Discuss possible reasons for separatism

The reasons for separatism are vast - ranging from territorial claims to political and religious beliefs. However, two which are widely regarded to be the most important reasons for seperatism are the state of the economy and culture. This essay will primarily explore these two factors in examining the reasons for seperatism.

Many geographers argue that the primary reason for seperatist pressures lies in the state of the economy. The economic theory behind devolution follows that greater autonomy will result in a more prospering economy for the region in which separatist pressures may occur. This may be as a result of greater control over the resources within a country and being able to have more control over the sales of the area. An argument for separatism in Scotland is that a fully devolved government in Scotland will have greater control over offshore oil drilling in the North Sea. Many in South Sudan believed that independence will result in the south controlling a greater proportion of the percentage of oil sales as the north controlled the distribution of oil, despite it coming from the south.

It is unlikely however that separatism will fully be based upon an economic argument - it is likely to be coupled with a cultural component too. In geographical terms, a culture can be described as a set of ideas and traits belonging to one group or another, often having too a historical component. A difference in cultures, especially when one certain culture is confined to a specific geographic region of a country, is likely to cause tensions - depending on the extent of social cohesion in the area. The separatist pressures of the state of Palestine in Israel is one, partially, based of culture, in that Muslims in Palestine have a distinct culture to that of Jews in Israel, stemming back as far as 5000 years, that some cultural geographers have argued that it has become impossible for two groups to coexist together and therefore a two state solution is required.

These are but a few off the possible reasons for why seperatism may occur - analysis of why a region or state may seek greater autonomy or independence varies on a case to case basis and often encompasses a range of factors. However, in times of economic hardship, it is not uncommon for a region which has a cultural background distinct from the state as a whole to strenghen its calls for greater autonomy of indeed independence - Scotland being a prime example of this after its poor recovery from the 2008 financial crash. Therefore, it can be argued that the economy is perhaps the greatest reason for why seperatism may have a strong following in a region, though a background of independence is often too crucial.