7 countries without independence days

By Patrick Igwe

Independence Day is a major celebration for most countries because it is an indicator of their sovereignty and freedom from colonialism or foreign oppression. This is not the case worldwide because there are countries that don’t observe Independence Day, and the reasons usually come from their history or their political reality today. This article will highlight some of these countries and explain why.

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1. United Kingdom
The UK was one of the world’s biggest colonial empires, not a colony itself. It never needed to fight for independence, so there is no such celebration. Instead, the country has other symbolic days such as the monarch’s official birthday, or saints’ days like St. George’s Day in England and St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland. In modern history, Britain has never experienced colonialism by other countries, so there are no holidays or celebrations signifying liberation from colonialism.

2. China
China’s big national holiday, observed on October 1, is National Day, which commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. It is not an Independence Day because China did not formally gain independence from another state, but rather went through a revolution that established a new government within itself.

3. Denmark
Denmark is one of the oldest monarchies in the world and has never been colonised in the modern sense. Because of this continuous sovereignty, there is no Independence Day to mark. Instead, Danes celebrate Constitution Day on June 5, which reflects democratic milestones rather than liberation.

4. United Arab Emirates
When the UAE came into existence in 1971, it did so by unifying several emirates into one federation after Britain withdrew from the Gulf region. That day, December 2, is celebrated as Union Day, not Independence Day, because the event marked the birth of a new nation rather than freedom from colonisation.

5. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia also doesn’t have an Independence Day. The country celebrates National Day every September 23 to honour the unification of the kingdom in 1932 under King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. It marks the consolidation of power, not independence from foreign rule.

6. Nepal
Unlike its South Asian neighbours, Nepal was never officially colonised by the British Empire. Though it signed treaties and lost territory, it retained sovereignty. Because of this, it does not celebrate independence. Instead, Nepal observes days like National Democracy Day, which commemorate political changes within the country.

7. Japan
Japan, too, avoided colonisation and maintained independence throughout its history, aside from post-World War II occupation by Allied Forces. The nation celebrates National Foundation Day on February 11, a holiday that reflects pride in the nation’s ancient origins, not independence from another state.

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