Happy Birthday to Republic of the Congo!

Malé, the capital of the Maldives. *Photo from Wikipedia July 26 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Maldives from the United Kingdom in 1965. The Maldives have been historically and culturally linked to the Indian subcontinent since the fourth century BCE (before the Common Era). The Maldivian archipelago was Islamized in the 12th century and consolidated as a sultanate, developing strong commercial and cultural ties with Asia and Africa. From the mid 16th-century, the region came under the increasing influence of European colonial powers, with the Maldives becoming a British protectorate in 1887. Independence from the United Kingdom was

Asunción, the capital and largest city of Paraguay. *Photo from Wikipedia May 14 is Paraguay’s Flag Day, the real date of the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebration continues the next main day, Independence Day. The indigenous Guaraní had been living in Paraguay for at least a millennium before the Spanish conquered the territory in the 16th century. Spanish settlers and Jesuit missions introduced Christianity and Spanish culture to the region. Paraguay was a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire, with few urban centers and settlers. In early 1811 Paraguayan forces had repeatedly defeated Argentinian army which considered

Mausoleum of Tangun, the legendary founder of Gojoseon (古朝鮮), the first ever Korean kingdom. *Photo from Wikipedia October 3 is Gaecheonjeol（開天節）or National Foundation Day. It is a public holiday in South Korea on October 3. This holiday celebrates the formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon (古朝鮮) in 2333 BC. This date has traditionally been regarded as the date for the founding of the Korean nation. Gaecheonjeol is also recognized in North Korea, although not as a public holiday, with an annual ceremony at the Mausoleum of Tangun (檀君), the founder of Gojoseon. In commemoration of the day, let