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| Disputed Territories In Europe |
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| Kosovo's capital, Pristina, in 2000 |
image: Michelle Walz Eriksson (license) |
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Below is a list of the countries and territories which have serious disputes, with other states, over large parts of their claimed land in Europe, or over their territory in full. Disputes relating to overseas territories which are claimed by more than one state, are also included. This list includes recognised, partially-recognised and non-recognised states, along with exiled governments, independence-seeking nations, states with major border disagreements and small island disputes.
Whilst disputes over inland areas generally involve minority ethnic groups wanting to be fully independent from a larger power, differences of opinion over small uninhabited islands, or isolated mounds of sand in the sea, or even just a lone rock in the middle of the ocean, often have a completely different set of motives. If a country claims an island, under the Law Of The Sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is granted for 200 nautical miles from it's coast. Only the nation which controls the island, can explore for oil, gas and other natural resources in that geographic area, or can exploit any fish stock which may be present in those particular waters.
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International Disputes |
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Abkhazia
(Republic of Abkhazia) |
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Claims independence, but Georgia also claims sovereignty of Abkhazia as an autonomous region. When Georgia was seeking independence from the Soviet Union in the late 1980's, ethnic tension began to build, as the Abkhaz's wished to remain part of the USSR. The 1992-3 War In Abkhazia resulted in a defeat for Georgia, by the Russian-backed Abkhaz's, and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia. A ceasefire was agreed in 1994, but it has since been broken many times, most recently in 2008 while the South Ossetia War was ongoing. After that battle, UN and CIS peacekeeping forces were pulled out, and with Russia formally recognising Abkhazia's independence, it became a de facto state. Abkhazia is recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Nauru.
related dispute> South Ossetia |
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Gibraltar
(a British Overseas Territory) |
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Gibraltar is a small island off the coast of North Africa, just below Iberia, which was historically part of Spain, but was ceded to the British in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. It is currently a self-governing British Overseas Territory, and the majority of it's 30,000 residents apparently wish to remain this way, but Spain continues to aggressively seek full sovereignty, or even shared sovereignty. Britain has said that it is committed to making sure it remains British.
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Kosovo
(Republic of Kosovo) |
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Claims independence, but Serbia also claims sovereignty. The Republic of Kosovo also claims sovereignty over the United Nations administered region of Kosovo - some small enclaves with a majority of Serbian inhabitants - which UN peacekeepers currently control. 65 nations currently recognise Kosovo, including all of it's neighbours apart from Serbia (Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia). In 2008, Serbia requested a United Nations resolution declaring Kosovo's independence, and the UN General Assembly subsequently adopted a resolution asking the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the matter. More developments are expected. |
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Nagorno-Karabakh
(Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) |
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Claims independence, but Azerbaijan also claims sovereignty. Fighting between the two is currently on hold, after a bloody battle for the entire early 90's, with the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh independence fighters pitted against the Azerbaijani's. The region, and several other Azerbaijani regions around it, are currently under the joint control of the Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh military's with a stalemate in place. No states currently recognise Nagorno-Karabakh. |
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Northern Cyprus
(Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus) |
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Claims independence, but the Republic of Cyprus also claims sovereignty. Only Turkey recognises Northern Cyprus, while the rest of the World currently recognises the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire island of Cyprus. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup annexed the island to Greece, and this was followed by an invasion by Turkey in 1983, which has ultimately left the island divided in every sense. Northern Cyprus has become isolated from the rest of the World, and relies on Turkey completely for financial, political and military support. |
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Olivenza & Táliga
(Olivença & Talega) |
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Portugal controlled the Olivenza and Táliga regions from 1297, until it ceded them to Spain, under the terms of the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz. Both Portugal and Spain now claim sovereignty over this part of Iberia, but Olivenza and Táliga are both currently administered by Spain as part their autonomous community of Extremadura. This dispute has not caused any major diplomatic problems between the countries, even though they both continue to claim their full sovereignty.
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| Rockall |
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Iceland, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom have all submitted claims of ownership to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and Denmark will do so in 2014 on behalf of the Faroe Islands. Nobody lives on this small remote rock, and claims of ownership are possibly due to the possibility of potential oil and gas deposits in the area. |
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South Ossetia
(Republic of South Ossetia) |
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Claims independence from Georgia since 1990, but Georgia also claims full sovereignty over the region, and attempted to take it back by force, including during the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War, again in 2004, and most recently during the 2008 South Ossetia War. That latest battle saw Russian-backed South Ossetia gaining full control over it's territory, becoming de facto ruler. South Ossetia is recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Abkhazia, Transnistria and Nauru.
related dispute> Abkhazia |
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Transnistria
(Transnistrian Moldovan Republic) |
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Claims independence since 1990, but Moldova also claims full sovereignty, and describes it as an autonomous region of Moldova. The 1992 War of Transnistria ended with a ceasefire, which was backed by a deal between Russia, Moldova and Transnistria. The ceasefire has remained in place to this day, although the international political situation for Transnistrian citizens has remained in the balance. A 2005 agreement between Moldova and the Ukraine has seen Transnistrians having to register with Moldova to export items across the border with the Ukraine (apart from Moldova, it's only other bordering nation), which has severely hit the local population, in a similar way to Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territories. Transnistria is recognised by South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and has it's own president, parliament, military, police, postal system, currency, constitution, flag and national anthem. |
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Geography & Nature
