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National Day facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden carriage group 2013 (2)
In monarchies (such as in Sweden, 6 June 2013) the head of state will often ride through the streets and greet citizens on National Day.

The National Day of a country is a special day where the people normally celebrate the country. It is usually a national holiday.

In most cases, National Day is the day the country became independent or a new government was put in place. Most countries only have one National Day per year, although some, like India and Pakistan have more than one. Denmark and the United Kingdom are among the very few countries that do not have a national day.

List of National Days

National Days map
     Independence-related National Day      Revolution or Unification-related National Day      No official National Day
Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
See also

A

B

  • Botswana 30 September (Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966)
  • Brazil 7 September (Dia da Independência, declaration of independence from Portugal in 1822)

C

D

E

F

G

  • Gabon 17 August (Independence from France 1960)
  • Gambia 18 February (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1965)
  • Georgia 26 May (Day of First Republic, declaration of independence from Russia 1918)
  • Germany 3 October (German Unity Day, unification of West Germany and East Germany 1990)
  • Ghana 6 March (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1957)
  • Gibraltar, United Kingdom 10 September (Gibraltar National Day, people of Gibraltar vote to reject Spanish sovereignty or association 1967)
  • Greece 25 March (Declaration of independence from Ottoman Empire 1821), 28 October (Ohi Day, rejection of the Italian ultimatum 1940)
  • Greenland (Denmark) 21 June (Longest Day of the Year) (The National Day was introduced in 1983 as one of the Home Rule's traditions and is thus one of several expressions of national identity, which is also reflected in the flag, clothing, national anthem and language)
  • Grenada 7 February (Independence from United Kingdom 1974)
  • Guadeloupe, France 14 July (Bastille Day), 27 May Abolition of slavery day (regional only)
  • Guam (US) 21 July (Liberation Day, Americans landing on Guam 1944, the beginning of the Battle of Guam (1944))
  • Guatemala 15 September (Independence from Spain 1821)
  • Guernsey and Dependencies, British Islands 9 May (Liberation Day, the end of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II 1945)
  • Guinea 3 April (Independence from France 1958 on 2 October)
  • Guinea-Bissau 24 September (Declaration of independence from Portugal 1973)
  • Guyana 23 February (Republic Day, also known as Mashramani, republic 1970)

H

I

J

  • Jamaica 1st Monday in August (Independence from the United Kingdom 6 August 1962)
  • Japan 11 February (National Foundation Day, Jimmu, the first emperor, is crowned in year 660 BC)
  • Jersey, British Islands 9 May (Liberation Day, the end of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II 1945)
  • Jordan 25 May (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1946; the parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their king 1946)

K

  • Kazakhstan 25 October (Republic Day, declared sovereign republic within the USSR 1990)
  • Kenya 12 December (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1963; Republic Day, (Jamhuri Day), 1964)
  • Kiribati 12 July (Independence from the United Kingdom in 1979)
  • North Korea 15 August (liberation from Japanese rule, 1945) 9 September (declaration of the North Korean State, 1948)
  • South Korea 15 August (both the liberation from Japanese rule, 1945 (Gwangbokjeol) and the declaration of the South Korean state, 1948), 3 October (Gaecheonjeol, the ancient Korea founded in 2333 BC), 1 March (declaration of independence of modern Korea and the March 1st movement, 1919)
  • Kurdistan 21 March (Nawroz, Kurdish New Year celebrated on the spring equinox)
  • Kuwait 25 February (National Day) (26 February is Liberation Day, from Iraq 1991)
  • Kyrgyzstan 31 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the USSR in 1991)
  • Kosovo 17 February (see 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence)

L

  • Laos 2 December (National Day, people's republic declared 1975)
  • Latvia 18 November (Declaration of independence from Russia 1918)
  • Lebanon 22 November (Independence from France 1943),25 May (Resistance and Liberation Day from Israel 2000)
  • Lesotho 4 October (Independence from the United Kingdom 1966)
  • Liberia 26 July (Proclamation of the Republic: independence from the United States 1847)
  • Libya 17 February (The revolution against El-Gazafi)
  • Liechtenstein 15 August (The Hereditary Prince becomes Regent 2004)
  • Lithuania 16 February (Lithuanian State Reestablishment Day, declaration of independence from Russia and Germany 1918); 6 July (Statehood Day, establishment of the medieval Lithuanian kingdom by Mindaugas in 1253.)
  • Luxembourg 23 June (the Monarch's birthday)

M

  • Macau 20 December (Transfer of sovereignty to the PRC 1999) 1 October (National Day of the People's Republic of China)
  • Macedonia 8 September (Den na nezavisnosta or Ден на независноста, declaration of independence from Yugoslavia 1991)
  • Madagascar 26 June (Independence from France 1960)
  • Madeira Day 1 July (Autonomy from Portugal)
  • Malawi 6 July (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1964; and Republic Day 1966)
  • Malaysia 31 August (Hari Merdeka, independence (within the Commonwealth) from the United Kingdom 1957) and 16 September (Malaysia Day, the formation of Malaysia)
  • Maldives 1st of Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar
  • Mali 22 September (Independence from the Mali Federation 1960)
  • Malta 31 March (Freedom Day, withdrawal of British troops from Malta 1979), 7 June (Sette Giugno, bread riot of 1919 where 4 Maltese men died), 8 September (Victory Day, victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Great Siege of Malta 1565; Italian government publicly announced agreement to an armistice with the WWII Allies, therefore ending the attacks on Malta by the Italians 1943) 21 September (Independence Day, independence from the United Kingdom 1964), 13 December (Republic Day, republican constitution of 1974, therefore becoming a republic).
  • Marshall Islands 1 May (Constitution Day, 1979)
  • Martinique, France 14 July (Bastille Day), 22 May Abolition of slavery day (regional only)
  • Mauritania 28 November (Independence Day, from France 1960)
  • Mauritius 12 March (Independence Day, independence from the United Kingdom 1968, republic 1992)
  • Mayotte France 14 July (Bastille Day), 27 April Abolition of slavery day (regional only)
  • Mexico 16 September (Grito de Dolores, declaration of independence from Spain 1810)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of 3 November (Independence Day, from the US-administered UN Trusteeship 1979)
  • Minorca, Spain 17 January (Alfonso III of Aragon took the island from Muslims, 1287)
  • Moldova 27 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union 1991)
  • Monaco 19 November (the levée of Prince Albert II 2005)
  • Mongolia 11 July (Naadam Holiday, declaration of independence from China 1921; however, Naadam is also celebrated in China by both Han Chinese and Mongols without political attachments)
  • Montenegro 13 July (recognised as independent at the Congress of Berlin 1878), 21 May (independence on the referendum in 2006)
  • Montserrat, United Kingdom 2nd Saturday in June
  • Morocco 2 March (Independence from France 1956)
  • Mozambique 25 June (Independence from Portugal 1975)
  • Myanmar 10th day following the full moon of the month of Tazaungmone (beginning of Student led protests against British colonial government in 1920), in late November or December

N

O

P

  • Pakistan 23 March (Pakistan Day, the Pakistan resolution passed in Lahore in 1940), 14 August (Independence Day (Pakistan), independence from the British Indian Empire in 1947)
  • Palau 9 July (Constitution Day, the world's first nuclear-free constitution 1981; "nuclear-free" dropped in 1994 in order to become an associated state to the United States in the Compact of Free Association)
  • Palestine 15 November
  • Panama 3 November (Separation Day, declaration of independence from Colombia 1903)
  • Papua New Guinea 16 September (Independence from Australia in 1975)
  • Paraguay 14 May (Independence Day (Día de Independencia), declaration of independence from Spain in 1811)
  • Peru 28 July (Declaration of independence from Spain in 1821)
  • Philippines 12 June (Araw ng Kalayaan), Philippine Declaration of Independence, from Spain in 1898
  • Pitcairn Islands, United Kingdom 2nd Saturday in June
  • Poland 3 May (Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja, Constitution Day, 1791), 11 November, (Święto Niepodległości, Independence Day, restoration of independence from Austro-Hungary, Prussia, and Russia in 1918)
  • Portugal 10 June (Portugal Day, "Day of Camões, Portugal, and the Portuguese Communities", National Poet Luís de Camões dies in 1580)
  • Puerto Rico 25 July (Constitution Day, establishment of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 1952. Formerly Invasion Day (1898))

Q

R

S

T

U

V

  • Vanuatu 30 July (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom and France 1980)
  • Vatican City 24 April (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope 2005)
  • Venezuela 5 July (Independence Day, declaration of independence from Spain 1811)
  • Vietnam 2 September (National Day, declaration of independence from France and Japan 1945)

W

Y

Z

  • Zambia 24 October (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the United Kingdom 1964)
  • Zimbabwe 18 April (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the United Kingdom 1980; it had previously declared independence as Rhodesia in 1965)

Other pages

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Día nacional para niños

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