Most nation states have an anthem, defined as "a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism"; [1] most anthems are either marches or hymns in style. A song or hymn can become a national anthem under the state's constitution, by a law enacted by its legislature, or simply by tradition. [2] A royal anthem is a patriotic song similar to a national anthem, but it specifically praises or prays for a monarch or royal dynasty. Such anthems are usually performed at public appearances by the monarch or during other events of royal importance. [3] Some states use their royal anthem as the national anthem, such as the state anthem of Jordan.
There are multiple claimants to the position of oldest national anthem. [4] [5] Among the national anthems, the first to be composed was the Dutch national anthem, the "Wilhelmus", which was written between 1568 and 1572. [6] This has both Dutch and English language versions and is unusual in being an acrostic in both languages. The Japanese anthem, "Kimigayo", employs the oldest lyrics of any national anthem, taking its words from the "Kokin Wakashū", which was first published in 905, yet these words were not set to music until 1880. [7] The first anthem to be officially adopted as such was the Spanish anthem "La Marcha Real", in 1770; its origins remain unclear; it is suggested that it has 16th century Venetian origins, or even that it was composed by king Frederick the Great himself; it is also one of the few national anthems that has never had official lyrics. [8] Anthems became increasingly popular among European states in the 18th century. [9] For example, the British national anthem "God Save the King" was first performed in 1745. [10] The French anthem "La Marseillaise" was written half a century later in 1792, and adopted in 1795. [11]
National anthems are usually written in the most common language of the state, whether de facto or official. States with multiple national languages may offer several versions of their anthem. For instance, Switzerland's national anthem has different lyrics for each of the country's four official languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansh. [12] One of New Zealand's two national anthems is commonly sung with the first verse in Māori ("Aotearoa") and the second in English ("God Defend New Zealand"). The tune is the same but the lyrics have different meanings. South Africa's national anthem is unique in that it is two different songs put together with five of the country's eleven official languages being used, in which each language comprises a stanza. [13]
State [lower-alpha 23] | National anthem | Date adopted | Lyricist | Officially known as | Composer | Audio | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abkhazia | "Aiaaira" ("Victory") | 2007 | Genady Alamiya | "State Anthem of the Republic of Abkhazia" | Valera Çkaduwa | "Aiaaira" | [243] |
Kosovo | "Europe" | 2008 | Mendi Mengjiqi | "Anthem of the Republic of Kosovo" | Mendi Mengjiqi | "Europe" | [244] |
Northern Cyprus | "İstiklâl Marşı" ("Independence March") | 1983 | Mehmet Akif Ersoy | "The Turkish Cypriot State Anthem" | Zeki Üngör | "İstiklâl Marşı" | [245] [246] |
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | "Yā Banī al-Ṣaḥrāʼ" ("O Sons of the Sahara") | 1976 | unknown | "National Anthem of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" | unknown | "Ya Bani al-Sahra'" | [247] |
Somaliland | "Samo ku waar" ("Live in Eternal Peace") | 1997 | Hassan Sheikh Mumin | "Samo Ku Waar, Somaliland" | Hassan Sheikh Mumin | "Samo ku waar" | [248] |
South Ossetia | "Warzon Iryston!" ("Beloved Ossetia!") | 1995 | Totradz Kokayev | "State Anthem of the Republic of South Ossetia" | Feliks Alborov | "Warzon Iryston!" | [249] |
Sovereign Military Order of Malta [lower-alpha 24] | "Ave Crux Alba" ("Hail Thou White Cross") | 1930 | Alfredo Consorti | "Anthem of the Sovereign Order of Malta" | Alfredo Consorti | "Ave Crux Alba" | [250] |
Taiwan | "San Min Chu-i" ("Song of the Three Principles of the People") [lower-alpha 25] | 1937 (de facto) 1943 (de jure) | Sun Yat-sen | "National Anthem of the Republic of China" [lower-alpha 26] | Cheng Maoyun | "San Min Zhu Yi" | [251] |
Transnistria | "My slavim tebia, Pridnestrovie" ("We glorify you, Pridnestrovie") | 2000 | Boris Parmenov, Vitaly Pishenko, Nikolay Bozhko | "We chant thy praises of Pridnestrovia" | Boris Alexandrov | "My slavim tebia" | [252] [253] |
The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available from the Government Publishing Office. The Factbook is available in the form of a website that is partially updated every week. It is also available for download for use off-line. It provides a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, geography, communications, government, economy, and military of 266 international entities, including U.S.-recognized countries, dependencies, and other areas in the world.
The Republic of Upper Volta was a landlocked West African country established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing state within the French Community. Before becoming autonomous, it had been part of the French Union as the French Upper Volta. On 5 August 1960, it gained full independence from France. On 4 August 1984, it changed its name to Burkina Faso.
"Lofsöngur", also known as "Ó Guð vors lands", is the national anthem of Iceland. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Matthías Jochumsson. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1944, when the country declared independence by voting to end its "personal union" and become a republic.
"March On, Bahamaland" is the national anthem of the Bahamas. Timothy Gibson composed the music and authored the lyrics. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1973, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom.
"Angola Avante" is the national anthem of Angola. Ruy Mingas composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Manuel Rui. It was adopted as the national anthem in November 1975, when the country gained its independence from Portugal. The lyrics make reference to several key events of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has been in power since independence and was the only party in Angola until 1992.
"Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" is the national anthem of Antigua and Barbuda. Written by Novelle Hamilton Richards and composed by Walter Garnet Picart Chambers, it was adopted in 1967 while Antigua and Barbuda were still a British colony. It was adopted as the national anthem upon independence in 1981.
"Meda Dau Doka", or "God Bless Fiji", is the national anthem of Fiji. The lyrics were written by Michael Francis Alexander Prescott (1928–2006) to the tune of the hymn "Dwelling in Beulah Land" by Charles Austin Miles (1911), and the music was adapted by Viliame Bale, Superintendent and Director of Music in the Royal Fiji Police Band. The anthem was adopted upon independence from the United Kingdom in 1970.
"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty" is the national anthem of Uganda. George Wilberforce Kakoma composed the music and authored the lyrics. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1962, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. It is musically one of the shortest national anthems in the world. Consequently, multiple verses are sung when it is performed in public.
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Middle Africa is an analogous term used by the United Nations in its geoscheme for Africa and consists of the following countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe. These eleven countries are members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Six of those countries are also members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and share a common currency, the Central African CFA franc.
"Kunan Kiribati", also known by its incipit, "Teirake Kaini Kiribati", is the national anthem of Kiribati. It was written and composed by Ioteba Tamuera Uriam and adopted upon independence on 12 July 1979. Its lyrics were confirmed as per Schedule 3 of the National Identity Act 1989.
"Patriots of Micronesia", also known as "Across all Micronesia", is the national anthem of the Federated States of Micronesia.
As of the year 2023, Christianity had approximately 2.4 billion adherents and is the largest religion by population. According to a PEW estimation in 2020, Christians made up to 2.38 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people. It represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members. The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Religion in national symbols can often be found in national anthems or flags. This has led to controversy in some secular states in regard to the separation of church and state, when the national symbol is officially sanctioned by a government.
Menıñ Qazaqstanym is the national anthem of Kazakhstan since 7 January 2006, replacing the "Anthem of the Republic of Kazakhstan", which was in use since its independence in 1991, but had the same melody as the anthem of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
"Song of the Falklands" is the unofficial anthem of the Falkland Islands. It was written in the 1930s by Christopher Lanham, a Hampshire schoolteacher, while working on West Falkland.
For each de jure and de facto sovereign state and dependent territory an article on elections in that entity has been included and information on the way the head of state, head of government, and the legislature is selected. Merged cells for "head of state" and "head of government" indicate the office is the same for that country; merged cells for "lower house" and "upper house" indicate a unicameral legislature. The linked articles include the results of the elections. For a chronological order, see the electoral calendar.
Adherents of Islam constitute the world's second largest religious group. A projection by the PEW suggests that Muslims numbered approximately 1.9 billion followers in 2020. Studies in the 21st century suggest that, in terms of percentage and worldwide spread, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world, mostly because Muslims have more children than other major religious groups. Most Muslims are either of two denominations: Sunni or Shia. Islam is the majority religion in several subregions: Central Asia, Western Asia, North Africa, West Africa, the Sahel, and the Middle East. The diverse Asia-Pacific region contains the highest number of Muslims in the world, surpassing the combined Middle East and North Africa.
The "National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania" was the national anthem of Mauritania between 1960 and 2017.
La necesidad de tener una canción patriótica, que surgió con la Revolución de Mayo y que el Triunvirato supo comprender, se ve plasmada hoy en el Himno Nacional Argentino, con música de Blas Parera, letra de Vicente López y Planes, y arreglo de Juan P. Esnaola.
Most of the parliamentary groups said they listened to all three shortlisted proposals but opted for the composition called 'Europe' by Mehdi Mengjiqi, which has no lyrics as it would respect the multi-ethnic nature of Kosovo.