Unit 4 - Political Geography
Nationality & Statelessness
"Everyone has the right to a nationality." -U.N. Declaration of Human Rights - goal for UN is to get rid of lack of nationaliy "The term 'stateless person' means a person who is not considered as a national by any state under the operations of its law." - Article 1, 1954 Convention Refugee, IDP, and stateless problems often overlap - domain of the UNCHR
Shapes of States (5)
- Compact states - elongated states - prorupted states - perforated states - fragmented states
Ancient states
- Fertile crescent - the Fertile Crescent was the Center for Land and Sea Communications in ancient times - the first states to evolve in Mesopotamia were known as city states - succession of Empires in Mesopotamia were the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians - political unity in the ancient world reached its height with the establishment of the Roman Empire, which had 38 provinces with the same set of laws - collapsed after a series of attacks by people living on its Frontiers and because of internal disputes - The European portion of the Roman Empire was fragmented into Estates on by competing Kings, Duke's, Barons, and other Nobles
Describe the trends in this chart between 1910 and 2010
- Midwest and northeast is losing people - The trend is southward and westward movement - Maybe more people will live in the bare parts of the US because jobs will be more online so you can live anywhere
Types of terroism
- State-sponsored - State terror - Transnational or international terrorism - Domestic terrorism
Modern State and Peace of Westphalia
- agreement that carved up western europe into different countries... beginning of the notion of the modern state - Peace negotiated in 1648 to end the Thirty Years' War, Europe's most destructive internal struggle over religion. - recognized statehood (country boundaries in europe) and nationhood, clearly defined borders, and sovereignty - Established country sovereignty... Control own affair within borders, With colonies, spread throughout the world - recently, EU allows european countries to move freely between them (work and live without special visas or paperwork)... Within some countries, "borderless"
geopolitical theory
- how to win power in the world using strategy (taking over the world) - some people use as an excuse to keep conquering (like Hitler) - different theories (for example if you get central asia you can control the world) - not a favorably viewed stufy
International Recognition of Israel
- predominantly Muslim countries in the middle east and north africa don't recognize Israel as a sovereign state - Does this mean that Israel is not a sovereign nation? No, UN does and the majority of the world does - fight over territory for Palestine and Israel
European Union (EU)
- regional organization focused on economics - Eliminated some tariffs & promoted free flow of labor (moving from one country to another), capital, and goods (goal for trade) - established a common currency (the euro) *however, not all EU members use the euro (british still used pounds) - Catapulted europe into allowing them to operate on a larger scale for trade, allowed to operate as a block - Makes them have more power when negotiating trade agreements because a joint of many states - When Brexit, british goods may not be traded as frequently EU Members - 27 countries - Many want to join because they recognize trade union that EU has - pay membership dues, vote on laws they all must follow, citizens of countries are EU members - Switzerland hasn't joined fully - Norway has concerns about fishing rights so they haven't fully joined - Great Britain left (Brexit) Candidates: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey
Albert Einstein
- stateless after renouncing his nationality - became swiss, then german, then bc of hitler renounced it, then became an american citizen
polar regions: many claims
- the South Pole contains the only region on the Earth's surface that aren't part of a state - some overlap some our claims and some are conflicting - the United States, Russia, and a number of other states don't recognize the claims of any other country to Antarctica - the Antarctic treaty provides the legal Frameworks for managing Antarctica only for scientific investigation and - no military activities are permitted - the United Nations convention on the law of sea permitted countries to submit cleans inside the Arctic - Circle by 2009 because it was not to be rich in resources
Sovereignty
- the power of a government to exercise complete control & jurisdiction over a defined area - the power of a government to regulate its internal & external affairs Struggle between sovereignty and international law! - Some issues supersede a states sovereignty - You give up a part of your power to be a part of UN bc you have to agree with them (not really)
political map
- the world map most of us learn first - becomes so natural-looking to us, that we begin to think it is natural - It has been about 400 years since the countries have been drawn up - Even within the US there are issues controlling waterways, boundaries can cause issues - On grand scale UN makes decisions - Just as people create places, people create states
Criteria for Redistricting
1. Districts must be equally populated 2. Supreme Court prefers compact & contiguous districts - Compact doesn't seem inforced - Contiguous means fully connected - Long skinny districts will have people with different issues 3. Representational equality of racial & linguistic minorities
four characteristics of sovereignty
1. enjoys supreme political authority and monopoly over the legitimate use of force within its territory. (have to be able to control their borders with force, have to be able to keep control of territory) 2. it is capable of regulating movements across its borders. (setting policies to set and control borders) 3. can make its foreign policy choices freely. (they are making their own decisions, not being influenced by anyone else) (ex. Taiwan and China) 4. recognized by other governments as an independent entity entitled to freedom from external intervention. (No oil tanker flag country) ~Richard N. Haass, American diplomat; President of Council on Foreign Relations
U.N. Membership
193 member states - includes ALL undisputed independent states EXCEPT for the Vatican City Non-member observer states: Palestinian territories Vatican City - Vatican city and Palestine are observer states... want to be a part of UN bc that means they are a country - Vatican city could be at the table, but they don't engage in politics - Palestine wants to be in, but then that would mean it need s to be a country but they are disputed
Reapportionment in 2020 (estimated)
2020 census estimates show significant shifts in Congressional representation (plus the lowest recorded population growth in U.S. history)
Consequent Boundary (aka ethnic boundary)
A boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language. - Can ease tensions when people are given control over their territory - cultural boundary Case Study: Ontario & Quebec - most people are bilingual, but on TV there are french people speaking - Drew boundary lines around quebec because they were the french speaking canadians Other examples: - India/Pakistan (majority of muslims and hindus) -Ireland/Northern Ireland (republic or ireland is mostly catholic, northern ireland is mostly protestant) What are some positive impacts of a consequent boundary? - Can ease tensions when people are given control over their territory What are some negative impacts of a consequent boundary?
Relic Boundary
A boundary that has ceased to function but can still be detected on the cultural landscape. It no longer exists as an international boundary. - Doesn't exist anymore but at one point did - May have been a international boundary - Doesn't function as an international boundary line anymore Case Study: The Berlin Wall - berlin wall (allies in the west attracted workers from the east soviet after wwII) Other examples: Former division between North and South Vietnam (aka 17th parallel), the Great Wall of China
Subsequent Boundary
A boundary that is established after the settlement in that area occurred. It developed with the evolution of the culture landscape and is adjusted as the cultural landscape changes. - people settle into an area, establishing permanent settlement, and someone draws a line around where they live - Often ancient settlements where people moved and lived and boundaries to encompass those people Case Study: China & Vietnam What are some examples of reasons countries may have long standing disputes over their borders?
Buffer State
A country between two rival and potentially hostile greater powers. - A country that helps diffuse tension - Similar to a Shatterbelt in many ways. Case Study: Mongolia - China and russia with mongolia in between - Mongolia keeps them away from each other, preventing violence from breaking out
Fragmented state
A country broken into pieces or many islands - separated by countries or water - Maldives - Indonesia - Philippines - Italy Pros: Invading countries have a hard time invading and occupying Cons: - Communication and transportation are hard - Hard to maintain unity
Compact States
A country shaped like a circle, usually small - distance from the center or capital isn't very far, so efficient... good communication - likely to experience civil wars and ethnic rivalries - Poland - Uruguay - Sri Lanka - Macedonia Pros: Communication, transportation, and military mobilization are relatively easy Cons: Lack of resources since compact states tend to be small
Perforated state
A country that completely surrounds another country - South Africa - Italy OPPOSITE OF AN ENCLAVE - Lesotho is an enclave - South Africa is a perforated state! Pros: More likely that you're a nation-state since the people of the enclave tend to be a different ethnicity Cons: Surrounding an enclave may hinder transportation and communication
Prorupted state
A country that has a panhandle or peninsula - to provide a state with access to a resource, such as water - to separate two states that otherwise would share a boundary - Mexico - Thailand - Namibia Pros: - provide access to useful raw materials and the sea - Trade opportunities Cons: usually fiercely fought over
Elongated State
A country that is long and skinny - capital usually in center - Nepal - Malawi - Chile - Italy Pros: Transporting raw materials to the industrial center can be easy Cons: People living in the ends of the country might feel isolated, leading to separatist movements
anocracy
A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather displays a mix of the two types.
Autocracy
A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
Nation
A group of people with shared cultural identity - don't have to have political control of a territory Ex) • Basques • Flemish • Alsatians • Scots (voted to remain a part of UK bc of trade, but angry at Brexit) • Palestinians (cultural identity, with no country) • Kurds • Turks
medieval States
A handful of powerful Kings emerged as rulers over a large numbers of the ex Romen European estates - consolidation of neighboring Estates under unified control of a king formed the basis for the development of modern European States like England, France, and Spain - europe also Consolidated into a handful of Empires including Austrian, French, Ottoman, and Russian
Irredentism
A national group controls one territory (state) while also seeking control of an adjacent area of a second country (state). Usually involves an attempt to annex territory for ethnic or historic reasons. ex) Gibraltar - dispute between Spain and Britain, trading zone, strategically important Nazi Germany's claims to Alsace-Lorraine, areas of Poland, Lithuania, Austria and the Czech Sudetenland. Pakistan's claims to Kashmir Israeli and Palestinian counter claims to territory
Exclave
A piece of national territory separated from the main body of a country by the territory of another country. Islands are NOT exclaves - Hawaii is not an exclave of the US, but Alaska is - Separate and not contiguous The Kaliningrad District is an exclave since it is separated from the rest of Russia. Advantages - Can gain access to resources and water - Can increase a country's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZs) and the law of sea EEZ: area 200 nautical miles from a country's coast in which it has the right to exploit natural resources like fishing Disadvantages - Bad if a hostile state separates the exclave from the rest of its country - People who live in the exclave may feel isolated and develop separatist feelings
Binational states
A single country that is home to two distinct nations or national groups. - a type of multinational state ex) Cyprus - divided - Turkish-speaking zone in the north (want to be a country) - the Greek speaking south - Greek Cypriots don't recognize the legitimacy of the Turkish zone, nor does much of the rest of the world.
Ethnic Enclave
A small national group completely surrounded by larger national group inside of a country. - seen in major cities for the most part Examples: Little Havana: Miami, Florida Chinatown: Tokyo, Japan Little Canada: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nation-states
A state with one nation living inside of it - Nation-states are homogenous and often small In reality, few nation-states exist: • Denmark • Russia! • Armenia • Slovenia • Iran • Japan • Israel ? Non examples - United States (indegenous, many different cultures) - pretty much every country
How to deal with terrorism
Antiterrorism Defensive measures to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and property damage to terrorism ex) - airport security - disaster preparedness - barricading federal buildings - public awareness campaigns - missile defense - irradiating (disinfecting) mail Counterterrorism Offensive measures to prevent, deter and respond to terrorism - military retaliation - military strikes - use of drones - intelligence - freezing financial assets of terrorists
How many countries are there?
Around 200 - depends on who you ask! - Sometimes the US will recognize a country that russia doesn't - Not everyone is in the UN Shifts and changes every year (names and toponyms) - MOSTLY BC OF GLOBALIZATION (ripple effects around the world) - Most recent recognized country is south sudan
Brexit
British exit of EU - Question on ballot of whether to stay or leave EU, prime minister wanted to stay at the time, but they won and got to leave (Many people didn't know what they were voting for) - EU won't protect britain, think they dug their own grave - Whenever there is a scandal, people add the term gate, after watergate In the UK, a referendum was held in 2016 about leaving in the European Union. 51.9% voted to leave, 48.1% voted to stay. After much negotiation, the UK left the European Union on January 31, 2020. There is still work to be done to figure out what that means, but on Dec. 24, 2020 a trade deal was brokered.
Does federalism promote centripetal forces or centrifugal forces? Why?
Centripetal forces promote national unity and bring people together. - different levels of control on what is going on around them - People feel like they can actually make a difference, the national government could be so far away Centrifugal forces disrupt internal order in a country.
The Evolving Geopolitical Landscape
Cold war Bipolar - US v. USSR (satellite states became associated with a side, when the soviet union fell, that thrusted the US into being the last superpower on Earth) (2 superpowers) Satellite states - states that are formally independent, but under heavy political and economic influence or control in another country (ex: cuba and north korea) Post Cold War Era Unipolar (one superpower) and unilateral (making decisions without any other input, position of dominance) US is in a position of hard-power dominance - abandonment of traditional diplomatic practices 1 challenge to America's unilateralism: terrorism - countries that used to be enemies of the US in the cold war may perceive that as the reason why they can justify acts of terrorism
Why are boundaries important?
Conflicts between national groups are a major force in redrawing modern borders. - If you have disputed boundaries with people seeking to redraw borders, it can cause conflict Devolution: Breakdown of the state along national (ethnic/cultural) lines. Sometimes leads to regional powers, sometimes leads to the creation of new states (countries). - a national group is given power or takes power from a larger government - Positive example - UK in attempt to keep scotland happy, offered scotts to have more national control of their part of the country - Can cause conflict between government and national group Nations seek freedom to create their own countries. Countries (states) seek to stay together to preserve their power and resources. - One of the reasons kurdish hasn't been given their own country is bc they are rich in oil and energy
Cracking district
Cracking involves spreading voters of a particular type among many districts in order to deny them a sufficiently large voting bloc in any particular district. - can look at past elections to estimate # of democrats and republicans
Stateless Nation
Cultural group One national group is spread out over several states and is NOT the majority in any of the states. ex) Kurdish population - share a cultural idea and want to be a country - aren't a country because they would take away territory from surrounding countries (resources!) Palestine - believe they have territory taken away from them, Israelis think they have right from ancestry to the territory - US doesn't recognize as an independent country - Russia and China do Basque - In what other context have we mentioned Basque? talking about the basque language that is proto-indo-european - Don't want to be a part of Spain - It's an example of an isolated language - Basque is the name of the language & the nation
Process for establishing boundaries (4 steps)
Define the boundary through a treaty-like legal document which determines the exact placement (latitude and longitude) of the boundary. - Sometimes peaceful, sometimes by war, but have an exact place for the boundary Delimit the boundary by drawing on a map. Demarcate the boundary by using steel posts, concrete pillars, fences, walls, or other visible means (if desired). - Evidence in the real world - Putting up something on the boundary line (if desired) Administrate the boundary by determining rules for how goods and people will cross the boundary. - Rules from coming and going over the boundary line - Country needs to have sovereignty... control over their land
State (aka Country)
Defined by international law, a state must have: 1. Politically organized territory 2. A sovereign government 3. Recognition from the international community 4. A permanent population (exempts nomadic groups... some indigenous that move across country boundaries) Ex) USA, India, Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia Non examples: - Antarctica: No permanent population in Antarctica... Race to antarctica - Greenland: dependent territory of denmark
Devolution vs. Supranationalism
Devolution - When the national government give power to a state or regional government Supranationalism - When national government gives power to organization outside of country
The Changing Nature of Terrorism
During the Cold War, terrorism was very hierarchical - various levels - people hiding in belgium - hierarchy of power, organization chart in terrorist groups Now it's more widespread than ever before. Terrorism is becoming more lethal. - Harder to gain attention from press
Importance of Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces
Existence of a state depends on the balance between centripetal & centrifugal forces (need to balance for success) One way states promote unity is by choosing a governmental structure that promotes nation-building & lessens internal divisions. - Free expression of differences - People who are minority to have expression - When people are unheard, those are centrifugal forces 2 governmental structures commonly found: unitary & federal
Centrifugal Forces
Factors that disrupt internal order & destabilize a state tip: centriFUgal (f you) ex) separatist movements
Centripetal Forces
Factors that promote national unity & stability in a state
United Nations
How many countries belong in the UN? Started with 50 countries, now 193 What 5 countries sit on the UN security council - have veto power? France, britain, US, china, russia What is the UN General assembly? Where all of the nations meet and come together What are some of the UN accomplishments? Human rights Eradicting polio in africa Determined to make sure the at everything is at peace
Example of a federal state: Nigeria
In Nigeria, the 36 States choose their own judicial system. In the Muslim north, states have Shari'ah laws, & in the Christian & animist south, the States do not.
Stateless nations
Kurds - largest stateless nation with approx. 25 million people divided between 6 states & dominant in none - population crosses multiple borders - They seek independence & have waged guerilla war against Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, but, so far, independence has eluded them. Palestinians - about 8 million Palestinians live in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria & other Arab states - not recognized by many countries as independent, not full members of the UN Roma/Romani (sometimes called Gypsies) - mostly in Europe and Americas but probably from Untouchable caste in India. - Unknown but somewhere between 2-20 million Basques - Indigenous people on border of Spain and France with a unique language. - About 2 million people in Basque region, but many more around the world. - part of a stateless nation because they want to be a country
Stateless Individuals May Experience:
May experience: - Detentions or Incarcerations - Feelings of alienation/like a "ghost" May have Difficulty: depends on where they live - Receiving a pension - Filing police reports/Getting protection - Voting (most countries) - Traveling - Attending school - Working legally - Owning property - Getting married - Entering hospitals/Receiving medical care - Opening bank accounts
Multistate nation
Nation that stretches across borders & across states •North and South Korea • East and West Germany
Why do nations want to be established states?
Nations believe they have a natural right to: - Self-determination (the concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves) - Freedom to make choices that benefit their citizens Minority national groups in multination states can be victims of: - Discrimination - Unequal rights - Scapegoating (Sometime believe they are blamed for problems they didn't cause)
ethnocultural devolutionary forces
Nations that feel differently from the rest of a country are more likely to want to break away or gain more power How has united states not had a war because of ethnic differences? Because you can ease concerns when you give power to them at the local level
Spatial Devolutionary Forces
Places that are separated or far away from the rest of the country are likely to experience separatist movements and devolution Which shapes of states are most susceptible to spatial devolutionary forces? Elongated (differences and needs for the people) Fragmented (distinct differences between islands) Prorupted Like indonesia and east timor (want to be their own country)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Political and economic organization of 10 Southeast Asian countries formed in the 1960s Goals: Accelerate economic growth - Reduce tariffs & ease restrictions on foreign investment Promote peace & security - Helped resolve the conflict in East Timor & disputes in the South China Sea
League of Nations
Post WWI: League of Nations created in 1919 Failure: U.S. never joined (due to isolationist sentiment in the US even though Woodrow Wilson initiated the idea), members departed, & failed to take action when Ethiopia appealed for help when invaded by Italy Post WWII: United Nations created 1945 Goal to foster international security & cooperation (Baseline goal is to prevent war) - many countries said they don't want it to happen again - goals for eradicating hunger, helping organization, protection for women, refugees, member countries - send troops to bring peace to areas - Not all members are required to do everything the UN says, but there's pressure
Balkanization
Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities
How does someone become stateless?
Prolonged absence abroad - left country, don't come back for a period of time, government changed Renouncing their citizenship without first acquiring another nationality - like albert einstein Failure to perform military or other obligations - south korea, north korea, israel - can lose citizenship Arbitrary deprivation by a government - religious based and more, could fall into below - does the government just randomly choose Laws may discriminate on grounds of sex, race, ethnicity, or religion. - Women in some countries cannot pass on their nationality to children. (Ex: Morocco & Egypt.) What happens if the father is stateless? - Children born out of wedlock may be denied citizenship.
Gerrymandering
Redistricting for advantage - The practice of dividing areas into electoral districts to give 1 political party an electoral advantage in a large # of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible Gerrymandering strings together one party's voters into a few districts, reducing their influence. - Named after Massachusetts governor and VP (Elbridge Gerry was last name and mander comes from salamander) - some states draw a commision planning the district PACKING AND CRACKING
Economic Devolutionary Forces
Regions that are richer than the rest of the country are more likely to want more power (feel like they are dragged down) Catalonia - a region in Spain - richer than the rest of the country - Catalonians want independence from Spain - they have voted a few times for independence, but it has been ruled to be illegal.
state-sponsored terrorism
Sponsored by a state against another state or their citizens (government sponsored) Examples: - Libya government bombing Pan Am Flight 103 - aka Lockerbie bombing (had many american citizens flying from scotland) - Taliban harboring Al Qaeda - Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia The U.S. designates 4 states as sponsors of terrorism: North Korea, Cuba, Syria & Iran - We impose sanctions, ban defense exports & sales, and have controls over exports of dual use items.
multinational state
State with more than one nation inside its borders - can lead to conflict • Bosnia • Belgium (Flemish in the north, wealthy Walloons in the south) • Switzerland •The former Soviet Union • United States • largest is Russia
supranationalism
Tendency for states to give up political power to a higher authority in pursuit of common objectives - opposite of devolution Can be a political, economic, military, and/or cultural cooperation - Countries coming together after WWII saying not to let that happen again - Like fighting COVID, hunger - US is last remaining superpower in the world
State Terror
Terror used by a government against its own people Examples: - Iraq & Kurds - Cultural Revolution in China- putting in more democratic government - Stalin's Reign of Terror - Hitler's SS - Myanmar against rohingya muslims Mask of Sorrow monument in the Russian Far Eastern city of Magadan, in memory of the Gulag prisoners who died
Domestic terroism
Terrorism by private individuals/groups & only involve people of one state - not sponsored by government - Increased in the 1990s Examples: - Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 by McVeigh & Nichols - KKK - Unabomber - Ted Kaczynski, who engaged in a mail bombing campaign that spanned nearly 20 years ("UNiversity & Airline BOMber")
Transnational terrorism
Terrorism by private individuals/groups that involves people from more than 1 state - not sponsored by the government - within a country commiting in another country Example: The death of 11 Israeli athletes & a W. German police officer by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics
Reapportionment in 2010
The South and West gained congressional seats in 2010, and the Northeast and the Midwest lost seats - Census does not impact senate (each state has 2 senators) - There isn't a mass exodus in the north east, there are still a lot of people in the northeast - Louisiana's reflects hurricane katrina where people moved
Redistricting
The actual division or drawing of districts within a state
Reapportionment
The division of congressional districts among the states - Based on census population - 435 house of representative members get divided into each state - Process that happens after the census - Doesn't happen that often
Center of U.S. Population
The population center is the average location of everyone in the country. The center has consistently shifted westward and southward, although the rate of movement has varied in different eras. - Center of the country population wise is southern missouri - Same number of people to the north, south east and west - Most of the people live on the eastern side of the us - Pacific northwest is becoming more popular, Texas is also popular - Southern trend now for where this is going - Impacts how many representatives we have
North American Free Trade Agreement (aka USMCA)
Trade agreement signed in 1994 between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Goal: Eliminate barriers to investment and trade Most tariffs cut Could move car factories out of the country - Concerns that the blue collar job isn't protected by the government - Companies want to keep costs down - Tertiary jobs are more prominent in the US A lot of produce Americans buy comes from Mexico, and it's the result of NAFTA
The Supranational organizations
UN is the united nations, crosses all 4 areas NATO - a military organization after WWII, reason why US has military bases all over the world NAFTA (USMCA) North american trade agreement, refigured under Trump Warsaw pact - Doesn't exist anymore - Eastern bloc countries allies of soviet union
Superimposed Boundary
a boundary that has been imposed on an area by an outside or conquering power. This boundary ignores the cultural organizations on this landscape. - Often a colonizer, comes in and starts making boundary lines ignoring culture, ethnicity, and giving political power How can superimposed boundaries lead to conflicts between pre-existing ethnic groups? - various ethnic groups under the same control, causing separatist groups and people feeling they aren't represented Case Study: Africa - Africa is a good example because it got divided by european nations over periods of time
Federalism
a country where states recognize the sovereignty of a central authority while keeping certain powers. More than one level of government. - The idea where the power is divided up between - Elect representatives for all levels of government - Like the United States, often also reflects size of country - Germany is a odd ball in Europe because they maintained their federal government out of fear for another person rising to power like Hitler - trend towards federalism Federal Declare war Admit new states Establish post offices Coin money Establish foreign policy State Establish schools Regulate business within the states Make marriage laws Both Levy taxes Establish courts Maintain law & order
Chokepoints
a feature on land or at sea including valley, defile, and strait which a military force is required to pass through. - often very narrow - significantly reduces effectiveness of the military Case Study: Oil Transit - prominent in the global economy and shipment of goods across the oceans with 20% of oil shipped around the world passing through the Strait of Hormuz How do choke points provide or maintain political power? How do economics and military strategy interact with this concept? - can allow a numerically inferior army to attack and overcome an opponent with a large army Other examples: Gibraltar - on the edge of the passageway because they don't want someone to cut off access to the straight
Physical Boundary
a natural boundary that coincides with deserts, mountains, or bodies of water. - Based on geographic feature - Consider the eastern states in the U.S. vs. the western states. Case Study: U.S. Mexico border, the Rio Grande river - Texas based on rio grande river Other examples: - The Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain - The border between D.C. and Virginia - The border between India and China
Antecedent Boundary
a political boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in place while people moved in to occupy the surrounding area - don't reflect clear divisions of certain groups of people (A group can be divided by a boundary line) - can also be influenced by physical features (e.g. rivers, mountains) Case Study: Malaysia & Indonesia - boundaries put in place before people settled Other examples: Canada/U.S. border, Kentucky/Indiana border How can antecedent boundaries lead to commonalities or connections between two nations? How can antecedent boundaries lead to disputes over border locations?
Geometric Boundary
a political boundary that is formed by arcs or straight lines irrespective of the physical and cultural features of the land it passes through. - Often reflect physical geography in the east side of the US and in the west is usually by parallels - cultural boundary Case Study: U.S. & Canada Border - 49th parallel Other examples: - 38th Parallel between North & South Korea, - Township and Range System in US that put western territories in 6 square mile townships divided into 36 square mile homesteads. (promised free or cheap land) How can geometric boundaries cause territorial disputes between countries? How can geometric boundaries lead to ethnic or cultural conflicts? - Can serve as an agreement point but can also ignore culture and ethnicity
Shatterbelts
a region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals. - similar to buffer state - Can get pulled into those conflicts, makes them vulnerable if there is any aggressiveness in surrounding states Case Study: Kashmir - Kashmir is in between more powerful states Some Examples: Poland before WW2, SE Asia region between/near China and Japan, Kashmir, Eastern Europe, Israel
city state
a sovereign state that compromises a town and the surrounding Countryside - walls surrounded the boundaries of the city when the outside of the cities where agricultural land - the countryside provided a line of defense against other city-states - sometimes a city-state would gain enough military power to take over others and form an Empire
Enclave
a territory surrounded 100% by, but not part of, a country... always landlocked (most landlocked are in Africa because of colony) - Within a perforated state - Islands don't count Tip: an enclave is enclosed by another country Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, so Lesotho is an enclave. San Marino is completely surrounded by Italy, so San Marino is an enclave. Advantages - Usually the enclave population is different from the surrounding country (different ethnicity, religion, etc.) - They were created as a separate nation because being absorbed into the surrounding country may have caused tensions. Disadvantages - a war between the inside and outside country - have to fly through foreign airspace - Landlocked and lack easy access to the sea (Some will have a proruption to get them to the coastline) - Increased cost of imports and exports due to customs, tariffs, and tolls - Economic cooperation necessary (good relationship necessary) - Vulnerability - can be cut off from global trade and economically dependent
Boundaries
a vertical plane between states that cuts through the rocks below (subsoil) and the airspace above, dividing one state territory from another - US airspaced tightened after 9/11 often divide resources, such as oil between Kuwait and Iraq - access had to be controlled in treaties
Semiautonomous Regions
an area that is a largely self-governing within a larger political entity. They generally have control over internal affairs. Some examples: •Native American reservations in the United States •Hong Kong in China
development of the state concept
before country / States, the Earth was organized into city-states, Empires, kingdoms, and small land areas controlled by Nobles (much of this was unorganized territory) - first were ancient states, then medieval states, then nation states
Colonialism
colonialism is the effort by one country to establish settlements in a territory and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles on that territory - three reasons for European States establishing colonies - god (christianity), gold (resources), and Glory (power) - colonial era began when European explorers sailed Westward for Asia but encountered the Western Hemisphere instead but lost the Western territory do to the United States independence in Latin American independence so they turn their attention to Africa and Asia - UK and France are major colonizers - most current colonies in the Pacific and Caribbean, but only 68 left
Packing district
concentrate as many voters of one type into a single electoral district to reduce their influence in other districts. To pack minorities who do not live compactly or contiguously has sometimes resulted in odd-shaped districts. - To increase representation, but also diluting influence in other areas Florida's 3rd Congressional District during the 1990s was an example of spatial manipulation used to create majority-minority districts after the 1990 census. Gerrymandering & majority-minority districts - to provide representation to minorities in the U.S. House. - also dilutes influence in other districts with minorities
Unitary state
nearly all of the sovereignty and power reside with the central government - Capital city: focus of power - States or provinces have little independent authority on their own - usually control everything through bureaucracy - Control everything from potholes to declaring war - usually smaller, surprising how many though - works best in countries with few internal cultural differences... every region in the country has to adopt it, smaller states are more likely to adopt it
Microstates (aka ministates)
sovereign states that are very small in area and population - most are islands ex) Monaco (the smallest in the UN), San Marino, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru
Political Geography
the branch of geography that deals with the boundaries, divisions, and possessions of countries - this is a modern idea - some people think that boundaries are a part of the natural world... Usually there isn't a white line on the ground
Territoriality
the connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land. - countries want to claim as much territory as they can Case Study: South China Sea - China is building islands, trying to take control bit by bit How are a country's political, cultural, and economic interests tied to the territory they claim? How can a dispute over claimed territory lead to conflicts such as wars?
Devolution
the movement of power from the national government to regional governments in a country - Can be a good force sometimes and sometimes it can be bad Reasons why devolution occurs: Ethnocultural country with ethnicity in one region Economic a part of the country that is thriving or isn't Spatial islands and elongated states might feel the need to shift some power to satisfy some of the people who may have different needs
Census
the official count of a population every 10 years - Imperfect attempt, but pretty good at counting up the people and where they live - Age ranges, ethnic breakdown, where people have lived, where people have moved, what parts of the country are growing and losing population
Electoral Geography
the study of interactions between places, regions & elections The partitioning of state territory into electoral districts is a key component of a state's internal political geography U.S. Constitution provides for territorial representation System where citizens in districts elect representatives
Neocolonialism
the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies. - First colonialism, then removal of colonized countries and earning independence (colonial invasion idea, political economic control) - Countries now aren't invading countries as much, but countries are buying countries, bit by bit gaining economic control Case Study: The Bahamas - Bahamas feel like tourism is their foundations of their economy and don't feel they have true independent control - Economic pressure preventing the country from becoming a political leader How do economic, political, and cultural factors intersect to help neocolonizers maintain the dependence of their former colonies? they have so much economic and culture pressure/ control that a country remains a slave to the former colonial power
Terrorism
use of violence or threat of violence to achieve certain goals by creating a state of fear beyond the initial victims. - not random... meant to achieve a goal - with private citizens as the victims - done for political reasons - through bombing, kidnapping, hijacking, taking hostages, and assassination - Viewing violence as a mean of bringing widespread publicity two goals and grievances that are not being addressed through peaceful means - first used in the reign of terror with Robespierre who guillotined his political opponents Terrorism is defined by its tactics - Those tactics must be part of an overall strategy, not just indiscriminate, random violence.
the three forms of gerrymandering
wasted vote spreads opposition supporters across many district button the minority excess vote concentrates opposition supporters into a few districts Stacked vote link distant areas of like-minded Voters through oddly shaped boundaries
