By Aiden Wasserman

Catalonia

Catalonian independence has near total support in the region, culminating in a 2017 referendum in which 90 percent of voters supported independence, despite police crackdowns that scared many voters. Following a declaration of independence, Spain dissolved the local government, imposed its direct rule over Catalonia, and jailed many members. Despite the movement’s popularity among Catalans, the Spanish constitution would need to be amended, requiring much more national support.

New Caledonia

New Caledonia, an overseas department of France, has sought to secede, and two recent independence referendums have been close to a majority. There are current violent protests in the country as natives protest the French government. Although the movement may be popular, France will unlikely allow it to succeed.

Scotland

Scotland has a long history of attempts to secede from the UK, with 45 percent of people voting for independence in a 2014 referendum. Since Brexit, there have been increased calls for independence as many Scots seek to join the EU independently. The Scottish Nationalist Party, a pro-independence party, is the second largest in Scotland and calls for another referendum are popular.

Balochistan

Balochistan spans Southeastern Iran and Southwestern Pakistan. The Balochi people seek political autonomy, suffer economic inequality, and feel exploited for their natural resources. The movement has mainly been through violence, as opposed to attempting political recognition, with terrorist attacks continuing to this day.

Kurdistan

The Kurdish people span through Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, with their political struggles and levels of autonomy varying across these countries. Iraqi Kurdistan is de facto independent, while Kurds in Turkey and Syria have long been fighting with Turkey for independence and engaging in terrorist activities inside Turkey. Kurds in Iran have had smaller-scale conflicts with the Iranian government for independence and have achieved little.

Ambazonia

Ambazonia is an anglophone region of francophone Cameroon. A civil war began after peaceful independence protests in 2016 were met with violent crackdowns. Although the Ambazonians now control most of their land, the Cameroonian government maintains firm opposition and international support for Ambazonia is limited.

This piece is a reproduction from its original issue in Hemispheres Volume 48 Issue 1. Read more here.