Transnistria

  • Unrecognized states
  • Independence declared 2 September 1990
  • Capital Tiraspol
  • Population 518,700
  • Area 4,163 km²

Transnistria is a small strip of land located between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine. It declared independence in 1990, but has only been recognized as a sovereign entity by—the also unrecognized—South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The United Nations still legally considers Transnistria a part of the Republic of Moldova. The most well known company in Transnistria is called Sheriff—it owns a chain of petrol stations, a chain of supermarkets, a TV channel, a publishing house, a construction company, a Mercedes-Benz dealership, an advertising agency, a spirits factory, two bread factories, a mobile phone network, the football club FC Sheriff Tiraspol and its newly built Sheriff Stadium.

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Somaliland

Somaliland is a self-declared state, internationally considered to be an autonomous region of Somalia. It lies in northwestern Somalia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden. After the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barr, the former British protectorate declared independence in 1991. Somaliland is ranked as partly free by Freedom House, and maintains informal ties with some foreign governments. The de facto state issues its own money: the Somaliland shilling. However, Somaliland’s self-proclaimed independence remains unrecognized by any country or international organization.

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands, or The Malvinas as they are called in Argentina, lie 480 km off the Patagonian shore in the South Atlantic Ocean. They were named by captain John Strong, who landed on them in 1690. There are two main islands, West and East Falkland and about 776 smaller ones. They have been officially under British control since 1771, but this is contested by Argentina, who laid a claim when they gained independence from Spain in 1816. This dispute resulted in a war between the two countries in 1982 in which 900 people were killed. Argentina surrendered after 74 days and since then the islands status as Overseas British Territory remains.

Užupis

Užupis is a small neighborhood in the old part of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In 1991 Lithuania broke free from the former Soviet Union and local artists erected a monument for singer Frank Zappa, who they claimed served as an example for the inhabitants of the former satellite state. They went one step further on 1st April, 1997 when the independent Republic of Užupis was declared. “The spirit of Zappa made us see that independence from Moscow was not enough and persuaded us to declare independence from the rest of Vilnius.”