To break apart or fragment a region, organization, or unified group into smaller, separate, often conflicting units.
Back-formed from 'balkanization' in the 20th century to describe the active process of breaking up a territory. Reflects historical events in southeastern Europe.
When politicians worry about a country 'balkanizing,' they're essentially invoking 100+ years of European history to say 'this place is about to split apart into pieces that don't like each other!'
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