balkanization

Cultural  

1. Division of a place or country into several small political units, often unfriendly to one another. The term balkanization comes from the name of the Balkan Peninsula, which was divided into several small nations in the early twentieth century.

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Example Sentences

“Smugglers are recognizing the Balkanization of border policy and trying to exploit it as much as possible,” he said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 6, 2021

I worry that a centralized approach practiced by other countries will lead to further Balkanization of the internet, attempts at cyberspace sovereignty, and diminished work on setting international cybersecurity standards.”

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2019

It concluded that dysfunction between the city and the Church of Scientology was threatening Balkanization and the city’s decline.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2017

“We could see a Balkanization of search results.”

From New York Times • May 30, 2014

The separateness of the states, which has been bitterly called Balkanization, creates many problems.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck