Also without recognition from other countries prepared to work with you declare independence to your hearts content if it remains unrecognised it is useless. You need this recognition to set up many needed institutions such as a banking structure that allows you to trade.

A good example is Somaliland in Somalia, they have declared independent elected a governament and tried to seperate from the war racked rest of the country but no nation has recognised them. In effect they are unable to operate and almost nobody even knows this peacefull enclave exists in a war torn country.