Nation-state

:This article is about the political concept. For the Internet game, .

Conflicting nationalisms

Iceland not only has clear borders, it is inhabited by people who are either immigrants or self-identify as Icelandic. In many nation-states, all or part of the territory is claimed on behalf of more than one nation, by more than one nationalist movement. The intensity of the claims varies: some are no more than a suggestion, others are backed by armed secessionist groups. Belgium is a classic example of a disputed nation-state. The state was formed by secession from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830, and the Flemish population in the north speaks a dialect of Dutch. The Flemish identity is also ethnic and cultural, and there is a strong separatist movement. The Walloon identity is linguistic (French-speaking) and regionalist. There is also a unitary Belgian nationalism, several versions of a Greater Netherlands ideal, and a German-speaking region annexed from Prussia in 1920, and re-annexed by Germany in 1940-1944.

Related Topics:
Iceland - Secessionist - Belgium - United Kingdom of the Netherlands - Flemish - Separatist - Walloon - Regionalist - Belgian nationalism - Greater Netherlands - German-speaking region - Prussia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The fact that a nation-state has a disputed territory in this way, does not make it less of a nation-state. If large sections of the population reject the national identity, the legitimacy of the state is undermined, and the efficiency of government is reduced, That is certainly the case in Belgium, where the inter-communal tensions dominate politics. Nevertheless, some nation-states, such as Switzerland, maintain a strong national identity among distinct linguistic and cultural groups, and Swiss political stability is exemplary.

Related Topics:
Legitimacy - Switzerland

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Most states now declare themselves to be nation-states. In the case of very large states, there are many competing claims and often many separatist movements. These movements usually dispute that the larger state is a 'real' nation-state, and refer to it as an empire. There is no objective standard for assessing which claim is correct, they are competing political claims. Large nation-states certainly need to define the nation on a broad basis. China, for example, uses the concept of "Zhonghua minzu," a Chinese people, although it also officially recognises the majority Han ethnic group, and no less than 55 national minorities.

Related Topics:
Empire - China - Zhonghua minzu - Han - National minorities

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~