List of irredentist claims or disputes
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This is a list of irredentist claims or disputes. Irredentism is any political or popular movement that seeks to claim or reclaim and occupy a land that the movement's members consider to be a "lost" (or "unredeemed") territory from their nation's past. Not all territorial disputes are irredentist, although they are often couched in irredentist rhetoric to justify and legitimise such claims both internationally and within the country. What is and is not considered an irredentist claim is sometimes contentious.
Entries on this list must meet three criteria:
- Claimant
- To make the list for an 'official or major disputes' - The government of a country currently claim the territory
- To make the list for an 'unofficial or minor disputes in Europe' - A party with representation at national, regional or local level supports the claim
- The claim must be current
- The territory must have a (real or imagined) past that is different from its current status.
Prominent irredentist disputes (by area)[]
Prominent irredentist disputes during the past century have included:
Europe[]
Official or major disputes in Europe[]
Notes:
- States with limited recognition that are simultaneously not members of the United Nations are indicated in Italics.
| Claimant | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Albania
|
 Kosovo
|
Kosovo is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Kosovo and Albania-Kosovo relations. Albania does not officially claim Kosovo but has strong diplomatic and cultural ties. The majority of Kosovans (citizens of Kosovo) are ethnic-Albanian, though a distinct 'Kosovar' ethnic identity also exists. |
 Armenia
|
 Artsakh
|
Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia does not officially claim Artsakh but has strong diplomatic and cultural ties. The majority of Artsakhtsi (the demonym for people from Artsakh) are ethnic-Armenian. |
| Artsakh
|
Parts of:
|
Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Artsakh maintains territorial claims to parts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast that are under the control of Azerbaijan. |
 Austria
|
Parts of:
|
A desire to unify South Tyrol with Austria is held by nationalist groups in both Austria and South Tyrol, which became part of Italy following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I.[1][2][3] |
 Azerbaijan
|
Artsakh
|
Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. |
 Cyprus
|
 Northern CyprusParts of:
|
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a state with limited recognition that occupies the northern portion of the island of Cyprus. Akrotiri and Dhekelia is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. For more information, see article; Cyprus dispute. |
 Georgia
|
 Abkhazia South Ossetia
|
Abkhazia and South Ossetia are states with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; occupied territories of Georgia, Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Georgian–Ossetian conflict. |
 Greece
|
Cyprus
|
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a state with limited recognition that occupies the northern portion of the island of Cyprus. Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British Overseas Territories on the island of Cyprus. Greece has historically claimed the entire island of Cyprus. For more information, see article; Cyprus dispute. |
 Ireland
|
Parts of:
|
The Irish territorial claim to Northern Ireland was officially dropped in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement. However, the diplomatic dispute is still ongoing, with issues such as Irish citizenship and Ireland-United Kingdom border customs remaining prominent. |
| Kosovo
|
Parts of:
|
Kosovo is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Kosovo and Kosovo–Serbia relations. |
 Moldova
|
 Transnistria
|
Transnistria is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see article; political status of Transnistria. |
 Portugal
|
Parts of:
|
Olivenza is currently administered by Spain. The claim has not been actively pursued by Portugal ever since both Portugal and Spain joined the European Union in 1986. However it was never relinquished by Portuguese authorities and to this day there is no official demarcation line in the region's border between both countries. |
 Romania
|
Moldova (including Transnistria)Parts of:  Ukraine
|
The movement to unify Romania and Moldova is relatively significant. It also includes Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova. There are also small initiatives to unite Romania with Chernivtsi Oblast and Budjak (both currently belonging to Ukraine) |
 Russia
|
Parts of:
|
Russia occupied and annexed several territories of Ukraine from 2014 onwards. |
 Serbia
|
Kosovo
|
Kosovo is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Kosovo, Kosovo-Serbia relations and Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. |
| South Ossetia
|
Parts of:
|
South Ossetia is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; occupied territories of Georgia and Georgian–Ossetian conflict. |
 Spain
|
Parts of:
|
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. For more information, see article; Status of Gibraltar. |
 Turkey
|
Cyprus
|
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a state with limited recognition that occupies the northern portion of the island of Cyprus. Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British Overseas Territories on the island of Cyprus. Turkey has historically claimed the entire island of Cyprus. For more information, see article; Cyprus dispute. |
| Ukraine
|
Russian-occupied or Russian-backed territories:
|
Ukraine maintains territorial claims to Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Luhansk, which were invaded by Russia from 2014 onwards. |
Russian irredentism can be divided into three categories: broad, intermediate, and narrow.
- The broad sense includes all lands that historically made up the Russian Empire and/or the Soviet Union at their maximum extents. It may also extend to neighbouring countries or regions that are populated by peoples over which Russia ruled (e.g. Iranian Azerbaijan in Iran), or peoples which are closely related to them due to linguistic, ethnic or religious ties. Historically, Russia has pursued all of these avenues; examples include the Panslavism movement to put all of the Balkans (where there exists Slavic and Eastern Orthodox majorities) under Russian hegemony; the Third Rome philosophy, which focused on re-claiming the former Byzantine Empire regions (in particular the warm winter port of Constantinople, today Istanbul), and in addition establishing a hegemony over Greater Armenia and the Holy Land (Lebanon, Palestine etc.). Simultaneously, there were ambitions to continue expansion into Persia and even India (see The Great Game). The Russian Empire also planned to force Qing China to cede Xinjiang, Manchuria, Outer Mongolia, and Korea. While the Russo-Japanese War ended most of these prospects, the Soviet Union would eventually create a sphere of influence in this area in the form of the Mongolian People's Republic and the Tuvan People's Republic. Finally, in Russian America, Russia held claims extending from the Aleutian Islands to northern California, but these plans were cancelled after Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867.
- The intermediate sense includes some or all of the independent countries and/or territories that made up the historical Russian borders. These may include Moldova, Ukraine, eastern Poland, Belarus, the Baltic states, and Finland in Europe, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia in the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Some narrower definitions include only the pro-Russian breakaway states of Abkhazia (Georgia), South Ossetia (Georgia), and Transnistria (Moldova), as well as Kars Oblast in Turkey and Batum Oblast partly in Turkey also (Ardahan Province) and Adjara in Georgia.
- The narrow sense of Russian irredentism focuses only on regions that are populated by ethnic Russians that are outside the Russian Federation, such as: Narva in Estonia; lands around Daugavpils and Riga in Latvia; Sloboda Ukraine, Novorossiya, and Crimea from Ukraine (the latter of which has de facto joined the Federation[4][5]); Gagra district in Georgia (also claimed by Abkhazia); and lands between the Russian border and the rivers of Ural and Irtysh in Kazakhstan, as well as parts of Semirechye.
Unofficial or minor disputes in Europe[]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2020) |
Many fringe and opposition groups in various countries maintain their own set of territorial claims, which are given below.
Notes:
- States with limited recognition that are simultaneously not members of the United Nations are indicated in Italics.
| Claimant | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Albania
|
In addition to...
Parts of:
|
Irredentist claims of Albania are collectively known as 'Greater Albania'. In addition to Albania's unofficial claim to the de facto Republic of Kosovo, which has been mentioned in the table above, Albanian nationalists also claim majority-Albanian regions of neighbouring countries, especially North Macedonia, where Albanians are the second-largest ethnic group in the country. Albanian nationalists also claim minor regions with majority-Albanian populations in other neighbouring countries, such as Serbia (the Preševo Valley, which is an extension of the Kosovo claim) and Montenegro. Albania has decent relations with North Macedonia and tense albeit official relations with Serbia (the Kosovo dispute is a significant factor in the relationship). |
| Armenia
|
In addition to...
Parts of:
|
Irredentist claims of Armenia are collectively known as 'United Armenia'. In addition to Armenia's unofficial claim to the de facto Republic of Artsakh (including the entire claimed region of Nagorno-Karabakh), which has been mentioned in the table above, Armenian nationalists also claim the majority-Armenian region of Javakheti (Javakhk) in the neighbouring country of Georgia. However, Armenia and Georgia have relatively strong relations, so this dispute is relatively insignificant. Historical Armenian territories that no longer possess major ethnic-Armenian populations include Nakhchivan, an exclave of Azerbaijan located adjacent to Armenia, and 'Western Armenia', part of what is now the northeast of the neighbouring country of Turkey. Many Armenians in Turkey were exterminated in the Armenian genocide that lasted from 1914 until 1923. Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and Armenia-Turkey relations are very poor. |
| Austria
|
 Liechtenstein
Parts of:
|
See Lower Styria |
| Azerbaijan
|
Parts of:
|
Some Azeri nationalists claim Azeri-majority provinces of Iran, including West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil and Zanjan. |
 Bulgaria
|
 North Macedonia
Parts of:
|
Irredentist claims of Bulgaria are collectively known as 'Greater Bulgaria'. |
 Chechnya (federal subject of Russia)
|
Parts of:
|
Internal dispute: Chechnya (a federal subject of Russia) has occasionally laid claims on a region called Akkia (roughly the Auhovskiy rayon, in Russian), part of neighbouring Dagestan (also a federal subject of Russia). |
 Croatia
|
Parts of:
|
Greater Croatia |
 France
|
 Andorra
Parts of:
|
Rattachism ; Natural borders of France |
| Greece
|
In addition to...
|
The Megali Idea became a political objective of the Greek government in the early 20th century. It envisioned a "Greater Greece" covering areas of earlier Greek empires where significant Greek settlements still existed. The idea ended with the devastating defeat of the Greek army in Asia Minor in 1922 and the following population exchange between Greece and Turkey.[6][7] |
| Georgia
|
Parts of:
|
Georgian irredentists claim Tao-Klarjeti. |
 Germany
|
Austria Luxembourg Liechtenstein
Parts of:
|
Pan-Germanism ; Lebensraum |
 Hungary
|
Parts of:
|
Hungarian irredentism, Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen |
 Ingushetia (federal subject of Russia)
|
Parts of:
|
Internal dispute: Both territories are federal subjects of Russia. |
 Italy
|
 Malta Monaco
Parts of:
|
Italian claims to Istria (Italian irredentism in Istria) and Dalmatia (Italian irredentism in Dalmatia) after World War I. Other cultural and historical movements claimed to include parts of France to Italy such as the Italian irredentism in Corsica or the Italian irredentism in Nice. |
| Moldova
|
In addition to...
Parts of:
|
Claims based on the Principality of Moldavia and Moldova's current borders (see Greater Moldova). |
 Netherlands
|
Parts of:
|
Greater Netherlands |
| North Macedonia
|
Parts of:
|
Nationalists from North Macedonia have expressed land claims to the entire historical region of Macedonia |
 Norway
|
Parts of:
|
Theoretical claim to the Orkney and Shetland Islands due to a 15th-century unpaid dowry to the king of Scotland.[8] |
| Romania
|
Moldova
Parts of:
|
Greater Romania |
| Russia
|
 Belarus
Parts of:
|
Novorossiya (confederation) ; Russian irredentism ; All-Russian nation |
| Serbia
|
 Montenegro North Macedonia
Parts of:
|
Currently, there is a movement calling for the unification of Republika Srpska with Serbia. The area is currently part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[10] ; Greater Serbia |
 Slovenia
|
Parts of:
|
United Slovenia |
| Turkey
|
Parts of:
|
Turkish nationalism ; Aegean dispute |
| Ukraine
|
Parts of: Moldova
|
Greater Ukraine |
 United Kingdom
|
Ireland
Parts of:
|
Unionism in the United Kingdom |
- In the 1955 referendum, Saarland, a previous French protectorate territory, voted to reunite with Germany.
- French claimed Alsace-Lorraine before World War I, after which the territory was returned to them.
- Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro claimed various European parts of the Ottoman Empire and Albania (both of which the four divided among themselves) before the First Balkan War, where they took these claims to the battlefield, and won.
East, South and Southeast Asia[]
Notes:
- States with limited recognition that are simultaneously not members of the United Nations are indicated in Italics.
Official or major disputes in East, South and Southeast Asia[]
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan
|
Parts of:
|
Afghanistan claims most of Balochistan & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as it does not recognize the Durand Line border with Pakistan. |
 China
|
 Taiwan
Numerous islands in the South China Sea Parts of:
|
Taiwan is a state with limited recognition. For more information, see articles; political status of Taiwan, Cross-Strait relations and Taiwan, China. Hong Kong and Macau are already under PRC sovereignty but remain officially highly autonomous as special administrative regions. Their autonomy is due to officially end in 2047 and 2049, respectively, at which point it is expected that they will be fully integrated into the PRC. The PRC is involved in numerous territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. The PRC is involved in several territorial disputes with India, with most of the vast Sino-Indian border being undefined; Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state, is the largest territory under Indian control that is claimed by the PRC. The PRC claims the Senkaku Islands, which are parts of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. The PRC has also historically been involved in various relatively minor border conflicts with other neighbouring countries, such as with Tajikistan and Bhutan. The PRC's historical border disputes with Russia, Pakistan and Myanmar have mostly been settled. The PRC has historically recognised the independence of Mongolia, which it formerly claimed. |
 North Korea
|
 South Korea
|
See articles; division of Korea, Korea and North Korea–South Korea relations. |
 India
|
Parts of: Pakistan
|
See articles; Kashmir conflict, India–Pakistan relations, Sino-Indian border dispute, China–India relations and territorial disputes of India and Nepal. |
 Indonesia
|
 East Timor
|
|
 Japan
|
Parts of:
|
Russia (Soviet Union) occupied the Kuril Islands at the conclusion of World War II, which had previously been under Japanese (Empire of Japan) control. Japan never relinquished sovereignty over several of the larger islands in the south of the island chain. Russia and Japan never signed an official peace treaty to conclude WWII. The dispute continues into the present day. For more information, see article; Kuril Islands dispute. |
| Pakistan
|
Parts of:
|
See articles; Kashmir conflict and India–Pakistan relations. |
 Philippines
|
Parts of:
|
The Philippines claims portions of Sabah on the basis that the territory was leased to the Sultanate of Sulu.[11][12] See also North Borneo dispute. |
| South Korea
|
North Korea
|
See articles; division of Korea, Korea and North Korea–South Korea relations. |
| Taiwan
|
China
Numerous islands in the South China Sea Parts of:
|
Taiwan, under the constitution of the Republic of China, technically claims the entire former borders of its predecessor state, the Qing dynasty, including all of China, all of Mongolia and parts of surrounding countries. However, the current Taiwanese government is not actively enforcing these claims. Taiwan actively claims the Senkaku Islands, which are parts of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Taiwan is involved in numerous territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. |
 Vietnam
|
Numerous islands in the South China Sea | Vietnam is involved in numerous territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. |
Unofficial or minor disputes in East, South and Southeast Asia[]
Many fringe and opposition groups in various countries maintain their own set of territorial claims, which are given below.
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh
|
Parts of:
|
Greater Bangladesh |
 Cambodia
|
Parts of:
|
|
| East Timor
|
Parts of:
|
Great Timor |
| India
|
 Nepal
|
Greater India |
| Indonesia
|
 Singapore
|
Greater Indonesia |
| Japan
|
Taiwan
Parts of:
|
Greater Japan Patriotic Party ; Uyoku dantai |
 Mongolia
|
Parts of:
|
Pan-Mongolism |
| Nepal
|
Parts of:
|
Greater Nepal |
| North Korea
|
Parts of:
|
|
| Pakistan
|
Parts of:
|
|
| South Korea
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Thailand
|
 Laos
Parts of :
|
Middle East[]
Notes:
- States with limited recognition that are simultaneously not members of the United Nations are indicated in Italics.
- Many claims are maintained by fringe groups and are not supported by governments.
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Iran
|
Afghanistan
Parts of:
|
Pan-Iranism, Greater Iran. |
 Iraq
|
 Kuwait
Parts of:
|
Iraqi nationalism. |
 Iraqi Kurdistan (Autonomous region in Iraq)
|
Parts of:
|
Kurdish nationalism. |
 Israel
|
 Palestine
Parts of:
|
Arab-Israeli conflict, Zionism, Palestinian nationalism, Arab nationalism, Greater Israel |
 Lebanon
|
Israel-occupied territories:
|
Arab-Israeli conflict. |
| Palestine
|
Israel
|
Arab-Israeli conflict, Zionism, Palestinian nationalism, Arab nationalism, Greater Palestine |
 Syria
|
Parts of:
|
Arab-Israeli conflict ; Syrian nationalism ; Greater syria |
 Yemen
|
Parts of:
|
Greater Yemen |
South and Central America[]
Many claims are only maintained by fringe groups, while some others are backed by the local governments, like some Bolivian and Argentinian ones.
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina
|
Argentine claim to Antarctica
Parts of:
|
Argentina claims lands in the south of the Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica, including the Falkland Islands. |
 Bolivia
|
Parts of: Chile
|
|
 Brazil
|
 Uruguay
|
|
| Chile
|
Chilean claim to Antarctica
Parts of:
|
|
 Colombia
|
 Ecuador
Parts of:
|
Reunification of Gran Colombia |
| Ecuador
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Guatemala
|
 Belize
|
Referred to the International Court of Justice since 2019. |
 Nicaragua
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Peru
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Suriname
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Venezuela
|
Parts of:
|
North America[]
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Canada
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Mexico
|
Guatemala
Parts of:
|
Reconquista ; Nationalist Front of Mexico |
 Quebec (Province of Canada)
|
 Labrador (Part of the  Newfoundland and Labrador province in Canada)
|
The Quebec government claims that the territory of Labrador belongs to the province of Quebec. Canada claims that Labrador is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.[13] |
 United States
|
 Cuba
Parts of:
|
Filibusters |
Africa[]
Notes:
- States with limited recognition that are simultaneously not members of the United Nations are indicated in Italics.
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Comoros
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Egypt
|
 Sudan
|
|
 Eritrea
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Ethiopia
|
Eritrea
|
|
 Libya
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Madagascar
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Mauritania
|
 Western Sahara
Parts of:
|
Greater Mauritania. |
 Mauritius
|
Parts of:
|
Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute. |
 Morocco
|
Western Sahara
Parts of:
|
Greater Morocco. |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Somalia
|
 Somaliland
Parts of:
|
Greater Somalia. |
| Somaliland
|
Parts of:
|
|
 South Africa
|
 Namibia
|
Greater South Africa |
 South Sudan
|
Parts of:
|
|
| Sudan
|
South Sudan
Parts of:
|
Oceania[]
Claims mainly maintained by fringe groups.
| State | Claimed area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Australia
|
 Papua New Guinea
|
|
 Samoa
|
Parts of:
|
|
 Vanuatu
|
Parts of:
|
See also[]
- Ethnic nationalism
- Ethnic cleansing
- Identity politics
- Lebensraum
- Revanchism
- Status quo ante bellum
- Manifest destiny
- Historical powers
References[]
- ^ Bell, Bethany (8 December 2012). "South Tyrol's identity crisis: Italian, German, Austrian...?". Bolzano, Italy: BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ "South Tyrol heading to unofficial independence referendum in autumn". nationalia.info. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ Marchetti, Silvia (31 May 2014). "The South Tyrol identity crisis: to live in Italy, but feel Austrian". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ Socor, Vladimir (25 March 2014). "Putin's Crimea Speech: A Manifesto of Greater-Russia Irredentism". Eurasia Daily Monitor. 11 (56). Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ Saideman, Stephen (18 March 2014). "Why Crimea is likely the limit of Greater Russia". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ Finefrock, Michael M. (March 1980). "Ataturk, Lloyd George and the Megali Idea: Cause and Consequence of the Greek Plan to Seize Constantinople from the Allies, June-August 1922". The Journal of Modern History. The University of Chicago Press Books. 52 (S1). Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- ^ "The Greek Turkish Population Exchange" (PDF). Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- ^ "Norwegians revive historic dispute over Western Isles". The Guardian. 20 February 2002. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "Russian nationalists want to take Alaska back from the US". The Independent. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Bosnia: Defying court ban, Republika Srpska goes ahead with 'Statehood Day'". Refworld. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Indonesias foreign policy since the implementation of guided democracy". Twenty years Indonesian foreign policy 1945–1965. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. 3 December 2018. p. 472.
- ^ Kadir, Norozan (July 2017). "The Formation Of Malaysia And The Philippines' Alternative Plan To Claim Sabah After Its Unsuccessful Irredentism Mission, 1963-1965". JEBAT : Malaysian Journal of History, Politics & Strategic Studies. 44 (1): 180–214.
- ^ "La question du Labrador" [The question Labrador]. Estrien Movement for French (in French). 2 May 2001. Archived from the original on 26 April 2005.
Categories:
- Country data templates of subdivisions of Paraguay
- Irredentism