Stateless Nations
Kurds
The Kurds are a group of people that reside in the border region of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. There are between 15 million and 20 million Kurds that live in the region. Approximately 8 million more live in southeastern Turkey. The Kurds have their own language and culture. The Kurds do not speak Arabic like their neighbors. They speak a language that originates from Persian, called Kurdish. Most Kurds follow the Sunni sect of Islam. Before World War 1, the Kurds were a primarily nomadic group of people. They shepherded sheep, goats, and animals throughout the land. After the Ottoman Empire fell, new nation-states were shaped; however, an independent state was not created for the Kurds. During modern times, the Kurds have tried to create their own separate state, called Kurdistan. Turkey, Iraq, and Iran have stopped their efforts every time. ("Who Are the Kurds?")
"Who Are the Kurds?" Washington Post. 1999. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Basques
The Basques live between France and Spain. Approximately 850,000 Basques live in Spain and 130,000 live in France. More than 170,000 live in other areas outside Europe, such as South America and the United States. The region between France and Spain is hilly and isolated from other parts of Europe. Most Basques are Roman Catholic. The Basques are a diverse and complex culture. The Basque people believe that their culture is so different from Spain and France that they should be allowed to separate and form their own country. The Basque people speak a completely different language to the rest of Europe. They speak Euskera. Unlike Spanish and French, it is not Indo-European. Many important events in Spain’s history lead to the Basque Separatist Conflict. One of the major ones was during the Spanish Civil War; Francisco Franco treated the Basque people harshly. He banned the speaking of their language. The Basques lost many rights and many people were jailed or killed. The violent conflict...