TUVALU 43rd INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION, CAIRNS AUSTRALIA

In 1892, Kiribati and Tuvalu became British Protectorates and were called the Gilbert and Alice Islands respectively.
In 1974, a referendum was conducted by the Alice Islanders to succeed from the Gilbert Islands. In 1975, Alice Islanders voted to become a separate British dependency status called Tuvalu meaning "nine Islands". On the 1st of October 1975, the British granted this request and the Alice Island transitioned to Tuvalu.
On the 1st of October 1978, Tuvalu was granted it's full Nationhood from the British and became a fully pledged Independent Nation. The independent state of Tuvalu went on to become the 189th member of the United Nations on the 5th of September 2000.
The Gilbert Islands went on to gain it's independence from the British on the 12th of July 1979 and changed it's name to Kiribati.