Die Beziehungen der portugiesischsprachigen Staaten untereinander : gemeinsame Vergangenheit, gemeinsame Zukunft?
There are nations all over the world that share a certain cultural proximity and common history, despite being located on different continents. On the international stage, these shared characteristics play a significant role. As a result, various theorists have attempted to analyse the impact these shared characteristics have had not only on international relations, but also on the world order. Some states have close cultural and historical ties dating back to colonial times, as evidenced primarily by their common or similar languages. There are further cultural ties as religion, legal systems, architecture, customs and habits among others characteristics. It is often assumed that a certain self-evident solidarity exists between these states, which wouldn't necessarily apply to third countries. In turn, factors such as cultural proximity and shared history are used to justify closer diplomatic relations and promote probably stronger economic ties between these states. Against this backdrop, this dissertation analyses the bilateral relations between the eight different Portuguese-speaking states. Angola, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor are countries that are connected in many different ways, primarily as a result of Portugal's colonial rule from the 15th century onward. Today, more than two hundred and eighty million people live within these states, representing approximately 3.7 percent of the world's population. To understand the current bilateral relations between these states, it is important to examine their colonial history, in addition to their history as independent countries. Moreover, it is necessary to elucidate Portugal's role as a colonial power, and later as a former mother country, in order to understand the ties that have developed between the respective countries. By doing so, we will be able to determine the extent to which their mutual ties were established and the impact these ties have had and continue to have on their current ...