Scots go to the polls on Sept. 18 to vote on a referendum that could break up the 307-year union between Scotland and England and separate their country from the United Kingdom. If they vote yes, Scotland would the first in 30 years to declare independence from Britain.
Some 57 other countries, through peaceful means or on the battlefield, have declared their independence from Britain. The US was the first, in 1776, and the tiny Southeast Asia nation of Brunei was the last, in 1984.
Here’s a map of all the countries that declared independence from the UK in the 20th century, based on when each country’s independence was officially recognized by the UK (only the US’ split-off came earlier):
And here’s a chart showing when those declarations of independence occurred:
