Where Did Your Country Get Independence From? 

Yeah Belgium treat their colony very nicely, they really admired the hands of the native people there

The handoffs approach of belgian Congo seems much better on paper than it was in reality.

Seeing Andrew's body-less floating head on the green screen made me laugh a little bit too much

The map, at least for Romania, is wrong. Romania became independent from the Ottoman empire officially, not from Russia/the Soviet Union in any way shape or form. Unless it's trying to say that being Soviet occupied in WW2 means we gained independence from them - which would mean Germany would also be from the Soviet Union and stuff like that.

Can we appreciate it they took the time and added that San Marino became independent from the Roman Empire?

Israel's independence day is calculated using the Hebrew calendar. May 14, 1948 was Iyar 5 , 5708 , on the Hebrew calendar. We don't celebrate every year on May 14 , we celebrate on Iyar 5. That Hebrew date can happen anywhere between late April and mid May , depending on the year. P.S. the differences between The Hebrew and Gregorian calendars , is why Chanukah is sometimes right around Christmas, and other times , the holiday can start as early as the end of November.

Toycat doing a little trolling and doxxing himself by revealing he lives in Buckingham Palace made my day.

The flag up in Sweden & Denmark is the Kalmar Union!

Adjusting death by inflation so casually is the most ibx2cat thing to do

I wouldn't say that Denmark got independence from the Kalmar Union. The Union basically ended with Christian II. in Denmark murdering over 50 Swedish politicians in Stockholm because Sweden felt that Denmark had too much to say in the union (which we probably did). The Swedes celebrate the election of a new King in 1523, where as Denmark doesn't even have a national day. We celebrate our Constitution day, but that was made in peaceful conditions with support from the King at the time.

Yeah, Czechia is the colony of Czechoslovakia

Maps are great

That map is kinda controversial like how didn't Iran get its idependence it was invaded and occupied by Alexander's Macedonians, Arab Caliphates, Turkic and Mongol Dynasties,... and that for millennia

On February 5, 1885, Belgian King Leopold II established the Congo Free State by brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession. Rather than control the Congo as a colony, as other European powers did throughout Africa, Leopold privately owned the region. (Colonizing other peoples, regardless of the justification, is wrong. The people being colonized are robbed of their land, resources, and freedom.) Leopold financed development projects with money loaned to him from the Belgian government. The king’s stated goal was to bring civilization to the people of the Congo, an enormous region in Central Africa. (Believing one people is more civilized than another is wrong.) Leopold’s reign over the Congo Free State, however, has become infamous for its brutality. The people of the Congo were forced to labor for valued resources, including rubber and ivory, to personally enrich Leopold. Estimates vary, but about half the Congolese population died from punishment and malnutrition. Many more suffered from disease and torture. Among those who weren't killed, many were punished by having a hand and/or foot amputated. The people of the Congo did not suffer these injustices without fighting back. Several rebellions were mercilessly put down under Leopold's direction. As the realities and suffering within the Congo Free State became more widely known, many European people spoke out against these abuses. Demonstrations and protests demanded that Leopold end human rights abuses in the Congo Free State. In 1908, international pressure forced the king to turn the Congo Free State over to the country of Belgium. The newly named “Belgian Congo” remained a colony until the Democratic Republic of Congo gained its independence in 1960.

I was having a rough day but seeing the map of dry counties is the usa really brightened my day

France didn’t “colonize” England. It was conquered by a guy who happened to be French. There’s a huge difference there. England was still independent after the Norman conquest and if anything was more anti-French than ever since the Norma conquest is the reason why England and France have been at war for centuries afterwards. There’s actually a better argument that England was under French control during the first barons war when the prince of France conquered England and then the English successfully fought them off and “gained independence.”

Andrew's Halloween costume is the beheaded head of an Anglo-Saxon (at the hand of a Norman conqueror during the battle of Hastings) who never got to experience an independence day afterward.

Thanks for doing this in a shirt matching your background colour.

you cannot count the amount of countries on one hand (unless you are from somerset)

I was in Aarhus Denmark recently, and the pedestrian "walk" sign showed a green viking with an axe, shield and helmet.

What country is France supposed to have "gained independence" from? _Itself?_ Same question for Russia, though in that case there's an argument to be made that Russia _as a separate country_ gained it's independence from the USSR, just like every other post-Soviet state. Also, both the DPRK and the ROK should really have Japanese flags. Certainly they became _satellites_ of the USSR and USA respectively, but they were never _colonized_ during the Cold War as Korea had been prior to 1945.

The israeli one is made like that because holidays, memorial days, etc. are celebrated on their date on the jewish calendar. We don't simply move the holiday, we celebrate it on the same date on our calender. another problem is that the Israeli memorial day is one day before the independence day, and both of them cant take part on Friday or saturday (in the bible, days are considered as the time period between one sunset and another sunset. the memorial day cant take place on Friday because religious people won't be able to participate or watch the ceremonies that take place at night and they can't take place at Saturday either because they won't be able to arrive to the ceremonies before the night, and the same thing applies for the independence day)

Thank you for such a nuanced take on this, this is exactly why I come to this channel!

Okay: The Belgian Congo was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until 1960. The colony was established after the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, when the European powers divided Africa among themselves. King Leopold II of Belgium was the sole proprietor of the Congo Free State, a private venture. The Congo Free State was a corporate state privately controlled by Leopold II through a holding company, the Compagnie du Congo pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (CCCI). The state included the entire area of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo and existed from 1885 to 1908, when the government of Belgium annexed the area. Leopold II ran the Congo Free State as a personal fiefdom. He used it to extract ivory, rubber, and other resources, to finance infrastructure projects in Belgium, and to enrich himself and his friends. He ran the colony with an iron fist, using forced labor, terror, and brutality to achieve his goals. The regime was notorious for its abuses of the Congolese people. Forced labor was widespread, with Congolese men, women, and children being forced to work in the mines, on plantations, and on infrastructure projects. They were paid little or nothing for their work, and were often treated brutally. Thousands of Congolese died from exhaustion, disease, and malnutrition. Leopold II's regime was also responsible for widespread atrocities. His private army, the Force Publique, was responsible for numerous massacres and other atrocities. In one notorious incident, the Force Publique killed and mutilated Congolese villagers in order to terrorize the population into submission. The regime's abuses finally came to light in the early 20th century, thanks to the efforts of journalists, missionaries, and human rights activists. The resulting public outcry led to an investigation by the Belgian government, which resulted in the annexation of the Congo Free State by Belgium in 1908. Despite the change in ownership, little changed for the Congolese people. They continued to be exploited for their labor and resources, and subjected to brutal treatment. It was not until 1960, when the Congo gained independence from Belgium, that the people of the Congo finally regained control of their country. The Belgian Congo was a dark chapter in the history of both Belgium and the Congo. The colony was founded on exploitation and brutality, and the Congolese people paid a heavy price for Belgium's greed. The legacy of the Belgian Congo is one of suffering and exploitation, and its history is a reminder of the dark side of colonialism.

Correction regarding Israeli independence day: While it is true that it moved around because of the Sabbath, it can only move by 1 or 2 days, so that's not why it can be in April despite Israel gaining independence on May 14. The reason for that is that Israel uses the Hebrew calendar for it's national holidays, and the Hebrew calendar moves around relative to the Gregorian calendar

About the Israeli independence day, it is mentioned according the Hebrew calendar so it is changes a bit every year, usually May and sometimes Aprial. However according to the Gregorian calendar the date is in May so Israel should be on May column. Thank you for the video!

I listen to most of these map videos on my phone with the screen turned off, and somehow I get the feeling that I'm not really missing anything!

One piece of fun fact for you guys, you can notice that there is a part of South American in purple, that is france. Or at least part of it, it is part of the french oversees territories that includes many different islands around the world, like the british oversees territories.

Absolutely great green screen mate. Loving it 👌

So they show the USA getting independence from the UK, but I’d argue that the western part should show Spain, and the middle from France. At the time of American independence, the USA was only the east.

Haha mate I just love watching you talk about maps and history, it makes me laugh how your brain goes into tangants, really enjoy it!

Bro I literally would not give one literal fuck about global geography if it wasn’t for you toycat. You’re one of my favorite channels to watch due to your humorous delivery and informative content. I appreciate you educating me over the past couple years

The flag in Sweden is Kalmarunionen, which was a Union between Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Similar to if Scotland would get independence form UK

Belgium and the DRC had a great relationship they really treated the natives well and like humans. the explorers were not cruel and loved the place 👍

This is really interesting great videos!

I really admire the natives response to the Belgians. They were always willing to lend a hand.

Belgium did many good things in Congo. Large plantations (growing cotton, oil palms, coffee, cacao, and rubber) and livestock farms were developed. In the interior gold and diamond mines were established. By the end of his life, Leopold was unpopular with his people, but, ironically, that had much less to do with his actions in Africa than with his conduct of his personal life. He spoke contemptuously of Belgium’s small size, could not speak proper Dutch, the native language of more than half of its citizens, spent long winters in luxurious quarters on the French Riviera, despite his strong dislike of the french, and was estranged from two of his three daughters. Moreover, he had a well-known penchant for teenaged girls, and, when he was age 65, he began a liaison with a teenaged former prostitute who bore him two additional children.

Do you have Merch? I’d love to wear a “second channel l, don’t care” shirt to work

Are you the guy who use to make minecraft videos?

When a lot of the countries that gained independence in those "summer months" are in the southern hemisphere

One of my good friends is from Belgium, and let me tell you as an American who only learned about Belgium's waffles and chocolate, I was s h o c k e d

I didnt even notice you weren't wearing a shirt until you mentioned it lol

The Israeli independence day celebration doesn't move it's just that it's celebrated using the Hebrew calendar which doesn't line up with the regular calendar 👍

UK got independence from Roman empire, Germany from napoleonic france, you can find an answer for any country (except, maybe, for some random island)

Cool video.

tell me why the 'national holliday' of belgium is seen as an independence day (cause my community (of belgians) don't do that), but frances and that of the netherlands arent

I didn’t even notice the shirt but your strategy still worked because I commented anyway

I love your shirt! It changes color to camoflage!

Thanks for wearing a green tshirt, so I can see new zealand through you 😍

The map at 5:54 should have chosen colors with better contrast. I'm partially colorblind, and the color for countries that were colonized by Europe looks just like the color for countries that were never colonized by Europe.

Chile also has 2. In february (1818) it's our official independence for Spain, but in septembre (1810) we celebrate "Primera Junta Nacional" that was a group of people that swear loyalty to the Spanish crown during Napoleon's occupation of Spain

“I wonder what Belgium did in the Congo” he asks

Korea should be under the 'Partial European control or influence'. Russia had swathes of influence over Korea until the Russo-Japanese war.

3:50 I don't know where that Polish standing-pengiun icon is from. On traffic lights and road signs there is a left oriented icon of walking man.

Ibxtoycat has a second channel? And it's about geography this feels very surreal.

1:33 i'm actually learning about all the wonderful things belgium did in the congo in world studies right now! 😄

South Korea has a really tragic past with Japanese imperalism and is still a lasting scar for many elderly alive. Hence the great political tension between the two today. To say it might be under the category of 'never colonized' is a huge understatement

"this is my house right here" *zooms in Buckingham Palace*

The big line graph really opens the question what the terms of independence are. Does a country has to be part of a different country and separate? Is being occupied enough?

Love from Denmark

Thank you for this video floating head man

South Korea technically got independence from Imperial Japan

like the idea and the thoughts of this video

Why does that map have crimea as russian?

that moment you realise his chair is a part of the green screen

your floating head is the best part of the video

10:54 toycat deviating from the colonisation topic and going all philosophical 💀

Just gotta say that you had a nice t-shirt in the video !

Why do states either have a ton of semi dry and dry counties or none at all besides two of the states?

you'd add south korea to the list? i know the usa is a stretch but couldn't you think of who might have controlled korea before then?

"Do you wanna see my house?" (he zooms to Buckingham palace) I didn't know your royal! XD

In Israel we celebrate our independence day (as well as all other holidays) by the Jewish calendar, and because it isn't fully in sync with the Gregorian calendar (there's actually a cycle of 19 years the dates converge every 19 years) the date in the Gregorian calendar changes between May and April.

To say that Denmark, of all places, was a colony of the Kalmar Union is taking it a bit far. They controlled the Kalmar Union.

So why is there more independence during the summer?

The Belgian Congo (French: Congo belge, pronounced [kɔ̃ɡo bɛlʒ]; Dutch: Belgisch-Congo[a]) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colonial rule in the Congo began in the late 19th century. King Leopold II of the Belgians attempted to persuade the Belgian government to support colonial expansion around the then-largely unexploited Congo Basin. Their ambivalence resulted in Leopold's establishing a colony himself. With support from a number of Western countries, Leopold achieved international recognition of the Congo Free State in 1885.[7] By the turn of the century, the violence used by Free State officials against indigenous Congolese and a ruthless system of economic exploitation led to intense diplomatic pressure on Belgium to take official control of the country, which it did by creating the Belgian Congo in 1908.[8] Belgian rule in the Congo was based on the "colonial trinity" (trinité coloniale) of state, missionary and private-company interests.[9] The privileging of Belgian commercial interests meant that large amounts of capital flowed into the Congo and that individual regions became specialised. On many occasions, the interests of the government and of private enterprise became closely linked, and the state helped companies to break strikes and to remove other barriers raised by the indigenous population.[9] The colony was divided into hierarchically organised administrative subdivisions, and run uniformly according to a set "native policy" (politique indigène). This differed from the practice of British and French colonial policy, which generally favoured systems of indirect rule, retaining traditional leaders in positions of authority under colonial oversight.[clarification needed] During the 1940s and 1950s, the Belgian Congo experienced extensive urbanisation and the colonial administration began various development programs aimed at making the territory into a "model colony".[10] One result saw the development of a new middle-class of Europeanised African "évolués" in the cities.[10] By the 1950s the Congo had a wage labour force twice as large as that in any other African colony.[11] In 1960, as the result of a widespread and increasingly radical pro-independence movement, the Belgian Congo achieved independence, becoming the Republic of the Congo under Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and President Joseph Kasa-Vubu. Poor relations between political factions within the Congo, the continued involvement of Belgium in Congolese affairs, and the intervention by major parties (mainly the United States and the Soviet Union) during the Cold War led to a five-year-long period of war and political instability, known as the Congo Crisis, from 1960 to 1965. This ended with the seizure of power by Joseph-Désiré Mobutu in November 1965.(Not six paragraphs but close)

You totally got me when you said it's your second channel

3:19 What's the flag on France?

I think you should always wear the green shirt, so we can see more of the map behind you

Everytime Australia was on your shirt I needed to wipe my screen

Stealing is just borrowing, but you can't give it back, because the people you borrowed it from died... because people aren't live forever

whats the flag on france.

2:28 Why does it say that Switzerland got it's independence from france? I thought they gained it from the habsburgs? Or is it because of Napoleon?

That map at the beginning is kinda wrong. Poland doesn't celebreate independence from the ussr, but from Austria, Germany and russian tsardom

3:05 What flag is on Finland? Doesn't look like the USSR cause there's no hammer n' sickle.

The yellow and red flag was the old danish kingdom Kalmar union, but I wouldn’t say Denmark got its independence from Kalmar since we declared it our self and I would say we got our “independence” from Germany in ww 1

This kid is doing an "old-style" one-take 20 minutes presentation on a platform where people abused jump-cut so much it became a meme. That alone should be brought to attention. Good job!

Technically you can argue that Germany recently got its independence from the USSR, USA, UK, and France.

I mean I kinda get ur point but like at the same time the only two major non european colonizers were japan and america. Japan w korea and china and America with manifest destiny and all the shit we stole from the spanish. it was mostly europeans. Not tryna downplay American colonialism tho that was some of the most brutal colonialism period.

3:19 for people who don't know the hammer and sickle represent the worker and the farmer The hammer being the worker And the sickle being the farmer

3:00 it's the kalmar union, the danes essentially took it over an after they executed a bunch of nobles in Stockholm the Swedes got mad and fought for independence and won. I dont really know why it says denmark got its independence from the kalmar union as well as they were the ones who controlled it

Can you talk about Listenbourg , i feel like its a interesting country to talk about 👍

Did england not become independent from the roman empire? And russia from the soviet union? Is it most recent independence or original independence?

I thought the UK got their independence from Rome or the EU or something

"Homo sapiens cannot be trusted." I think that's an accurate summary of the video tbh.

Chile's independence day it's February 12th, and nobody celebrates it. What we celebrate in September 18th it's the first formation of a national goverment.

when he realizes he has a green shirt

Fun fact, Denmark has the flag of the "Kalmar Union" (The yellow flag you didn't recognnize on Sweden). Which it became "independent" from, however the Kalmar Union was de facto just a Danish monarch rule of all of Scandinavia. So in a way the rest of scandinavia became independent from Denmark trying to cover it up by calling the ruling something else than "The Kingdom of Denmark".

There are some errors/oddities i can see with the first map. Aden was a British colony, not sure who controlled the rest of Yemen, perhaps the Ottomans back in the day? Ethiopia was also occupied by Italy. Then with USA it's a bit more complicated since the 13 colonies were quite a small area of the whole country, like the West coast was all Spanish, but I guess the official independence day is from Britain. England was also part of the Empire of Cnut the Great, so I don't know if that counts as independence, but they seem to have applied that methodology to France which got independent from the Frankish empire when it split between East and west(?).

i'd tell you what belgium did in the congo, but i can't type without hands

6:30 I love how according to this map french Guyana is part of Europe. Yes it's a part of France, but Europe...?