CHAPTER 8-PART I: POLITICAL GEOGRAPHYDefining States, Boundaries, Electoral Geography

4. I can differentiate between state, State and nation-state, providing 2 examples of each. (IV B1)

States and Nations: this two words are used differently by political scientist.

A State is a sovereign political unit that occupies a precisely defined, permanently populated territory.

It has full control over its internal and foreign affairs.

In short it is an independent State (AKA-country). The United Nations recommended that the word

State be capitalized to distinguish it from a “state” (like KY or TN) which is a lower-order political unit.

State, state, nation and Nation-State

The State is the dominant form of political unit in the world organization. Other vocabulary includes: Nation: A group of people with a sense of oneness

– an ethnic group. Nation-state: High coincidence between the

territory occupied by a nation and that which is organized as a state – A nation which has its own political structure for the territory it occupies. (i.e. Japan, Denmark)

Multi-national state: A state in which more than one nation resides (i.e., Great Britain, Russian Federation, Canada or former USSR or Yugoslavia)

Yugoslavia

After WWI, Yugoslavia was created to unite several Balkan ethnicities that spoke similar south Slavic languages. It includes: 5 Nationalities (Croats, Macedonians,

Montenegrens, Serbs and Slovenes) 4 languages (Croatian, Macedonian,

Serbian and Slovene) 3 religions (Roman Catholic, Orthodox,

Islam) 2 alphabets and 1 currency (CONFUSING,

RIGHT?)

Yugoslavia (cont.)

After the fall of communism in 1990, all became independent countries and broke up Yugoslavia. Ethnicities fought to redefine boundaries and other ethnic groups did not receive official recognition.

Serbs and Croats in Bosnia-Herzogovina tried to ethnically cleanse themselves of Bosnian Muslims even though Muslims were majority. Serbs ended up with ½ of the land even though they are 1/3 of the population.

Yugoslavia (cont.)

In the region of Kosovo, Albanians (90% of the pop.) were in control politically, so Serbs took over and began ethnic cleansing. UN began air strikes against Serbia, so Serbs withdrew and Kosovo became independent in 2008.

Yugoslavia and the surrounding area of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania are considered the Balkans. If peace comes to the Balkans, it would be because ethnic cleansing led to ethnic homogeneity.

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Multi-national state – former Yugoslavia – In Bosnia, the territory occupied by Bosnians and Serbs was so discontiguous that there was no way to divide the area along ethnic lines.

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Nationalism: double-edged sword

Nationalism can bring a people together and provide a strong centripetal force holding the country together in a nation-state.

Nationalism, particularly when carried to extremes, can be a divisive, centrifugal force working to tear a country apart when it is exercised in a multi-national state. When a nation occupies a rather contiguous

territory within a multi-national state, that can make separatist movements more likely to develop and/or succeed

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Centripetal Forces: Pull Together

Nationalism Primarily one language in common use Unifying Institutions – common religion, etc. Organization & Admin. – evolve from national

core Unitary state Federal state

Transportation & Communication – connect French transportation system focuses on Paris Transcontinental railroads in the U.S. TransSiberian RR in the Russia/Soviet Union

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Centrifugal Forces: Disrupt

Multi-nationalism – Canada, Bosnia, Afghanistan Incompatible religions – partition of India in 1947 –

still in conflict with Pakistan over Kashmir Multiple languages in use Very strong regional differences (cultural and/or

economic) – i.e. led to US Civil War Artificial creation – not evolving from a national core

Particularly true of most of the former colonies which became the countries of modern Africa

Irredentism Insurgent groups operating within the country

Important Vocabulary

Balkanized-a small geographic area that could not successfully be organized into one or more stables states b/c it was inhabited by many ethnicities fighting amongst each other (i.e.-A COUNTRY THAT BROKE APART)

Balkanization-the process by which a state breaks down through conflict amongst its ethnicities (a leading cause of WWI)

Devolution-the breakup of a state (a.k.a. balkanization) or the movement of power from the central govt. to regional govts. within the state

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Stateless nation & part-nation state

Stateless nation – an ethnic group which is divided among several countries and which does not comprise the majority of the population of any of the countries. Kurds Poles before the Treaty of Versailles

Part-nation state – A nation whose territory may expand beyond the territory of a state and may encompass several states Arab nation ISIS ???

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State & Nation –Both the multinational state and the stateless nation situations have the potential for armed conflict

Defining States and Sovereignty Issues

Sovereignty- independence from control of its internal affairs by other states

Global Sovereignty Issues Korea—Divided in 1953 by the 38th Parallel DMZ

(demilitarized zone). Some believe the 2 countries are committed to reunite, but in 1992, the UN admitted N and S Korea as 2 separate countries

Taiwan is the most populated state not in the UN. Taiwan’s president announced it as an independent sovereign nation in 1999 despite the fact that the it considered itself to the be legitimate rules of China since the Chinese govt. exile to Taiwan after the 1949 communist takeover over China

Problems of Defining States

Antarctica is the only large landmass on Earth that is not part of a state Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New

Zealand, Norway, and the UK all claim portions of Antarctica 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

The BIGGEST and smallest

States Largest – Russia= 6.6 million sq. miles

11% of total land area China, Canada, United States, Brazil, and

Australia are the only other states of more than 2.9 million sq. miles

Microstates- states with very small land areas

Smallest is Monaco=0.6 square miles Many microstates are small islands Other Examples-Andorra, Antigua and Barbados,

Bahrain, Barbados, Singapore

Colonialism vs. Imperialism

Colony-a territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state

Largest remaining colonies today: Puerto Rico (U.S.), Greenland (Denmark), Hong Kong

(China, was British until 1997), Macao (China, was Portugal until 1999)

Colonization-effort by one country to establish settlements in a territory not previously organized

Imperialism-control of a territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society

Why did Europeans colonize?

God, Gold and Glory

British vs. French Empires at their Height of Colonization

British French

Colonies United StatesEastern and southern AfricaS. Asia (esp. India)Middle EastAustraliaCanada

West AfricaS. E. Asia

Colonial Practices

*Created different government structures and policies for various territories*Decentralized approach protected the diverse cultures, local customs and education systems in the empire

*Attempted to assimilate its colonies into French culture and educate an elite group to provide local administrative leadership *After independence, most leaders kept close ties with France

How does the shape of a state affects its functioning?

Things to Consider: How is communication within the country

affected? Where is the capital? Is there access to resources like water for

trade? Is the country isolated from other

countries? Are there regions within the country

isolated from the rest of the country?

Shapes of States

Shape of a state controls the length of its boundaries with other states

Shape also can influence the ease or difficulty of internal administration and can affect social unity

There are 5 basic shapes: Compact Prorupted Elongated Fragmented Perforated

Compact States: Efficient Def.- state where the

distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly

Ideal compact state would be a circle with the capital in the center

Allows for good communications from all regions

Ex’s Burundi, Kenya, Uganda

Prorupted States: Access or Disruption Def. – an otherwise compact state with

a large projecting extension Proruptions are created for 2 reasons1. 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 Def.- states with a long narrow shape Only a handful of these Ex. Chile – over 2500 miles long, but

only 90 miles wide Italy is a less extreme example 700 by

120 miles Gambia is an elongated state on an East-

West orientation (300 miles wide by15 miles long) by that is completely surrounded by Senegal

continued May suffer from poor

internal communication and some regions may be isolated from the capital which is usually near the center

Fragmented States: Problematic Def.- state with several discontinuous

pieces of territory Technically, any state that has offshore

islands is considered fragmented – fragmentation is particularly significant for some states

2 types:1. Areas separated by water2. Areas separated by an intervening

state

continued

The US, Russia, Angola, and Bangladesh are examples of countries with territory separated by other states

Kaliningrad is separated from the rest of Russia by 250 miles Important to Russia because it gives them

access to the Baltic sea The Tin Bigha corridor of India divides

Bangladesh

continued

Panama was a fragmented state while the US controlled the canal and the surrounding canal zone Now that the US has returned control of the

canal, Panama is now a elongated state

Perforated States: South Africa Def.- a state that completely surrounds

another one South Africa is a great example

It completely surrounds Lesotho Lesotho dependent upon S. Africa for import

and export of goods

Landlocked States

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

Remnant of European colonialism Access to a seaport is critical because it

facilitates international trade Bulky goods are usually transported by ship Landlocked states are at the mercy of other states

for the use of their seaports

Results of the Colonization of Africa

Exclave vs. Enclave

Exclave – a territorial outlier of one state is surrounded by the territory of another state

Enclave – a piece of territory surrounded by a country which is not ruled by that country (may be an exclave of another country

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Micro-States (enclaves)

Mini-states

Compact states

Elongated states

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FragmentedStates

Perforated & Fragmented State

Prorupt State

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Micro-States (enclaves)

Mini-states

Compact states

Elongated statesFragmented

States

Perforated & Fragmented State

Prorupt State

National coreareas from which nation-statesdeveloped

LandlockedStates

Landlocked mini-states:Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg Landlocked micro-states:San Marino, Vatican City

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 Antarctica and the

Arabian Peninsula are the only places that still have frontiers

Saudi Arabia is separated from Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Yemen by frontiers

continued

Boundaries can be physical or cultural Physical boundaries can be seen on a

map and on the ground Neither type necessarily better than

others Best boundaries are those that all

affected states agree upon

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Position disputes – disagree to interpretation of the boundary treaty – Chile/Argentina in S. Andes

Territorial disputes – over ownership of territory Irredentism – land that was formerly part of

another state with which there are ethnic ties Resource disputes – Kuwait & Iraq Functional disputes – disagreement over

policies to apply to border – Mexico & U.S.A. over illegal aliens crossing into the U.S.A

Boundary Disputes

49 In the 1970s, Somalia claimed the eastern part of Ethiopia, Ogaden, because it is peopled primarily by Somalis. Unsuccessful guerrilla fighting continued until 1988 creating more than 1mil. refugees in Somalia.

Physical Boundaries

Mountain Boundaries Argentina and Chile are separated by the

crest of the Andes Mountains, but they have had disagreements about where exactly that crest lies

Desert Boundaries Type of boundary common in Africa and Asia Sahara desert separates Libya, Algeria, and

Egypt from their southern neighbors Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and the Sudan

Physical Boundaries (cont.)

Water Boundaries Very common in East Africa Ex. Boundary separating Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

runs through Lake Victoria Boundaries are typically in the middle of the water, but

not always Position of water changes over time

Ex. Rio Grande along the US – Mexico border Ocean boundaries can also be problematic

Most states claim the boundary is not at the coastline, but out at sea Done for defense and resources

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

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

Examples: Geometric Boundaries Religious Boundaries Language Boundaries

Geometric Boundaries

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

Religious Boundaries

In a few cases religion has been used to select a boundary between states

The British split India into states based on religion Hindus in India, Muslims in Pakistan

Northern Ireland is majority Protestant and is part of the UK

Ireland is 95% Catholic and is independent from the UK

Language Boundaries

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

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 1990s

Cyprus “Green Line” Boundary

78% of Pop.

18% of Pop.

Cyprus “Green Line” Boundary Cyprus is the 3rd largest island in the

Mediterranean It gained independence from Britain in

1960 with a constitution giving the Turkish minority a majority control of the govt., education, religion and culture

1974-Greek Cypriot military officers wanting Cyprus to unified with Greece seized control Turkey invaded Cyprus restoring the govt. Turkish army stayed so the UN Buffer Zone

was created 2004-Cyprus accepted into the E.U.

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Geopolitical Assessments

Relating national power to geographic factors – somewhat tarnished reputation due to Germans in WWII.

Heartland theory – Halford Mackinder

Rimland theory – Nicholas Spykman

Both theories see Eurasia as the “prime” real estate

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German school of geopolitik adopted by Hitler– eastern front aimed at controlling the heartland.

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Cold War Alliances

Dark Grey – USA & “Allies” Light Grey – Communist countries

WEAKNESS

HEARTLAND?

RIMLAND?

RIMLAND?

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U.S. policy of Containment Cold-war geopolitical strategy to counter the

Soviet attempt to control the heartland. Major points

Control rim of exterior continents & islands. Control strategic parts of the rimland. Isolate communism and prevent its expansion. Like a “cancer” which is not allowed to grow,

communism would wither up and die. Was the Soviet demise the result of it’s own

mistakes or of containment, or some of both? Andre Amalric – Will the Soviet Union Survive

until 1984?

Boundaries Inside States

Local gov. boundaries are sometimes drawn to separate different nationalities or ethnicities

In the US, they are sometimes drawn to provide an advantage to a political party

Unitary state- an internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of the central government officials

Federal state- an internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government

Unitary States

Works best in nation-states characterized by few internal cultural differences and a strong sense of national unity

Smaller states are more likely to adopt Common in Europe Some multinational states have adopted

unitary systems so the values of one nationality can be imposed on the others

Ex. Rwanda

Federal States

Local governments have the authority to adopt their own laws

Multinational states may adopt federal systems to empower different nationalities, esp. if they live in different regions of the country

Well suited for large states-most large countries are US, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and India

Electoral Geography

Legislative districts in the US are redrawn every 10 years to reflect relative population changes

In most European countries independent commissions are created to draw the districts

In the US, state legislatures are responsible for drawing congressional districts

Party in power attempts to draw lines to keep them in power

Gerrymandering

Def.- the process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

Named for Elbridge Gerry, Gov. of Mass. 1810-1812 One of the districts he drew looked like a

salamander– critic called it a gerrymander

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Gerrymandering

Violates the principle of compactness at the very least.

Types of Gerrymandering

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 like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries

continued Most gerrymandering

in the Us is now “stacked vote” gerrymandering 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 Ex. 12th district in

NC

continued

Supreme Court ruled Gerrymandering illegal in 1985, but doesn’t have the power to keep it from happening

Estimated that only 10% of congressional seats are actually competitive because of gerrymandering