My friend recently posted an article about
Nagorno-Karabakh (never heard of it, neither had I until yesterday). It
is one of about a dozen states in the world that are fighting for
recognition by the United Nations. As I like learning about new things I
wanted to find out something about these places, starting with
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh until 1991 was and according to the UN arguably
still is a part of Azerbaijan. The problem is that the President of
Nagorno-Karabakh, it’s parliament and army would be quick to point out
that it is an independent country. The only way to get here is a ling
eight hour bus ride from Armenia as the country doesn’t have a
functioning airport.
Transnistria
Transnistria is still officially a part of Moldova, despite having
broken away from the country in 1992. Like Nagorno-Karabakh, although it
has yet to be officially recognised by any of the countries in the
world, Transnistria has it’s own President, parliament and army. They
also produce some very nice brandy, but you’re unlikely to be able to
buy it in a supermarket near you any time soon!
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Like the name implies, the Sahrawi Republic is located in North
Africa, on the Sahara belt and is in theory a part of Morocco. The
Sharawi Arab Democratic Republic first declared independence in 1976,
which means it’s been around for a lot longer than other places on this
list like Nagorno-Karabakh. It has also been recognised as a state by
almost a third of the countries in the UN, which means it might actually
one day get a seat at the UN.
Somaliland
Even though it declared independence in 1991, Somaliland is only
recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. Just like
Nagorno-Karabakh, Somaliland has gained zero support from the
international community. Given the significant Western support for the
state of Somalia, this situation is unlikely to ever change.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
It should come as absolutely no surprise that the only country to
recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is Turkey. The region
declared independence in 1983. I can actually remember looking at photos
from a holiday that my grandparents took in Cyprus in the early 90’s.
In the middle of a beautiful tourist beach there was a long metal fence
guarded by soldiers. This hasn’t changed much and the border is still a
sensitive area, unlike most of the rest of Europe.
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