Chapter 8: Political Geography

How many micro-states are recognized?

Two dozen. Very small land areas. Monaco is the smallest. Vatican city is the smallest in land mass.

The Commonwealth?

UK + 52 states that were once british colonies. Seek economic and cultural cooperation

How did communists suppress the issues of ethnicity and nationalism?

Used centripetal forces to discourage ethnicities from expressing cultural uniqueness - used the Russian language

Three types of Gerrymandering?

Wasted Vote: Spreads opposition supporters across many districts but in the minority Excess Vote: Concentrated opposition supporters into a few districts Stacked Vote: Links distance areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries

Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)?

56 members. Concerned with ending conflicts in Europe.

Why is Denmark a good example of a nation-state?

90% of population of Denmark consist of ethic Danes, all speak danish.

What is a multinational state?

A country that contains more than one ethnicity with traditions of self-determination

Autocracy?

A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.

When was the United Nations established? By who?

At the end of WWII (1945) by the victorious allies.

Why is terrorism different from other acts of political violence?

Attacks are aimed at ordinary people rather than at military targets or political leaders.

15 countries that the Soviet Union dissolved into?

Baltic Region: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Eastern Europe: Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Caucuses: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia Russia

The ethnic divisions among the Eastern European states are blurred for that reasons?

Because the 3 groups speak similar East Slavic languages and are mainly Orthodox.

Ancient States?

Began in the Middle East in Fertile Crescent. Began in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and the 1st city-states and empires.

Advantages of a Mountain Boundary?

Can be affective if they are difficult to cross

Advantages of a Desert boundary?

Can effectively divide states because deserts are hard to cross and sparsely inhabited

Five permanent members of the Security Council?

China, France, Russia, UK, US

Physical Boundary?

Coincide with significant features of the natural landscape.

Self-Determination?

Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.

Democracy?

Country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office.

Three cultural boundaries that have often been used?

Geometric, Ethic, "Green Line"

Baltic States religion and language?

Lithuania: Roman Catholic & Baltic Slavic Estonians: Lutheran & Uralic language related to Finnish Latvians: Lutheran/Roman & Language of baltic group

NATO?

Main objective was to prevent the SU from overrunning west Germany and other smaller countries

Africa's 15 landlocked states?

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Central African Rep., South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho

Eurozone Crisis?

Most dramatic step taken by EU/ Presented the Central Bank to set interest rates and the Euro dollar

State/Not State Examples

North & South Korea China & Taiwan Western Sahara & Sahrawi Republic

Unitary State?

Places most power in the hands of central government officials

Medieval States?

Political unity reached its height with Roman empire. Powerful kings emerged as rulers over large # of european states.

Elongated state shape?

Poor internal communications that has isolation

Internal Political Organization of France?

President, head of state, controls foreign policy and defense. Prime minister acts of head of government. Parliament is responsible for creating and voting on laws.

Ethnic problems and peaceful places in Central Asia?

Problem: Tajikistan. Worse economy. Peaceful: Kazakhstan. Less depressed economy.

Prompted state shape?

Provide a state with access to a resource. Separate 2 states that otherwise would share a boundary.

Warsaw Pact?

Provide the SU with a buffer of allied states between it and Germany to discourage a third German invasion of SU in the 20th century

Boundary?

An invisible line that marks the extent of a states territory.

What favors unitary states for a country?

- Works best in nation-states with few internal cultural differences and national unity - Effective communications with all regions - Smaller states more likely to adopt

Denmark's Non-Danish Regions?

1. Faeroe Islands 2. Greenland (World's largest island)

Why has Russia resisted the independence movement in Chechnya?

1. Feared that other ethnicities would follow suit 2. Region contained deposits of petroleum

Three ways in which states have given support to terrorists?

1. Providing sanctuary 2. Suppling weapons 3. Planing attacks

Areas where democracies and autocracies differ?

1. Selection of leader 2. Citizen participation 3. Checks & Balances

Fragmented state shape?

1. Separated by water 2. Separated by an intervening state

Which country has the largest and 2nd largest empire?

1. UK 2. France

UN in 1955?

16 countries joined - mostly European that had been liberated from Nazi, Germany

UN in 1960?

17 added - All a African colony of Britain/France but 1. (The 4 original African members include Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, and S Africa)

When was the European Union Formed?

1958

African Union (AU)?

25 countries. Promotes economic integration in Africa

UN in 1990's?

26 countries added by breakup of Soviet Union & Yugoslavia & admission of several microstates

Organization of American States (OAS)?

35 members. Promotes social, cultural, political, and economic links among member states

How many nationalities are found in Russia?

39

City-State?

A sovereign state that compromises a town and the surrounding countryside.

What is a multiethnic state?

A state that contains more than one ethnicity. Ex. US

What is a colony?

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent.

Federal State?

Allocated strong power to units of local government within the country

State?

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs. (Synonym for country)

Colonialism?

An effort by one country to establish settlements in a territory and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principals on that territory.

Where are unitary states most common?

Europe

How is boundary redrawing different in the US than in Europe?

Europe: Entrusted to independent commissions - No regard for voting US: Entrusted to state legislature

Cultural Boundary?

Follows the distribution of cultural characteristics.

Three reasons Europeans sought colonies?

God, Gold, Glory

Compact state shape?

Good communications can be more easily established to create efficiency

Sovereignty?

Independence from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Largest remaining colonies?

Puerto Rico, Greenland, Hong Kong, Monaco

Advantages of a Water boundary?

Readily visible on maps and aerial imagery.

6 largest states in order?

Russia, Canada, US, China, Brazil, Australia

Why do multinational states often adopt unitary systems?

So that the values of one nationality can be imposed on others. (Ex Kenya & Rwanda)

By what states and for what purpose was the EU former?

States: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, & Federal Rep. of Germany Purpose: TO heal Western Europe's scars from WWII

Terrorism?

Systematic use of violence by a group in order to intimidate a population or coerce a government into granting its demands.

Why are the countries of legislative districts occasionally redrawn?

TO ensure each district has approximately the same population (migration). Done every 10 years with Census

What problems have arose with the fall of the communists government?

The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia were dismantled largely because minority ethnicities opposed the long-standing dominance of the most numerous ones in each country.

On a map, what is the main problem with the Caucusus region?

The boundaries of the states do not match the territories occupied by Armenian, Azeri, and Georgian ethnicities

Why is the federal state system more effective for larger states?

The national capital my be too remote to provide effective control over isolated regions

Perforated state shape?

The perforator state is dependent on the perforated because it is surrounded by a state, relying o them for import/export of goods

Gerrymandering?

The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

Why has Belgium adopted a federal system?

To accommodate the two main cultural groups - Flemish and Waloons

Why has China adopted a unitary system?

To promote communist values

What did the Moldovans want when they gained independence?

To reunify with Romania. The Trans-Dniestria (Ukranian & Russian) oppose.

Balance of power?

a condition of roughly equal strength between opposing alliances

Landlocked state?

lacks a direct outlet to a sea because it is completely surrounded by several other countries