Seneca
Sign up

Tensions within Nations

Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 11.5.4

Nationalist Movements in Europe

Globalisation, migration and westernisation can create disunity and conflict within nations. Strong nationalist movements have emerged in many European countries.

UKIP

UKIP

  • UKIP won 12.7% of the vote in the 2015 General Election, campaigning for a departure from the European Union.
Scottish independence

Scottish independence

  • The Scottish campaign for independence culminated in a referendum in 2014 saw 44.7% of the Scottish electorate voting to separate from the UK.
  • Again Scotland wanted to stay in the EU.
Catalonian independence

Catalonian independence

  • Strong nationalist movements have arisen, seeking to establish independent, smaller states – separatism (a desire to have autonomy within, or independence from, a country).
  • Catalonia is a prosperous area of Spain that contains Barcelona. They speak Catalonian, instead of Castilian Spanish like the rest of the country.
  • However, this is not necessarily a new phenomenon. The Basque Country in Spain, where they speak Basque, campaigned for independence for years, with the terrorist group ETA supporting this campaign for independence.
  • However, Catalonia, although they are separatist, still wish to remain in the EU.
Kosovo

Kosovo

  • Kosovo is a partly recognised state that declared independence from Serbia in 2008. UN peacekeeping troops are in Kosovo and it is a candidate with the potential to join the EU.

Tensions in BRICS Countries

There are nationalist tensions and disunity in many BRICS nations:

Brazil

Brazil

  • Indigenous tribes living in the Amazon are under threat from land grabbing and deforestation in the region.
  • The corrupt leadership of Dilma Rousseff led to disquiet and Michel Temer, the previous leader, is also tainted with reports of corruption.
  • Much of the population is very poor, but Brazil spent $15bn on the 2014 Football World Cup and $5bn on the 2016 Olympics.
  • The return on these kind of sporting events is uncertain. Andrew Zimbalist's research suggests these events are not value for money.
Russia

Russia

  • Russia is the largest country on Earth.
  • There are several 'nations' within Russia, from nomadic reindeer hunters in the very north of Russia to Chechnya.
  • Chechnya in the south of Russia is seeking autonomy. There have been disputes since the breakup of the USSR in 1991. In 2004, 334 people died in the Beslan School siege involving some Chechan militants.
India

India

  • The Kashmir region in the northwest of India is a disputed territory, where both India and Pakistan claim ownership. 60% of the population in Kashmir are Muslim, making it the only majority-Muslim region in India.
  • There is a caste system in India, where the colour of someone's skin and their position in the caste system determines their opportunities and treatment.
China

China

  • There are separatist groups in Tibet and in the west of China, where the Uyghur ethnic group live.
  • Internally in China, there has been a lot of rural-to-urban migration. The hukou system is a government registration system of households. This means that migrants don't have full rights when they move into urban areas.

Test yourself on Tensions within Nations

  • Nationalist movements are growing across Europe. What percentage of the vote did UKIP win in the 2015 General Election in the UK?

  • In 2014, what percentage of the Scottish electorate voted to leave the United Kingdom?

  • Whose research suggests that hosting events like the World Cup and Olympics does not offer value for money for the host nation?

  • Which region is a source of dispute between Pakistan and India?

  • Which government registration system in China stops migrants from having equal rights?

Practise this topic for free