WORLD ISSUES

Compact Prorupted Elongated Fragmented Perforted

Distance from center to boundary does not vary

Beneficial to small states; easy to set up communication systems if capital is in center

Efficient to govern Examples: Rwanda

and Uganda

Compact state with a large projecting extension

Can provide access to a resource

Separate two states that would share a boundary

Example: Caprivi strip in Namibia

State with large distance from one end to another but smaller distance side to side.

Regions can be separated from capital

Country may have poor communications

Ex. include Chile and Norway

State that has several discontinuous pieces of territory.

2 types Separated by

water and separated by another state.

A state that completely surrounds another state.

Lesotho is surrounded by S. Africa

Lacks a direct outlet to the sea. Ocean access is critical, international

trade. Landlocked states must work with

neighboring states to transport goods to the ocean.

Most common in Africa, 14 states are landlocked

Physical Geometric Anthropographic (Cultural)

Almost always appear as straight lines Usually follow lines of latitude or

longitude Completely created by humans Examples

Border between MN and IA Northwest Angle

Use a physical feature of the landscape Rivers: easy but problematic

The darn things move! People tend to live along them, so population

centers get divided Mountain ridges: awesome, they stay still and

people don’t live along the tops of mountains.

Borders that separate cultural features Language groups Religion Ethnicity

Huge advantage: makes political units (countries) that have consistent cultural features. Much easier to govern.

Not as easy to create.

Religious boundaries Used in dividing Ireland and Pakistan/India

Language Boundaries European countries set main boundaries

based on language. Ex. France, Germany, and Italy.

Religious boundaries Used in dividing Ireland and Pakistan/India

Language Boundaries European countries set main boundaries

based on language. Ex. France, Germany, and Italy.

Antecedent boundary—drawn before an area becomes populated.

Subsequent boundary—drawn after the cultural landscape has been developed.

Consequent boundary is a type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to accommodate differences within a state.

Subsequent superimposed boundaries—boundaries forced on a country by a conquering or colonizing power.

1. Positional disputes: When states disagree about the interpretations of documents that define a boundary. Usually arise when the boundary is antecedent.

2. Territorial dispute: These arise when a boundary has been superimposed and divides a ethnic population.

3. Resource disputes: Disagree to the resources and their use in boundary areas.

4. Functional disputes: arise when neighboring states disagree over policies applied to boundaries. Usually over the issue of land use or immigration.

1. Unitary: Highly centralized governments, few internal cultural contrasts, strong sense of national identity, borders are cultural as well as political.

2. Federal: Associations with provinces or states and the states have strong regional govt. responsibilities. Capital city was created to serve as an administration center.

The trend is for countries to have a federal government.

establishes the legal code what kind of currency will be used may have to join army speak a common language kind of religion that is taught in school

Geopolitics is the study of economic, political, and military value of space to help predict and direct international relations.

State resembles a biological organism. To prolong its existence, a state needs

nourishment. Nourishment is provided by acquisition of

territories. If a state is confined with static

boundaries, the state will die. Territory is the state’s essential life-

giving force.

1861-1947 Founded the London School

of Economics in 1895 In 1904 wrote “The

Geographic Pivot of History” Within this paper he

discussed the Heartland theory.

The Earth is divided into two sections One section is called the “World Island”

made up of Europe and Asia—Eurasia. The other section is the periphery,

comprised of the Americas and Oceania. The “Heartland” was Ukraine, W. Russia,

and Eastern Europe.

The World Island had more resources and a larger population.

For the Periphery to conquer the W.I. the periphery would have to transport long distances by sea.

W.I. could locate industries deep inside for protection form invasion.

Who controls E. Europe rules the Heartland.

Who rules the Heartland rules the World Island.

Who rules the World Island rules the World.

Near the end of WW II the theory was modified by Nicholas Spykman.

He argues that the coastal areas of the heartland or the Rimland were more important.

U.S. Foreign Policy decisions. Containment and Domino Theory Containment meant to “contain the spread of

Communism” The Domino Theory was that if one country

fell to communism, soon after, the neighboring country would fall like a row of dominoes.

Many analysts believe these theories no longer apply to the current world situation because of the following. breakup of the USSR/end of the cold war development of nuclear power rise of Japan/China/W. Europe decline of power of the U.S.

Many political geographers believe it is not military power that will cause conflict and shape the world in the future but two other forms competition.

1. Economic rivalry—economic competition between the north (developed countries) and the south (undeveloped countries).

2. Competition between different civilizations. More importantly many believe the world will be shaped by eight major civilizations and the conflicts between them.

Organization that brings together countries to promote world peace

Provides a forum where countries can discuss international and regional concerns.

World Health Organization (WHO) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) United Nations Educational, Scientific,

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Much of the UN budget is committed to assisting states with economic growth and development.

UN has NO authority of any countries military.

Most recently has taken a different approach to world affairs.

Territorial Sea, 12nm (19km). Coastal states have sovereignty. Most vessels have the rights to innocent passage.

Contiguous zone, to 24nm (38km). Coastal states do not have complete sovereignty, but can enforce some laws and pursue out of territorial waters.

Exclusive Economic zone (EEZ), up to 200nm (370km). State has rights to explore and exploit natural resources. Has rights to continental shelf up to 350nm beyond their coasts.

High Seas. Outside any one state’s jurisdiction. All minerals are the property of humankind.

Located in Geneva, Switzerland WTO is the only global international

organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

Handles trade disputes between states Goal of WTO is to cut tariffs and

dismantle all barriers to trade.

Also referred to as the common market. The EU has rid Europe of trade barriers

and allowed free movement of capital, goods, and people throughout member nations.

The EU has created a single European Market.

NATO is an alliance of 26 countries from North America and Europe.

NATO treaty was signed on April 4, 1949. NATO is a mutual defense agreement.

The Warsaw Pact was a military organization of Central & Eastern European Communist countries.

It was established in 1955 in response to the formation of NATO.

The Warsaw Pact dissolved in 1991.