Happy Birthday to Myanmar!

Uruguay supporters at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. *Photo from Wikipedia August 25 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Uruguay from Brazil in 1825. Portuguese established “Colonia del Sacramento”, one of the oldest European settlements in the country, in 1680. Montevideo was founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish in the early 18th century, signifying the competing claims over the region. In 1816, a force of 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental (comprising the modern nation of Uruguay, the modern Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina) from Brazil;

A market in Cap Haitien, a commune (the third-level divisions of Haiti) on the north coast of Haiti. *Photo from Wikipedia January 1 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Haiti from France in 1804. Originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people, Europeans first became aware of the island on December 5, 1492 during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus across the Atlantic. When Columbus first landed in Haiti, he had thought he had found India or Asia. The island was named Hispaniola and claimed by Spain, which ruled until the early 17th century. Competing claims and settlements by the

Children in Namibia. *Photo from Wikipedia March 21 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Namibia from South African mandate in 1990. In the late 19th century during European colonization, the German Empire established rule over most of the territory as a protectorate in 1884. It began to develop infrastructure and farming, and maintained this German colony until 1915, when South African forces defeated its military. After the end of World War I, in 1920 the League of Nations mandated the country to the United Kingdom, under administration by South Africa. It imposed its laws, including racial classifications and rules.