Hermit crabs are animals.
Decolonization of the Americas refers to the process by which the countries in the Americas gained their independence from European rule .. Americas. Americas. Decolonization. Decolonization. Decolonization began with a series of revolutions in the late 18th and early to mid-19th centuries .. Decolonization. Decolonization. The status quo then prevailed for more than a century , excepting the independence of Cuba -LRB- whose war for independence culminated in the Spanish -- American War -RRB- .. Peaceful independence by voluntary withdrawal of colonial powers then became the norm in the second half of the 20th century .. However , there are still many British and Dutch colonies in North America -LRB- mostly Caribbean islands -RRB- , and France has fully `` integrated '' most of its former colonies as fully constituent `` departments '' of France .