Stateless nation

{{Short description|Ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state}} {{Indigenous rights}} {{About|a nation lacking a nation state|a community lacking a government|Stateless society|persons lacking state affiliation|Statelessness}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

A '''stateless nation''' is an ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own sovereign state.<ref name="auto">''Dictionary Of Public Administration'', U.C. Mandal, Sarup & Sons 2007, 505 p.</ref> Use of the term implies that such ethnic groups have the right to self-determination, to establish an independent nation-state with its own government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/27/stateless-in-europe-refugee-crisis-we-are-no-people-with-no-nation|title=Stateless in Europe: 'We are no people with no nation'|first1=Louise|last1=Osborne|first2=Ruby|last2=Russell|website=TheGuardian.com|date=27 December 2015|access-date=28 December 2018|archive-date=5 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005194645/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/27/stateless-in-europe-refugee-crisis-we-are-no-people-with-no-nation|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Nimni>{{citation |last=Chouinard |first=Stéphanie |chapter=Stateless nations |editor1=Karl Cordell |editor2=Stefan Wolff |title=The Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=64JwCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54|pages=54–66 |isbn= 978-1-317-51892-1}}</ref> Members of stateless nations may be citizens of the country in which they live, or they may be denied citizenship by that country. Stateless nations are usually not represented in international sports or in international organisations such as the United Nations. Nations without a state are classified as fourth-world nations.<ref>David Newman, ''Boundaries, Territory and Postmodernity''</ref><ref>''Ethnic Minority Media: An International Perspective'', Stephen Harold Riggins, 217p.</ref><ref>''Language in Geographic Context'', Colin H. Williams, 39p.</ref> Some stateless nations have a history of statehood, while some were always stateless.

==History== The term was coined in 1983 by political scientist Jacques Leruez in his book ''L'Écosse, une nation sans État'' about the position of Scotland within the United Kingdom. It was later adopted and popularized by Scottish scholars such as David McCrone, Michael Keating and T. M. Devine.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAcoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA85|page=85|title=National Identity: Theory and Research|first1=Richard R.|last1=Verdugo|first2=Andrew|last2=Milne|date=1 June 2016|publisher=IAP|via=Google Books|isbn=978-1-68123-525-7|access-date=1 January 2022|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030158/https://books.google.com/books?id=qAcoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA85|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ethnicities described as stateless nations can be dispersed across a number of states (for example, the Yoruba people found in the African states of Nigeria, Benin and Togo) or form the native population of a province within a larger state (such as the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region within the People's Republic of China). Some stateless nations historically had a state, which was absorbed by another; for example, Tibet's declaration of independence in 1913 was not recognized, and it was reunited in 1951 by the People's Republic of China - which claims that Tibet is an integral part of China, while the Tibetan government-in-exile maintains that Tibet is an independent state under an unlawful occupation.<ref>Clark, Gregory, ''In fear of China'', 1969, saying: "Tibet, although enjoying independence at certain periods of its history, had never been recognised by any single foreign power as an independent state. The closest it has ever come to such recognition was the British formula of 1943: suzerainty, combined with autonomy and the right to enter into diplomatic relations."</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/the-legal-status-tibet |title=The Legal Status of Tibet |date=22 February 2010 |publisher=Cultural Survival |access-date=17 May 2014 |archive-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330131153/http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/the-legal-status-tibet |url-status=live }}</ref>

Stateless nations can have large populations; for example, the Kurds have an estimated population of over 30 million people, which makes them one of the largest stateless nations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/who-are-the-kurds--17915 |title=Who are the Kurds? |publisher=TRT World |access-date=23 June 2018 |archive-date=8 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708151930/https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/who-are-the-kurds--17915 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Nation-states and nations without states == The symbiotic relationship between nations and states arose in Western Europe during the 18th century, and it was exported to the rest of the world through colonial rule. Whereas the Western European nation-states are at present relinquishing some of their powers to the European Union, many of the former colonies are now the zealous defenders of the concept of national statehood.<ref name=Nimni/> However, not all peoples within multi-cultural states consider themselves stateless nations. As not all states are nation states, there are ethnic groups who live in multinational states that are not considered "stateless nations".

Only a small fraction of the world's national groups have associated nation states; the rest are distributed in one or more states. While there are over 3000 estimated nations in the world,{{Citation needed|reason=Nimny cites themselves in the citation provided below, and the self-citation for this claim has no further citations. A better citation would be the Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations by James Minahan, which is cited by Nimny on a claim that only 3% of the world's 6000 national groups have achieved statehood|date=September 2025}} there were only 193 member states of the United Nations as of 2011, of which fewer than 20 are considered to be ethnically homogeneous nation states. Thus nation states are not as common as often assumed, and stateless nations are the overwhelming majority of nations in the world.<ref name=Nimni/>

== Consequences of colonialism and imperialism ==

During the imperial and colonial era, powerful nations extended their influence outside their homeland; resulting in many colonized nations ceasing to be self-governing and being described as stateless nations thereafter.<ref>Redie Bereketeab, ''Self-Determination and Secession in Africa: The Post-Colonial State''</ref> Some nations have been victims of "carve-outs" that left their homeland divided among several countries. Even today, the colonial boundaries form modern national boundaries. These boundaries often differ from cultural boundaries which results in situations wherein people who speak the same language or have the same culture are divided by national borders; for example, New Guinea is split into the regions of West Papua (a former Dutch colony) and Papua New Guinea (a former Australian colony).<ref>Richard Devetak, Christopher W. Hughes, Routledge, 2007-12-18, ''The Globalization of Political Violence: Globalization's Shadow''</ref> During decolonization, the colonial powers imposed a unified state structure irrespective of the ethnic differences and granted independence to their colonies as a multinational state. This led to successor states with many minority ethnic groups in them, which increased the potential for ethnic conflicts.<ref>''Cultural Analysis: Towards Cross-cultural Understanding (2006)'', Hans Gullestrup, 130p.</ref><ref>''Ethnicity and Christian leadership in west African sub-region: proceedings of the conference of the fifteenth CIWA Theology Week held at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (2004)'', Port Harcourt, p.272</ref><ref>''Mussolini Warlord: Failed Dreams of Empire, 1940–1943 (2013)'', H. James Burgwyn, Chapter V</ref><ref>''Ethnic Groups in Conflict (2009)'', Karl Cordell, Stefan Wolff</ref> Some of these minority groups campaigned for self-determination. Stateless nations were not protected in all countries and as a result, they became victims of atrocities such as discrimination, ethnic cleansing, genocide, forced assimilation, and the exploitation of labor and natural resources.<ref>Donald L. Horowitz, ''Ethnic Groups in Conflict''</ref><ref>Bruce E. Johansen, ''Resource Exploitation in Native North America: A Plague upon the Peoples''</ref>

== Nationalism and stateless nations == People with a common origin, history, language, culture, customs or religion can turn into a nation through the awakening of national consciousness.<ref>George W. White, ''Nationalism and Territory: Constructing Group Identity in Southeastern Europe''</ref> A nation can exist without a state, as is exemplified by the stateless nations. Citizenship is not always the nationality of a person.<ref>''Understanding National Identity'' by David McCrone, Frank Bechhofer, p.22</ref> In a multinational state, different national identities can coexist or compete: for example, in Britain English nationalism, Scottish nationalism, and Welsh nationalism exist and are held together by British nationalism.<ref>''Unionist-Nationalism: Governing Urban Scotland, 1830–1860'' by Graeme Morton, 1999</ref> Nationalism is often connected to separatism because a nation is considered to achieve completeness through its independence.<ref>James Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: A-C''</ref>

Throughout history, numerous nations declared their independence, but not all succeeded in establishing a state. Even today, there are active autonomy and independence movements around the world. The claim of the stateless nations to self-determination is often denied due to geopolitical interests and increasing globalization of the world.<ref>''Nationalism and Globalisation (2015)'', Stephen Tierney</ref><ref>The Tamil Genocide by Sri Lanka: The Global Failure to Protect Tamil Rights Under International Law, Francis Boyle, chapter self determination.</ref><ref>Turmoil in the Middle East: Imperialism, War, and Political Instability (1999), Berch Berberoglu, 69p.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://saisjournal.org/posts/europe%27s-stateless-nations-in-the-era-of-globalization|title=Europe's Stateless Nations in the Era of Globalization, The Case for Catalonia's Secession by Josep Desquens|work=saisjournal.org|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-date=25 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825185748/http://saisjournal.org/posts/europe%27s-stateless-nations-in-the-era-of-globalization}}</ref> Stateless nations sometimes show solidarity with other stateless nations and maintain diplomatic relations.<ref>The delegates were linked with the Scottish group 'SNP Friends of Catalonia', which itself had members recently visit the Catalan parliament in Barcelona in a show of solidarity to the country's hopes of self-determination. {{cite web|url=https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/9639/catalan-delegates-send-solidarity-scotland-independence-movement|title=Catalan delegates in solidarity visit to Scotland's independence movement|work=commonspace.scot|access-date=5 November 2016|archive-date=5 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105095428/https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/9639/catalan-delegates-send-solidarity-scotland-independence-movement|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>The Catalan President and the Head of the Corsican government meet in Barcelona. The meeting lasted more than two hours and focused on enhancing the cooperation between the two nations in a regional and European level. {{cite web|url=http://www.e-f-a.org/services/news-single-view/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=974&cHash=d2ced5618fb98e7ba22c944adfd93f75|title=EFA brings stateless nations even closer|work=European Free Alliance|access-date=23 December 2017|archive-date=23 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223220120/http://www.e-f-a.org/services/news-single-view/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=974&cHash=d2ced5618fb98e7ba22c944adfd93f75}}</ref>

== List of stateless nations == States made bold under the "homeland" column are countries of the respective ethnic groups which are native to them and still host the majority (more than half) of their population. {| class="sortable wikitable" !People !Flag !Languages !Language family{{Efn|Can also help with understanding the cultural/ethnic proximity with other people of that paternal language group, but not necessarily. The largest language family is not recommended, as a large number of cells would contain similar content.}} !Predominant religion ! data-sort-type="number" |Population !Continent !States !Homeland{{Efn|Proposed or historical homeland desired.}} !Irredentist movement !Notes |- |Tamils<ref name=":1" /> | |Tamil language |Dravidian languages |Hinduism, Christianity, Islam |80,000,000 |Asia |India, Sri Lanka |Tamil Nadu, Tamil Eelam |Tamil nationalism, Dravida Nadu, Tamil Eelam |Historically occupied Tamilakam, the Jaffna Kingdom and the Vanni chieftaincies. Seeks more regional autonomy for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu or form a sovereign nation along with other South Indian states as Dravida Nadu. Demand for autonomy in the Northern and Eastern Provinces or total secession from Sri Lanka.<ref>Religious Nationalism: A Reference Handbook: A Reference Handbook, Atalia Omer, Jason A. Springs (2013)</ref> |- |Oromo people<ref>{{cite journal |author=Gow, G. |date=1 September 2004 |title=Translocations of Affirmation: Mediascapes and Cultural Flows among the Stateless Oromo |journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies |publisher=SAGE Publications Ltd |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=301–319 |doi=10.1177/1367877904046304 |issn=1367-8779 |s2cid=145547845}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |location=Westport |page=}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Oromo |Cushitic languages |Christian, Muslim, Waaqeffanna |41,693,650<ref>{{cite web |date=14 February 2024 |title=Ethiopia |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ethiopia/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109104649/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ethiopia|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> |Africa |Ethiopia, Kenya |Oromia |Oromo conflict | |- |Kurds<ref name="Political Geography">{{Citation |last1=Quam |first1=Joel |title=Political Geography |date=2020-08-31 |work=The Western World: Daily Readings on Geography |url=https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/chapter/political-geography/ |access-date=2021-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810172757/https://cod.pressbooks.pub/westernworlddailyreadingsgeography/chapter/political-geography/ |archive-date=2021-08-10 |url-status=live |publisher=College of DuPage Digital Press |language=en |last2=Campbell |first2=Scott}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=1055}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Kurdish languages, {{Small|(originally)}} Arabic, Turkish, Persian {{Small|(assimilation)}} |Iranian languages |Islam (Sunni, Shia, Alevi), Zoroastrianism, Yarsanism, Yazidism |36,000,000–46,000,000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kurd {{!}} History, Culture, & Language |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713112510/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurd |archive-date=2021-07-13 |access-date=2021-07-21 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> |Asia |Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria (homeland), Germany (largest diaspora) |Kurdistan |Kurdish nationalism, Kurdish–Turkish conflict, Kurdish-Iranian conflict, Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, and Kurdish–Syrian conflict, 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum |Regional autonomy achieved in Iraqi Kurdistan and Rojava.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Kirişci |first1=Kemal |title=The Kurdish Question and Turkey: An Example of a Trans-state Ethnic Conflict |year=1997 |publisher=Rootledge |last2=Winrow |first2=Gareth |author-link=Kemal Kirişci}}</ref> Data rough due to censuses not taking ethnicity in homeland countries. |- |Yoruba people<ref name="Political Geography" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=2078}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Yoruba language |Volta–Congo languages |Christianity, Islam, Yoruba religion |35,000,000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benue-Congo languages |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Benue-Congo-languages |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430124510/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Benue-Congo-languages |archive-date=2020-04-30 |access-date=2016-09-19 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref><ref>John A. Shoup III, ''Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia'' 2011 p.237</ref> |Africa |Nigeria, Benin and Togo, Ghana |Yorubaland |Oodua Peoples Congress | |- |Igbo people<ref>{{cite journal |author=Aro, G. C. |author2=Ani, K. J. |date=December 2017 |title=A Historical Review of Igbo Nationalism in the Nigerian Political Space |journal=Journal of African Union Studies |publisher=Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd |volume=6 |issue=2/3 |pages=47–77 |doi=10.31920/2050-4306/2017/v6n2_3a2 |issn=2050-4292}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Igbo, English |Volta–Congo languages |Christianity (primarily Roman Catholicism with significant Protestant minorities), Indigenous beliefs |30,000,000<ref>James Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World, 2nd Edition: Ethnic and National Groups around the World'' 2016 p.178</ref> |Africa |Nigeria (almost exclusively) |Igboland |Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Indigenous People of Biafra |Attempted secession from Nigeria in 1967 sparked the Nigerian Civil war. |- |Sikhs<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Milne |first=Andrew |date=2022-12-01 |title=Sikhs: A Stateless Nation, a Powerful Cohesive Diaspora and a Mistaken Identity |url=https://journals.openedition.org/osb/5894#:~:text=They%20included%20the%20fact%20that,does%20not%20have%20a%20state. |journal=Observatoire de la société britannique |language=en |issue=29 |pages=135–153 |doi=10.4000/osb.5894 |issn=1775-4135|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Khurana |first=Nikita |date=2019-12-09 |title=Assessing the Relationship of Sikh-Canadians with Canada and India {{!}} RealClearDefense |url=https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2019/12/09/assessing_the_relationship_of_sikh-canadians_with_canada_and_india_114904-full.html |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=www.realcleardefense.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-19 |title=The Sikh independence movement at the heart of India-Canada tensions |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/the-sikh-independence-movement-at-the-heart-of-india-canada-tensions |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=PBS News |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Guibernau |first=Montserrat |title=Nations without States: Political Communities in a Global Age |date=October 18, 1999 |publisher=Polity |isbn=978-0-7456-1801-2 |edition=1st |page=42}}</ref> |center|60x60px |Punjabi, Dogri,Kashmiri |Indo-Aryan languages, Dardic languages |Sikhism |25,000,000–30,000,000 |Asia |India |Punjab |Khalistan movement |Seeks greater regional autonomy for the Sikhs of Punjab or total secession from India. Sikh nationalism. |- |Occitan people<ref name=":0">{{cite book |author=Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez |url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofstateless0000unse/page/70 |title=Atlas of Stateless Nations in Europe: Minority People in Search of Recognition |publisher=Y Lolfa Cyf |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84771-379-7 |pages=62, 70}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Occitan, French, Italian, Spanish |Romance languages |Roman Catholicism |16,000,000 |Europe |France, Monaco, Italy and Spain (Val d'Aran) |Occitania |Occitan nationalism (Occitan Party, Partit de la Nacion Occitana, Libertat) |Seek self-determination, greater autonomy or total secession from France. |- |Savoyard people<ref name=":0" /> |border|center|50x50px |Savoyard, Arpitan, French, Italian, German |Romance languages Germanic languages |Roman Catholicism |1,309,384 |Europe |France, Switzerland and Italy |Savoy |Savoyard nationalism (Savoyan League, Savoy Region Movement, État de Savoie, Piemonte Stato) |Seek self-determination, greater autonomy or total secession from France. |- |Assamese people<ref name="satp">{{cite web |title=United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) - Terrorist Group of Assam |url=https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/assam/terrorist_outfits/Ulfa.htm |access-date=1 January 2013 |publisher=Satp.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=26 September 2012 |title=India's Treacherous Northeast |url=http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/indias-treacherous-northeast |access-date=12 October 2014 |publisher=Yaleglobal.yale.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Banned Organizations {{!}} Ministry of Home Affairs {{!}} GoI |url=https://mha.gov.in/node/91173 |access-date=28 December 2019 |website=mha.gov.in}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Assamese language |Indo-Aryan languages |Hinduism |15,000,000<ref name="nationalencyklopedin">Mikael Parkvall, "Världens 100 största språk 2007" (The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007), in ''Nationalencyklopedin''</ref> |Asia |India |Assam |Assam separatist movements, ULFA Insurgency in Northeast India |Seeks greater regional autonomy for natives of Assam or total secession from India.<ref>[https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ulfa.htm The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905022900/https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ulfa.htm|date=2018-09-05}}, the vanguard of national liberation struggle in Assam, was formed on 7 April 1979 to bear the historic responsibility of spearheading the armed democratic struggle with the ultimate aim of establishing an independent socialist sovereign Assam.</ref> |- |Uyghur people<ref>{{Citation |title=On Statehood: Xinjiang Autonomy and Its Enemies |website=Brown Political Review |year=2018 |url=https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2018/11/statehood-xinjiang-autonomy-enemies/ |access-date=9 April 2023 |publisher=Brown University}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) |website=Council on Foreign Relations |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/east-turkestan-islamic-movement-etim |access-date=9 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1958}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Uyghur language |Turkic languages |Sunni Islam |15,000,000<ref name="www.uyghuramerican.org">{{Cite web |title=About Uyghurs | Uyghur American Association |url=https://uyghuramerican.org/about-uyghurs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619044634/https://uyghuramerican.org/about-uyghurs |archive-date=2020-06-19 |access-date=2019-01-19 |website=uyghuramerican.org}}</ref> |Asia |China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan |East Turkestan (Uyghuristan) |Irredentism is politically fragmented (East Turkestan Liberation Organization, East Turkestan independence movement) |Limited autonomy in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. |- |Zulu people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=2114}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Zulu language |Volta–Congo languages |Christianity, Zulu religion |12,159,000 |Africa |South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Eswatini |KwaZulu-Natal |Inkatha Freedom Party |Limited autonomy in the KwaZulu-Natal region, which maintains a traditional Zulu king. |- |Hazaras<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=726}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Hazaragi dialect of Persian Language |Iranian Languages |Islam (mostly Shia) |10,000,000-14,000,000 |Asia |Afghanistan |Hazaristan |Persecution of Hazaras |Hazara nationalism |- |Romani people<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhanoo |first=Sindya N. |date=2012-12-10 |title=Genomic Study Traces Roma to Northern India |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/science/genomic-study-traces-roma-to-northern-india.html |access-date=2023-11-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1604}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Romani language |Indo-Aryan languages |Christianity, Islam, Hinduism |12,000,000<ref>Joseph Zajda, Karen Biraimah, William Gaudelli, ''Education and Social Inequality in the Global Culture'' 2008 p.59</ref> |Worldwide, mostly Eastern Europe and Americas | |Originally North India;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hancock |first=Ian F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MG0ahVw-kdwC&pg=PA70 |title=We are the Romani People |date=2002 |publisher=Univ of Hertfordshire Press |isbn=978-1-902806-19-8 |language=en}}</ref> Romanistan (proposed country) | |The Romani people are a non-territorial nation. |- |Kongo people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=1009}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Kongo language, Lingala, Portuguese, French |Volta–Congo languages |Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), African Traditional Religion |11,560,000 (2002 estimate) |Africa |Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola |Kongo |Kongo nationalism, Bundu dia Kongo |Historically occupied the independent Kingdom of Kongo. |- |Maya peoples<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1213}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Mayan languages |Mayan languages |Christianity (Catholicism), Maya religion |10,500,000 (2002 estimate) |North America |Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador |Mesoamerica |Pan-Maya movement, Rigoberta Menchú, Zapatista Army of National Liberation |Historically occupied the Maya civilization. |- |Sylhetis<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/news/millions-will-be-made-stateless-and-were-silent-1673206|title=Millions will be made stateless and we're silent|website=The Daily Star|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/effort-preserve-heritage-sylheti-language-1098446|title=An Effort to Preserve the Heritage of the Sylheti Language|website=The Business Standard|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lddjournal.org/article/1231/galley/2474/download/|title=Article from LDD Journal|website=LDD Journal|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT1135905.pdf|title=Article from International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts|website=IJCRT|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241742198_We_are_with_culture_but_without_geography_Locating_Sylheti_identity_in_contemporary_India|title=We Are with Culture but Without Geography: Locating Sylheti Identity in Contemporary India|website=ResearchGate|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref> | |Sylheti language |Indo-Aryan languages |Islam, Hinduism, Christianity |10,300,000 |Asia |Bangladesh and India |Greater Sylhet |Sylheti nationalism |The Sylheti people advocate for the recognition of Sylheti as a distinct language, separate from Bengali, and emphasize the preservation and promotion of their cultural and linguistic identity. |- |Baloch people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=255}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Balochi |Iranian languages |Sunni Islam |10,000,000<ref>Syed Farooq Hasnat, ''Pakistan'' 2011 p.82</ref> |Asia |Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan |Balochistan |Balochistan conflict, Baloch nationalism |Seek to establish an independent sovereign state for the Baloch people, separate from Pakistan and Iran. |- |Andalusians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=109}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Andalusian Spanish, English (in Gibraltar) |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |9,500,000 |Europe |Spain, Gibraltar |Andalusia |Andalusian nationalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. |- |Catalans<ref name="auto4"/><ref name="auto3">{{Citation |last=Fiend |first=Julius |title=Stateless Nations: Western European Regional Nationalisms and the Old Nations |year=2012 |publisher=Palgrave}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Catalan, Occitan, Catalan Sign Language |Romance languages, Catalan Sign Languages |Roman Catholicism, Agnosticism |8,500,000<ref>James Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World A-Z'' 2002 p.402</ref> |Europe |Spain, Italy, Andorra and France |Catalan Countries |Catalan independence movement, Catalan nationalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. Historically occupied most of the Crown of Aragon: the Principality of Catalonia, the kingdoms of Valencia and Mallorca and part of Aragon, and the Kingdom of Sardinia's town of Alghero. |- |Lombard people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1109}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Lombard language |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholic, Ambrosian Rite) | 8,221,000 (2002 estimate) |Europe |Italy, Switzerland |Lombardy (historical region) |Lombard nationalism, Pro Lombardy Independence, Lombard League | |- |Québécois<ref name="auto4">{{Citation |last=Keating |first=Michael |title=Nations Against the State: The New Politics of Nationalism in Quebec, Catalonia and Scotland |year=2001 |edition=Second |publisher=Palgrave |author-link=Michael Keating (political scientist)}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |French |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |8,215,000 |North America |Canada |Quebec |Quebec sovereignty movement, Quebec nationalism |The total population of the Province of Quebec is 8.2 million, of which over 80% are French speakers. |- |Kashmiri people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=954}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Kashmiri language |Indo-Aryan languages |Islam, Hindu minority |8,050,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |India and Pakistan |Kashmir |Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir |Administered by India (Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh), Pakistan (Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan) and China (Aksai Chin). |- |Hongkongers<ref>{{cite book |last1=Undergrad |title="Hong Kong Nationalism" |date=2014 |publisher=Hong Kong University Students' Union |isbn=978-988-13631-0-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Leung |first1=Hin-wah |title="Hong Kong independence" |date=2016 |publisher=Hong Kong Academy of Professional Studies |isbn=978-988-14830-2-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Tsui |first1=Sing-yan |title="A national history of Hong Kong" |date=2017 |publisher=Rive Gauche Publishing House |isbn=978-986-98006-6-2}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Hong Kong Cantonese, Hong Kong English |Sino-Tibetan languages |Christianity (Protestantism and Roman Catholicism), Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Islam |7,498,100<ref>{{cite press release |title=Mid-year population for 2023 |date=15 August 2023 |publisher=Census and Statistics Department |url=https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode150.html}}</ref> |Asia |China |Hong Kong |Hong Kong nationalism, Hong Kong independence movement |Limited autonomy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. |- |Tibetan people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1889}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Tibetan language, Chinese language, Tibetan Sign Language |Sino-Tibetan languages, Tibetan Sign Language |Buddhism |7,000,000<ref>James B. Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations 2nd Edition: Ethnic and National Groups around the World'' 2016 p.422</ref> |Asia |China, India, Nepal |Tibet |Tibetan independence movement |Limited autonomy in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Historically occupied the Tibetan Empire. |- |Moro people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1321}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Filipino language, other Philippine languages |Austronesian languages |Islam |6,356,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |Philippines |Muslim Mindanao |Moro autonomy |The Moro people of Muslim Mindanao has since been granted autonomy as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region with the adoption of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. |- |Riffian people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1587}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Riffian language, Arabic |Berber languages |Islam |6,000,000<ref>James B. Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations 2nd Edition: Ethnic and National Groups around the World'' 2016 p.352</ref> |Africa |Morocco and Spain |Rif |Rif War, Rif Republic |95% of the land is controlled by Morocco with the rest being controlled by the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla as autonomous cities. |- | Mon<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1282}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Mon language | Austroasiatic languages | Buddhism | 5,350,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar | Mon State | | Historically occupied Hanthawaddy kingdom |- |Hmong people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=738}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Hmong language |Hmong–Mien Languages |Animism |5,200,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |Laos, China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand |Hmong ChaoFa Federated State |Insurgency in Laos | |- | Arakanese (Rakhine)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world|publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=168}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Rakhine language | Sino-Tibetan languages | Buddhism | 5,110,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar | Rakhine State | United League of Arakan | Historically occupied Kingdom of Mrauk U |- |Circassians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=443}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Adyghe language, Kabardian language, Ubykh language, Russian |Northwest Caucasian languages |Islam |5,300,000 |Europe |Russia |Circassia |Russo-Circassian War, Circassian nationalism |95–97% of Circassians were killed or exiled by Russia during the Circassian genocide.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Richmond |first=Walter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LHlwZwpA70cC |title=The Circassian Genocide |date=9 April 2013 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-6069-4 |access-date=12 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123185222/https://books.google.com/books?id=LHlwZwpA70cC |archive-date=23 January 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> |- | Shan<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1697}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Shan language | Kra–Dai languages | Buddhism | 5,000,000 | Asia | Myanmar | Shan State | Restoration Council of Shan State <br /> Shan State Progressive Party <br /> Peace and Solidarity Committee | Historically occupied Federated Shan States |- |Sicilians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1714}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Sicilian, Italian, Gallo-Italic of Sicily, Arbëresh |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |5,000,000 (only Sicily) |Europe |Italy |Sicily |Sicilian nationalism, Sicilian Action Movement |Regional autonomy in Sicily. |- |Venetian people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1987}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Venetian language |Romance languages |Catholicism |5,000,000 (est.) |Europe |Italy |Veneto |Venetian nationalism |Many groups seek for total independence from Italy, while some just want more autonomy and recognition of Venetian language and people. Historically occupied the independent Republic of Venice. |- |Scottish people<ref name="auto4" /><ref name="auto3" />|| 50px|border|center |Scottish Gaelic, Scots || Celtic languages || Christianity (Protestantism, Catholic minority) || 5,000,000 (only Scotland)<ref>Jeffrey Cole, ''Ethnic Groups of Europe: An Encyclopedia'' 2011 p.235</ref> || Europe || United Kingdom || Scotland || Scottish independence || Formerly a Sovereign state, Regional autonomy in Scotland. |- |Bretons<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=323}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Breton, Gallo |Celtic languages |Roman Catholicism |4,800,000 |Europe |France |Brittany |Breton nationalism |Seek self-determination, greater autonomy or total secession from France. |- | Karen (Kayin)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=940}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Karenic languages | Sino-Tibetan languages | Buddhism, Christianity | 4,400,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar, Thailand | Kayin State | Karen National Union | |- |Camba<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=367 }}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Camba Spanish |Romance languages |Roman Catholicism |4,000,000 |South America |Bolivia |Media Luna |{{interlanguage link|Movimiento Nación Camba de Liberación|es}}, Santa Cruz Youth Union | |- |Kabyle people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=863}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Kabyle language, Algerian Arabic |Berber languages |Islam |4,000,000<ref name="www.cna-sat.org">{{cite web |title=The Kabyle People |url=http://www.cna-sat.org/O1/index.php/the-kabyle-people |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221094824/http://www.cna-sat.org/O1/index.php/the-kabyle-people |archive-date=21 December 2016 |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref> |Africa |Algeria |Kabylia |Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie, Provisional Government of Kabylia | |- |Rohingya<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blakemore |first=Erin |date=8 February 2019 |title=Who are the Rohingya people? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people/reference/rohingya-people/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190211092255/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people/reference/rohingya-people/ |archive-date=11 February 2019 |access-date=15 December 2019 |website=National Geographic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Albert |first1=Eleanor |last2=Maizland |first2=Lindsay |date=13 January 2020 |title=What Forces Are Fueling Myanmar's Rohingya Crisis? |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis |access-date=15 May 2022 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305183707/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis|archive-date=5 March 2024}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Rohingya language |Indo-Aryan languages |Islam |3,600,000 |Asia |Myanmar |Rohang State |Rohingya conflict <br /> Rohingya genocide |The Rohingyas are not recognized as a native ethnic group by Burmese government.<ref>Aris Ananta, Evi Nurvidya Arifin, ''International Migration in Southeast Asia'', Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2004, p.267</ref> |- |Assyrians<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNPO: Assyria |url=https://unpo.org/members/7859 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116103353/https://unpo.org/members/7859 |archive-date=2020-01-16 |access-date=2022-04-05}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Sureth, Turoyo, other Aramaic languages |Semitic languages |Christianity (Syriac Christianity) |3,300,000<ref name="UNPO:Assyria">{{cite web |title=UNPO: Assyria |date=2 November 2009 |url=http://www.unpo.org/article/7859 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194500/http://www.unpo.org/article/7859 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref> |Asia |Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey |Assyria, Beth Nahrain (Mesopotamia) |Assyrian nationalism, Assyrian independence movement |Historically occupied the Assyrian empire. |- |Bodos<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=311}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Bodo |Sino-Tibetan languages |Hinduism, Christianity |3,250,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |India |Assam (Bodoland Territorial Region) |Bodoland movement |Seek a separate state or homeland (Bodoland) within India. Some factions demand independence |- |Afrikaners<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=46}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Afrikaans |Germanic languages |Christianity (mainly Protestantism) |3,180,000 |Africa |South Africa and Namibia |Western Cape, Volkstaat |Afrikaner Nationalism, Freedom Front, Cape independence, Cape Independence Party |Afrikaners are historically an ethno-racial group (although some today deracialize the identity to include Afrikaans-speaking Coloured people). Demand autonomy or total secession from South Africa. Historically occupied the Dutch Cape colony but did expand elsewhere into the once independent Boer republics. |- |Naga people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1328}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Naga languages, Konyak languages, Nagamese creole |Sino-Tibetan languages |Christianity |3,150,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |India |Nagaland |Naga National Council, Insurgency in Northeast India |Seeks greater regional autonomy or complete separatation from India. |- |Basque people<ref name="auto3" /> |border|center|50x50px |Basque, French, Spanish |Language isolate |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |3,000,000<ref>Jeffrey Cole, ''Ethnic Groups of Europe: An Encyclopedia'' 2011 p.38</ref> |Europe |France and Spain |Basque Country |Basque nationalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. |- |Iraqi Turkmen people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1928}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Turkish language, Azerbaijani language |Oghuz languages |Islam |3,000,000 |Asia |Iraq |Turkmeneli |Iraqi Turkmen Front |Not to be confused with Syrian Turkmen of Latakia or Central Asian Turkmens of Turkmenistan who share only their ethnonym.<ref>Larry Clark. [https://books.google.com/books?id=RMe7KpwS3KsC&pg=PA11 Turkmen Reference Grammar]. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, 1998; p. 11. {{ISBN|9783447040198}}</ref> |- |Welsh people<ref name="auto3" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=2046}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Welsh, English |Celtic languages |Christianity (Protestantism, Catholic minority) |3,000,000 |Europe |United Kingdom |Wales |Welsh independence, Welsh nationalism, Meibion Glyndŵr, Plaid Cymru |Regional autonomy in Wales. Historically occupied the independent kingdoms of Wales (Gwynedd, Powys, Dyfed, Seisyllwg, Morgannwg, and Gwent). |- |Galician people<ref name="auto3" /> |border|center|50x50px |Galician language, Spanish |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |2,800,000 |Europe |Spain |Galicia |Galician nationalism and Galician Regionalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. Historically occupied the Kingdom of Galicia. |- | Kachin people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=870}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Jingpo language | Sino-Tibetan languages | Christianity | 2,750,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar, China | Kachin State | Kachin Independence Organization | |- |Meitei people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1219}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Meitei language |Sino-Tibetan languages |Hinduism |1,800,000 |Asia |India |Imphal Valley, Manipur |UNLF, PLA, Insurgency in Manipur, Anglo-Manipur War |Historically occupied the Kingdom of Manipur. |- |Aragonese people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=163}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Aragonese language, Spanish |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |2,045,000 (2002 estimate) |Europe |Spain |Aragon |Aragonese nationalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. Historically occupied the Kingdom of Aragon. |- |Chechens<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=436}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Chechen language, Russian |Northeast Caucasian languages |Islam |2,000,000 |Europe |Russia |Chechnya |Chechen insurgency, Chechen Republic of Ichkeria |Regional autonomy in Chechnya. |- |Friulians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=618}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Friulian |Romance languages |Catholicism |2,000,000 (est.) |Europe |Italy |Friuli |Friuli Movement |Friuli is an autonomous region of Italy, but there are also other views as to what status it should have. Friulians are a recognised minority ethnic group in Italy. |- |Asturian people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=211}}</ref> |border|center|50x50pxborder|center|50x50px |Asturian language, Spanish |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |1,000,000 |Europe |Spain and Portugal |Asturias |Asturian nationalism |See also Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain. |- |Mapuche<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1180}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Mapudungun |Araucanian languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |1,755,000 (2002 estimate) |South America |Argentina and Chile |Wallmapu |Mapuche autonomous movement | |- |Sardinian people<ref>{{cite web |title=Eurominority – La solidarité avec le peuple palestinien |url=http://www.eurominority.org/version/maps/map-nations.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623193842/http://www.eurominority.org/version/maps/map-nations.asp |archive-date=2006-06-23}}</ref><ref>''Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations'', James Minahan, pg. 1661</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |date=11 January 2016 |title=La Sardegna nel club delle nazioni: un capitolo nella Bibbia dell'etnie del mondo – Cronaca – L'Unione Sarda.it |url=http://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/cronaca/2016/01/11/la_sardegna_nel_club_delle_nazioni_un_capitolo_nella_bibbia_delle-68-456595.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195956/http://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/cronaca/2016/01/11/la_sardegna_nel_club_delle_nazioni_un_capitolo_nella_bibbia_delle-68-456595.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Sardinian, Corso-Sardinian, Italian, Catalan, Ligurian |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |1,661,521 |Europe |Italy |Sardinia |Sardinian nationalism |National devolution, further autonomy or total secession from Italy. Sardinians are a recognised minority ethnic group in Italy. |- |Ryukyuans (Okinawans)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1457}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Ryukyuan, Japanese, Koniya Sign Language |Japonic languages, Koniya Sign Language |Buddhism |1,600,000<ref>{{cite web |date=5 May 2016 |title=The Amazing Ryukyu Culture |url=http://www.kcpwindowonjapan.com/2016/05/the-amazing-ryukyu-culture/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206110340/http://www.kcpwindowonjapan.com/2016/05/the-amazing-ryukyu-culture/ |archive-date=2017-02-06 |access-date=2016-05-05 |publisher=kcpwindowonjapan.com}}</ref> |Asia |Japan |Ryukyu Islands |Ryukyu independence movement |Historically occupied the Ryukyu Kingdom. |- | Pa-O<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1481}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Pa-O language | Sino-Tibetan languages | Buddhism | 1,430,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar | Shan State | Pa-O National Organization <br /> Pa-O National Liberation Organization | |- | Palaung (Ta'ang)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1486}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Palaung language | Austroasiatic languages | Buddhism | 1,300,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar | Shan State | Palaung State Liberation Front | |- |Tuareg people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1922}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Tuareg language |Berber languages |Islam |1,200,000 |Africa |Mali and Niger |Azawad |National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, Tuareg rebellion (2012), Northern Mali conflict |National devolution, further autonomy or total secession from Mali. |- |Frisians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=612}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Frisian, Stadsfries Dutch, Dutch, German, Danish |Germanic Languages |Christianity (mainly Protestantism) |1,125,000 |Europe |Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany |Frisia |Frisian National Party, Groep fan Auwerk |The creation of a new Frisian state. Historically occupied the Frisian Kingdom. |- |Jumma people<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://academic.oup.com/book/32263 | title=An Endangered History: Indigeneity, Religion, and Politics on the Borders of India, Burma, and Bangladesh | journal=Oup Academic | date=13 June 2019 | last1=Dey | first1=Jhala }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sk.sagepub.com/book/mono/stateless-in-south-asia/toc|title=Stateless in South Asia - Table of Contents|website=SAGE Publications|access-date=2025-02-12}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Languages of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bengali, Chittagonian |Sino-Tibetan languages |Buddhism, Christianity, Islam |920,248<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bbs.portal.gov.bd/site/page/b432a7e5-8b4d-4dac-a76c-a9be4e85828c | title=বাংলাদেশ পরিসংখ্যান ব্যুরো }}</ref> |Asia |Bangladesh |Chittagong Hill Tracts |Jumma Nationalism, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, Shanti Bahini |Jumma is a term used to refer to the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, such as the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Rakhine, etc. These communities seek autonomy, with some even advocating for independence. |- |Lezgins<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1084}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Lezgian |Northeast Caucasian languages |Islam |800,000 |Europe |Russia, Azerbaijan |Lezgistan |Lezgin Nationalism |Unification of the Lezgin people in Azerbaijan and Dagestan (Russia). |- |Fur people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=624}}</ref> | |Fur, Arabic |Nilo-Saharan languages |Islam |756,000 (2002 estimate) |Africa |Sudan |Darfur |War in Darfur, SLM/A |Historically occupied the Sultanate of Darfur. |- | Karenni (Kayah)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=934}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Karenni language | Sino-Tibetan languages | Buddhism, Christianity | 755,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | Myanmar | Kayah State | Karenni State Interim Executive Council | |- |Māori people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1174}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Māori, English |Austronesian languages |Christianity with native |750,000 |Oceania |New Zealand |New Zealand |Māori protest movement | |- | Lahu<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1074}}</ref> | border|center|50x50px | Lahu language | Sino-Tibetan languages | Animism, Buddhism, Christianity | 680,000 (2002 estimate) | Asia | China, Myanmar, Thailand | Yunnan province | | |- |Macanese people<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pina Cabral |title="Em Terra de Tufões: Dinâmicas da Etnicidade Macaense" |last2=João de |last3=Nelson Lourenço |date=1993 |publisher=Instituto Cultural de Macau |isbn=978-972-35-0139-1}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Macanese Cantonese, Macanese Portuguese |Sino-Tibetan languages |Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity (Roman Catholicism and Protestantism) |678,800 |Asia |China |Macau |Macau independence movement |Limited autonomy in the Macau Special Administrative Region. |- |Chams<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=424}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Cham language |Austronesian languages |Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism |650,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |Vietnam, Cambodia |South Central Coast, Mondulkiri province |United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races, Cham rights movement<ref>{{cite web |date=19 June 2015 |title=Cham |url=https://minorityrights.org/minorities/cham/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204212654/https://minorityrights.org/minorities/cham/ |archive-date=4 December 2019 |access-date=10 June 2019 |website=Minority Rights Group}}</ref> |Historically occupied the Kingdom of Champa. The Cham in Vietnam are only recognized as a minority, and not as an indigenous people by the Vietnamese government their indigeneity to the region. |- |Karakalpaks<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=921}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Karakalpak language |Turkic languages |Islam |623,000 (2002 estimate) |Asia |Uzbekistan |Karakalpakstan |Karakalpak Nationalism |Regional autonomy in Karakalpakstan. |- |Silesians |50x50px |Silesian language (presumably, 2021 Polish census says about 467,145 people speaking Silesian, including 54,957 as the only language)<ref>{{Cite web |last=GUS |title=Tablice z ostatecznymi danymi w zakresie przynależności narodowo-etnicznej, języka używanego w domu oraz przynależności do wyznania religijnego |url=https://stat.gov.pl/spisy-powszechne/nsp-2021/nsp-2021-wyniki-ostateczne/tablice-z-ostatecznymi-danymi-w-zakresie-przynaleznosci-narodowo-etnicznej-jezyka-uzywanego-w-domu-oraz-przynaleznosci-do-wyznania-religijnego,10,1.html |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=stat.gov.pl |language=pl}}</ref> |West Slavic languages<ref>{{Cite news |title=Slavic languages - West Slavic, Indo-European, Balto-Slavic {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Slavic-languages/West-Slavic |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250506054058/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Slavic-languages/West-Slavic |archive-date=2025-05-06 |access-date=2026-02-14 |work=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> |Roman Catholicism (predominant religion in Poland) |596,224 (counting Polish part only, 2021 census) |Europe |Poland, Germany, Czech Republic<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silesia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Silesia}}</ref> |Silesia |Silesian Autonomy Movement (not exactly irredentism but seeking only an autonomy)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-24 |title=Strona Główna |url=https://autonomia.pl/ |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Ruch Autonomii Śląska |language=pl-PL}}</ref> |Duchies of Silesia were existent in the past<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silesia and its past {{!}} Nowe Życie |url=https://nowezycie.archidiecezja.wroc.pl/index.php/2019/12/03/silesia-and-its-past/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251009172657/https://nowezycie.archidiecezja.wroc.pl/index.php/2019/12/03/silesia-and-its-past/ |archive-date=2025-10-09 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=nowezycie.archidiecezja.wroc.pl |language=pl-PL}}</ref>. |- |Ogoni people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1444}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Ogoni language |Volta–Congo languages |Christianity with native |560,000 (2002 estimate) |Africa |Nigeria |Ogoniland |Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People | |- |Hawaiian people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=719}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Hawaiian language, Hawaiian Sign Language, English |Austronesian languages |Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) with native |527,000 |Oceania |United States |Hawaii |Hawaiian sovereignty movement |Historically occupied the Kingdom of Hawaii. |- |Moravians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1302}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Czech (Moravian), Slovak |Slavic languages |Traditionally Roman Catholicism presently Irreligion |525,000<ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2011 – final results |url=http://vdb.czso.cz/sldbvo/#!stranka=podle-tematu&tu=30715&th=&v=&vo=H4sIAAAAAAAAAFvzloG1uIhBMCuxLFGvtCQzR88jsTjDN7GAlf3WwcNiCReZGZjcGLhy8hNT3BKTS_KLPBk4SzKKUosz8nNSKgrsHRhAgKecA0gKADF3CQNnaLBrUIBjkKNvcSFDHQMDhhqGCqCiYA__cLCiEgZGvxIGdg9_Fz__EMeCEgY2b38XZ89gIIvLxTHEP8wx2NEFJM4ZHOIY5u_t7-MJ1OIP5IdEBkT5OwU5RgH5IUB9fo4ePq4uEPNYw1yDolzhPstJzEvX88wrSU1PLRJ6tGDJ98Z2CyYGRk8G1rLEnNLUiiIGAYQ6v9LcpNSitjVTZbmnPOhmArq34D8QlDDwAG10C_KFWcoe4ugU6uPtWMLA4eni6hcSEAZ0FYe_k3OQmaGJYwUAIQCAbFsBAAA.&vseuzemi=null&void= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627004729/http://vdb.czso.cz/sldbvo/#!stranka=podle-tematu&tu=30715&th=&v=&vo=H4sIAAAAAAAAAFvzloG1uIhBMCuxLFGvtCQzR88jsTjDN7GAlf3WwcNiCReZGZjcGLhy8hNT3BKTS_KLPBk4SzKKUosz8nNSKgrsHRhAgKecA0gKADF3CQNnaLBrUIBjkKNvcSFDHQMDhhqGCqCiYA__cLCiEgZGvxIGdg9_Fz__EMeCEgY2b38XZ89gIIvLxTHEP8wx2NEFJM4ZHOIY5u_t7-MJ1OIP5IdEBkT5OwU5RgH5IUB9fo4ePq4uEPNYw1yDolzhPstJzEvX88wrSU1PLRJ6tGDJ98Z2CyYGRk8G1rLEnNLUiiIGAYQ6v9LcpNSitjVTZbmnPOhmArq34D8QlDDwAG10C_KFWcoe4ugU6uPtWMLA4eni6hcSEAZ0FYe_k3OQmaGJYwUAIQCAbFsBAAA.&vseuzemi=null&void= |archive-date=2015-06-27 |access-date=2016-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics |url=http://portal.statistics.sk/files/tab.11.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417151247/http://portal.statistics.sk/files/tab.11.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-17 |access-date=2016-06-26 |website=portal.statistics.sk}}</ref> |Europe |Czech Republic and Slovakia |Moravia |Moravians |Historically occupied Great Moravia. |- |Crimean Tatars<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=499}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Crimean Tatar, Russian, Ukrainian |Turkic languages |Islam |500,000-600,000 |Europe |Ukraine |Crimea |Crimean People's Republic Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Tatars in Republic of Crimea Deportation of the Crimean Tatars |Briefly managed to get independance in the 1910s as the Crimean People's Republic. After Ukrainian independence in 1991, Crimea became an autonomous republic within Ukraine, after being invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014. The Crimean Tatars began seeking autonomy.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 March 2014 |title=Crimean Tatars' want autonomy after Russia's seizure of peninsula |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-crimea-tatars-idUSBREA2S09320140329 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525010001/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-crimea-tatars-idUSBREA2S09320140329 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |access-date=10 July 2021 |work=Reuters}}</ref> |- |Sahrawi people<ref>Mariano Aguirre, [http://www.tni.org/archives/act/463 ''Vers la fin du conflit au Sahara occidental, Espoirs de paix en Afrique du Nord Latine''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113134110/http://www.tni.org/archives/act/463|date=2013-11-13}} in: ''Le Monde diplomatique, Novembre 1997''</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Hassaniya Arabic (native), Berber languages (native), Modern Standard Arabic (written only), and Spanish (lingua franca) |Semitic languages |Islam (Sunni Islam (Maliki), Sufism) |500,000<ref name="unpop">{{cite journal |author=Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division |year=2009 |title=World Population Prospects, Table A.1 |url=https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf |url-status=live |version=2008 revision |publisher=United Nations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318041906/http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf |archive-date=18 March 2009 |access-date=12 March 2009}}</ref> |Africa |Morocco, Algeria, Mauretania |Western Sahara |Western Sahara conflict, Polisario Front, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |Partially controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and partially occupied by Morocco. |- |Corsican people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=486}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Corsican, French, Ligurian, Italian |Romance languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |322,120 |Europe |France |Corsica |Corsica Libera |Territorial collectivity in France. |- |Navajo<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1334}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Navajo language, Navajo Sign Language, English |Na-Dene languages |Navajo Traditional, Christianity (principally Roman Catholicism) |305,000 (2002 estimate) |North America |United States |Navajo Nation |Navajo Wars |Regional autonomy on the Navajo Nation. |- |Bangladeshi Biharis<ref>{{cite news |title=Legal status of Bihari community |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/rights-advocacy/legal-status-bihari-community-169906 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='We have a right to live in dignity': Biharis in Bangladesh fight for equality and jobs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/may/09/we-have-a-right-to-live-in-dignity-biharis-in-bangladesh-fight-for-equality-and-jobs |newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 May 2023 |access-date=7 February 2025|last=Begum|first=Thaslima}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Biharis |url=https://minorityrights.org/communities/biharis/ |website=Minority Rights Group International |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Urdu, Bengali, Languages of Bihar |Indo-Aryan languages |Islam |300,000 |Asia |Bangladesh |Originally Bihar; Saidpur, Old Dhaka and Mohammadpur Thana (mostly) |Persecution of Biharis in Bangladesh |The Urdu-speaking Biharis of Bangladesh, also known as "Stranded Pakistanis", are Muslims from Bihar who settled in what is now Bangladesh in 1947. Many of them seek recognition and autonomy. |- |Inuit<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=794}}</ref> | |Inuit languages, Danish, English, Russian |Eskaleut languages |Christianity with native |155,792 |North America |Canada, Denmark, United States |Greenland, Inuit Nunangat, Far North Alaska |Greenlandic independence |Semi-autonomous rule in Greenland with autonomy within the Kingdom of Denmark. |- |Cornish people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=1 |page=480}}</ref> |50px|border|center |Cornish, English (Cornish dialect) |Celtic languages |Christianity |100,000 |Europe |United Kingdom |Cornwall |Cornish nationalism, Mebyon Kernow |Recognized as a national minority within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is currently a county within England in the UK. Groups mainly advocate for the recognition of Cornwall as a country separate from England, but still within the UK. |- |Scanians<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1680}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Scanian dialect, Swedish, Danish |Germanic languages |Christianity (principally Lutheranism |100,000 |Europe |Sweden |Skåneland |Skånepartiet |Was an autonomous part of Denmark until 1658 when it became part of Sweden after the treaty of Roskilde. |- |Sami people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1636}}</ref>

|border|center|50x50px |Sami languages, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian |Uralic languages |Christianity (principally Lutheran), Animism |80,000 (est.)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sámi people |date=14 December 2015 |title=Sámi in Sweden |url=https://sweden.se/society/sami-in-sweden/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115134429/https://sweden.se/society/sami-in-sweden/ |archive-date=15 January 2021 |access-date=19 February 2023 |website=sweden.se}}</ref> |Europe |Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden |Sapmi |Sámi politics |Have their own Parliaments in Norway, Sweden, and Finland but Sami groups usually seek more territorial autonomy. |- |Faroese people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=2 |page=595}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Faroese, Danish |Germanic languages |Christianity (principally Lutheran) |66,000 |Europe |Denmark |Faroe Islands |Faroese independence movement |Regional autonomy in Faroe Islands. |- |Sorbs<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=4 |page=1746}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Sorbian language, German |Slavic languages |Christianity (Roman Catholicism) |60,000–70,000 (est.) |Europe |Germany |Lusatia |Domowina |Divided into Upper Sorbs and Lower Sorbs. |- |Ladin people<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minahan |first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |volume=3 |page=1068}}</ref> |border|center|50x50px |Ladin language |Romance languages |Christianity (Catholic Church) |36,000 (2002 estimate) |Europe |Italy |Ladinia | |Recognised ethnic minority in Italy. |}

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Sources == {{refbegin|2}} * {{Citation |author-link=Michael Keating (political scientist) |last=Keating |first=Michael |title=Nations Against the State: The New Politics of Nationalism in Quebec, Catalonia and Scotland |publisher=Palgrave |year=2001 |edition=Second}} * {{Citation |publication-date=1998 |editor-last=Levinson |editor-first=David |title=Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook |location=Phoenix, AZ |publisher=The Oryx Press |url=https://archive.org/details/ethnicgroupsworl00levi |isbn=978-1-57356-019-1 |year=1998 |url-access=registration }} * {{Citation |publication-date=2002 |editor-last=Minahan |editor-first=James |title=Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World |location=Westport |publisher=Greenwood Press |url=http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR1617.aspx |isbn=978-0-313-31617-3 |year=2002 |access-date=30 July 2008 |archive-date=3 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803004638/http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR1617.aspx |url-status=live }} * {{Citation |publication-date=2011 |editor-last=Bodlore-Penlaez |editor-first=Mikael |title=Atlas of Stateless Nations in Europe, minority peoples in search of recognition |location=Ceredigion |publisher=Y Lolfa |url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofstateless0000unse |isbn=978-1-84771-379-7 |year=2011 |url-access=registration }} * {{cite journal | last=Duany | first=Jorge | title=Nation on the move: the construction of cultural identities in Puerto Rico and the diaspora | journal=American Ethnologist | publisher=Wiley | volume=27 | issue=1 | year=2008| issn=0094-0496 | doi=10.1525/ae.2000.27.1.5 | pages=5–30}} {{refend}}

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060623193842/http://www.eurominority.org/version/maps/map-nations.asp Map of European Stateless Nations], published by the advocacy group Eurominority * [http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_minori.htm United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities]

Category:Autonomy Category:Cultural geography Category:Human rights by issue Category:Independence movements State Category:Political science terminology * Category:Secession Category:Sovereignty *