Identifying Devolutionary Factors (Centrifugal Forces) and Autonomous Regions

Factors that can lead to the devolution of a state (country) include the division of groups
within the state (country) because of one or more of the following: “ESPN“
• E - Economic differences/problems,
• S - Social differences/problems,
• ethnic separatism,
• linguistic separatism
• religious separatism,
• P - Political differences/problems,
• N – Nature/eNvironment/“Near/Far” physical geography,
Devolution occurs when a state (country) fragments into autonomous regions; subnational
political territorial units such as those within Canada, Spain, Belgium, and Nigeria.
Instructions: Watch the videos and take notes on the different events and devolutionary
factors/Centrifugal Forces that have contributed to the development of the following
autonomous regions. **All of these factors are not necessarily going to apply to each of the
autonomous regions!!
• Canada:
• Nunavut
• E - Economic
- shops and stalls usually get their supplies in a single shipment by air or sea that need to last for
an entire year this fact causes some of the most insanely high prices in the world.
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-many of these people don't speak English or French fluently
- Nunavut is culturally diverse along with French and English as official languages the local
languages of inuktitut and inuinnaqtun are also official
• P- Political
-there are no political parties only individual representatives they also have a Council of eleven
elders whose role is to incorporate in withtraditional knowledge into the territory's political
decisions for allintents and purposes
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”:
- northernmost territory of Canada the territory was separated from the Northwest Territories
on April 1st 1999
- Nunavut is a big country (2 millios square kilometers) however only have a population of
38,000
- there are virtually no roads in Nunavut and norailroads so getting anywhere is problematic
-most of the territory is above the Arctic tree line meaning it's way too cold for trees to grow
here so the people must rely mostlyon diesel fuel to run generators and heat homes
-the number of roads spread across theterritory barely amounts to 850 kilometers most of
these roads are ice roads or unpaved dirt roads
• Quebec
• E - Economic
-Montreal was suppressed in population and in economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s
-this province is by far the largest producer of maple syrup responsible for 70 percent of the
world's output
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-Quebec continues to maintain its French Heritage, for the most part, out of all the French-
speaking provinces in Canada.
• P- Political
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
-out of all the Canadian provinces Quebec is the largest if it were an independent country it
would be the 19th largest in the world
- the capital of Quebec is not Montreal but Quebec City this place is considered to be the oldest
french-speaking community in North America and one of the oldest cities on the continent over
93% of people are French Speaking
-montreal is a world-renowned city is Quebec largest urban agglomeration and it is also
primarily a French city
- the World Expo built new islands at the time the city was digging its largest subway line and
the rocks and soils excavated were perfect to create the man-made island of notre-dame

• Spain:
• Catalonia
• E - Economic
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-recognized distinct nationalities, have their own official languages.
-The castilian language became dominant following its spread during the Reconquista, and
became language of aunified Spanish kingdom and is commonly known as Spanish in other
languages aswell as among some Spanish speakers.
• P- Political
- identities remain strong so they were allowed to quickly established autonomous communities
by the method outlined in the Constitution when Spain became a democracy.
- Catalan itself is co-official in the Balearic islands and Catalonia.
- Catalonia have their own police forces
- Some communities notably catalonia want more powers devolved, and there are some desire
in Spain to become fully federalized.
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
• Basque
• E - Economic
-collects taxes independent of the spanish government
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
- The basque language in the Pyrenees Mountains,is not a Romance language. It's not even in
the indo-european language family ofmost modern European languages, and soit's likely
descended from a language that existed in those mountains from beforeindo-european
languages spread into Europe.
-Some communities have their own Civil Code,which means they have their own method of
dealing with non-criminal legal decisions, and these communities have co-official languages
along with Spanish: basque is aco-official language in the Basque Country along with the Basque
speaking areas of neighboring Navarre.
-The Basque Country are communities of chartered regime, which means they collect the taxes
within their territory and then send a portion to the national government to cover its
responsibilities.

• P- Political
-wanted more autonomy after being suppressed by highly centralized Franco Regime
- identities remain strong so they were allowed to quickly established autonomous communities
by the method outlined in the Constitution when Spain became a democracy.
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”

• Galicia
• E - Economic
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-recognized distinct nationalities, have their own official languages,
• P- Political
- identities remain strong so they were allowed to quickly established autonomous communities
by the method outlined in the Constitution when Spain became a democracy.
-wanted more autonomy after being suppressed by highly centralized Franco Regime
-Some communities have their own Civil Code,which means they have their own method of
dealing with non-criminal legaldecisions, and these communities have co-official languages
along with Spanish: Galicia has Galician
-languages in their namesake regions, and Galician are protected in Castile and Leon.
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”

• Belgium:
• Flanders
• E - Economic
-Flanders has extensive industrial areas, with one of the largest world ports in Antwerp.
-Flemish regions contribute to Belgium's GDP more than 2.5 times more than the Walloon.
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-About 58% of the population lives in the Flemish
-Interestingly, French is the primary language of communication in Brussels,
• P- Political
- After the end of the Walloon economic crisis of the 1960s, the division between North
Flandersand South Wallonia widened.
- The initiator of changes was the Flemish, who seek to strengthen the economic independence
of the wealthier North.
- It took 541 days until it was possible to form the government composed of Flemish and
Walloon parties.
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
- The main division of the country runs almost latitudinally and is a division into Dutch-speaking
lowland Flanders in the north
- the Capital Region is geographically located in the Flemish areas, hence it would
generatefurther ethnic and cultural conflicts.
- On the one hand, the difficulty in separating Flanders results from deep geopolitical and
institutional connections.
• Wallonia
• E - Economic
-Wallonia is characterized by a predominance of agricultural and raw material areas
-The average GDP per capita in Wallonia is almost 1/3 lower than in Flanders.
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
- About 32% live in French-speaking Wallonia.
 • P- Political
- After the end of the Walloon economic crisis of the 1960s, the division between North
Flandersand South Wallonia widened.
- It took 541 days until it was possible to form the government composed of Flemish and
Walloon parties.
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
- The main division of the country runs almost latitudinally and is a division into French-speaking
highland Wallonia in the south.

• Nigeria:
• Northern Nigeria (Hausa-Fulani people)
• E - Economic
- had fewer labor opportunities and rejection to education that led to widespread illiteracy
and poverty
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
- The north which was made up of a majority of Muslim people rejected the Cristian
missionaries and instead preferred to preserve their Muslim identities
• P- Political
- North was fighting the south onto who would get more territory when the British decided to
merge the 2 parts into one whole nation in 1960
-Colonial officers allowed local leaders to remain in power as long as they answered to the
British commanding officers
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
• Southern Nigeria (Igbo and Yoruba peoples)
• E - Economic
-Locals were forced to shift from self-sustaining farming to wage labor
-Due to social investments, the south was key to british economic investments
• S - Social (Ethnic, Language, Religion)
-Was receptive to Cristian missionaries
-Colonial officers built medical and police departments and invested in European education for
the locals
Roads and railways are built
• P- Political
-South was fighting the North onto who would get more territory when the British decided to
merge the 2 parts into one whole nation in 1960
• N – Nature/eNvironment/”Near/Far”
-British took over the south and developed ports, fertile farmland, and recently discovered
lucrative oil fields