Defining an independent nation
How many countries are there?
•N. Korea has an abundance of natural resources & S. Korea has industry. What if they reunited?
•Taiwan is the most populous state not in the UN
Nation-States in Europe
• Nation-State: state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity– Desire for self rule (self-determination)– Nation States began emerging throughout the 1800s
(Germany & Italy unification are good examples)– After WWI many E. European countries pushed for
self-determination, which was supported by President Wilson of the U.S. & many boundaries lines were changed (many boundaries were set based on lang.)
Europe before & after WWI
Imperialism in 1914
Ch.8 Key Process 3Why are Nation-States difficult to create?
• Multi-ethnic state: state that contains more than one ethnicity
• Multi-national state: country that contains more than one ethnicity w/ traditions of self-determination– Ex. Soviet Union before breakup in 1990s– Russia is the largest multi-national state
Nation-States in Europe• Denmark:
– 90% of the pop. are ethnic Danes– Most speak Danish, nearly all Danish speakers live in Denmark– 10% of pop. w/ the 2 largest minorities being Turkish & people from
former Yugoslavia– Control 2 territories where few Danish people live
• Faeroe Islands and Greenland (control most of their own domestic affairs)
• Slovenia– Was a former republic of Yugoslavia, but became independent in 1991– 83% are Slovenes– Boundaries coincide w/ Slovene ethnic group helping with overall
stability & peace– Borders Italy and w/ changing boundary lines after WWII 1/5 of
Slovenes live there
E. Europe under Communism• Many E. European ethnic groups desired self-determination but
the Communist leaders imposed centripetal forces to discourage differences until the break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s– Ex. organized religion minimized, use Russian language,
socialist realism (emphasized Communist economic & social values)
• Soviet Union consisted of 15 republics now independent states: – 3 Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania– 3 European States: Belarus, Moldova, & Ukraine– 5 Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, & Uzbekistan– 3 Caucasus states: Azerbaijan, Armenia, & Georgia– Russia
Baltic States• Lithuania: 85% are ethnic Lithuanians,
Roman Catholic, & speak a lang. of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European lang.
• Estonia: 69% ethnic Estonians, most Estonians are Protestant (Lutheran), & speak Uralic related to Finnish
• Latvia: 59% are ethnic Latvians, Latvians are predominately Lutheran w/ lg. Roman Catholic minority, speak a lang. of the Balto-Slavic brnach
European States• Belarusians, Ukrainians, & Russians speak similar Slavic languages
& predominately Orthodox Christians
• Belarus & Ukraine: distinct due to physical isolation from Russians– Russians conquered region in 1700s– Distinct cultural differences btw. these groups
• Moldova: ethnically indistinguishable from Romanians b/c it was part of Romania until Soviet Union took it over– Began independent in 1992 & many want to reunite w/
Romania– Problem w/ reunification is Russia increased Moldova’s size &
many people on this land are Ukrainians or Russians who don’t want to unite
European States
Central Asian States• Turkmenistan: 85% Turkmen, Muslim, speak Altaic lang.
– Conquered by Russia in 1800s & Turkmens are divided btw. the two countries
• Uzbekistan: 80% Uzbek, Muslim speak Altaic lang.– Conquered by Russia in 1800s & divided among Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, &
Uzbekistan
• Kyrgyzstan: 69% Kyrgyz, 15% Uzbek, 9% Russian– Kyrgyz are Muslim who speak Altaic lang.– Resent Russians for taking best farmland
• Kazakhstan: very large in comparison to other Central Asian states– Ethnic tension btw/ Kazakhs (67%) & Russians (18%) but b/c of relative stable
economy it has been peacful– Differences include religion & lang.
• Tajikistan: civil war btw/ Tajik people
Central Asian States
Caucasus Region• Conflict in this region w/ many ethnicities & boundaries of states not matching
the territories occupied by these ethnicities
• Azerbaijan: became independent in 1991 from former Soviet Union– Fragmented state w/ discontinuous pieces of territory– Russia & Iran claimed part of it in the 1800s– 91% are Azeris– 24% of Iran include Azeris (participate in gov’t but Iran restricts teaching of
Azeri lang.)
• Armenia: became independent in 1991 from former Soviet Union– Mostly Christians, 91% are Armenian– Long history of conquest & genocide (ex. Ottoman Empire)– Conflict btw. Armenia & Azerbaijan over land – 1994 cease-fire left area of Nagorno-Karabakh technically part of Azerbaijan
but acts like an independent republic called Artsakh
• Georgia: unrest due to cultural diversity especially btw. Ossetians & Abkhazians– Abkhazians fought for NW portion of Georgia in 1990s & declared Abkhazia
to be independent– Ossetians fought w/ Georgians resulting in the Ossetians declaring South
Ossetia portion of Georgia to be independent– Russia has recognized Abkhazia & South Ossetia as independent countries &
has sent troops there
• Russia– Largest country in world– Recognize 39 ethnic groups as nationalities, many eager for independence– 20% of country are non-Russian– Independence movements are flourishing b/c Russia is less willing to
suppress these movements– Chechens (Sunni Muslims) are biggest concern for Russia
• Chechnya declared its independence after breakup of USSR & refused to join Russia
• Russia fought back b/c didn’t want other ethnicities to rebel & Chechnya also has petroleum deposits