Why is Europe so cluttered with countries?
score:12
For one thing, the countries on the other continents, are largly the result of European colonization -- and only some countries (England, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland and Germany) participated.
Take North-America... There were many "nations" of Native-Americans, but after the Europeans were through, some were extinct, some decimated, some assimilated (their culture and language destroyed, and sometimes mixed with colonists and/or slaves) -- and all either part of the USA, Canada or Mexico. In South and Latin America there had been empires before, so there were some "unification" already.
In India all the local kings (maharajas) became just "local-kings" under the English throne, and even after the British withdrew, these local kings didn't get back their autonom self-govern.
In Africa, there were tribes -- often hostile to eachother. But European countries didn't care about this when they partitioned Africa among themselves, which greatly reduced the number of "nations", since the post-colonial countries followed the division made by the colonists rather than older tribal divisions... which of course have caused problems (e.g. Rawanda).
+++
As for Europe itself, you can trace the different groups, their wars against eachother, and how the winner "created" the new country -- with it's own culture, history and language, that through history diverged from that in the countries around. (Not that there really were national states yet).
There were lots of local kings and noblemen, that through war, marriage and political manouvering ended-up as larger countries -- a process that was repeated several time. Often with the "tribe" or familiy who won, ending-up naming the country -- e.g. Sweden and Denmark. So it's really a wonder there isn't more countries in Europe. For example there where 4-5 kingdoms in Ireland, there were several kingdoms in Wales, and there were several tribes/ethnitical groups in England. Then there were lots of minor prinipalities etc. that would be united to France... and others that later would become Germany... and still others which became Italy. Of course they shared some history, culture, religion and language; but several of the ones who later united, had been in war against eachother too.
So short answer, european imperialism and colonization greatly -- and "unnaturaly" -- reduced the the number of tribes/groups which else may have become independent nation elsewhere on the globe.
More post
- 📝 How did medieval architects determine sizes and numbers of pillars, buttresses etc?
- 📝 What do we know about the squadron that evacuated Moore's force after Corunna?
- 📝 Did Nabataean traders use linen, or cotton, for their sails?
- 📝 Is there documented evidence of Israel concentration/death camps used against the Arabs?
- 📝 What is known about the Ubaid lizard-people figurines?
- 📝 When did the American War of 1812 actually end?
- 📝 Longest lasting government
- 📝 Anti militarism
- 📝 How did India become a founding member of the UN?
- 📝 What distinguished the Republican Party of Liberia from the True Whig Party?
- 📝 Is Sumer considered by historians as a part of Western Civilization?
- 📝 How did Heian Era Japanese Clans work? (esp. Taira vs. Minamoto)
- 📝 How much of "Russia" was actually occupied by the Germans in World War II?
- 📝 Why did the Dutch, French & British acquire minor colonies in South America?
- 📝 What did Hitler say in Mein Kampf about the possibility of other nations allying against Germany in response to her aggression?
- 📝 Why Antarctica was never conquered before the advent of the modern men?
- 📝 Were "Little Ship" owners and crew compensated for evacuating Dunkirk?
- 📝 What was the attitude towards Martin Luther among early non-Catholic Christians in Britain?
- 📝 Did any Chinese warlord claim the mantle of the Beiyang government after 1928?
- 📝 What was the impetus behind the British Empire's acquisition of what is now Canada?
- 📝 When did official documentation stop referring to black people as Negros in the States?
- 📝 What flag has a blue-grey background and an orange-outlined green cross?
- 📝 Language Grammar History
- 📝 Is this a US Civil War uniform?
- 📝 Was the quality of Roman armor really worse than the armor of knights of the XII-XIV centuries?
- 📝 How to cite sources in a way thats translateable
- 📝 Why did North America economically prosper, and maintain stable government and South/Central America didn't?
- 📝 Why were Hoplite shields circular?
- 📝 How was the Washington Naval Treaty enforced?
- 📝 How much cheaper were flintlocks than wheellocks?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why is Europe so cluttered with countries?
- 📝 Why did the United States want to "make Europe prosperous once more" with the Marshall Plan?
- 📝 Why didn't Asian countries expand and trade with Europe?
- 📝 Why did Europe not see Roman-era numbers of men participating in battles until the 17th century?
- 📝 Why didn't the US choose to demolish Tokyo with an atom bomb?
- 📝 When and why did having long hair become associated with women, and short hair with men?
- 📝 Why didn't Europeans before Gutenberg print with woodblocks?
- 📝 Why wasn't Monaco unified with France?
- 📝 Why didn't Moldova unite with Romania?
- 📝 Why did Italy abandon its alliance with Germany in WW1 and join the Allied side?
- 📝 Why would graphite have been confused with lead?
- 📝 Why did early attempts to transport milk to London by rail meet with 'much criticism'?
- 📝 Why does a Star of David appear at a rally with Francisco Franco?
- 📝 Why wasn't San Marino unified with Italy?
- 📝 Why didn't the British Grand Fleet force an engagement with the German Imperial Navy in WW1?
- 📝 Why is the late Russian Empire associated with Byzantium while having little in common with it?
- 📝 Why did Peter the Great name Saint Petersburg, Russia with a foreign styled name?
- 📝 Why were troops with bayonets often effective against enemy cavalry even though the bayonet was a "secondary" weapon?
- 📝 Why does Europe have so few skyscrapers compared to East Asia?
- 📝 Is there a historical source that might explain why so many countries use 35 as a minimum age for the president / the highest office person?
- 📝 Why were bloody religious wars so incredibly frequent in Europe in the century following the Reformation?
- 📝 Watergate, the burglars - why bring crisp cash with them to the break-in?
- 📝 Why are most of the world's oldest buildings in Europe and not in the Fertile Crescent?
- 📝 Have there been any efforts by the countries of Europe to restore their monarchies?
- 📝 Why were Germanic languages able to spread over much of northern Europe after 500BC? Did they mostly replace Celtic?
- 📝 Why did people in some countries start to drive on the right?
- 📝 Why is the color red associated with communism?
- 📝 Why are the Portuguese so obsessed with salted codfish?
- 📝 Why weren’t the Dutch and Belgian borders fortified with wire, trenches, mines, etc., as it became clear Germany would invade during WW2?
- 📝 Why did non-monarchic rule meet with so little success in ancient China?