{{Short description|Public holiday in Bahrain commemorating independence from Britain (15 August 1971)}} {{Infobox holiday |holiday_name = Independence Day |type = National |image = |imagesize = |caption = |official_name = |nickname = |observedby = Bahrainis |litcolor = |longtype = |significance = National |begins = |ends = |date = 15 August <!-- Use next three if holiday is the same day of the same week every year --> |week_ordinal = <!-- "first", "second", "last", etc. --> |weekday = <!-- "Sunday", "Monday", "Friday", etc. --> |month = <!-- "January", "February", "December", etc. --> <!-- Use next three if the date changes in an unusual pattern each year --> |date2012 = <!-- only for days that change each year --> |date2013 = <!-- only for days that change each year --> |date2014 = <!-- only for days that change each year --> |date2020 = <!-- only for days that change each year --> |celebrations = Fireworks, concerts, parades |observances = |relatedto = }}'''Bahrain Independence Day''' occurred on 15 August 1971, when the country declared independence from the British following a United Nations survey of the Bahraini population. The British announced the withdrawal of their troops east of Suez in the early 1960s.
Bahrain declared its independence on 15 August 1971,<ref name="Hume">{{cite book| last=Hume| first=Cameron R.| title=The United Nations, Iran, and Iraq: How Peacemaking Changed| year=1994| publisher=Indiana University Press| isbn=978-0-253-32874-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/unitednationsira00hume/page/24 24]|url=https://archive.org/details/unitednationsira00hume| url-access=registration|authorlink=Cameron R. Hume}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| title=Bahrain|year=2004| publisher=Kessinger Publishing|isbn=978-1-4191-0874-7| page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OsSPaxEpUS4C&pg=PA17|author=Federal Research Division|authorlink=Federal Research Division}}</ref> marked by the signing of a friendship treaty with the British that terminated previous agreements between the two sides.<ref name="Hume"/><ref>{{cite book| last1=Blaustein| first1=Albert P.| title=Independence Documents of the World | volume=1| year=1977| publisher=Brill Publishers| isbn=978-0-379-00794-7|pages=45–58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=feyI5kisdBcC&pg=PA55 | last2=Sigler | first2=Jay A.}}</ref>
Although 15 August is the actual date on which Bahrain gained its independence from the British, the kingdom does not celebrate or mark that date. Instead, the state annually celebrates 16 December as National Day, to coincide with the day that late emir (ruler) Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ascension to the throne. As such, 16 December is a national holiday and is usually celebrated with firework displays.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://article.wn.com/view/WNAT33F2EBB8B8CAFE468EAC5E7802F3DECC/ | title=Fireworks to mark National Day of Bahrain | work=World News | date=8 July 2010 | accessdate=8 December 2013 }}</ref> The celebration is usually held at the Bahrain International Circuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/countries/bahrain|title=A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, since 1776: Bahrain}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:1971 establishments in Bahrain Category:Society of Bahrain Category:Recurring events established in 1971 Category:December observances Category:August observances
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