Countries - Stage 5 Comp - How A Country Is Made - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 5 Unit focus: Countries Text focus: Information Text How A Country Is Made Countries aren’t fixed things. Over the years, countries around the world have divided, joined to...

STAGE 5 Unit focus: Countries Text focus: Information Text How A Country Is Made Countries aren’t fixed things. Over the years, countries around the world have divided, joined together or reformed in many different circumstances. Often, this is accompanied by war, as people fight for one side or another. In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, there were only 51 registered United Nations countries. Today there are 193 plus two others that are recognised but not part of the United Nations. Today, there are several separatist movements across the world, from Catalonia in Spain to Taiwan. While there are no official rules for how a country is formed, there are some guidelines that any new country must try to meet. These were decided at a convention in Uruguay in 1933. A Permanent Population If an area wants to be recognised as a country, then the people living there must be permanent residents. That means that they can’t move in and out of the area over time. This is important because it allows the government of the country to function effectively. It is hard to govern people who don’t live in the country. A Defined Territory Just as important as knowing who lives in your country, knowing where your country begins and ends is vital. These borders must be recognised and accepted by the countries surrounding you as well. You can’t just grab part of another country and declare it as your own; that is called annexation. Annexing a country is a serious offence and has led to wars in the past. Germany annexed Austria and parts of Poland, leading to the Second World War, whilst Russia annexed parts of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, leading to devastating wars. A Functioning Government Any group that wants to form a new country must be able to govern itself. That means that a government must be in place to decide on important things like laws. Not all governments are democratic; in many, the leader is decided without the voice of the people being considered. ing Aro d Rea und all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com An Ability to Build Relationships Being a country on your own isn’t enough; you need to be able to work with other countries to export and import goods and work on global issues. This is usually done with people called ambassadors, who will travel to other countries and represent your own country to them. As well as these four requirements, a new country must also be able to prove that the people within it actually want independence. If they don’t, then the United Nations is unlikely to classify it as a new country. The breakaway country must also be able to agree on how to break away from the older country. This is the part that most new countries fail with. The governments of countries nearly always fight against separatists and often refuse to agree to them breaking away. Taiwan has governed itself since 1950 with its own democratic leaders. It has its own laws and constitution. However, China argues that it is just a territory of China, and has asked other countries not to recognise it. SUMMARY FOCUS 1. Summarise these things that a nation must have to be considered a country: Permanent population Defined territory Functioning government Build relationships Have permission of the current country Have permission from the population VIPERS QUESTIONS R Since when has Taiwan governed itself? P Why might a current country be reluctant to let part of itself form a new country? V Write a definition for a “separatist”. V What is “annexation”? R Whose annexation of other countries led to the Second World War? all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com