MULTINATIONALISM and the CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

MULTINATIONALISM and the CHANGING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Devolution The movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state. Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements Nations within a state that define themselves as distinct ethnically, linguistically, or religiously. WHO??

Examples of Devolution in Europe Scotland: against joining the EU, wanted independence -oil and natural gas revenues would flow to Scotland, not London -taxpayers funds would serve Scotland instead of the UK Regionalism: minority group self-awareness and identification with a region instead of a state. 1997 Scotland and Wales voted for devolution and their own parliaments were created. This gave rise to the idea of independence, not satisfied with being part of the UK Basque separatists in Spain

Other Ethnocultural devolution Yugoslavia Bretons in France Czechoslovakia: Became Slovakia and Czech Rep 1. Slovakia: border between Slovakia and Hungary has 11% Hungarians 2. Hungarians face discrimination based on language and culture and want greater autonomy

Changes in Europe due to Devolution? 1. formation of new states 2. more power to regions, new legislatures (parliaments) 3. linguistic or religious revival 4. regional separatism 5. political instability (civil war, fighting, hostility, ethnic cleansing, conflict) 6. Economic instability (economy declining) 7. Mass migration(refugees, emigration)

Other Examples of Devolution? Sri Lanka Canada: Quebec Soviet Union into 15 independent states (Chechnya) Sudan: Muslim North and non-muslim south Western China: Uyghur separatist movement Palestinians in Israel Subnationalism: give their primary allegiance to traditional groups or nations that are smaller than the population of the entire state. Self-determination

Economic Devolutionary Forces Catalonia in Spain: cite economics: 6% of territory and 17% of population, produces 25% of Spanish exports and 40% industrial exports. Mezzogiorno region of Italy, rich core of Europe separate from poor south. What causes wealthier areas to want to break away from state? BRAZIL 3 Southernmost States of Rio Grande Do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Parana. Government misspending their tax money on assistance to Amazonia. -found a leader -created a flag -demanded independence calling themselves Republic of Pampas (govt outlawed this party)

Spatial Devolutionary Forces Most of the places seeking devolution are on the margins or periphery of a state or are isolated islands. -distance -remoteness -marginal locations, sometimes separated by a river, mt, or desert from central power Hawai i: -right to reestablish an independent state called Hawai i -Island of Kauai or part of the island

Supranationalism The efforts of three or more states to forge an organization, give up some sovereignty in pursuit of common goals

The United Nations Representation of countries has been more universal than that of the League of Nations

The United Nations Peacekeeping operations Internal conflicts Not always successful > 40,000 peacekeeping troops serve The UN peacekeeping function provides major benefits to the international community Unrepresented peoples UNPO By 2002 had 51 members and 13 applicants

Regional Multinational Unions The first multinational union Benelux Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg The Marshall Plan First-step of cooperation among European states Toward a European Union The Organization of the European Economic Community (OEEC) France proposed a union with six other states called the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) The ECSC through negotiations and agreement led to the formation of the Common Market (EEC) Expansion created the European Community (EC) In 1992, further expansion led to creation of the European Union (EU)

EUROPEAN UNION

Changes resulting from Supranationalism in Europe? 1. Larger market (greater trade, reduced tariffs, greater economic prosperity) 2. Greater international influence(greater pol/eco power, greater ability to compete with economies of other countries) 3. Open borders (labor, tourists) 4. common currency (EURO) 5. Common policy (resources, agriculture, economic, environment, trade, military) or loss of control over individual policy 6. Loss of identity 7. War is less likely

The Future of European Supranationalism Difficult The United Kingdom did not allow its citizens to vote on membership in the EU Expansion May cause strains Progress toward supranational goals tends to be cyclic and flourishes when economic times are good

Regional Multinational Unions Supranationalism elsewhere NAFTA the North American Free Trade Agreement CARICOM South America s MERCOSUR ECOWAS Today, new groups are forming in almost all parts of the world FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas Other forms of Supranationalism NATO Cultural unions Political unions

Resources De Blij, Harm, J. (2007). Human Geography People, Place and Culture. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Domosh, Mona, Neumann, Roderic, Price, Patricia, & Jordan-Bychkov, 2010. The Human Mosaic, A Cultural Approach to Human Geography. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company. Fellman, Jerome, D., Getis, Arthur, & Getis, Judith, 2008. Human Geography, Landscapes of Human Activities. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Pulsipher, Lydia Mihelic and Alex M. and Pulsipher, 2008. World Regional Geography, Global Patterns, Local Lives. W.H. Freeman and Company New York. Rubenstein, James M. (2008). An introduction to human geography The cultural landscape. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Benewick, Robert, & Donald, Stephanie H. (2005). The State of China Atlas. Berkeley: University of California Press.