New Countries!

[BossaNova]

interisting site: http://www.mherrera.org/newcountries.htm , shows the possibility of some territories being
converted into independent countries..

bn

ps: although the results are very strange, see this:
BASQUE REGION SPAIN 1 5
CATALONIA SPAIN 1 3
GALICIA SPAIN 1 3
CANARY ISLANDS SPAIN 1 5
AZORES PORTUGAL 1 10
MADEIRA PORTUGAL 1 5

considering that in Madeira and Azores there isn't any organized independentist group, that there is no different language.. and independence is not even a question.. it is strange to see that they give more chance for Madeira and Azores get independence, rather then the Basque country, or Galicia...


also this:
ISLE OF MAN UNITED KINGDOM 2 40
CHANNEL ISLANDS UNITED KINGDOM 2 30
WALES UNITED KINGDOM 2 25
SCOTLAND UNITED KINGDOM 5 30
the isle of Man has more chances then Scotland or Walles..

bn anyway, it is interesting..

[BossaNova]

and this is the top of best living standards in Europe.. (http://www.mherrera.org/world.htm)


EUROPE (The rank doesn't include Vatican City)
1-Norway
2-Sweden
3-Monaco
4-Liechtenstein
5-Switzerland
6-Luxembourg
7-Denmark
8-Finland
9-Iceland
10-Netherlands
11-Austria
12-San Marino
13-Belgium
14-Andorra
15-Germany
16-United Kingdom terrorism
17-France
18-Ireland +
19-Italy
20-Spain + terrorism
21-Slovenia +
22-Greece
23-Portugal
24-Malta +
25-Cyprus
26-Czech Republic
27-Poland
28-Hungary +
29-Slovakia
30-Croatia
31-Estonia +
32-Lithuania
33-Latvia
34-Macedonia
35-Turkey terrorism
36-Russia guerrilla
37-Bulgaria
38-Romania
39-Ukraine
40-Serbia and Montenegro
41-Belarus dictatorship
42-Albania
43-Bosnia Herzegovina
44-Armenia
45-Moldova
46-Georgia guerrilla

[Olivier]

interisting site: http://www.mherrera.org/newcountries.htm , shows the possibility of some territories being
converted into independent countries..

You have discovered an independantist website...

I propose two new independant countries (from the USA):
Afghanistan
Irak...

[airis]

interisting site: http://www.mherrera.org/newcountries.htm , shows the possibility of some territories being
converted into independent countries..

What about these countries:
SAMILAND/LAPPLAND NOR.-SWED.-RUS.-FIN. 1% 5%
ALAND FINLAND 1% 10%

I think it is possible that Aland islands would be an independent country in future. I have nothing against it. It is already quite independent.

Samiland is not as easy. I think none of the four countries like the idea. Actually there is an official Sami flag and Samis of all four countries use it.

In Finland Samis live in Northern Lapland, 200 km north of arctic circle. So Rovaniemi wouldn´t be a part of that country. I wonder what would be the capital of that country.

But Norway, Finland and Sweden sometimes give islands to each others. For example Norway gave a small island (20m x 100m) of a Teno river to Finland a while ago. The border on the river goes where the water is deepest and this can change.
Actually I think that tiny island is the only part of Norway that has ever joined European Union.

[Olivier]

interisting site: http://www.mherrera.org/newcountries.htm , shows the possibility of some territories being
converted into independent countries..

bn

ps: although the results are very strange, see this:
BASQUE REGION SPAIN 1 5
CATALONIA SPAIN 1 3
GALICIA SPAIN 1 3
CANARY ISLANDS SPAIN 1 5
AZORES PORTUGAL 1 10
MADEIRA PORTUGAL 1 5

considering that in Madeira and Azores there isn't any organized independentist group, that there is no different language.. and independence is not even a question.. it is strange to see that they give more chance for Madeira and Azores get independence, rather then the Basque country, or Galicia...


also this:
ISLE OF MAN UNITED KINGDOM 2 40
CHANNEL ISLANDS UNITED KINGDOM 2 30
WALES UNITED KINGDOM 2 25
SCOTLAND UNITED KINGDOM 5 30
the isle of Man has more chances then Scotland or Walles..

bn anyway, it is interesting..

yes it is.
I notice Quebec is in the list. 40% is his estimation of independance. It's the average of the independantists, here.

I don't imagine an independance in Catalogna, or Scotland when, at the same time, 10 new countries join Europe!

[micro]

I don't imagine an independance in Catalogna, or Scotland when, at the same time, 10 new countries join Europe!

I wonder what sense all those separatist attempts make in a unified Europe.

[Olivier]

I don't imagine an independance in Catalogna, or Scotland when, at the same time, 10 new countries join Europe!

I wonder what sense all those separatist attempts make in a unified Europe.

Exactly... though it can still work. Look at what happened in Tchecoslovaquia...

[Donald]

I wonder what sense all those separatist attempts make in a unified Europe.

It helps you conserve your regional identity.
An example: As a German you are perceived as somebody who wears "Lederhosen". Well, we know, that you don't - only Bavarians wear Lederhosen. Some day you might get sick of being confused with the Lederhosen wearing Bavarians and you may become a Hamburgian separatist. Separatism would help you keep your local language alive. If you don't show some regional selfconfidence, in 100 years or so nobody will understand what "Hummel hummel, mors mors un Schitt in de Büx" means.
It is a widely spread opinion that humanity looses much when languages extinct.
I, on the contrary, don't like to have so many languages. I don't care if the Scotsmen separate, but I expect them to choose English as their official language I would be annoyed if they introduced their regional language. I appreciate that the Irishmen are going to forget their language and speak English.

[Olivier]

I appreciate that the Irishmen are going to forget their language and speak English.

I don't agree with you on that point. I think they can speak several languages: keep their own (and their culture) and speak another one (english for instance).

I am glad that people of Quebec kept speaking french, but also all speak english. They have an interesting culture, but don't live apart of the world.

It is not necessary to have your own country to protect your language and culture. People of Alsace (in France) still speak the dialect, close of the german language. People of Corsica also... In Barcelona, they speak catalan...

[bhoeyb]

I am glad that people of Quebec kept speaking french.

Funny French .

[Donald]

In Barcelona, they speak catalan...

Yes, everything there is written in 2 similar languages, often with identical looking words. Both are official languages, but if you speak Spanish, you get a feeling that you offend the people in some way. This is exactly what I don't like. I may possibly learn Spanish, but I have no use for Catalan. I could use Spanish in many other places of the world, but Catalan is mostly useless to me. This is different from the situation in Canada where you have 2 widely used languages.

It is also nice in Brussels where you can speak both languages but it is annoying to me in other parts of Belgium where only French is accepted although Dutch is the other official language. In the Dutch speaking parts most people speak French as well, especially the younger generations, but it is beginning to change since the nationalists get more support.

I have also seen that some Hong Kong Chinese who speak Cantonese have a habit of looking down on other Chinese who only speak Mandarin.

[Olivier]

In Barcelona, they speak catalan...

Yes, everything there is written in 2 similar languages, often with identical looking words. Both are official languages, but if you speak Spanish, you get a feeling that you offend the people in some way. This is exactly what I don't like. I may possibly learn Spanish, but I have no use for Catalan. I could use Spanish in many other places of the world, but Catalan is mostly useless to me. This is different from the situation in Canada where you have 2 widely used languages.

It is also nice in Brussels where you can speak both languages but it is annoying to me in other parts of Belgium where only French is accepted although Dutch is the other official language. In the Dutch speaking parts most people speak French as well, especially the younger generations, but it is beginning to change since the nationalists get more support.

I have also seen that some Hong Kong Chinese who speak Cantonese have a habit of looking down on other Chinese who only speak Mandarin.

Yes, quebec is bilingual... Actually, no! Montreal is! Montreal is a very particular city.
I have been always very suprised to listen people switch from french to english in the street (the opposite is less true).
I like it.

Yesterday night, I had a party with friends. The parents of one of my friends were there. They spoke about the lingistic partition on Belgium (they are Belgian). The situation looks like in Canada...
But all this is brand new for the ex-Parisian that I am. I'm not an expert at all.

[BossaNova]

I don't imagine an independance in Catalogna, or Scotland when, at the same time, 10 new countries join Europe!

I wonder what sense all those separatist attempts make in a unified Europe.

I guess that the fact some people want independence from some country, doesn't mean they want to leave European Union... they probably would like to be in EU, not as Spanish (for instance) but as Galicians...

bn

[Olivier]

I am glad that people of Quebec kept speaking french.

Funny French .

I understand better their point of view since I'm living here. It was not just a question of language but also of power. All the decisions were taken by english speaking people. The french speaking people didn't have the right to express their point of view, whereas the majority of the Province spoke french.

Now, it's quite natural for the french speaking people to apply for high functions. The french canadians are no more poor farmes, but entrepreneurs, they take decisions...

Language is not only foklore and culture, but also a way to decide.

[bhoeyb]

In the Dutch speaking parts most people speak French as well, especially the younger generations.

That's because we have to start to study French at school when we're 10. For me, that's OK. The more languages you can understand / speak, as more easy it is to help yourself in foreign countries .