Centrifugal force refers to any factor that creates divisions within a state and pulls a population apart. These include physical barriers like mountains, as well as non-physical factors such as different languages, ethnic groups, religions, cultures, and economic conditions. Strong centrifugal forces can lead to movements for irredentism, devolution, or balkanization, where a region seeks to separate from the state entirely or gain more autonomy.

1.  Term centrifugal force comes from Latin word
Centrum meaning “center” and Fugere,
meaning “to flee”.
 A force or attitude that tend to divide a state.
 A force causes of conflicts within a state.
 HINT CENTRIFUGAL = GO APART
 Force pull the population apart instead of
bringing them together

3.  PHYSICAL FEATURES
 PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES
 Language
 Ethnicity
 Different religious
 Cultural
 Economic force

4.  Centrifugal force can also include physical
features that limit interaction between the
people of the state.

5.  Physical boundaries, like mountains and
bodies of water, cause an obvious split within
states. Mountains in Nepal cause a separation
among communities in the state.

6.  Language can also pull apart a nation as is
the case in India where there are more than a
dozen official language.

7.  There are at least 2 million ethnic and tribal
groups in African states. Each group has
differing sets of cultural styles of living and
beliefs . Not having the same belief is a way
to easily break up state.

8.  Human made concepts like difference in
culture and economic activity also act as
centrifugal force.
 Ex: the former Yugoslavia- shattered into 5
separate countries and probably more to
come typified diversity culture with Serbs,
Croats.

9.  Different religious beliefs can be the
dominant centrifugal force in a country
 Ex: Muslims and Hindus in India

11.  Economic centrifugal force can create feelings
of in equality in a state.

12.  This centrifugal force can lead to poor
relationships between the majority and
minority groups and even to armed conflict or
civil war

13. Strong centrifugal force convert into
 Irredentism
 Devolution
 Balkanization

14.  Territorial claim based on a national, ethnic, or
historical basis. The process by which a part of
an existing state breaks away and merge with
another.
 The term irredentism is derived from the Italian
word irredento (“ unredeemed”). It originally
referred to an Italian political movement during
the late 1800s and early 1900s that sought to
detach predominantly Italian- speaking areas
from Switzerland and the austro Hungarian
empire and incorporate these territories into new
Italian state.

15.  The process whereby regions within a state
demand and gain political strength and
growing autonomy at the expense of the
central government.
 Example: Britain has devolved power to the
Scottish and Welsh parliaments in an effort
to keep peace with Scotland and Wales.
◦ London still is the geographic center of decision-
making for the country.
◦ Quebec.

17.  Balkanization, is a geopolitical term,
originally used to describe the process of
fragmentation or division of a region or state
into smaller regions or states that are often
hostile or uncooperative with one another.

18.  The former Yugoslavia has become five
independent countries and the province of
Kosovo is currently fighting to break away of
what is left of Yugoslavia. The former
USSR balkanized into sixteen independent
countries with Russia being the largest.