This map shows the European regions fighting to achieve independence

(Bank of America Merrill Lynch)

Britain's vote to leave the European Union is almost certainly one of the most seismic political events in the Western world in the last handful of decades.

It marked the first time any nation had decided to leave the European alliance, first formed in the 1960s and promptly sparked some commentators to suggest that other nations could follow Britain out of the bloc in the coming years.

While Britain leaving the EU is undoubtedly the biggest split we're likely to witness in Europe in the coming, there are movements across Europe that could end up physically separating entire nations.

Notably in Scotland, where independence campaigners are vociferously calling for a second referendum on splitting from the rest of the UK after seeing the initial vote rejected by the population in 2014.

In the 2017 edition of its annual TransformingWorld Atlas -- which uses maps and other data visualisations to illustrate major global issues -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch focuses one map on the growing secessionist movement across the continent.

"Many areas in Europe have strong secessionist movements (e.g. Scotland, Catalonia, Basque, Flanders, Veneto) or have political parties agitating for greater ruling autonomy," the report's authors write.

Check out the map below:

(Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Bank of America Merrill Lynch)

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