And so, even though there has been political independence since 1960, France has had a base there in Chad.
The Scottish government has given the BBC a list of the 30 countries which it says have decided on independence since World War II - along with the year they took UN membership.
As Asia faces its biggest crises since Independence, adversity may again prove the best teacher.
The country has had a string of crises and coups since independence in 1966.
Ukraine has suffered a steady economic decline since independence in 1991, and market reforms have stalled.
India's self-sufficiency in food is widey regarded as its greatest economic achievement since independence.
The Workers' Party won six seats, the most the opposition has held since independence in 1965.
And the election has a better chance of being credible than any since independence in 1971.
None of the prime ministers since independence has led a party with a majority in parliament.
They have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and are now nuclear powers.
Fifteen candidates are in the race to become Ukraine's third president since independence, for a five-year term.
Africa today produces less food per head than at any time since independence.
In contrast, the Union of Comoros has fared pathetically, with a score of coups or attempted coups since independence.
ECONOMIST: The African Union gets tough, even if it's not quite Iwo Jima
No president has served a full term since independence from Portugal in 1974.
For the first time since independence, a change of government now looks plausible.
Milton Obote, Prime Minister of Uganda since independence from the British in 1962, had been overthrown by his army commander.
India and Pakistan, which have fought three major wars, have been at loggerheads ever since Independence half a century ago.
Angola has had the same generation of leaders since independence in 1975 and this election will simply cement this situation.
Even though the Kazakh language has seen something of a rebirth since independence, there is a shortage of talented Kazakh journalists.
The two countries have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and went to the brink of a fourth in 2002.
Sudan has repeatedly bombed southern territory since independence, including the November attack of a refugee camp in the neighboring nation's Unity state.
Politics in the tiny but hugely wealthy state have been dominated by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) since independence in 1965.
Some of these problems have festered since independence from Britain in 1970.
Algeria has announced sweeping media reforms to allow private radio and television stations to exist for the first time since independence in 1962.
CAR, which has a population of about 4.5 million, has been hit by a series of rebellions since independence from France in 1960.
It would also mock Mr Odinga's new office of prime minister, reintroduced for the first time since independence in 1963, at great expense.
Since independence in 1966, Botswana has enjoyed stability, democracy and an economy that has grown faster than that of any other African country.
Mr Aristide pointed out last week that his bit of the island had suffered 32 coups since independence and that this must change.
After all, the ruling coalition, made up of UMNO and several smaller parties, has achieved that in every election since independence in 1957.
This is the worst crisis that little Swaziland, locked into the north-east corner of South Africa, has suffered since independence from Britain in 1968.
ECONOMIST: Africa��s last absolute monarchy may be falling apart
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