The demand by a particular group or area for separation from the territorial and political sovereignty of the state of which they are a part. Examples of separatist movements are the Basques in Spain and the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Separatism is associated with claims for the right to self-determination, and is often connected with discrimination against minorities.
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Separatism is a term usually applied to describe the attitudes or motivations of those seeking independence or "separation" of their land or region from the country that governs them. The term separatist movements usually refers to social movements that aspire to autonomy for a particular group of people from a dominant political institution under which they suffer, although separatism can also be enforced by a ruling political power, as occurred in South Africa under apartheid.
Political and administrative separatism
Political separatism may involve attempts to obtain sovereignty and to split a territory or a group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another, or one nation from another.
Separatist movements often operate using strictly constitutional and peaceful methods.
Separatism can also often take the form of a violent response to a past military takeover. Around the world many groups espouse separatism as the "only" way to achieve their goal of national liberation.
Violence usually diminishes when there exist political means that would-be separatists can use to gain more political and economic autonomy within the current constitutional order.
Motivations for separatism
Separatist movements often have at least a superficial basis in nationalism or in religious fervour.
Quebec also provides an example of how political marginalisation can lead to separatist ambitions.
Spain's Basque areas, which have not had independence for centuries, developed violent separatist groups in reaction to violent oppression by Francisco Franco's regime (furthermore, the Basque language, despite being minoritary, provides a basis for Basque nationalism, as in some other instances throughout the world).
The nations of the northern Italian peninsula maintained political independence for centuries (for example Veneto had a separate identity from the 10th to 19th centuries as the Republic of Venice and the Republic of Genoa acted independently for the best part of seven centuries. The separatism of northern Italy has not only economic roots, but also linguistic (associated with the Gallo-romance language group) and cultural ones.
Degrees of separation
A wide spectrum of different intensities of separatist feeling and activity occurs in history:
Some separatist movements engage in armed struggle using conventional military forces. Basque separatism falls into this category; Irish separatism took this form for much of the 19th century. India provides the classic case of the use of passive resistance to advocate separatism and political independence. Separatism in Cornwall has often operated in this manner, and it proved effective in the Baltic region prior to World War I. Intellectually-based separatism has emerged in cases such as Cascadia. Temporary or intermittent dissatisfaction with a national or regional situation can provoke flickering feelings of separatism that rise and fall in popularity. In some cases separatism can almost become a farce - a far cry from the bloodshed that full-blown nationalism can occasion.Fickle separatisms
Separatism can change in form, intensity and direction over time. Texan separatism became very real in 1836 and faded with the area's annexation to the United States in 1845, but the Republic of Texas group(s) maintain the tradition of an independent Texas to this day. Indians before 1947 agitated for their own Raj, only to experience Islamic separatism in the formation of Pakistan, which in turn fell victim to Bengali separatism in the setting up of an independent Bangladesh. 2006 Czechoslovakia — split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia Ethiopia — separation of Eritrea Indonesia — separation of East Timor Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia — split into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Soviet Union — split into Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan Croatia — independence of the Republic of Serb Frontier in 1991 (united the Serbian Autonomous Region of the Frontier, Serbian Autonomous Region of Western Slavonia and Serbian Autonomous Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranya and Western Srem. Republic of Dubrovnik — was an attempt by the Yugoslav government in 1991-1992 not to allow it to become a part of independent Croatia Republic of Serb Frontier — after its fall in 1995, its most eastern provinces of Baranja, Eastern Slavonia and Western Srem created the Republic of Eastern Slavonia, Baranya and Western Srem, a UN-demilitarizing state which was in 1998 incorporated peacefully into Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina — Republic of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, later changed name to Republic Serb which still stands today; Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia from 1993 to 1994 when it became a part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic Serb — the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, which existed from 1993, in 1995 it was transformed into the Republic of Western Bosnia, which was soon annexed to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbia and Montenegro — Montenegro seceded from the union in 2006, leaving both Serbia and Montenegro independent
Other Historical separatist movements
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — Macedonian NLA - National Liberation Army Malaysia — Singapore Pakistan — Bangladesh Russia — Poles and FinnsEntities which have proclaimed independence without gaining international recognition as independent countries
Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Palestine Puntland Somaliland South Ossetia Transnistria Northern CyprusSee also: List of unrecognized countries
States with separatist movements
See: List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
Ethnic/racial separatism
Ethnic separatism refers to groups that attempt to separate themselves culturally and economically or racially, though not always seeking political autonomy.
White separatism
White separatism is the belief that those who are of white or Caucasian race should have separate institutions or even separate societies, territories, governments, and should not intermarry or have children with those considered to be of non-white races.
Latino separatism
One of the currents of the 1960s Chicano Movement in the United States was politically separatist.
Black separatism
Black separatism is the belief the Black people should live separately from other races.
See also: Identity politics
Religious separatism
Religious groups whose members believe they should not interact with anyone except co-religionists tend to break into plethoras of sects. Religious separatism has become a particular feature of those Protestant churches in which ecclesiastical government and theological authority resides at the local, congregational level.
Gender and sexuality
Separatist feminism suggests that the political disparities between men and women cannot be readily resolved, and encourages women to direct their energies toward other women rather than men. A branch of separatist feminism known as lesbian separatism advocates lesbianism as the logical result of feminism.
Some contemporary queer and transgender writers and activists have critiqued gender as a form of separatism that artificially divides the human population into two classes.
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