Final answer:
Yugoslavia has been facing internal strife due to heightened ethnic tensions following the death of its leader Tito, the collapse of Communism, and subsequent declarations of independence by various provinces, leading to violent conflicts and ethnic cleansing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yugoslavia faced internal strife due to a complex interplay of ethnic tensions, the collapse of Communism in Europe, and the death of its leader Josip Broz Tito in 1980. With the disappearance of the unifying forces that had held the country together, individual provinces like Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence, leading to violent conflicts and war. Ethnic cleansing, particularly by Serbs against Bosnian Muslims and Croats, was reported, along with Slobodan Milošević's push for a Greater Serbia. Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008, remains a contentious issue.
The breakup of Yugoslavia serves as a tragic example of how cultural and political geography can influence the dynamics of ethnicity and nationalism, leading to devolutionary forces and strife.