Contested borders Flashcards
What is demarcation of borders?
the border that separates two countries
What two things can borders follow?
Natural linear feature
Artificial linear features
Why might borders follow natural features?
They are easily demarcated form the ground
What are some examples of natural features borders can follow?
Rivers
Coastline
Lakes
Mountain watershed
What are some examples of artificial borders?
Hadrian’s wall
Offa dike
Great wall of China
Israel west bank wall
49th parallel (USA and Canada)
What is Secession?
when a separatist group declare independence and breaks away to form a new state
What are some examples of secession?
Scotland referendum
Basque
South Sudan
Kurds/Iran
What is annexation?
One state unilaterally seizes control of a territory
What is an example of annexation?
Russia and Crimea
Russia’s current attempt on Ukraine
What is cession?
One state cedes a territory to another in a treaty
What might be the causes for a country to cede its land?
Defeat in war
Mutual agreement (sale of land)
What is an example of the sale of land? (contested borders)
USA purchase of Alaska
What are some examples of a area being ceded due to war?
Japan-sino war (Taiwan)
Japan after WW2 (Taiwan)
What are colonial borders?
Created by agreements between superpowers and often ignore cultural and physical geography
What is an example of colonial borders?
Syria/Iraq
What is the principle of self determination?
Common after WW1 when borders reflect the will of the people
What is an example of the self determination principle?
Austria- Hungary empire after WW1
What is the name of the Ottoman Empire today?
Turkey
Which side of WW1 did the Ottomans enter on?
The side of Germany and attacked Russia, Britain and France
Who was Lawrence of Arabia?
British army officer
What did Lawrence of Arabia do?
Encouraged Arab nationalism & led Arab revolt against Ottoman rule
Why did the British army need the Arabs help? (WW1)
The British wanted to attack the Ottoman Empire but they weren’t skilled enough at desert warfare
What had Britain promised the Arab leaders if the Ottomans were defeated?
Independence
What did Britain and France do which affected the independence of the Arab area? (WW1)
In 1916 Britain and France signed the secret Sykes-Picot agreement to divide the Middle East
Why did the Sykes-Picot line create a contested border?
It ignored the ethnic and religious geography of the region
What is the split of religious groups in Syria?
Shia=14.7%
Sunni=73%
Christian=9.3%
What is the split of religious groups in Iraq?
Shia=63.2%
Sunni=32.3%
Christian=2.3%
What is the split of religious groups in Iran?
Shia=86.7%
Sunni= 10.8%
Christian= 1%
What is the main ethnic group and largest minority in Syria?
Main group= Arab
Largest minority= Kurd
What is the main ethnic group and largest minority in Iraq?
Main group= Arab
Largest minority= Kurd
What is the main ethnic group and largest minority in Iran?
Main group= Persian
Largest minority= Kurd/ Alawhite
What is a alawhite?
Sect of Islam
Who was Suddam Hussein?
Dictator or Iraq (1979-2003)
What ethnic religious group was Suddam Hussein?
Sunni Arab
How did Suddam Hussein come to power?
Put into power by CIA in the Cold War as he was anti-communism
How might Suddam Hussein’s ethnic religion explain his fear or Iran and his launching of Iran-Iraq war? (1980-88)
As Iran has a big Shia population and and they may think some of Iraq should be Iranian
What happened to Suddam Hussein?
He was deposed by US invasion
What was leadership like in Iraq after Hussein?
US Military rule (2003-2011)
US installed a new Shia dictator
Why does the US electing dictators cause civil war in Iraq?
The people aren’t allowed to decide
Specifically Sunni upset as Shia leader means no longer favoured by law after being in charge for many years
Who is Bashar al-Assad?
President and effective dictator of Syria (2011+)
What is the ethnic religious group of Bashar al-Assad?
Shia Arab (Alawhite)
What are fellow Alawhites in control of in Syria?
Control the regimes security forces
Why might Bashar al-Assad’s religion be a cause of the Syrian civil war?
Wrong ethnic group to majority
Bashar hates Sunni
How did Bashar al-Assad break international law?
Used chemical weapons against own people (killing some)
What was the Balfour declaration (1917)?
Uk foreign secretary supported a ‘national home’ for Jewish people ‘in Palestine’
What happened after WW2 in Isreal (Palestine)?
Civil war broke out between Jewish settlers and indigenous Arab population
What happened when the British withdrew from Palestine?
Independent state of Isreal declared
