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Corporate & National Flags | Digital Printed in NZ | Flags Group

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Flags Group is the most experienced flag manufacturers in New Zealand. Over 35 years in wind powered signage. We manufacture all types of flags. Buy online.

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Ecuador is one of the very few mega diverse nations in the world. Spain was defeated in 1830 and Ecuador was independent probably the best-known part of Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands. They began to see many improvements as they started to gain independence but they still weren't content. Then in 2001 when the U.S. dollar was adopted that made many people upset.

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Ecuador's Independence Day is known as 'Día del Primer Grito de Independencia de Quito', translated is  ‘Day of Quito’s First Cry of Independence’. On that day the citizens of Quito rebelled and declared their independence from Spain. Their independence day takes place on August 10th every year. The rest of the country celebrated their independence after they won the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822.

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History of Ecuador Independence Day

The Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro, took over what is now Ecuador from the Inca in 1532 after an Incan civil war, and in 1563 Quito became an administrative region of Spain. After nearly three hundred years of Spanish rule, the citizens of Quito, which had already seen several political revolts in 1592 and 1765, led by Juan Pío Montúfar, Quiroga, Salinas, and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo, overthrew Manuel Ruiz Urriés de Castilla y Pujadas, president of the Royal Audiencia of Quito on August 10, 1809. They formed a provisional government junta in the house of Manuela Cañizares that same day.

However, only the nearest cities, such as Ibarra, Ambato, and Riobamba, joined their cause. Guayaquil stayed loyal to the king, and their authorities asked the viceroy of Peru to block the coast of Ecuador. Montúfar, then president of the Junta, felt too pressured and stepped down on October 12. He was replaced by José Guerrero, but on October 24, they had no choice but to give the power back to Ruiz de Castilla. He dissolved the Junta, re-established the Royal Audiencia of Quito, and persecuted and incarcerated the members.

On August 2, 1810, rebels attempted to free the imprisoned members, but they failed and the authorities responded by executing the prisoners. The fight was moved to the streets of Quito and resulted in the deaths of over 200 citizens. This, however, was just the beginning of the fight, and liberator Simón Bolivar felt justified in declaring war on the Spanish authorities. On October 9, 1820, Guayaquil became the first city to gain its independence from Spain. The rest of the country celebrated their independence following their victory at the Battle of Pichincha under the command of Bolívar, on May 24, 1822.

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On Ecuador's Independence Day, remember the history of this country's revolution.

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It is a commonwealth of the states. Following the defeat of the Mexican War of Independence, as well as the rest of Central America, Costa Rica gained their independence. September 15th, 1812 was the day the gained it and the day they celebrate each year. On that day Costa Rica began to redefine itself and it's country.

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Here's Why Puerto Rico Is Part of the U.S. — Sort Of | History

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It was a very long and hard-fought struggle for Costa Rica to gain their independence. The Mexican War was an important part in them gaining independence. September 15 is the day that Costa Rica celebrates their independence. On the 15th of September, 1821, the entirety of Central America officially broke free from Spanish rule and was independent for the first time in its history.

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The Most important part of Costa Rican History

Achieving Costa Rica Independence was one of the most important events in Costa Rica's short history. Unlike many of their neighbors, however, the Ticos managed to do it without bloodshed or revolution. While this is certainly a blessing, it does not mean that it was a simple process. In fact, they had to win their freedom not once, but twice!

Freedom for Spain

Up to this point, most of continental America to the south of the United States was part of the Spanish empire. The wealth generated from the work of the Latin Americans largely benefited only the Kingdom of Spain. Costa Rica was no different, and it formed part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, a large territory which included the whole of Central America and Mexico.

Over time, the people of Latin America grew tired of this arrangement. The voices calling for change became louder and louder. It wasn't until 1808, however, that Spanish America would get its chance to break free. In this year, the French general Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and deposed their ruling family. This is where it all began. The whole of Latin America was in revolt against Spain and cries for independence were creating a domino effect across the continent. It gave the Latin Americans a chance to rebel and all across the region independence movements formed.

How Did Costa Rica Gain Independence?

It was a long and hard-fought struggle, but eventually most of the Spanish colonies broke free. As part of New Spain, it was the Mexican war which was most important for Costa Rica independence. Luckily for the Costa Ricans, the province was the most remote part of New Spain. The fighting did not affect them directly and they avoided the violence which plagued places like Mexico and Peru. On the 15 th of September 1821, the whole of Central America officially broke free from Spanish rule and was independent for the first time in its history. Thanks to its remoteness and the lack of technology at the time, the Ticos did not find out that they were independent until over a month later. The decision had been made in Guatemala and it took several weeks for the news to travel all the way down to Costa Rica. Nevertheless, when it finally did arrive, the news met with great celebration. Today the 15 th of September is still celebrated as the day of Costa Rica independence. It shares this date with Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Celebration of the Independence Day

Every year the country closes its businesses for the day to focus on patriotic celebrations. Each town and city has its only street party with parades forming the main focus of the festivities. Everywhere you look, you will see people in traditional dress, as well as folk music and Costa Rican culinary delicacies. A few days earlier a torch's lit in Guatemala and makes its way down Central America. This is a re-enactment of how the news of independence made its way through the different countries, and it culminates on the 15 th by reaching the Costa Rican city of Cartago. The highlight of the day is the raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem, but afterwards the party continues late into the night.

Costa Rica Independence Mark Two

Having won their freedom from the Spanish, Central America now had to work out how it wanted to govern itself. Things got a bit confused and tempers flared as everyone had different ideas about how they should do this. The countries we know today had never existed at this point. Instead, the territories were ruled by massive viceroyalties which encompassed very different groups of people. There was a great debate about whether these states would stay intact or break up into smaller units. If they were to break up, it was unclear how they should do this as there were no existing borders to use.

Costa Rica had been part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain which extended all the way to the northern border of Mexico. The whole of Central America had declared independence together. There were differing opinions about whether sticking together was the best course of action. They formally united with Mexico but had won their independence separately. Because of their shared history, Central America and Mexico briefly reunited but after just two years they split off again from their northern neighbor.

The remaining countries formed the Federal Republic of Central America and so, while independent from Spain, Costa Rica was not a sovereign nation. The Republic was ruled from Guatemala (and later El Salvador), and each of today's countries became states. Within Costa Rica, this political situation created a lot of division with some supporting unification and others favoring independence.

Only a few years later, the independence of Costa Rica was threatened when William Walker and its army tried to conquer Costa Rica by invading through Guanacaste. Civil war broke out and William Walker's army was pushed back to Nicaragua at the Battle of Rivas. It was here that Juan Santamaría advanced and was able to set the barricades of the enemy on fire. Because of this, the Costa Ricans were able to win the battle and Juan Santamaría is now part of Costa Rican culture as a celebrated national hero.

Differences across Countries

Differences were mirrored across Central America, and the two camps developed in parallel with the existing debate between liberals and conservatives. The liberals supported unification, and the conservatives wanted independence.

The president of the republic for much of its existence was a Honduran named Francisco Morazan. He strongly supported unification and campaigned all over Central America in its favor. He faced strong opposition all over Central America however, and things came to a head in 1838 when Nicaragua declared independence. Costa Rica and Honduras followed their example, and the Republic fell apart. Costa Rica finally became a fully independent nation and remained so ever since.

Within this, Costa had its own battle between the radicals and the conservatists. Cartago along with Heredia favored imperial interests and wanted to join Mexico. San Jose being the radical rebel, demanded full independence and eventually won the argument, becoming Costa Rica's new capital to boot.

The aftermath - The way to democracy

In following decades, there were several attempts to reunite the Central America countries. These have always ended in failure, and during one of them, Morazan was killed as he tried to reconquer the country. Costa Rica's the most independently minded of the Central American nations. Also, fiercely proud of its independent status and the sacrifices made to achieve it.

In fact, in 1948 José Figueres Ferrer led an uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. More than 2,000 people died. The 44-day Civil War was the bloodiest event in recent Costa Rican history. The new constitution guaranteeing free elections with universal suffrage and the abolition of the Costa Rican military. Figueres became a national hero and in 1953, he won the first election under the new constitution. Ever since that time, Costa Rica has been one of the few democracies to run without a standing army, a fact they are still admired for. The nation has known 16 successive presidential elections with the latest being in 2018. Today, more and more call for reform is hitting Costa Rica news . The government is slowly taking further steps towards improving on its human rights.

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Costa Rica Independence - September 15th, 1821 - A Historic Moment

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The Costa Rica Independence is one of the most important dates in this countries history. This is when Costa Rica became a nation.

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Belize gained independence on September 21st, 1981. Belize is the only country in Central America with a monarch as its head of state. Guatemala retains a territorial claim against Belize stemming from its rights as a former a colony of Spain. Premier George Price broke the news that Belize would become an Independent nation on Monday, September 21, 1981.

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A look back at Belize's Independence Day, September 21st, 1981

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Belize evolved through several stages of decolonization, from universal adult suffrage in 1954 to a new constitution and internal self-government in 1964, when George Price, a middle-class Roman Catholic intellectual of mixed Creole and mestizo ancestry, became premier. By the early 1990's Guatemala formally recognized Belize as an independent state. Belize became independent on September 21, 1981. The British military presence was withdrawn in 1994, and border security became the sole responsibility of the Belize Defense Force, which had been created in 1978. By the early 1990s Guatemala had formally recognized Belize as an independent state.

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Belize evolved through several stages of decolonization, from universal adult suffrage in 1954 to a new constitution and internal self-government in 1964, when George Price, a middle-class Roman Catholic intellectual of mixed Creole and mestizo ancestry, became premier. (Price became leader of the PUP in 1954.) Unrelenting Guatemalan hostility, however, impeded independence. In the 1970s Belize took its case for self-determination to the international community, appealing to the United Nations (UN) and joining the Nonaligned Movement ( see neutralism). Although the dispute between Guatemala and Great Britain remained unresolved, Belize became independent on September 21, 1981, with a British defense guarantee, and was admitted to the UN. The British military presence was withdrawn in 1994, and border security became the sole responsibility of the Belize Defence Force, which had been created in 1978. By the early 1990s Guatemala had formally recognized Belize as an independent state, and Belize had joined the Organization of American States (OAS); however, the territorial dispute heated up again in the late 1990s. In 2002 an OAS-assisted facilitation process formally proposed a solution, but Guatemala refused to accept it. In 2005 the two countries agreed that if a negotiated settlement proved to be impossible, the dispute could be settled by an international legal entity. In 2008 the governments of Belize and Guatemala agreed to submit their case to the International Court of Justice, subject to referenda in both countries.

In domestic politics the United Democratic Party (UDP), formed in 1973 and led by Manuel Esquivel, won the general election in 1984, but in 1989 the PUP won the election and Price again became prime minister (as the office was now called). The UDP won in a close election in 1993, and Esquivel again assumed leadership. In 1998, however, the PUP won by a landslide and its new leader, Said Musa, became prime minister.
William J. Griffith
Musa's decision to raise taxes to pay off foreign debt sparked riots throughout Belize in 2005, and his administration was accused of corruption. The UDP, now led by Dean Barrow, triumphed in the 2008 general elections, and Barrow became the country's first black prime minister. His party promised to end crime and government corruption and to create an elected Senate. Although a democratic tradition has been established in Belize, the country has struggled to develop under a dependent economy, and it has been pressured politically by the pervasive influence of the United States. The discovery of abundant quantities of oil near the Mennonite community at Spanish Lookout in the early 2000s was a boon for the country's ailing economy, but, because Belize has no oil refineries, most of its crude oil is exported to the United States.
O. Nigel Bolland
In July 2010 Barrow's government introduced a controversial ninth amendment to the constitution to give the state majority ownership of public utilities. In April it had proposed an eighth amendment, which included preventive detention to combat a surge in violent crimes, but public opposition forced that measure to be placed on hold, and by July it had been abandoned. Meanwhile, the ninth-subsequently renamed eighth-amendment passed both houses of the legislature and was enacted in late October.

In elections on March 7, 2012, Barrow 's UDP government retained power. The UDP was also victorious in municipal elections. Following negotiations with creditors, in 2013 the government restructured its $550 million "superbond" debt at a cost of about $750,000 with a maturity date of 2038. In a snap election in November 2015, Barrow and the UDP triumphed again, winning an unprecedented third term, but, when Belizeans returned to the polls in November 2020, they ousted the UDP and replaced it with a People's United Party (PUP) government headed by John Briceño.

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Belize evolved through several stages of decolonization, from universal adult suffrage in 1954 to a new constitution and internal self-government in 1964, when George Price, a middle-class Roman Catholic intellectual of mixed Creole and mestizo ancestry, became premier. (Price became leader of the PUP in 1954.) Unrelenting Guatemalan hostility, however, impeded independence.