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Celtic Nations refers to areas of Europe that are supposed to have been inhabited by members of Celtic cultures, specifically speakers of Celtic languages. Since the mid- Twentieth Century , people of many nations and regions have used Modern 'Celticity' to express their identity. Over time, these nations have come to be more or less widely labeled as Celtic. These Celtic places in Europe are sometimes also referred to as the "Celt belt" or "Celtic Fringe" due to their location in the generally north-western part of the regions that they inhabit (i.e. Brittany is in the northwest of France, the Gaelic-speaking parts of Scotland and Ireland are in the northwest and west, respectively). However, these terms are sometimes interpreted as derogatory, so residents of these lands tend to prefer the term "Celtic nations". THE 'SIX NATIONS' Nations that are usually included in this identifier include: It is these 'Six Nations' that (alone) are considered Celtic by the Celtic League , Celtic Congress , and various other Pan-Celtic groups. Each of the six can boast a Celtic language of its own – the key criterion of Celticity for the organizations named. Conversely, the revived regional identity of the Shetland and Orkney Islands could be said to draw more on Scandinavian than Celtic cultural and genealogical roots. Meanwhile, both the Gallo and Lowland Scots language movements promote non-Celtic languages or dialects indigenous to these countries, namely Brittany, Scotland, and Ulster in Ireland. Four of the 'Six Nations' (Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Wales) contain areas where a Celtic language is still used in a community (see Gaeltacht , Gàidhealtachd , and compare also Breizh-Izel and Areas By Welsh Language ). Generally these communities are in the west of the countries, in upland or island areas, and sometimes claim to be more Celtic than the anglicised/gallicised areas of the east, and big cities. OTHER CLAIMS In general most countries of Western and Central Europe can be considered to have been influenced by the Celts. In a number of them, there are also 'Celtic' movements, wanting recognition as a Celtic Nation. These claims are discussed below. The Iberian Peninsula |
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