Potential "New" states in Europe

[Feanor]

Crimea is already rife with secessionist attitudes. Realistically speaking Eastern Ukraine and Crimea should be part of Russia. Crimea was actually handed over to Ukraine from the RSFSR by Khruschev in an arbitrary decision.

 

[Atilla [TR]]

Crimea is already rife with secessionist attitudes. Realistically speaking Eastern Ukraine and Crimea should be part of Russia. Crimea was actually handed over to Ukraine from the RSFSR by Khruschev in an arbitrary decision.

Just out of curiosity who are the Crimeans who are the ethnic population there?

 

[kato]

Just out of curiosity who are the Crimeans who are the ethnic population there?

58.3% Russian
24.3% Ukrainian
12.1% Crimean Tatar

Crimean Tatar share is growing, others, in particular Russian, falling.

 

[Firehorse]

Some 70% of the Crimea's population are ethnic Russians; the rest are mainly Ukrainians. Since 1989 there has also been a movement back to the area of native Tatars who had been exiled to central Asia in the Stalin era, and they now form about a tenth of the population. There are also smaller minorities of ethnic Armenians, Greeks, Bulgarians, and Germans.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Crimea.html

UKRAINE: Kiev fails to end Crimea's ethnic tensions

The Eastern and Southern Ukraine aren't predominantly ethnic Ukrainian either!

 

[kato]

> Some 70% of the Crimea's population are ethnic Russians; the rest are mainly Ukrainians.

Sounds dodgy. My numbers are from the 2001 Ukrainian Caucus.

 

[Firehorse]

There are also many mixed ethnicities- Russian-Ukrainian-Tatar, etc. But the best indication are the videly spoken native languages- I've been there in the '80s and it's mostly, if not over 95%, Russian!

 

[Feanor]

Essentially what Putin said could turn into reality, if Russia indicated support for the ethnic Russians living there, and there was an organized nationalist movement.

 

[swerve]

There are also many mixed ethnicities- Russian-Ukrainian-Tatar, etc. But the best indication are the videly spoken native languages- I've been there in the '80s and it's mostly, if not over 95%, Russian!

1. Publicly spoken language isn't the best guide to ethnic self-identification. Ask a Scot (95% monoglot English-speaking) or Welshman (only 20% speak Welsh as their first language), Breton, etc., etc.

2. It is no longer the 1980s. Some of the Russian residents of Crimea in the 1980s have moved to Russia since Ukraine became independent. Tatars from Russia & Central Asia have moved to Crimea, where their ancestors were deported from by Stalin. BTW, Kato mentioned that the Russian share had fallen.

There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the Ukrainian census. The local government in Crimea is dominated by ethnic Russians, & would be unlikely to have faked the figures to understate the Russian proportion.

 

[ArmyAmy]

Wow. There is an independence movement in California n Texas? Why would they wanna leave the union? Are they backed by any political party/movement or just rebels?

That thing among Texans is "we were never actually annexed into the union and are there fore a free state" But thats like a Texas legend its not any attempt to secede in the works.

 

[ArmyAmy]

Texans love America almost as much as they love Texas.

 

[Waylander]

Aaaah. becaue of that they tend to use the flag of the confederate states of america...

(No pun intended... )

 

[IrishHitman]

I can see Scotland gaining independence although I don't see what benefits it would bring them, Wales will always remain part of the UK, I don't think they have a very strong independence movement, if Northern Ireland ever leaves the UK it would most likely reunite with Eire, so no new state. What about an independent Cornwall or Brittany.

We're speaking English, so the correct term for Ireland is "The Republic of Ireland", not Eire. Unless you wish to converse in Irish, in which case I'd be happy to..

Northern Ireland aren't going anywhere, it will most likely stay within the UK.
Economics are beginning to take precedent.

Scotland has a decent chance of gaining independence. The SNP won alot more seats last time around.

Wales are unlikely to split.
Cornwall or Brittany? No way either the UK or France will allow that...