I visited Jersey recently. It's a quaint, clean place, with everyone seemingly content. The word "Liberty" seems to crop up everywhere, all street names are in French, yet they drive on the left side of the rode, like Brits. They too have their local language, Jèrriais (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A8rriais), which seems to be on its way to extinction. It's currently not taught in schools, though there is talk of starting doing so.
But, as the island is largely autonomous, even with its own print of Pounds in circulation, everyone seems to be content, and there are no signs of separatist movements.
I think the key to happiness there is prosperity and mutual respect, things that are lacking in South-Eastern Ukraine, Catalonia, Venice and, now, Brittany.
(I know, Brittany should come under the jurisdiction of Britain and Normandy - under the jurisdiction of Norway. They'd be much better off than under France
)