As a former Portuguese colonial possession till independence in 1822, Brazil has almost identical traditions of military parades with the Portuguese Armed Forces with added Spanish and Dutch elements due to the long history of the lands that would become the present day country, with additional influences from France, Germany and Italy. For many years from the Imperial era till today Brazil has witnessed parade after parade held on major national and regional holidays, a tradition maintained till today by the Brazilian Armed Forces. Since the 1960s high-stepping has been a prominent part of parades hosted by the armed forces, a tradition carried over from Portugal, Turkey and Uruguay.