In 2006, a new statute of Catalan autonomy, which had been drafted by a Socialist-led regional government, was approved in a regional referendum, as well by Catalan and Spanish lawmakers. The separatist coalition then organized an independence referendum on Oct. 1, 2017, even after it had been declared illegal by Spain’s government and courts. PhotoSCOTLAND, United KingdomScotland joined with England to form Britain in 1707, and has had an active independence movement for decades. The Flemish independence movement emerged in the late 19th century and gained momentum after World War II. Since the 1970s, there have been flare-ups of political violence in Corsica, including bombings and assassinations carried out by groups supporting the independence movement.

Source: New York Times December 17, 2017 15:22 UTC