Nationalism and border disputes Flashcards
Iceland mono-cultural nation facts:
Those born overseas constituted only 8.9% of population in 2015.
Around 96% of population speaking Icelandic which is a very difficult language to learn, not attractive for migrants to move there.
It’s also an isolated nation and people applying for citizenship need to have basic understanding of Icelandic, this policy helps to maintain cultural homogeneity.
Lack of national identity in Singapore:
There is no single Singaporean ethnicity, 3/4 of its population is Chinese and 4 official languages are recognized - English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil with English being a primary language of instruction in schools
2 ways that borders between nations can come into place:
.Natural borders: natural obstacle such as rivers or mountains, e.g. the Niagara River between Canada and USA and the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain
.Colonial history and political intervention: Berlin conference 1884-1895 had 14 countries decide how Africa’s borders would be set, without any say from the African nations
Iraq border case study:
(Failure)
In 1916 the UK and France drew up plans regarding the boundary between Syria and Iraq.
These took little notice of the ethnicity differences, led to groups like the Kurds becoming a minority and having little power
Tensions between different groups have been occurring for decades in this region, with the Kurds wanting to have their own state and this challenge a countries sovereignty
Pakistan and India (1947):
(Success)
British leaders decided that the best way to stop conflict between Hindus and Muslims was by establishing a border.
Pakistan would contain mostly Muslim areas and India would contain mostly Hindu areas.
Kashmir region still being contested
Rwandan genocide explained:
Former ruler Belgium favored the minority Tutsis over the Hutus which created tension.
After becoming independent the Hutus took control and when the president died in 1994 it led to genocide of Tutsi community,
800 000 people killed (75% of Tutsi population)
Costs of disintegrating empires:
(Vietnam)
After world war 2 they became independent after challenging the French rule.
Split into North (supported by communist China) and South (supported by US troops), resulted in a long devastating war which killed 1-4 million Vietnamese people
South was finally defeated in 1975 and an independent communist nation emerged
Costs of disintegrating empire:
(South Sudan)
After becoming independent from the British Sudan was made up of 2 different areas.
In the North most of the population is Muslim and speak Arabic, whereas the South is home to various religious and ethnic groups, with lower levels of development.
Many violent conflicts occurred, eventually in 2011 South Sudan became independent
but conflict has continued over the control of oil reserves.
In 2013 more than half the entire national budget was spent on its military, little investment in services, restricting economic development
Wind of change:
After the second world war European economies were left weak and in debt, making it harder to control African colonies.
Many nations became independent and empires disintegrated.
Some countries independence was peaceful e.g. Ghana, and in some it was violent e.g. Kenya
Globalisation leading to development of new states:
(Tax havens)
States where there is little to no tax which will attract wealthy individuals and TNCs to register themselves there.
Cayman Islands -
-0% personal income tax rate and low corporation taxes,
-Has over 100 000 registered companies
-Average GDP per capita of over $55 000 in 2015
Assimilation of migrants in the UK:
1)The longer the immigrants stay the more likely they are to assimilate as British
2)Immigrants from poorer and less democratic countries assimilate faster, e.g. Bengalis. While those from Western Europe and US do more slowly.
Bolivia’s president undoing privatization and reducing primary exports:
Morales done this as he believed profits leaked out of the country.
His policies resulted in:
-Improved services like healthcare
-Reduced wealth inequalities and government debt
-Increased electricity and telecommunications
