Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1900-2000
Origin: Balkans, the name of an area of southeast Europe with many small states that often fight each other

balkanization

 noun
     
bal‧kan‧i‧za‧tion also -sation British English [uncountable]
the practice of dividing a country into separate independent states - used to show disapproval
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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