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1980 CE

This year falls in the Twentieth century (1901–2000). Two world wars, the Russian and Chinese revolutions, the Cold War and the end of most colonial empires fall in this century. It also brings mass air travel, nuclear weapons, antibiotics and computers.

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Dated to 1980 CE

Country · VanuatuVanuatu1980–Vanuatu is a Pacific archipelago of about eighty islands. Britain and France ruled it together in a rare condominium before independence in 1980. It is a parliamentary republic.
Country · ZimbabweZimbabwe1980–Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, named for the medieval stone city of Great Zimbabwe. White minority rule ended in 1980 under Robert Mugabe, whose long rule ruined the economy. It is a presidential republic.

Within fifteen years

Country · Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda1981–Antigua and Barbuda is a twin island country in the Caribbean. Britain colonized the islands for sugar, worked by enslaved Africans. It became independent in 1981 and is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · BelizeBelize1981–Belize is a small country on the Caribbean coast of Central America. Britain ruled it as British Honduras, logging its forests. It became independent in 1981 and is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · IranIran1979–Iran, known as Persia until 1935, is heir to one of the world's oldest civilizations. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 overthrew the Shah and created an Islamic republic. It is ruled by Shia clerics under a Supreme Leader.
Event · Twenty-first century · IranIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps1979–Parallel military and security force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, founded 1979 to protect the revolution. Controls large economic and external operations alongside the regular army.
Country · KiribatiKiribati1979–Kiribati is a Pacific island country of thirty three atolls straddling the equator. It became independent from Britain in 1979. Its low islands are among the most threatened by rising seas.
Country · Saint LuciaSaint Lucia1979–Saint Lucia is a volcanic island country in the Caribbean. France and Britain fought over it fourteen times before independence in 1979. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint Vincent and the Grenadines1979–Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Caribbean, a chain of volcanic islands. It became independent from Britain in 1979. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · DominicaDominica1978–Dominica is a mountainous island country in the Caribbean, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. Britain and France fought over it before independence in 1978. It is a parliamentary republic.
Country · Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands1978–Solomon Islands is a Pacific archipelago east of Papua New Guinea. Britain ruled it from 1893 until independence in 1978. Ethnic tensions brought intervention by Australia; it is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · TuvaluTuvalu1978–Tuvalu is a Polynesian country of nine tiny atolls, one of the smallest states in the world. It separated from the Gilbert Islands and became independent in 1978. Rising seas threaten its existence.
Country · DjiboutiDjibouti1977–Djibouti is a tiny country at the mouth of the Red Sea, guarding one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. It became independent from France in 1977. It hosts military bases of several great powers and is a presidential republic.
Country · Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Kitts and Nevis1983–Saint Kitts and Nevis is a two island country in the Caribbean, the smallest sovereign state in the Americas. It became independent from Britain in 1983. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Country · BruneiBrunei1984–Brunei is a small oil rich sultanate on the island of Borneo. It was a British protectorate until full independence in 1984. The sultan rules as an absolute monarch under Islamic law.
Country · SeychellesSeychelles1976–Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. France and Britain both held it before independence in 1976. It is a presidential republic and a luxury tourist destination.
Country · VietnamVietnam1976–Vietnam is a long, narrow country on the eastern edge of Southeast Asia. It defeated France and then the United States in wars of independence, reuniting in 1976. It is a single party communist state with a fast growing market economy.
Country · AngolaAngola1975–Angola is a large country in southwestern Africa, rich in oil and diamonds. Portugal ruled it for four centuries until independence in 1975. A civil war then lasted until 2002; it is now a presidential republic.
Country · Cabo VerdeCabo Verde1975–Cabo Verde is an archipelago of ten islands off the coast of West Africa. Portugal settled the uninhabited islands in the fifteenth century. It became independent in 1975 and is a stable parliamentary republic.
Country · ComorosComoros1975–Comoros is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. It became independent from France in 1975. It is a federal presidential republic that has suffered many coups.
Event · Twentieth century · CambodiaKhmer Rouge1975–1979Communist regime in Cambodia under Pol Pot's party, April 1975–January 1979. Evacuation of cities, abolition of money and religion, S-21, mass killing. Excess deaths commonly estimated about 1.5–2 million.
Country · MozambiqueMozambique1975–Mozambique is a long coastal country in southeastern Africa on the Indian Ocean. Portugal ruled it for four centuries until independence in 1975. A civil war lasted until 1992; it is now a presidential republic.
Country · Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea1975–Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world's second largest island. It became independent from Australia in 1975. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with more than eight hundred languages.
Country · São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe1975–São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, Africa's second smallest state. Portugal settled the empty islands in the fifteenth century. It became independent in 1975 and is a semi presidential republic.
Country · SurinameSuriname1975–Suriname is a country on the Atlantic coast of South America, the only Dutch speaking state on the continent. The Netherlands ruled it until independence in 1975. It is a presidential republic.
Country · GrenadaGrenada1974–Grenada is a small island country in the Caribbean, known as the Spice Isle for its nutmeg. It became independent from Britain in 1974. The United States invaded in 1983 to topple a Marxist regime.