas | Iowa | Missouri | Kansas | Oklahoma | Nebraska | Minnesota | Louisiana | New Mexico | Texas | North Dakota | South Dakota | Wyoming | Montana | Colorado | Canada Alberta | Saskatchewan 21-03-1801Spanish Empire (Louisiana)French First Republic LouisianaThe Treaty of Aranjuez granted France possession of Spain's New World province Louisiana (for the second time), which at the time stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the edge of modern-day Canada.
UruguayUruguay1811Viceroyalty of the Río de la PlataUruguayUruguay gained independence from Spain, was annexed by the Empire of Brazil, then regained independence in 1825.
VenezuelaVenezuela05-07-1811Captaincy General of VenezuelaFirst Republic of VenezuelaVenezuelan wars of independence
Western SaharaWestern Sahara26-02-1976Spanish SaharaSahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicDecolonisation of Africa
  • In countries such as Italy and the United States, Spain controlled only part of the country’s modern-day territory, which is detailed in the Modern State column.
  • Not every country became fully independent upon its release from Spanish control. Some were instead transferred to the control of another country, such as when portions of Modern Italy went from Spanish control to Austrian control after the Treaty of Rastatt.

During the 16th century, the Spanish Empire conquered new regions. Colonized countries began detaching from Spain in the 19th century with the help of the United States.

The Spanish Netherlands belonged to Spain from 1556 to 1714. On January 30, 1648, Spain recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic, or what is now the Netherlands, though they did not lose control until 1700.

The Iberian Union, or modern-day Portugal, was recognized as an independent country on December 1, 1640. Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Lisbon, which liberated Portugal.

Spanish Formosa, or Taiwan, was ceded to Spain during the eighty-year war and gained independence in 1642.

Before it was the United States, parts of the US were occupied by Spain starting in 1492.

Louisiana, or the French First Republic, was part of the Spanish Empire and was granted independence on March 21, 1801. The territory included what are now US states that include Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and parts of Canada.

During the Mexican War of Independence, New Spain, or Mexico, fought against the Spanish to gain sovereignty. Spain and Mexico signed the peace treaty on September 15, 1821.

Nicaragua, Panama, and Ecuador were all part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. The countries gained their independence between 1821 and 1825.

Cuba and the Philippines, or the Captaincy General of Cuba, gained independence from Spain in 1868 but ended up occupied by the United States. Cuba and the Philippines gained full sovereignty from Spain and the US in 1946.

In 1899, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, which granted the remainder of the US independence. The US territories Puerto Rico and Gaum were included in the Treaty of Paris.