Unit IV Political Organization of Space Political Geography

Unit IV: Political Organization of Space

Political Geography • The study of the organization and distribution of political phenomena

Territory • The effort to control territory is a central motivate of humans • The territory of the world is almost completely divided into national units – Antarctica debated

Territoriality • Territoriality is a key component of modern political culture • Territorial Integrity – a government has the right to keep the borders and territory of a state in tact and free from attack.

State 1. an independent political unit occupying a defined territory 2. permanently populated territory 3. full sovereignty (independence to control internal affairs) 4. must be recognized by other states

World States • 195 states (only 50 in the 1940 s) • 192 recognized by the United Nations • Over 250 different nations

Issues defining states • Political differences can cause some territories to not be recognized as independent. Examples: – Korea (2 states) – China and Taiwan-2 states? – Western Sahara (currently part of Morocco)

Nation • A group of people with a common culture occupying a particular territory, bound together by a strong sense of unity arising from shared beliefs and customs • Nations are “imagined communities” -Benedict Anderson -imagined = you will never meet all the people in your nation -community = you see yourself as part of it

The nations we perceive as “natural” and “always existing” are relatively recent phenomena. In 1648, Europe was divided into dozens of small territories.

The Nation-State • A state whose territorial extent coincides with that occupied by a distinct nation or people • An entity whose members feel a natural connection by sharing language, religion, or some other cultural trait • Iceland, Portugal, Poland, Japan

Stateless Nation • Nations that do not possess a national territory even with a larger multinational state – Palestine, Kurds

Multinational State • A state with more than one nation. The Former Yugoslavia

Multistate Nation • A nation with more than one state Transylvania – homeland for both Romanians and Hungarians.

Spatial Characteristics of States • Largest Size – Russia 17. 1 million square kilometers – Others: China, Canada, United States, and Australia

Spatial Characteristics of States • Smallest Size – City-state: sovereign state compromised entirely of a city and it’s countryside • Singapore, Monaco, San Marino – Microstates: very small land areas • Smallest: Monaco -1. 5 square kilometers • Singapore, Andorra, and Bahrain

Spatial Characteristics of States • 5 basic shapes – Compact – Prorupt – Elongated – Fragmented – Perforated

Shape – Compact • Most efficient form is a circle with a capital in the center • Compact size • Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Poland

B E A D C

Shape - Prorupt • Nearly compact but posses one or more narrow extensions of territory • Proruptions can be natural or artificial • An isolate a portion of a state

B E A D C

Shape - Elongated • Long and Narrow • Distance from the capital is greater • A large amount of diversity of climate, resources, and people • National cohesion difficult • Norway, Vietnam, Chile

B E A D C

Shape - Fragmented • Countries composed entirely of islands (Philippines, Indonesia) • Partly on Islands (Malaysia) • Mainland – but separated • Weakness centralized control

B E A D C

Shape - Perforated • State that completely surrounds another one • Example: South Africa – Surrounds Lesotho – Completely dependent on South Africa for imports and exports

B E A D C

Relative Location • Size and shape are affected by a state’s absolute and relative location • Canada & Russia are large, yet their absolute northern location reduces the agricultural productivity of the land • Iceland has a compact shape but its location near the artic makes much of its land barren

Relative Location • Landlocked countries are at a major developmental disadvantage – Many in Africa due to remnants of colonialism – Must arrange to use another country’s sea port • Coast lines can be a major advantage -Singapore (224 sq miles) is located at a crossroads of shipping and trade

The Modern State Idea • The idea of a state that is tied to a particular territory with defined boundaries came out of Europe and diffused outward from there. – A change from society defining territory to territory defining society. – Modern States evolved in the late 1600 s.

Rise of the Modern State 1. The European model a) The Norman invasion of 1066 produced a whole new political order b) On the European continent, the strength of some rulers produced national cohesiveness in more stable domains c) Economic revival and so called Dark Ages were over d) Treaties signed at the end of the Thirty Years' War contained fundamentals of statehood and nationhood - Peace at Westphalia e) Western Europe’s strong monarchies began to represent something more than authority

Rise of the Modern State Mercantilism a) promotion of commercialism and trade with other states b) City-based merchants, not the nobility, gained wealth c) As money and influence were concentrated in the cities, land as a measure of affluence began to lose its relevance

European Colonialism and the Modern State • Colonialism – a physical action in which one state takes over control of another, taking over the government and ruling the territory as its own. • Why? – Organized political states forming – Wealth from mercantilism to expand – Gained more wealth, territory, and power through colonialism

Diffusion of the Nation-State Model • European Colonization influenced – State model • the European model became the international model – Economic structure • colonies and colonizers became interdependent in a capitalist world economy

Two Waves of European Colonialism: 1500 - 1825 - 1975

Dominant Colonial Influences, 1550 -1950 This map shows the dominant influence, as some places were colonized by more than one power in this time period.

What happened to state size?

Two Waves of Decolonization First wave – focused on decolonization of the Americas Second wave – focused on decolonization of Africa and Asia

Construction of the World Economy Capitalism – people, corporations, and states produce goods and services and exchange them in the world market, with the goal of achieving profit. Commodification – the process of placing a price on a good and then buying, selling, and trading the good. Colonialism – brought the world into the world economy, setting up an interdependent global economy.

The Capitalist World-Economy The World-Economy is more than the sum of its parts. It is composed of “dots” but we must also understand the “whole. ” Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Pierre Seurat

Immanuel Wallerstein’s World-Systems Theory: 1. The world economy has one market and a global division of labor. 2. Although the world has multiple states, almost everything takes place within the context of the world economy. 3. The world economy has a three-tier structure.

Three Tier Structure Core Periphery Processes that incorporate higher levels of education, higher salaries, and more technology * Generate more wealth in the world economy Processes that incorporate lower levels of education, lower salaries, and less technology * Generate less wealth in the world economy Semi-periphery Places where core and periphery processes are both occurring. Places that are exploited by the core but then exploit the periphery. * Serves as a buffer between core and periphery

Core • Most states have assumed their current shape following centuries of growth • Examples: North America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia

Periphery • The benefits of the core area thin the farther you move outward • Any resource benefits of the periphery are typically shipped backed to the core • Examples: Africa (except South Africa), SE Asia, Western South America

Semi-Periphery • Exploited by the core, and exploit the periphery • Examples: Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Eastern Europe, China, India

Boundaries • Vertical lines that establish the limit of each state’s jurisdiction and authority • Claims and boundaries are 3 dimensional – Subsoil Resource disputes – Airspace extends into airline traffic (satellites next? )

The Evolution of Boundaries • Definition: the official establishment or documentation of a boundary – Treaty – Legal document – Example: 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement

The Evolution of Boundaries Delimitation: placing of the boundary on a map

The Evolution of Boundaries Demarcation: marking of the boundary by some method on the ground

Boundary Types • Natural (physical): based on recognizable physiographic features – Mountains, rivers, and lakes – Can cause disputes

Boundary Types • Law of the Sea – Territory • 12 Nautical miles – Contiguous Zone • 12 Nautical miles – Exclusive Economic Zone • 200 Nautical Miles

Boundary Types • Geometric (Artificial): follows parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude – 49 th parallel United States & Canada – Africa, Asia, Americas

Boundary Types • Cultural: separate groups by a common cultural trait – India and Pakistan

Boundary Origins • Antecedent: border drawn before it was well populated – United States & Canada

Boundary Origins • Subsequent: border drawn after the development of the cultural landscape – 2 types: • Consequent • Superimposed

Boundary Origins • Consequent (ethnographic): border drawn to accommodate existing religious, linguistic, or ethnic differences – N. Ireland

Boundary Origins • Subsequent Superimposed Boundaries: forced on an existing cultural landscape, country, or people by a conquering colonial power – Unconcerned about preexisting cultural patterns – Great Britain = India/Pakistan

Boundary Origins • Relict/relic Boundary: former boundary that no longer functions – Differences on each side of the border are still evident

Definitional/Positional Boundary Disputes • Focus on the legal language of the boundary agreement • A boundary agreement may base a boundary on a landmark that has moved or no longer visible • Argentina and Chile

Locational Boundary Disputes • The delimitation and possible demarcation of the border is in dispute

Operational/Functional Disputes • Neighboring states disagree over policies to be applied along a boundary • Immigration

Allocation/Resource Disputes • Neighboring states can argue about the distribution of resources • United States v. Mexico • Iraq v. Kuwait

Territorial Disputes • A subsequent boundary divides and ethnically homogenous group • Irredentism- advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession • Germany, Somalia, Kashmir

Capitals • Typically are centrally located to allow for equal access • Many capitals have become distant to many areas due to growth: Washington D. C. • Some capitals have been relocated to make the more accessible

Capitals • Usually located in the core area and frequently the focus of it • Capital cities are also frequently the largest or the Primate City • Primate City: dominates the economic structure of the entire country

Forward-Thrust capital City • Deliberately sited in a state’s interior • Brazil relocated its capital from Rio de Janeiro to a new city called Brasilia • Nigeria – Abula • Kazakhstan – Astana

Brasilia

Brasilia

Brasilia

Nigeria - Abuja

Nigeria - Abuja

Kazakhstan – Astana

Kazakhstan – Astana

Geopolitics • Considers the strategic value of land sea area in the context of national economic and military power and ambitions – power relationships: past, present, and future • Manifest Destiny, Monroe Doctrine, “Greater East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”

Geopolitics – German School Ratzel’s Organic Theory a) Held that a nation which is an aggregate of organisms would itself function and behave as an organism b) Nourishment of organism provided by acquisition of territories and people c) Territory is essential to life. d) Nazi expansion policies based on some of Ratzel’s ideas.

Geopolitics – British/American School Sir Halford Mackinder Heartland Theory a)Believed a land-based power, not a sea power, would ultimately rule the world b)Pivot area extended from Eastern Europe to eastern Siberia

Mackinder – Heartland Theory • The Heartland is impenetrable • Resource rich • Provided a base for world conquest

Mackinder – Heartland Theory – “Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland” – “Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island” – “Who rules the World Island commands the World”

Geopolitics Nicholas Spykman - Rimland Theory • Critic of Mackinder • Argued that the Eurasian rim, not its heart, held the key to global power

Spykman-Rimland • Fragmented zone • Divided rimland key to balance of world power • Dense population, abundant resources, controlling access to both the sea and the interior

Spykman-Rimland • “Who controls the Rimland controls Eurasia” • “Who rules Eurasia controls the destiny of the world”

Recent Geopolitical Developments Bipolar World • Post WWII – Heartland = U. S. S. R • U. S. practiced Containment • Confining the U. S. S. R by means of alliances with Rimland NATO • Military intervention CENTO • Domino Theory SEATO

Geopolitics Today • Current world events have rendered older geopolitical ideas obsolete • End of the Cold War, Nuclear Technology, and Japan, China, W. Europe becoming world powers • Unilateralism – United Sates dominance • Will this last? ? ?

Current Geopolitics 2 Main Forms of Competition 1. Economic rivalry: core countries versus peripheral states 2. Conflicts between “Civilizations” • Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic, Latin America, African • Differences are antagonistic • Enduring differences in history, language, culture, and religion

Key Question: How do States Spatially Organize their Governments?

Internal Structure 1. The needs of a well-functioning state a) Clearly bounded territory served by an adequate infrastructure b) Effective administrative framework, a productive core area, and a prominent capital 2. All states confront divisive forces

Forms of Government • Unitary – highly centralized government where the capital city serves as a focus of power. • Federal – a government where the state is organized into territories, which have control over government policies and funds.

Unitary and Federal Systems 1. Early European nation-states were unitary states: a)Governments were highly centralized and powerful b)Capital cities represented authority that stretched to the limits of the state

Unitary and Federal Systems 2. The federal state arose in the New World a) Newness of the culture, and emergence of regionalism due to the vast size of territories b) Conditions did not lend themselves to unitary systems of government c) Absence of an old primate city d) Lack of a clear core area and the vastness of national territory

Nigeria’s Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine whether to have Shari’a Laws Legal systems based on traditional Islamic laws

The U. S. Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine “moral” laws such as death penalty, access to alcohol, and concealed weapons. Minnesota’s concealed weapons law requires the posting of signs such as this on buildings that do not allow concealed weapons.

Forces of Fragmentation and Cohesion: Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

Centripetal Forces • • • Promoting State Cohesion Nationalism Unifying Institutions Organization and Administration Transportation and Communication Supranationalism

Centrifugal Forces • • • Challenges to State Authority Nationalism Devolution, Regionalism Peripheral Location Social and Economic Inequality

Devolution – Movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state. What causes devolutionary movements? Ethnocultural forces Economic forces Spatial forces

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements Eastern Europe devolutionary forces since the fall of communism

Economic Devolutionary Movements Catalonia, Spain Barcelona is the center of banking and commerce in Spain and the region is much wealthier than the rest of Spain.

Spatial Devolutionary Movements Honolulu, Hawai’i A history apart from the United States, and a desire to live apart in order to keep traditions alive.

Electoral Geography 1. Electoral geographers a) Study spatial configuration of electoral districts b) Voting patterns c) Influence of voting patterns on social and political affairs

Electoral Geography Gerrymandering - redrawing of voting districts in such a way as to give one political party maximum political advantage • Creating of majority-minority districts

Gerrymandering • Stacked: drawing circuitous boundaries to enclose pockets of strength or weakness • Excess vote: concentrates the votes of the opposition in a few districts which they can win easily, but leaves them few potential seats elsewhere • Wasted vote: diffuses opposition’s vote

Supranational Organizations A separate entity composed of three or more states that forge an association and form an administrative structure for mutual benefit in pursuit of shared goals. * How many supranational organizations exist in the world today? At least 60

United Nations • Background: League of Nations – 1919, idea of Woodrow Wilson but… • Basics: – Cooperate with internationally approved standards – 191 members – Aid: refugees, poverty, troops, human rights

Global Scale – The United Nations

Regional Scale - Europe • Benelux: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemberg • Marshall Plan: US aid to Western European Courntries • Organization of European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) to European Economic Community (EEC) to European Community (EC) to European Union (EU)

Regional Scale - Europe • European Union: domestic, military, and certain sovereign policies that govern all members Germany, – 12 European Community (EC) members established the EU – 1992 – Euro introduced in 2002 – Problems facing the EU? • Subsidies, Germany, Turkey France, UK, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Denmark and Ireland

Regional Scale – The European Union

Supranationalism Elsewhere… • NAFTA, ACS, APEC, CIS… • Treaties to reduce tariffs and facilitate trade • None like the European Union