There is so much emphasis on globalisation and the economic and cultural consequences of transnational integration, that we tend to assume that’s the way the world is going. Isn’t it obvious that large blocs such as the European Union will become more and more important territorially and politically? And shouldn’t we take for granted the emergence of regulatory bodies such as the World Trade Organization, because global problems require global solutions? Well, not always, is the answer. Political geography is much more complicated than that.
Motives for separation often have historical origins. They may include the unravelling of old compromises that no longer fit present realities. An example of this is Belgium. It gained independence from the Netherlands in 1839, but the loose coalition of Flemings and Walloons has never been entirely satisfactory. In recent years, language and other cultural differences have led to calls for two separate countries. Another example is amicable separation of Czechoslovakia in 1993 into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
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