Everything about Independence totally explained
Independence is the
self-government of a
nation,
country, or
state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising
sovereignty.
The term independence is used in contrast to
subjugation, which refers to a region as a "territory" —subject to the political and military control of an external
government. The word is sometimes used in a weaker sense to contrast with
hegemony, the indirect control of one nation by another, more powerful nation.
Independence can be the initial status of an
emerging nation (often filling a political void), but is often an
emancipation from some dominating power. It can be argued that independence is a negative
definition: the state of not being controlled by another power through
colonialism,
expansionism or
imperialism. Independence may be obtained by
decolonization, or by separation or
dismemberment.
Although the last three can often coincide with it, they're not to be confused with
revolution, which typically refers to the
violent overthrow of a ruling authority. This sometimes only aims to redistribute power—with or without an element of emancipation, such as in
democratization—
within a state, which as such may remain unaltered. The
Russian October Revolution, for example, wasn't intended to seek national independence; the
United States Revolutionary War, however, was.
Autonomy (in slight contrast) refers to a kind of independence which has been granted by an overseeing authority that itself still retains ultimate authority over that territory (see
Devolution). A
protectorate refers to an autonomous region that depends upon a larger government, for its protection as an autonomous region. The dates of established independence (or, to a lesser degree, the commencement of revolution), are typically celebrated as a national
holiday known as an
independence day.
Sometimes, a state wishing to achieve independence from a dominating power will issue a
declaration of independence, the earliest surviving example being
Scotland's
Declaration of Arbroath, and a famous example being the
U.S. Declaration of Independence issued in 1776.
Causes for a country or province wishing to seek independence are many. Disillusionment rising from the establishment is a cause widely used in separatist movements, but it's usually severe economic difficulties that trigger these groups into action. The means can extend from peaceful demonstrations, like in the case of the
Indian independence movement, to a violent
civil war.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Independence'.
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