The Globalist

When is it appropriate for a region of a larger geopolitical entity to secede? And what criteria should be used to decide the legitimacy of a secession bid?

From Dutch rule to one of the world’s major economies and populations.

Reviving the autonomy deal that foundered in Spain’s constitutional court back in 2010 would find the support of the majority of Spaniards, including the Catalans.

Beyond the present efforts in Catalonia and Iraqi Kurdistan: How do the strategies of existing small states Singapore, the UAE and Qatar compare?

Terrorism, oil, the crisis in Iraq, the Syrian civil war and geopolitics all weigh against the birth of a new Kurdish state.

As much as quite a few Catalans may want independence from Spain, it is practically impossible. But more regional autonomy is certainly possible.

The Kurds’ quest for self-rule is potentially explosive. It puts them in the crosshairs of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Russia and the United States.

It is clear that Britain will not join the Euro – not now and probably not ever.

Of the 193 countries in the United Nations, how many are smaller than Scotland?

London has already lost in the fight for Scottish independence.