In this article the author discusses why there has been a growth in the number of small countries. He also points out the advantages and disadvantages to being a small nation and to being a large nation.
Small states have been around since ancient Greek times and during the renaissance in Italy. However, they began to disappear in the nineteenth century because they were seen as too small to be able to survive. Before World War I there were only sixty-two independent nations in the entire world, however today this number has more than tripled, due to the formation of many small states. .
Today the cost of independence is much less than it was years ago, and supporters of independence for people in large states are growing. Freedom is emerging everywhere. There are more and more countries emerging every day in the modern world. The future brings with the possibility of the emergence of many countries with a population less than that of most US states. Over the past five decades the emergence of countries with a population the size of a US state has not been uncommon. There was once a time when size was thought of as a major advantage, especially in the market and for security purposes. However, size is of little importance in today's rapidly growing technological world.
A perfect little example of a small nation is Iceland, with about the same population as Kentucky. Iceland has all the qualities of a modern state, which are rare. It has its own language, legal system, currency and central bank. Iceland is a perfect example of what the future has to offer. It is a small country of its own, which is doing well despite it size.
These reason for the growth of small countries:.
The growth of these miniature countries is mainly due to the end of colonial rule in Africa. Today Africa has more than forty-eight independent states and twenty-five new countries in existence. Another reason for the emergence of these small nations was the collapse of the Soviet Union, because it was divided into fifteen separate nations.
