WHY ARE NATION-STATES DIFFICULT TO CREATE? Key issue 2 WHY ARE NATION-STATES DIFFICULT TO CREATE?

A state that contains several ethnicities is a multi-ethnic state.

These are often referred to as ‘melting pots,’ like the US. In some multiethnic states, several ethnicities contribute cultural features to the formation of a single nationality. These are often referred to as ‘melting pots,’ like the US.

Multiethnic states are distinguished from multi-national states, which are countries that contain more than one ethnicity with traditions of self-determination.

The Soviet Union was a prime example of a multi-national state. It was composed of 15 semi-autonomous ‘Republics’ held together by communist centripetal forces.

During the Cold War, the many nationalities bound together by the multi-national Soviet Union were exposed to powerful centripetal forces in order to erase tensions.

Russian language was widely promoted, and communist ‘realist’ artistic styles were introduced to glorify the working class over ethnic affiliations.

When centripetal forces failed to quell nationalist agitation, Soviet military power was liberally applied.

When the Union dissolved in 1991, these Republics quickly proclaimed their independence.

NATION –STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION NATION-STATE – a state corresponding to the territory occupied by a NATION, that is deeply influenced by its unique culture and politics.

In one year, the world’s largest multi-national state quickly broke down into 15 nation-states.

Baltic states: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia European states: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova Central Asian states: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Caucasus states: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia Russia

The large majority of the people in each of these post-Soviet nation-states held similar religious, cultural, and political positions, and used common languages – in other words, each was a NATION-STATE.

FIGURE 8-20 ETHNICITIES IN CENTRAL ASIA The map shows the distribution of ethnicities in Central Asia.

Two former Soviet republics, however, remain divided between competing nationalities: RUSSIA and GEORGIA. In each of these, a dominant ethnicity- Russian/Georgian- competes with less powerful peoples who seek independence.

Today, more than 20% of the population of Russia is non-Russian; many minority ethnicities in the border regions seek self-determination

Russia has been LESS likely to crush nationalist uprisings than were the communist Soviets, so independence movements among restive nationalities have grown. Chechen Nationalists

Many of these movements are located in a restive mountain region called the Caucasus.

Several regions of the Caucasus- especially restive CHECHNYA – seek independence from Russia.

CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA

Like Russia, the Caucasus state of GEORGIA faces powerful internal divisions. Ethnics groups in two regions - SOUTH OSSETIA and ABKHAZIA - battle the authorities in Tblisi for independence.

Although Russia opposes nationalist movements within its own borders (Chechnya), it has actively supported breakaway regions in other former Soviet states. In 2008, Russia engaged in a war with tiny Georgia when the Georgians tried to suppress Ossetian and Abkhaz independence movements; Russia recognizes both territories as independent- the only country to do so.

The conflict in Ukraine is also driven by Russia, which supports Russian-speaking rebels in the East.

The ‘purest’ nation-state in the world is….? No country is a ‘pure’ nation-state; every country has SOME degree of diversity. The ‘purest’ nation-state in the world is….?

JAPAN At 98% Japanese, Japan is the most ethnically homogenous nation-state in the world.

“NATION-STATES” in EUROPE Some states in Europe are considered Nation-States, though they are far from ‘pure.’

DENMARK

DENMARK AS A NATION-STATE 90% of population are ethnic Danes Nearly all Danes speak Danish Nearly all world’s Danes live in Denmark

However… Some 10% of the Danish population is composes of non-Danes. These are mostly Turks and Eastern Europeans Denmark controls territories that are virtually non-Danish, like the Faeroe Islands and Greenland

SLOVENIA

SLOVENIA AS A NATION-STATE 83% of population are ethnic Slovenes Nearly all of the world’s Slovenes live in Slovenia

But… This percentage has been SHRINKING for decades. In 1948, a census showed that Slovenes comprised 97% of the region. This number has steadily declined- Slovenia was the most prosperous region of Yugoslavia, and non-Slovenes migrated there to seek better opportunities.

IMPACT OF COLONIALISM

European states came to control much of the world through COLONIALISM, an effort by one country to establish settlement in a territory and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles on that territory.

A colony is a territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent.

BRITISH and DUTCH colonies were purely economic (wealth-producing) While every colonizer sought to extract WEALTH from its colonies, some others sought to impose cultural values BRITISH and DUTCH colonies were purely economic (wealth-producing) The SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, and FRENCH sought to impose their culture (language and religion) on their colonies.

The Colonized World at the Outbreak of WWI FIGURE 8-23 COLONIAL POSSESSIONS, 1914 At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, European states held colonies in much of the world, especially in Africa and Asia. Most of the countries in the Western Hemisphere were at one time colonized by Europeans but gained their independence in the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries.

Remaining ‘Dependencies,’ 2012

By far the largest dependent territory in the world is Puerto Rico. Its 4 million inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in our elections or have voting representation in Congress. FIGURE 8-24 COLONIAL POSSESSIONS, 2012 Most remaining colonies are tiny specks in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, too small to appear on the map.