A woman carries a Catalan flag during a protest in Barcelona against Spain's alleged confiscation of ballot boxes and charges on unarmed civilians during the September 25 referendum. Santi Palacios/Associated Press Two recent independence referendums — one held in the Iraqi Kurdistan region on September 25 and the other in Spain's Catalonia on October 1 — resulted in overwhelming victories for "yes" voters calling for secession.

Catalonia's president, Carlos Puigdemont, says he is determined to follow through on declaring independence, but has proposed suspending the process for the time being to have a dialogue with the Spanish government.

As Spain and Iraq brace for the coming legal battles over their respective referendums, other independence, or "separatist" movements, continue to unfold around the world.

In fact, dozens of regions are currently calling for greater autonomy or complete independence in Europe alone. Here are some of the world's biggest (and longest) active independence movements: