Definition of "Balkanization"

Balkanization

/ˌbɔːl.kən.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural Balkanizations
1. (historical, chiefly political science) The fragmentation of a geopolitical region into several small states that are often hostile or non-cooperative with each other.
2. (by extension, informal) Any disintegration or fragmentation process.
  Quotations
  Issues that are already hotly contested become even more divisive in the context of social balkanization.
  2002, Carol M. Swain, The New White Nationalism in America, Cambridge University Press, page 94
  In other words, will the biometric future feature biometric centralization whereby one biometric would dominate multiple applications, or will we see biometric balkanization where multiple biometrics are used for multiple applications?
  2006, Anil K. Jain, Ruud Bolle, Sharath Pankanti, Biometrics: Personal Identification in Networked Society, Springer Science & Business Media, page 401