Original source
: http://listverse.com
Posted : September 2011
Author : Connor Diver
Posted : September 2011
Author : Connor Diver
10. Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Claims: Georgia vs. Republic
of Abkhazia and Republic of South Ossetia
Both Abkhazia and
South Ossetia are breakaway republics from Georgia
in the Caucasus . The two little known
territories have battled for independence from Georgia since the 1920s, but are
still unsuccessful in their claims. As a result of the Russian Revolution in
1917, under the Soviet Union, Abkhazia and South Ossetia became part of Georgia as two
autonomous republics. However, Abkhazia and South Ossetia
declared independence from Soviet Georgia in 1923 and 1922 respectively, after
wars in the 1920s. Further troubles started in the early 90s, during the demise
of the Soviet Union, when Georgia
declared independence from the USSR ,
and adopted its old constitution. Many believed the old constitution would
eliminate the autonomy of the regions, but in fact it didn’t. The troubles
eventually led to wars in 1992 and 2008. After the 2008 war, Russia officially recognized the countries as
two, separate and individual states, and along with Nicaragua ,
Venezuela , Nauru and Vanuatu is one of the only
countries to officially recognize the states. The UN, EU and NATO, however,
refuse to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia
as sovereign states.
9. Kosovo
Claims: Republic of Serbia
vs. Republic of Kosovo
Here we have
another, more famous dispute, regarding land that once belonged to a socialist
republic. This time however, it involves the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia
has a long and interesting history, but we will be concentrating on the decline
of the socialist state in the 1990s. During the demise, 5 new states were
formed: Bosnia and Herzegovina ,
Croatia , Macedonia , Slovenia and FR Yugoslavia. FR
Yugoslavia also contained the autonomous region of Kosovo. War broke out in
1998-99 when the “Kosovo Liberation Army” fought for independence against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia .
The UN was very much on the side of the KLA, and helped with the bombing of FR
Yugoslavia. After the war, FR Yugoslavia relinquished all claims to Kosovo and
accepted it as a UN controlled region. FR Yugoslavia then split into two
individual states, Serbia
and Montenegro ,
in 2006. Kosovo then declared independence from Serbia , on 17th February, 2008,
with its capital city as Pristina. It is officially recognized by 80 UN member
states, plus Taiwan .
It is a member of the IMF and World Bank Group; however it is still,
technically, a partially recognized state.
8. West Sahara
Claims: Kingdom of Morocco
We now move from
Europe to the disputed African territory of the Western Sahara, bordered by Morocco , Algeria
and Mauritania .
It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly
consisting of desert flatlands. The population is estimated at just over
500,000 – many of whom live in one city. According to the UN, it is a
non-decolonized territory on the “List of Non-Self-Governing Territories”.
Originally belonging to the Spanish Empire, it is now claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic
Republic, after the Madrid Accords, in 1975, when Spain agreed to end its presence in
the area. The SADR controls 20-25% of the territory, with Morocco
controlling the rest. 58 states officially recognize the SADR as the government
of the Western Sahara , 22 have withdrawn their
recognition and 12 have frozen it pending a UN referendum. The Arab league is
the main and only support for Morocco ’s
claim to the territory. The SADR joined the African Union in 1984, leading to
the withdrawal of Morocco ,
making them the only African Nation not in the union. To this day, the UN
doesn’t recognize the West Sahara as a
sovereign state ruled by the SADR.
7. Gibraltar
Claims: Kingdom of Spain
The territory of Gibraltar
has been fought over for years, due to its ideal position on the Gibraltar strait. The strait provides access to the
Mediterranean and the Suez ,
and is of major importance for international shipping and trade. Military
control of the strait currently lies jointly with the UK and Morocco ,
as opposed to Spain , even
though Spain
has significant military bases near the Strait. This decision was made by NATO
and is thought to be because of the special relationship between the US and UK ,
and the status of Gibraltar as a “British
Overseas Territory Gibraltar
in 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory subsequently
ceded to Britain by Spain forever
under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Since the territory was handed over, the
Spanish have tried three times to recapture the town through sieges, but none
were successful. It now holds a claim to the territory, although it still
remains British. Referendums were held, in 1967 and 2002, to return Gibraltar
to Spain , but 99% of the
population voted to remain a British
Territory Spain
and the UK over the joint
claim, but nonetheless, it still remains an interesting political situation as Spain shows no
signs of relinquishing the claim.
6. South Georgia
and South Sandwich Islands
Claims: Argentine Republic
Closely linked to
the Falkland Islands (see below), these islands have also been the focus of the
rift between Argentina and the United Kingdom since the pioneers sailed to the
area in the 18th century. The United Kingdom
claimed sovereignty over South Georgia in 1775, after a voyage by James Cook,
and the South Sandwich Islands , in 1908. In
1908, the United Kingdom
annexed both South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands .
The Argentine claim originated when an Argentine-registered whaling company set
up operations on South Georgia , in 1904. In
1906, the company signed a lease with the Falkland Islands government, and,
following the 1908 annexation, the company started to use British whaling
licenses and started looking to the South Sandwich Islands
for expansion. Following the Argentine claims, the UK
repeatedly (in 1947, 1951, 1953 and 1954) offered to take the matter to the
International Court of Justice in The Hague , but
this was turned down by Argentina .
The islands briefly came under Argentinian control during the 1982 Falklands
War, but were returned to UK
control after the war. In 1985, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
ceased to be Falkland Islands dependencies and
became a separate British overseas territory. Argentina
continues to claim sovereignty over South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands, to this day, the most recent development coming in 2010 when the
Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, called on Queen Elizabeth II to give the
Falklands and South Georgia to Argentina .
5. Tibet
Claims: Central
Tibetan Administration vs. Peoples Republic of China
The sovereignty of Tibet is a
controversial and complex situation, which calls for those involved to look as
far back as the 13th century Yuan Dynasty. The People’s Republic of China ’s view is that Tibet
has been an indivisible part of China ,
by law, since the Yuan Dynasty. Ancient maps also support this claim, as do
many other countries, therefore Tibet
is widely accepted as an autonomous region of China . The USA , UK ,
EU and France publicly
accept Tibet as a part of China , along
with many other countries. However, the UK
only recently clarified its position saying: “Like every other EU member state,
and the United States , we
regard Tibet as part of the
People’s Republic of China ”.
Until this announcement, the UK
was the only country not to recognize China ’s
control of Tibet .
The confusion results from the Chinese Invasion of Tibet in 1950, when the new
communist government started the “Liberation of all Chinese territories”. Before
the Invasion, the Government of Tibet had ruled the area, even though it was
considered a Chinese territory, but after the war, the PRC incorporated Tibet into China with a 17 point agreement
with the Dalai Lama. This agreement made Tibet an autonomous region under
Chinese control. However, it is said that the Tibetan delegates were forced
into signing the agreement (surrender under duress). The world, however, was
reluctant to help Tibet as
it was widely believed that Tibet
and China would find a
peaceful solution, with the help of India . Since the war, there have
been many attempts to rebel against the PRC, but to no avail. Even with funding
from the CIA, the resistance movement failed to retake control of Tibet . The
Central Tibetan Administration remains in exile in India ,
ruled by the Dalai Lama, and there is no sign of Tibet gaining independence.
4. Cyprus
Claims: Republic of Cyprus
vs. Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus
For centuries there
have been political issues and wars between Greece
and Turkey ,
and this dispute is no different. The Ottoman Turks seized the island of Cyprus UK
in 1878, which then officially annexed Cyprus
when the Ottoman Empire entered WWI on the
German side. The 1923 treaty of Lausanne
finally terminated any Turkish claims to the island. Tensions were high on the
island as both Greek and Turkish Cypriots lived in close proximity. As a
result, the British held onto the island longer than any of its other colonies,
to try and keep the peace. In 1954, a Greek Cypriot resistance group, the EOKA,
was set up to try to unify Cyprus
with Greece .
They launched attacks on the British and the Turks whilst fighting for
independence. This resulted in a Turkish resistance group forming, leading to
battles across the island. The British held onto the island until 1960, when
the Republic of Cyprus UK , Greece and Turkey called for a NATO force to
be sent in to keep the peace.
In 1974, the new
Greek military Junta backed a coup organized by the EOKA from the Greek
mainland to overthrow the current leader, Makarios, and take control of the island.
They were successful and Makarios only survived after escaping the island on a
British fighter jet. Turkey
launched an air and sea invasion of the island in July, in response to the
Greek led coup. Turkey
claimed their intervention was justified under Article 2 of the Treaty of
Guarantee, which calls on Greece ,
Turkey and Britain to
ensure the independence of the island. By August of 1974, the government set up
by the coup had collapsed, along with the Greek Military Junta. Makarios retook
control of Cyprus , and the
old Greek government re-took control of Greece . The Turks had captured the
northern most 37% of the Island and set up the de facto state of the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus .
As a result of the partition, NATO sent a peacekeeping force into a buffer zone
to control the situation, but to this day peace has not been restored. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
3. Falklands
Claims: Argentine Republic
Very closely linked
to South Georgia, but of greater importance, the Falklands
Islands have been the main cause of
debate between the United Kingdom
and Argentina .
The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690, and the United Kingdom
has exercised de facto sovereignty over the island almost constantly since
1833. Argentina
has long disputed this claim, having been in control of the islands for a brief
period prior to 1833. The island had originally belonged to France , and control changed continuously between
Spain , Britain and Argentina
(United Provinces
and the Federation) up to 1833, when the United Kingdom claimed sovereignty
and ordered the Argentinians to leave. The islands then remained under British
control until 1982, when Argentina
invaded the islands (along with South Georgia ,
above) and started the Falklands War.
Argentinian desire
to control the islands first arose after WWII, during the decline of the
British colonies. They raised the sovereignty issue with the UN, which advised
the two nations to negotiate peacefully with each other – they did for 17
years, until 1981. Relations were positive during this period, with oil being
supplied to the island by the Argentinians, and a runway built at Stanley by
the British for the Argentinian airlines to use. However, negotiations on the
sovereignty were at a stalemate as the islanders were determined to remain a
British colony. A war was narrowly avoided in 1977, when oil supplies were cut
off to the airport at Stanley; however, war did, unsurprisingly, begin in 1982.
Argentina was in the midst of a devastating economic crisis and large-scale
civil unrest against the repressive military junta that was governing the
country. So on April 2nd, a combined Argentine amphibious force invaded the
Islands. The UK immediately assembled a task force to re-take the islands
supported by the majority of the world. The US led the UN resolutions that
condemned Argentina and secretly provided the UK with the latest missiles.
France gave valuable information about the French built jets used by the
Argentine air force, and trained RAF pilots to fight them. New Zealand sent
ships to relieve the Royal Navy of duties in the Indian Ocean so they could
head for the Falkland’s and Chile provided early warning radar messages about
incoming attacks. Many other countries supported the UK, so much so that
Columbia was the only real support Argentina had. The last islands were
recaptured on 20th June, and the war was over. It was a small war with big
international involvement; Admiral Woodward famously said “It was a damned
close-run thing”. The islands remain under British control, but Argentina shows
no sign of relinquishing its claim.
2. Taiwan
Claims: Peoples
Republic of China vs. Republic of China (Taiwan)
The two countries
share similar names, but the Republic of China (commonly referred to as Taiwan)
declares independence from the People’s Republic of China. Unlike Tibet
however, Taiwan has some international support with its independence claim.
Many suggest the ROC should be re-named the Republic of Taiwan, to cut links to
China and push for complete international recognition. To put the complex
history simply, pre-WWII, Taiwan belonged to Japan, and the Republic of China
was the collective name for mainland China. Then, after WWII, Taiwan was
surrendered to the ROC by Japan, but because of the civil war on mainland China
between the communist People’s Republic of China and the ROC, it was unclear to
whom Taiwan belonged. The PRC took control of mainland China, but the island of
Taiwan kept the name the Republic of China, as a separate state, declaring
independence from the PRC. The USA is one of the main allies of Taiwan,
providing them with aircraft and arms and recognizing them as a separate state
from the PRC. The People’s Republic of China claims that the ROC government is
illegitimate and refuses to acknowledge its call for independence. However, The
ROC – with its own constitution, independently elected president, and large
army – views itself as an independent sovereign state. The PRC refuses to have
diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes the ROC. As a result,
there are only 23 states that have official diplomatic relations with the ROC.
In practice, most countries view the ROC as an independent state and, as such,
maintain unofficial relations with it. Taiwan remains, to this day, a partially
recognized state, although unofficial relations exist with most countries,
largely due to the PRC’s refusal to have relations with any state who officially
accepts Taiwan.
1. Palestine
Claims: State of
Palestine vs. State of Israel
After reading the
list title, I’m sure everyone would have guessed the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict would be number 1. It is, by far, the dispute with the most history,
thousands of years of it in fact, and the most interesting to study. It is
actually what inspired me to write this list. Without wanting to cause too much
of an argument, the dispute is religion based. The Jews and the Arabs have
fought for generations over the land of Palestine, and each believes they have
a right to live there. But we are not going to go into that, for obvious
reasons. To write about the entire history of the conflict would take up a
whole list in itself, and to even try to suggest “who was there first” would
take too much explaining, so for that I recommend the “10 Ages of Palestine”
list here on Listverse. Forgetting who was there first, the modern conflict
began after WWII and the genocide committed on the Jews by the Nazis. When the
camps were liberated, thousands of Jews needed a place to live and, naturally,
they flocked en mass to Palestine, where some Jews were already living, but
with a mainly Arab population. The British mandate of Palestine fought with the
Jews to restore peace to the region, and try to find a solution that would
enable the two religions to live in harmony. However, the mandate failed and
withdrew in 1947. The UN intervened to restore peace with the 1947 Partition
Plan, which called for the creation of two separate states – one Arab and one
Jewish. Jerusalem would become an international, UN controlled, city, belonging
to neither state. The Jews accepted the plan, but the Arabs refused to agree.
On May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed independence, creating the state of Israel.
The following day, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iran attacked
Israel, launching the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. After a year of fighting, a
ceasefire was declared and temporary borders were established. Jordan annexed
what became known as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Egypt took control
of the Gaza Strip.
Further troubles
arose in 1956, during the Suez Crisis; when, with the help of France and
Britain, Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula. The UN ordered them to retreat and
they did (again too much happened to go into detail). By 1966, Arab-Israeli
relations had deteriorated, eventually leading to the Six Day war, in 1967.
(Even more happened here, I may just do another list about Arab-Israeli
conflicts). After the war, Israel had successfully captured the Sinai Peninsula
and Gaza strip from Egypt, West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the
Golan Heights from Syria. Six years later, the Yom Kippur war broke out and
relations remained bad until the 90s. The State of Palestine was declared by
the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988, but they didn’t exercise any
control over the Palestine territories. Since then, the PLO has campaigned for
recognition of the state, using the 1967 borders. Currently the Arab League and
large majorities of South America, African and Asian countries recognize the
Palestinian State. Unsurprisingly, European and North American states have not
yet recognized Palestine. The UN has planned to vote some time in 2011 on the
status of the State of Palestine… we’ll just have to wait and see.
Notable Mentions: North Korea vs. South Korea, Divide of the Antarctic Territories, Israeli Occupied Territories (Golan Heights, West Bank, East Jerusalem, briefly mentioned in number 1), Isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain, Rockall (small rock claimed by 4 states), Dokdo – small island under dispute by South Korea and Japan.
~Blog Admin~
No comments:
Post a Comment