Defining an independent nation

3. Defining an independent nation How many countries are there?

7. N. Korea has an abundance of natural • resources & S. Korea has industry. What if they reunited?

9. Taiwan is the most populous state not in the UN

16. 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.)

17. Europe before & after WWI

18. Imperialism in 1914

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. European States

31. 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

32. Central Asian States

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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