The Nature and The Nature and Significance of Political Significance of Political

BoundariesBoundariesAnd Types of StatesAnd Types of States

AP Human Geography 2010AP Human Geography 2010

NationNation

Nation: geographic area that is dominated by a large population that shares a common history and culture, ie. Kurds and Palestinians.

StateState

State: sovereign (implies a state's lawful control over it's territory generally to the exclusion of other states, authority to govern in that territory, and authority to apply law there.) political entity that maintains status as an independent country.

Nation-StateNation-State

Nation-State: political unit comprising a clearly delineated territory where the population shares a common history and culture, ie. Japan.

Definitions:Definitions:

StateState = country = country Territory = Territory = area controlled by a area controlled by a

statestate NationNation = cultural group = cultural group

• people with a common ancestry, culture, people with a common ancestry, culture, language, religion, historylanguage, religion, history

Nation state =Nation state = clearly defined clearly defined cultural group (a nation) occupying a cultural group (a nation) occupying a spatially defined territory (a state)spatially defined territory (a state)

BoundariesBoundaries

Boundary - something that indicates bounds or limits.

Boundary Dispute - when two or more states disagree about the demarcation of a political boundary.

BoundariesBoundaries

Boundaries are:Boundaries are:

Lines that establish the limit of each Lines that establish the limit of each jurisdiction & authorityjurisdiction & authority• Jurisdiction administers laws; collects Jurisdiction administers laws; collects

taxes; provides defense, education, taxes; provides defense, education, training; enforces legal code, etc.training; enforces legal code, etc.

3-dimensional: flat, deep, high3-dimensional: flat, deep, high

Political BoundariesPolitical Boundaries

Political boundaries represent the spatial Political boundaries represent the spatial limit of the political organization of territorylimit of the political organization of territory

They exist at different scales:They exist at different scales:• Supra-national-scale organizations, such Supra-national-scale organizations, such

as UNas UN• State-scale State-scale • Intra-state scale; boundaries used for the Intra-state scale; boundaries used for the

many sub-divisions of territory within the many sub-divisions of territory within the statestate

May be a source of friction between May be a source of friction between competing political entities competing political entities (flashpoints)(flashpoints)

May serve as peaceful reminders of May serve as peaceful reminders of contrasting but accepted differencescontrasting but accepted differences

Boundaries & state cohesivenessBoundaries & state cohesiveness

Centripetal forcesCentripetal forces • A clearly bounded territory promotes A clearly bounded territory promotes

unity/national stability unity/national stability Centrifugal forcesCentrifugal forces

• The more boundaries possessed by a The more boundaries possessed by a state, the greater is the likelihood of state, the greater is the likelihood of conflict which disrupts unity/national conflict which disrupts unity/national stability stability

Possible centrifugal forces: Possible centrifugal forces: • internal divisions in language, religion internal divisions in language, religion • lack of a long history in commonlack of a long history in common• state boundaries that are subject to disputestate boundaries that are subject to dispute

Possible centripetal forces:Possible centripetal forces:• clear and well accepted state identityclear and well accepted state identity• long state historylong state history• boundaries that are clearly delimited and boundaries that are clearly delimited and

well-acceptedwell-accepted

Disputes for regional autonomyDisputes for regional autonomy

Separatism or autonomous Separatism or autonomous nationalismnationalism• Canada’s secessionist movement in Canada’s secessionist movement in

Quebec: 1995 referendum 49% yes, 51% Quebec: 1995 referendum 49% yes, 51% no. no.

Other separatist movements: Other separatist movements: Basques in Spain; Basques in Spain; Bretons in France,Bretons in France, Palestinians in Israel, Palestinians in Israel, Sikhs in India, etc.Sikhs in India, etc.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Physical Boundary: major physical features such as a desert, mountain ranges, and/or water bodies that serves as a means of separation, ie. Great Lakes, Pyrenees Mountains, and Sahara desert.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Geometric Boundary: straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and /or cultural differences, ie. 1300 mile United States/Canadian border.

AOZOU STRIP

Chad-Libya Boundary is a straight line drawn across the desert in 1899 by the French and British to set the northern limits to the French colonies in Africa. 1912-Italy seized Libya and demanded that the French in Chad move the boundary south. 1935-France agreed to move the boundary 60 miles to the south, but Italy wasn't satisfied. 1973-Libya seized it and eventually Chad won it back

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Cultural Political Boundary: political boundary that separates different cultures, ie. former Yugoslavia.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Religious Boundary: boundary that separates different religions, ie. Northern Ireland/Ireland.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Language Boundary: boundary that separates different language speakers, ie. traditionally many countries in Europe such as England, France, Spain, and Portugal.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types Antecedent Boundary:

boundary that was created before the present day cultural landscape developed, ie. Malaysia/Indonesia on the island of Borneo. The The northern section is part of northern section is part of Malaysia and the majority of Malaysia and the majority of the landscape in the south is the landscape in the south is part of Indonesia. The part of Indonesia. The boundary passes through a boundary passes through a mountainous, sparsely mountainous, sparsely inhabited rainforest where inhabited rainforest where there is a break in there is a break in settlement. settlement.

SUBSEQUENT BOUNDARIES are those that make some are those that make some attempt to separate into two different states the attempt to separate into two different states the people of the various nations that live in an already people of the various nations that live in an already settled region. The eastern boundary of the settled region. The eastern boundary of the Netherlands, for example, was drawn up so as to place Netherlands, for example, was drawn up so as to place Dutch people on the west side, and Germans on the Dutch people on the west side, and Germans on the east. Subsequent boundaries would seem to be the east. Subsequent boundaries would seem to be the ideal type, but populations near the boundary are ideal type, but populations near the boundary are usually so mixed up that some minorities are always usually so mixed up that some minorities are always found on the wrong side of the boundary. Most of the found on the wrong side of the boundary. Most of the modern boundaries of Europe are subsequent, because modern boundaries of Europe are subsequent, because Europe was settled long before any boundaries were Europe was settled long before any boundaries were established, and it was not until after the First World established, and it was not until after the First World War that the peace treaties made an attempt to create War that the peace treaties made an attempt to create nation-states in Europe with their appropriate nation-states in Europe with their appropriate boundaries. In other cases the population were simply boundaries. In other cases the population were simply expelled to justify the boundary.expelled to justify the boundary.

Types of StatesTypes of States

Unitary State – centralized power For example, Cuba, former Soviet Union,North Korea

•Federal State – de-centralized powerFor example, U.S., Nigeria, India

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Super Imposed Boundary:

N & S Vietnam

MOST OF AFRICA!

a boundary imposed on the territory of one nation that divides the members of the nation into two different states. Such boundaries are always unstable.

Africa after Berlin Conference Africa after Berlin Conference

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Relict Boundary: boundary that ceases to exist, however the imprint of the boundary still remains on the cultural landscape, ie. north/south Vietnam.

Boundary TypesBoundary Types

Fortified Boundary: when a state constructs physical barriers along a boundary to either keep people in or out of their territory, ie. Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, Earth berms along the Morocco/Spanish Sahara border.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Compact State: the distance from the geographic center of the area to any point on the boundary does not vary greatly, ie. Hungary.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Elongated State: state that is geographically long and narrow, ie. Chile.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Enclave: portion of a state that is totally surrounded by another state, ie. Armenia.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States Exclave: small portion of land that is separated from the main

state, ie. Kaliningrad/Russia. Russia's smallest oblast (region) of Kaliningrad is an exclave

located 200 miles away from the border of Russia proper. Kaliningrad was a spoil of World War II, allocated from Germany to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam Conference that divided Europe between the allied powers in 1945. The oblast is a wedge-shaped piece of land along the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania, approximately one-half the size of Belgium, 5,830 mi2 (15,100 km2). The oblast's primary and port city is also known as Kaliningrad.

Known as Konigsberg prior to Soviet occupation, the city was founded in 1255 near the mouth of the Pregolya River. The philosopher Immanuel Kant was born in Konigsberg in 1724. The capital of German East Prussia, Konigsberg was the home to a grand Prussian Royal Castle, destroyed along with much of the city in World War II.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Fragmented State: state split into many pieces, ie. Philippines and Indonesia.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Landlocked State: state not having direct access to an ocean, ie. Bolivia.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Microstate: state that is extremely small, ie. San Marino.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Perforated State: state that totally surrounds another state, ie. South Africa.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Prorupt State: state having a portion of territory that is elongated, ie. Thailand.

Shapes of StatesShapes of States

Frontier - zone where no state exercises political control, ie. Antarctica and Portions of Saudi Arabia.