Political Geography Chapter 8 Introduction n Political geography

Political Geography Chapter 8

Introduction n Political geography helps explain the cultural and physical factors that underlie political unrest n Political geographers study how people have organized Earth’s land surface into countries and alliances, the reasons for doing so, and the conflicts that can erupt from the organization

Where are States Located? n Almost all land on the Earth belongs to a country n Not true as recently as 1940 s – only about 50 countries then n Now there are 192 members of the UN n State- an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established gov. that has control over its internal and foreign affairs n Occupies a defined territory and has a permanent population

continued n Sovereignty- independence from control of its internal affairs by other states n States are examples of formal regions because the entire territory is ruled by a common gov. , laws, military etc. n Country and state are synonyms

Problems of Defining States n Antarctica is the only large landmass on Earth that is not part of a state n Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK all claim portions of Antarctica n n The US and Russia do not recognize these claims The Treaty of Antarctica 1959 (1991) says states may establish research stations but may not have a military presence

continued n There is some disagreement about the number of sovereign states around the world n Korea, China, and Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic) are examples of places that test the definition of state

Korea: One State or Two? n After Japan was defeated in WWII, Korea was divided into two occupation zones by the US and Russia n Division was made at 38 degrees N. Latitude n N. Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 n After 3 years, a ceasefire was agreed upon near the 38 th parallel

continued n Both gov. are committed to reunification n In 2000 they agreed to exchange visits of families separated for more than 50 years and for increased economic cooperation n Progress slowed by N. Korea’s decision to build nuclear weapons even though the country can’t provide its citizens with food, electricity, etc. n Both countries were admitted into the UN in 1992

China and Taiwan: One State or Two? n In 1949 the ruling gov. of China lost a civil war and fled to the island of Taiwan n They claimed to still be the rightful gov. of China and that they were waiting for the defeat of the communists so they could return to the mainland n Communist China claimed Taiwan and vice versa n They agreed there was only 1 states, but not about who ruled it

continued n In 1999, Taiwan decided to claim itself a separate sovereign state n In the 1950 s and 1960 s the US did not recognize communist China as a country n Not until 1971 did the US recognize communist China—they were awarded the UN seat formerly held by the Taiwanese gov. n Taiwan is now the most populous country not in the UN

Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic) n Most African countries recognize as a sovereign state n Morocco does not n They claim the territory and built a 3, 000 kilometer wall around it to keep out rebels n The territory was controlled by Spain until 1976 when they withdrew n An independent state was declared, but Morocco and Mauritania annexed the Northern and Southern portions

continued n After 3 years, Mauritania withdrew and Morocco claimed the entire territory n n Today Morocco controls most of the territory However, there is a gov. group that operates in the sparsely populated deserts (esp. the 1/5 of territory outside the wall) n A cease-fire was signed in 1991 and a UN peacekeeping force upholds it n While all of this is going on, Spain controls 2 cities in Morocco—the were annexed into Spain 500 years ago and the combined 140, 000 residents favor remaining part of Spain

Varying Size of States n Largest – Russia= 6. 6 million sq. miles n 11% of total land area n China, Canada, United States, Brazil, and Australia are the only other states of more than 2. 9 million sq. miles n Microstates- states with very small land areas n Smallest is Monaco=0. 6 square miles n Many microstates are small islands

Development of the State Concept n Relatively recent concept n Before the 1800 s Earth was organized in other ways n City-states, empires, and tribes

Ancient States n The first states to develop in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia) were citystates n A sovereign state that compromises a town and the surrounding countryside n City was walled for protection and surrounding countryside was used for agriculture

continued n Sometimes one city-state would assert dominance in the area and create an empire n Ex. Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians n About the same time the Egyptians were forming an Empire along the Nile River Valley

Early European States n Roman Empire controlled most of Europe, North Africa, and SW Asia n Spanned from England in the North to Egypt in the South and from Spain in the West to Iran in the East n After the fall of the Empire, Europe was broken up into large estates owned by Kings, Dukes, etc. n They fought each other and some consolidated lands into Kingdoms

continued n Around 1100, powerful Kings began to emerge as they consolidated large estates England, France, and Spain n Germany and Italy however were not consolidated until the 1800 s n

Colonies n Def. - a territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent n Usually sparsely populated before the colony is established n Colonialism- the effort by one country to establish settlements and impose its political, economic, and cultural principles on a territory

continued n European states 1. 2. 3. n created colonies for three reasons To promote Christianity To gain valuable resources To show their relative power GOD, GOLD, and GLORY

continued n Europeans first started colonizing in the late 1400 s—Americas n Most of those colonies declared independence by 1824 and Europe turned to Africa and Asia n Imperialism- control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society

continued n UK created largest colonial empire n “sun never set” on British empire n France also had a large empire- colonies concentrated in West Africa and SE Asia

continued n France attempted to n The British created assimilate its colonies into French culture and educate an elite group to provide local leadership n After independence most French colonies remained close to France different gov. policies in each of its colonies n Allowed local inhabitants to maintain their diverse cultures and local customs n British colonies made peaceful transitions to independence in most cases

concluded n Most African and Asian colonies became independent after WWII n Only a handful of colonies still exist Most are islands in the Pacific or Caribbean n Most populous is Puerto Rico n

Why Do Boundaries Cause Problems? n Boundary- an invisible line marking the extent of a state’s territory n Can be natural physical features or cultural features such as religion and language n Boundary locations often generate conflict because the lines are the only place two neighboring countries must have physical contact

Shapes of States n Shape of a state controls the length of its boundaries with other states n Shape also can influence the ease or difficulty of internal administration and can affect social unity n There are 5 basic shapes: § § § Compact Prorupted Elongated Fragmented Perforated

Compact States: Efficient n Def. - state where the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly n Ideal compact state would be a circle with the capital in the center n Allows for good communications from all regions n Ex’s Burundi, Kenya, Uganda

Prorupted States: Access or Disruption n Def. – an otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension n Proruptions are created for 2 reasons 1. To provide a state with access to a resource such as water (Congo stretches to Atlantic Ocean) (why Cabinda is separated from the rest of Angola) 2. To separate two states that would otherwise share a border (Afghanistan separates Russia from Pakistan)

Elongated States: Potential Isolation n Def. - states with a long narrow shape n Only a handful of these n Ex. Chile – over 2500 miles long, but only 90 miles wide n Italy is a less extreme example 700 by 120 miles n Gambia is an elongated state on an East. West orientation (300 miles wide by 15 miles long) by that is completely surrounded by Senegal

continued n May suffer from poor internal communication and some regions may be isolated from the capital which is usually near the center

Fragmented States: Problematic n Def. - state with several discontinuous pieces n n 1. 2. of territory Technically, any state that has offshore islands is considered fragmented – fragmentation is particularly significant for some states 2 types: Areas separated by water Areas separated by an intervening state

continued n Indonesia is most extreme fragmented state n 13, 677 islands spread over 3, 000 miles in the Indian Ocean n 80% of pop. lives on the two islands of Java and Sumatra n Fragmentation hinders communication and makes integration of people living on remote islands nearly impossible n Indonesian gov. encourages migration from major pop. centers to more remote areas to encourage national integration

continued n The US, Russia, Angola, and Bangladesh are examples of countries with territory separated by other states n Kaliningrad is separated from the rest of Russia by 250 miles n Important to Russia because it gives them access to the Baltic sea n The Tin Bigha corridor of India divides Bangladesh

continued n Panama was a fragmented state while the US controlled the canal and the surrounding canal zone n Now that the US has returned control of the canal, Panama is now a elongated state

Perforated States: South Africa n Def. - a state that completely surrounds another one n South Africa is a great example n It completely surrounds Lesotho n Lesotho dependent upon S. Africa for import and export of goods

Can You Identify Each Type of State?

Landlocked States n Landlocked states- a state that lacks a direct outlet to the sea because it is completely surrounded by several other countries n 14 out of the 54 countries in Africa are landlocked n Remnant of European colonialism

continued n Access to a seaport is critical because it facilitates international trade Bulky goods are usually transported by ship n Landlocked states are at the mercy of other states for the use of their seaports n

Types of Boundaries • Historically, frontiers separated states • -a zone where no state exercises complete political control • Frontiers are tangible geographic areas • Boundaries are thin, invisible, and imagined lines • Boundaries have replaced frontiers almost everywhere on Earth

continued n Antarctica and the Arabian Peninsula are the only places that still have frontiers n Saudi Arabia is separated from Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Yemen by frontiers

continued n Boundaries can be physical or cultural n Physical boundaries can be seen on a map and on the ground n Neither type necessarily better than others n Best boundaries are those that all affected states agree upon

Mountain Boundaries n Serve as effective boundaries when they are difficult to cross n Also pretty permanent n Argentina and Chile are separated by the crest of the Andes Mountains n They have had disagreements about where exactly that crest lies

Desert Boundaries n Deserts are hard to cross and sparsely inhabited n Type of boundary common in Africa and Asia n Sahara desert separates Libya, Algeria, and Egypt from their southern neighbors Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and the Sudan

Water Boundaries n Rivers, lakes, and oceans are often used to mark boundaries n Very common in East Africa n Ex. Boundary separating Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda runs through Lake Victoria n Boundaries are typically in the middle of the water, but not always n Water makes attack from neighbors more difficult because of troop transport

continued n Water boundaries can cause some difficulties n Position of water changes over time n Ex. Rio Grande along the US – Mexico border n Ocean boundaries can also be problematic n Most states claim the boundary is not at the coastline, but out at sea n Done for defense and resources n The Law of the Sea (1983), signed by 117 countries, recognizes borders at 12 nautical miles – with exclusive fishing rights to 200 nautical miles

Cultural Boundaries n A nation-state exists when the boundaries of a state match the boundaries of the territory inhabited by an ethnic group

Geometric Boundaries n Part of US border with Canada is an arc that follows the 49 th parallel for 1300 miles from Minnesota to Washington

Religious Boundaries n In a few cases religion has been used to select a boundary between states n The British split India into states based on religion n Hindus in India, Muslims in Pakistan n Northern Ireland is majority Protestant and is part of the UK n Ireland is 95% Catholic and is independent from the UK

Language Boundaries n After WWI, language was the most important factor the Allies used in creating new states and changing the boundaries of existing states– esp. in Eastern and Southern Europe n n Ex. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were created by grouping people of similar languages together into one country– both separated into many countries in the 1990 s

Cyprus’s “Green Line” Boundary n Read about this p. 271 -272

Boundaries Inside States n Local gov. boundaries are sometimes drawn to separate different nationalities or ethnicities n In the US, they are sometimes drawn to provide an advantage to a political party n Unitary state- an internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of the central government officials n Federal state- an internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government

Unitary States n Works best in nation-states characterized by few internal cultural differences and a strong sense of national unity n Smaller states are more likely to adopt n Common in Europe n Some multinational states have adopted unitary systems so the values of one nationality can be imposed on the others n Ex. Rwanda

Federal States n Local governments have the authority to adopt their own laws n Multinational states may adopt federal systems to empower different nationalities, esp. if they live in different regions of the country n Well suited for large states-most large countries are n US, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and India

Electoral Geography n Legislative districts in the US are redrawn every 10 years to reflect relative population changes n In most European countries independent commissions are created to draw the districts n In the US, state legislatures are responsible for drawing congressional districts n Party in power attempts to draw lines to keep them in power

Gerrymandering n Def. - the process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power n Named for Elbridge Gerry, Gov. of Mass. 1810 -1812 n One of the districts he drew looked like a salamander– critic called it a gerrymander

Types of Gerrymandering n Basically three types: 1. Wasted Vote- spreads opposition supporters across many districts in minority numbers 2. Excess Vote- concentrates opposition supporters into a few districts 3. Stacked Vote- links distant areas of likeminded voters through oddly shaped boundaries

continued n Most gerrymandering in the Us is now “stacked vote” gerrymandering n n Leads to the party in power owning a majority of support in a majority of the districts Often used to create districts made up largely of ethnic minorities th n Ex. 12 district in NC

continued n Supreme Court ruled Gerrymandering illegal in 1985, but doesn’t have the power to keep it from happening n Estimated that only 10% of congressional seats are actually competitive because of gerrymandering

Political and Military Cooperation n The United Nations was created to prevent the likelihood of a third World War n It was created at the end of WWII by the Allies n In 1945 there were 45 members, by 2007 there were 192 n The UN replaced the failed League of Nations that was created after WWI

The United Nations n The UN has had three major expansionary periods 1955 - 16 countries were added –mostly European countries that had been liberated from Nazi Germany n 1960 - 17 new members added –mostly former British and French colonies in Africa n 1990 -1993 - 26 countries were added—mostly from the breakup of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia n

continued n UN members can vote to send a peacekeeping force into unstable areas Member countries send troops to make up the force n China, Russia, France, the UK, and the US (permanent members of the UN Security Council) have the power to veto a peacekeeping force n n Happened often during the Cold War

continued n The UN is currently trying to separate warring groups in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa Ties to maintain neutrality b/w the two sides n Not always possible, esp. in cases involving genocide n n Ex. Bosnian Serbs were seen as the aggressor versus Bosnian Muslims

Regional Military Alliances n In addition to the UN, many states also joined regional military alliances after WWII

Era of Two Superpowers n During the Cold War, the US and Soviet Union were the World’s two superpowers n Before this time, there were usually multiple powerful states, none of which could dominate on their own n Major states joined together for temporary alliances n Balance of power- condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries

continued n After WWII, the US and Soviet Union were the only powers left that were not battered to the point of losing there power status n During the Cold War, the world was split into allies of the US and allies of the Soviet Union n Both superpowers created military bases in ally countries around the world n Therefore, they could maintain strength in regions not near their own territory

Military Cooperation in Europe n 2 military alliances were formed in Europe after WWII –NATO and the Warsaw Pact n The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military pact between the US, Canada, and 14 democratic European States n The Warsaw Pact was a military agreement among 7 Communist countries in Eastern Europe

continued n NATO and the Warsaw Pact were created to maintain a bipolar balance of power in Europe n NATO wanted to prohibit the Soviets from taking over W. Germany and many smaller nations in Europe n The Warsaw Pact created a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and W. Germany

continued n After the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact disbanded and most of its former members joined NATO n Which offers its members a sense of security against Russian threats in the future

Other Regional Organizations n The Organization of American States (OAS) includes all 35 states in the W. Hemisphere Cuba has been suspended since 1962 n Promotes social, cultural, political, and economic links b/w member states n n The African Union (AU) was created in 2001 and has 53 members n Tries to promote economic integration in Africa

Economic Cooperation The need for a bipolar balance of power ended when the Soviet Union disbanded in 1992 n We are now back to having more than 2 major powers—like before WWII, but with 2 diff. 1. Economic power becoming more important than military power—allows Japan and Germany to be considered powers 2. The leading power is not a single state, but an economic union in Europe led by Germany n

European Union n Predecessor was established in 1958 with 6 members n n Originally designed to help Europe’s WWII scars heal Expanded to 12 countries in the 1980’s and now has 27 members with 2 more wanting to join (Croatia and Turkey) n Wants to promote development through economic cooperation n n Removes barriers to free trade– goods and services and people can travel throughout the Union without stopping Created a common currency (the Euro) n Has become the World’s wealthiest market

Terrorism n Def- the systematic use of violence by a group to intimidate a population or coerce a gov. into granting its demands n Terrorism attacks usually target ordinary people rather than military or political leaders

Al-Qaeda n Terror network founded by Osama bin Laden n Believed to be living in Afghanistan since 1994 n Issued a declaration of war against the US because of its support for Saudi Arabia and Israel n Al-Qaeda means “the foundation” n Created around 1990 to unite jihad fighters around the world—est. 20, 000 members in 34 countries

continued n Network consists of a large number of autonomous cells who have little contact with other cells and other members of their own n Not all Muslims agree with the terror tactics of Al-Qaeda n Americans and Europeans have the challenge of distinguishing b/w peaceful Muslims and the handful of terrorists out of the 1. 3 billion Muslims in the World

State Support of Terrorism n Several Middle Eastern states have provided 1. 2. 3. n support for terrorists— 3 types Providing sanctuary Supplying weapons, money, and intelligence Planning attacks using terrorists Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran have all been accused by the US of supporting terrorism

Libya n 1986 - bombing of a night club popular with US service men in Berlin n Bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 n Bombing of UTA flight 772 over Niger in 1989 n After 8 years of UN trade sanctions, Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi turned over flight 103 suspects and agreed to compensate survivors of the victims

Afghanistan n Sheltered Osama bin Laden and other terrorists after the attack on the World Trade Center in NY n Gov. known as the Taliban n n Strict Islamic Fundamentalist Ruled for six years until the US expelled them in 2001

Iraq n US claimed Iraq was supporting terrorism and creating weapons of mass destruction n Invaded in 2003 and deposed longtime ruler Saddam Hussein

Iran n Hostility with the US began in 1979 when a revolution removed pro-US leader from office and placed the Ayatollah Khomeini as ruler n In Nov. of 1979, 62 Americans at the US embassy were kidnapped and held hostage until Jan. of 1981 n US has accused Iran of harboring terrorists and of trying to develop nuclear weapons