paragraph_text: The two countries eventually signed an agreement making the islands an Anglo-French condominium that divided the New Hebrides into two separate communities: one Anglophone and one Francophone. This divide continues even after independence, with schools teaching in either one language or the other, and with different political parties. The condominium lasted from 1906 until 1980, when the New Hebrides gained their independence as the Republic of Vanuatu.

paragraph_text: On May 6, 1957, Ghana (formerly Gold Coast) became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence from European colonization in the twentieth century.

paragraph_text: Many flags of the Islamic world are green, as the color is considered sacred in Islam (see below). The flag of Hamas, as well as the flag of Iran, is green, symbolizing their Islamist ideology. The 1977 flag of Libya consisted of a simple green field with no other characteristics. It was the only national flag in the world with just one color and no design, insignia, or other details. Some countries used green in their flags to represent their country's lush vegetation, as in the flag of Jamaica, and hope in the future, as in the flags of Portugal and Nigeria. The green cedar of Lebanon tree on the Flag of Lebanon officially represents steadiness and tolerance.

paragraph_text: At the time of its adoption, the South African flag was the only national flag in the world to comprise six colours in its primary design and without a seal and brocade. The design and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country's flag history. Individual colours, or colour combinations have different meanings for different people and therefore no universal symbolism should be attached to any of the colours.

paragraph_text: This is a list of countries and territories with a flag that incorporates the Union Jack. Six Commonwealth nations have the Union Jack on their national flag. The first Commonwealth country to drop the Union Jack was Canada in 1965, after adopting a new national flag. The most recent country to drop the Union Jack from its flag was South Africa in 1994, after adopting a new national flag. The only overseas territory without the Union Jack on its current flag is Gibraltar.

paragraph_text: After Pakistan gained its independence in August 1947, Iran was the first country to recognize its sovereign status. Pakistan's relations with Iran grew strained at times due to sectarian tensions, as Pakistani Shias claimed that they were being discriminated against under the Pakistani government's Islamisation programme.

paragraph_text: On 6 March 1957, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast) became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence from European colonization in the twentieth century.

paragraph_text: In September 1993, Madonna embarked on The Girlie Show World Tour, in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers. In Puerto Rico she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage, resulting in outrage among the audience. In March 1994, she appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, using profanity that required censorship on television, and handing Letterman a pair of her panties and asking him to smell it. The releases of her sexually explicit films, albums and book, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question Madonna as a sexual renegade. Critics and fans reacted negatively, who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over.

paragraph_text: After four hundred years of colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, Puerto Rico finally received its sovereignty in 1897 through a Carta de Autonomía (Charter of Autonomy). It was signed by Spanish Prime Minister Práxedes Mateo Sagasta and ratified by the Spanish Cortes.

paragraph_text: The flag of Sint Maarten is the national flag of Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands occupying the southern half of the island of Saint Martin. The flag, designed by 17 year old Roselle Richardson, was officially adopted on 13 June 1985.

paragraph_text: Milanko Petrović (; born 21 September 1988 in Sjenica) is a Serbian biathlete who participated at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first olympic biathlete for independent Serbia. At the 2014 Winter Olympics he carried Serbian flag at the opening ceremony and competed in biathlon and cross-country skiing. He represents Serbia at the Biathlon World Championships and he is a regular participant of the Biathlon World Cup and the first ever Serb to win World Cup points. Occasionally, he competes in cross-country skiing. At the 2013 Winter Universiade he made a remarkable success by winning first ever international medals for Serbia in biathlon and cross-country skiing.

paragraph_text: The flag of Israel, depicting a blue Star of David on a white background, between two horizontal blue stripes was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment. The origins of the flag's design date from the First Zionist Congress in 1897; the flag has subsequently been known as the ``flag of Zion ''.

paragraph_text: The Monroe Doctrine was a United States policy of opposing European colonialism in the Americas beginning in 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to take control of any independent state in North or South America would be viewed as ``the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States. ''At the same time, the doctrine noted that the U.S. would recognize and not interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries. The Doctrine was issued on December 2, 1823 at a time when nearly all Latin American colonies of Spain and Portugal had achieved, or were at the point of gaining, independence from the Portuguese and Spanish Empires.

paragraph_text: María Peláez Navarrete (born 13 November 1977 in Málaga, Andalusia) is a former butterfly swimmer from Spain, who competed at five consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country, starting in 1992. She won the silver medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 1999 European Aquatics Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, after gaining the title in the same event, two years earlier at the European Championships in Seville, Spain.

paragraph_text: By 2013, Madonna's Raising Malawi organization built ten schools to educate 4,000 children in Malawi at a value of $400,000. When Madonna visited the schools in April 2013, President of Malawi Joyce Banda expressed criticism of the star and her charity, accusing her of exaggerating her charity's contribution. Madonna responded by releasing a statement saying she was saddened that Banda had chosen to act negatively about her endeavors. "I have no intention of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations," she added. Later, it was confirmed that Banda had not approved the statement released written by her press team and was "incandescent with anger" over the mix-up.

paragraph_text: In the center of the flag is the Guatemalan coat of arms. It includes the resplendent quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala that symbolizes liberty; a parchment scroll bearing the date of Central America's independence from Spain, 15 September 1821; crossed rifles, indicating Guatemala's willingness to defend itself by force if need be; a bay laurel crown, the symbol for victory; and crossed swords, representing honor. The flag is one of only three national flags of UN member states to feature a firearm, the others being those of Mozambique and Haiti.

paragraph_text: The 1959 International Cross Country Championships was held in Lisbon, Portugal, at the National Stadium on March 21, 1959. Morocco entered a team for the first time after gaining independence. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald.

paragraph_text: Helen Epstein (born 1961) is an American writer, molecular biologist, and independent consultant specializing in public health in developing countries. She has conducted research on reproductive health and AIDS in Africa for such organizations as the Rockefeller Foundation, the Population Council, and Human Rights Watch, and her articles have appeared in "The New York Review of Books", "The New York Times Magazine", "Granta Magazine", and many other publications. Her research interests include the right to health care in developing countries and the relationship between poverty and health in industrialized countries.

paragraph_text: The flag of South Africa was adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928. The new national flag, designed by the then State Herald of South Africa Frederick Brownell, was chosen to represent the country's new democracy after the end of apartheid.

paragraph_text: Portuguese natives comprise a very small percentage of Guinea-Bissauans. After Guinea-Bissau gained independence, most of the Portuguese nationals left the country. The country has a tiny Chinese population. These include traders and merchants of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry from Macau, a former Asian Portuguese colony.

Question: When did the commonwealth, in which Madonna angered the public by rubbing the flag between her thighs, gain its independence from Spain?
Answer: 1897