Happy Independence Day Djibouti

“A wound inflicted by a friend does not heal” - Djiboutian Proverb

(Djibouti flag (1977-Present))

Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa.

(Map of where Djibouti is located)

Its capital is Djibouti City. Djibouti City is also its largest city. The official languages are French and Arabic. The country is 8,958 square miles. Djibouti is 96% African, 3% Asian and 1% European. 94% of Djibouti practices Islam and 6% practice Christianity. The total population is 828,324. The climate is arid in Djibouti. Djibouti is a dominant party semi presidential republic.

(Djibouti City, capital of Djibouti)

Djibouti cuisine consists of Soupe Djiboutienne (spicy boiled beef soup), and yetakelt w'et (spicy mixed vegetable stew).

(Djibouti cuisine)

The major style of music is Balwo.

(Djiboutian man performing Balwo)

Djibouti’s most popular sport is soccer.

(Djibouti’s soccer team)

Humans 1st inhabited Djibouti around the 25th century BC.

(Djibouti ancient drawings)

Djibouti was 1st called Punt. King Parahu and Queen Ati ruled Punt.

(A drawing of Queen Ati (Middle) and King Parahu (Right))

In 1285 the Walashma dynasty took control.

(Warriors of the Walashma dynasty)

In 1862 the name was changed to Obock. It was also ruled by Somali and Afar Sultans.

(An Afar man)

In 1883 France colonized the country.

(Flag of Djibouti (1883-1977))

France then named the country French Somaliland. In 1958 a referendum was held in French Somaliland to decide whether to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France.The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France, partly due to a combined yes vote by the sizable Afar ethnic group and resident Europeans. In 1967 it was renamed French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. Also in 1967 a 2nd referendum was held in Djibouti to decide whether to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France. The country sided with staying with France. In 1977 a third referendum took place. A landslide 98.8% of the electorate supported disengagement from France. On June 27th, 1977 Djibouti gained its independence.

(Djibouti flag (1977-Present))

Hassan Gouled Aptidon became the 1st president.

(Hassan Gouled Aptidon)

Djibouti joined the Organization of African Unity, the Arab League and United Nations. In 1986 the nascent republic was also among the founding members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional development organization. In the early 1990s tensions over government representation led to armed conflict between Djibouti's ruling People's Rally for Progress (PRP) party and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) opposition group.

(FRUD soldiers)

In 2000 the impasse ended in a power sharing agreement. In 2010 Ismail Omar Guelleh became president.

(Ismail Omar Guelleh)

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Djibouti’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Djibouti.

Videos of Djibouti Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6I7m-cNw_M  “JUIN 1977. Premier jour de la République de DJIBOUTI”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enfhykBZQBA  “Ha Xoroobo Caasaqu 2015 Amina Afrik iyo Djibouti Independence Day”  

Happy Independence Day Madagascar

“Without the forest, there will be no more water, without water, there will be no more rice” - Malagasy Proverb

(Madagascar flag (1958-Present))

Madagascar is an island located off the southern east coast of Africa.

(Map of where Madagascar is located)

Its capital is Antananarivo. Antananarivo is also its largest city. The official languages are Malagasy and French. The country is 226,597 square miles. Madagascar is 90% African, 9% Asian and 1% European. 50% of Madagascar practice traditional African religion, 48% practice Christianity, 1% practice Islam and 1% practice Hinduism. The total population is 22,434,363. The climate is tropical in Madagascar. Madagascar is unitary semi presidential republic.

(Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar)

Madagascar cuisine consists of rice, laoka, sweet potato, yams, taro root, cassava, millet and maize.

(Malagasy cuisine)

Literature as expressed in the forms of hainteny (poetry), kabary (public discourse) and ohabolana (proverbs) are popular in Madagascar.

(Malagasy people performing kabary)

The most popular sport in Madagascar is Moraingy, a type of hand to hand combat.

(A Moraingy bout)

Madagascar was 1st inhabited in 2000 BC.

(Ancient structures in Madagascar)

The Bantu people arrived in 1000 AD.

(A Bantu woman)

Also around this time the Arabs set up trade posts in Madagascar. In 1500 the Portuguese came to Madagascar.

(A map of a Portuguese fort in Madagascar)

By 1600 irrigated paddy fields were developed in the central highland Betsileo Kingdom. In the 17th century the French established trading posts. In 1774 Madagascar gained prominence among pirates and European traders, particularly those involved in the trans Atlantic slave trade.

(A drawing of slavery in Madagascar)

In 1793 King Andrianampoinimerina became the ruler of Madagascar.

(King Andrianampoinimerina)

In 1810 King Radama I became ruler of Madagascar. Radama concluded a treaty in 1817 with the British governor of Mauritius to abolish the lucrative slave trade in return for British military and financial assistance.

(King Radama I)

In 1818 missionaries from England arrived in Madagascar. In 1828 Queen Ranavalona I became ruler of Madagascar. She responded to increasing political and cultural encroachment on the part of Britain and France by issuing a royal edict prohibiting the practice of Christianity in Madagascar and pressuring most foreigners to leave the territory.

(Queen Ranavalona I)

Between 1828 and 1861 the tangena ordeal caused about 3,000 deaths annually. In 1852 Prime Minister Rainivoninahitriniony became ruler of Madagascar.

(Prime Minister Rainivoninahitriniony)

In 1869 Christianity was declared the official religion of Madagascar. Legal codes were reformed on the basis of British common law and three European style courts were established in the capital city.

(Madagascar flag (1787-1885))

In 1883 France invaded France to gain control of the island from Great Britain. In 1890 the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French protectorate on the island, but French authority was not acknowledged by the government of Madagascar. To force capitulation, the French bombarded and occupied the harbor of Toamasina on the east coast, and Mahajanga on the west coast. In 1895 the French officially colonized Madagascar.

(Madagascar flag (1896-1958))

In 1896 slavery was abolished in Madagascar. During World War I Malagasy troops fought for France. During World War II the island was the site of the Battle of Madagascar between the Vichy government and the British. In 1947 the Malagasy uprising occurred.

(A Malagasy freedom fighter)

The uprising led the French to establish reformed institutions in 1956. On June 26th, 1960 Madagascar gained its independence.

(Madagascar flag (1958-Present))

The first president was Philibert Tsiranana.

(Philibert Tsiranana)

In 1972 Gabriel Ramanantsoa, a major general in the army, was appointed interim president and prime minister. He stepped down in 1975.

(Gabriel Ramanantsoa)

Colonel Richard Ratsimandrava, appointed to succeed him, was assassinated six days into his tenure. Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka became the leader of Madagascar the same year.

(Didier Ratsiraka)

In 1979 the country went bankrupt. In 1991 presidential guards opened fire on unarmed protesters during a rally.

(Presidential guards firing on protesters)

In 1993 Albert Zafy became president.

(Albert Zafy)

In 2001 Marc Ravalomanana became president. In 2009 Andry Rajoelina became president. In 2013 Hery Rajaonarimampianina became president.

(Hery Rajaonarimampianina)

Today marks the 57th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Madagascar.

Videos of Madagascar Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DQ3LC7iJsY  “Madagascar Independence Celebrations AKA Madagascar Independence Party (1960)”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9jhEiz9A20  “26 JUIN 2017 - FÊTE DE L'INDEPENDANCE DE MADAGASCAR”

  

Happy Independence Day Mozambique

“Do not try to fight a lion if you are not one yourself” - Mozambican Proverb

(Mozambique flag (1983-Present))

Mozambique is located in southeast Africa.

(Map of where Mozambique is located)

Its capital is Maputo. Maputo is also its largest city. The official language is Portuguese. The country is 309,496 square miles. Mozambique is 97.8% African and 2.2% is European. 56.1% of Mozambique practice Christianity, 17.9% practice Islam, 7.3% practice animism, and 18.7% are athiest. The total population is 24,692,144. The climate is tropical in Mozambique. Mozambique is a unitary presidential republic.

(Maputo, capital of Mozambique)

Mozambican cuisine consists of cassava, cashew nuts, Portuguese style French buns, maize, millet, potatoes, rice, and sugarcane.

(Mozambican cuisine)

Mozambique's music is similar to reggae and West Indian calypso.

(Mozambicans performing)

Mozambique’s most popular sport is soccer.

(Mozambique’s soccer team)

In the 1st century AD the Bantu people migrated into Mozambique.

(Bantu people)

They brought with them the technology for smelting and smithing iron. In 1498 the Portuguese came to Mozambique.

(A painting of the Portuguese arriving in Mozambique)

The Portuguese gained control of the Island of Mozambique and the port city of Sofala in the early 16th century. The city was then captured by Somalians. The city was recaptured and by the 1530s, small groups of Portuguese traders and prospectors seeking gold penetrated the interior regions, where they set up garrisons and trading posts at Sena and Tete on the River Zambezi and tried to gain exclusive control over the gold trade. The Portuguese then started to enslave Mozambicans. The Portuguese began to give tribal chiefs the option to either help the Portuguese with the slave trade in trade for weapons or become slaves themselves.

(A drawing of slavery in Mozambique)

During the 19th century the English and French became more involved in the slave trade in Mozambique. At the end of the 19th century slavery had been abolished. At the end of the 19th century the Chartered companies enacted a forced labor policy and supplied cheap often forced African labour to the mines and plantations of the nearby British colonies and South Africa.

(Portuguese overseeing the Mozambicans working)

By the early 20th century the Portuguese had shifted the administration of much of Mozambique to large private companies. In 1951 the Portuguese overseas colonies in Africa were rebranded as Overseas Provinces of Portugal. Many clandestine political movements were established in support of Mozambican independence. In 1964 the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) initiated a guerrilla campaign against Portuguese rule.

(Mozambican soldiers)

From a military standpoint, the Portuguese regular army maintained control of the population centres while the guerrilla forces sought to undermine their influence in rural and tribal areas in the north and west. The Portuguese government began to pay more attention to creating favourable conditions for social development and economic growth. On June 25th, 1975 Mozambique gained its independence.

(Mozambique flag (1975-1983))

A law had been passed on the initiative of the then relatively unknown Armando Guebuza of the FRELIMO party ordering the Portuguese to leave the country in 24 hours with only 44 pounds of luggage.The new government, under president Samora Machel, established a one party state based on Marxist principles. In 1977 began the Mozambican civil war between the opposition forces of anti Communist Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) rebel militias and the FRELIMO regime.

(Mozambican soldiers)

This conflict combined with sabotage from the neighbouring white ruled state of Rhodesia and the apartheid regime of South Africa, ineffective policies, failed central planning, and the resulting economic collapse, characterised the first decades of Mozambican independence. The central government executed tens of thousands of people while trying to extend its control throughout the country and sent many people to re education camps where thousands died. An estimated one million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7 million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced.

(Destruction caused by the civil war)

The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a multi party political system, market based economy, and free elections. In 1992 the civil war ended.

(Declaration of the end of the civil war)

By 1993 more than 1.5 million Mozambican refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa as a result of war and drought had returned. In 1994 Mozambique held elections. FRELIMO won under Joaquim Chissano.

(Joaquim Chissano)

In 1995 Mozambique joined the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1999 FRELIMO won the second elections. In 2000 a cyclone caused widespread flooding in the country, killing hundreds and devastating the already precarious infrastructure.

(Destruction due to the cyclone)

In 2004 FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won with 64% of the popular vote in the elections.

(Armando Guebuza)

In 2015 Filipe Nyusi became the 4th President of Mozambique.

(Filipe Nyusi)

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Mozambique’s independence and we would all like to say happy independence day Mozambique.

Videos of Mozambique independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1AUc-OGIWs  “Día de la Independencia de Mozambique”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJLnexhRW7s  “Performance at Mozambique Independence Day Celerations”