unit 4 Flashcards
state
an area organized into a politicalunit ruled by an established government that has control over its international and foreign affairs
what is the largest state
russia
what is the smallest microstate
the vatican
microstate
a state with very small land area
fast facts about democratic peoples republic of korea
its north
it has a pro-communist govts
it has a dictatorship
it spends more money on weapons than food
fast facts about the republic of korea
its south
it has a pro-us government
what is the problem with both koreas wanting to combine into one sovereign state
they both want total control
what do taiwan and china’s governments beleive
that taiwan is not sovereign but a part of the Chinese government
city-state
a sovereign state that comprises a town and the surrounding countryside (ex. singapore)
when did political unity reach it’s height
with the roman empire
nation state
a state whos territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular nation
self-determination
the concept that nations have the right to govern themselfs
when did the concept of nation-states first develop
post ww1 (allies congregated to redraw the map of Europe)
what did karl marx beleive
that workers would identify with other working class people instead of ethnicities
where are the states with the least ethnic diversity
europe
multinational state
a state that contains more than 1 nation
what are some reasons states compete
control of territory
access to trade and resources
influence over other states
what is the most important global forum for cooperation among states
the UN (united nations)
what were the two major superpowers during the cold war
the us and the soviet union
what was the cuban missile crisis
soviet union began launching missiles at cuba
what are a states two levels of government
national and local
what are the three ways national governments can be classified as
democratic
autocratic
anocratic
aphg definition of democracy
citizens can elect leaders and run for office
autocracy
run according to a rulers intrests rather than the peoples
anocracy
a mix of democracy and autocracy
unitary state
power is placed in the hands of central government officials. works best in compact nations with little cultural differences and a strong sense of national unity
federal state
strong power is allocated to units of local government. more suitable fore large states
Most fragile states are in
sub-Saharan Africa
Weapon of Mass destruction:
nuclear, biological, chemical, or other weapon that can kill & bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere
The Treaty of the Non-Proliferation:
Prevents the spread of nuclear weapons
& promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy
states that have signed the treaty yet are suspected of developing weapons of mass destruction:
Libya, Iraq, Syria, Iran
Economic Alliance formed in Europe during the Cold War:
European Union (EU), Council Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)
COMECON disbanded in
1991
Military alliances formed in Europe during the Cold War :
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (Democratic)
- The Warsaw Pact [communist) (disbanded in 1991)
Terrorism
threatened or actual use of illegal force & violence by
a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation
Terrorist Attacks against the USA other than 9/11
- Lockerbie, Scotland, 1988 (Bomb a plane on to NYC from London)
-Oklahoma City, 1995 (car bomb Killing 168 people and injuring more)
-Kenya and Tanzania, 1998 (Truck bombs killing over 200 people) - Orlando, 2016 (Shooting at a nightclub in Orlando)
Al-Qaeda was responsible for
9/11
Political Geography
Study of the organization & distribution of political phenomena including their impact on other spatial components of society and culture
Geographers are interested in political geography because of the connections between:
Government & space, culture (religion, language, ethnicity)
Most of the world is divided into political units, with the exception of
antartica
State:
: independent political unit occupying a defined populated territory having full sovereign control over its International & foreign affairs. this is the building block of the word political map today.
A state is a
territory
a nation is a
people
Nation
a group of people with a common culture occupying a popular territory, bound together
Nation-State
a State whose territorial extent coincides with that occupied by a distinct nation or people
Multinational states:
: state that contains more than 1 nation
Stateless Nation
Nation without a state (ex. Kurds)
Multistate nations:
a nation in more than one state
(ex. Koreans)
Autonomous region example
greenland
semi-autonomous region example
puerto rico
Devolutionary Forces:
Transfer of power because of physical geography, Social & Economic issues, Ethnic separatism or Ethnic Cleansing, or Terrorism
Irredentism:
Taking territory /annexing with similar culture or historic ethnic connections (Ex. china and people’s china, all Russian-speaking countries into one country)
Devolution occurs when
States fragment into one autonomous region or two subnational political territorial units
Advances in communication technology have
facilitated devolution, super-nationalism, and democratization
What furthers Supernationalism?:
- Global efforts to address transnational/environmental struggle
- Efforts to create economies of scale and trade agreements
Colonialism, imperialism, and independence movements influenced
the boundaries of the contemporary map
Political Power & Territoriality
control land, people, and resources
Neocolonialism
control through economic and cultural influence
Shatter belts:
an area between competing countries that can potentially be fragmented
choke points
an area where it is easy to be attacked from both sides (Ex, Streit of Hormuz)
Types of political boundaries:
- Physical
- Geometric:
- Antecent boundary:
-Relic: - Subsequent
Types of political boundaries: physycal
(river, mountain)
Types of political boundaries: geometric
sometimes use parallels or meridians
Types of political boundaries: antecent
drawn before cultural landscape features were there, before well-populated
Types of political boundaries: relic
no longer used, but evidence remains
Types of political boundaries: subsequent
After settlement (Consequent: (ethnographic) accommodate existing religious, linguistic ethnic, or economic differences, or Superimposed: forced on existing cultural landscapes by a conquering or colonizing power)
Ways boundaries are created
- Defined (Words on an agreement or treaty)
- Delimited (marked on a map)
- Demarcated (marked on land)
- Administered (managed by governments on each side)
The border between Canada and the US as defined on the
49th paralell
Sometimes boundaries coincide with
cultural, national, and economic divisions others are created as demilitarized zones (Korea or Cyprus) or Policies (Berlin conference)
Boundaries can be used to increase
regional or national identity
borders can encourage or discourage
interactions
12 mi out in the ocean -
Territorial sea
24 mi out in the ocean
Contiguous Zone (Coastguard)
200 mi out in the ocean
no longer territory
Types of Boundary disputes
- Definitional (legal language of a treaty)
- Locational (delimitation or demarcation are disputed, likely internal boundaries)
- Operational (functional) (how borders should be managed or used)
- Allocational (over rescources)
Governance of state can either be
federal or unitary
Unitary States:
Top-down, centralized (china, UK, France)
Impacts of Unitary government:
- More efficient at implementing laws
- Encourages centripetal forces
- little representation of minorities
Federal States:
governments are more locally based with dispersed power centers (USA, Mexico, Switzerland)
National governments
share powers, allow minorities to be recognized, have an efficient response to people’s wants/needs, and sometimes have conflicting interests/laws that can lead to devolutionary forces
Within States there are
State/province, counties, Subnational political territorial units like Puerto Rico
The US, like other countries has voting districts. To maintain “one person, one vote, “ Voting districts must have
the same number of people
Gerrymandering
when district lines are redrawn to favor a political party that is in power
Consequences of centripetal & centrifugal forces:
- Centripetal: celebrating diversity, pledge of allegiance, sports
- centrifugal: deportation, abortion, religion
Centrifugal forces can be
economic, political, cultural, or economic
centrifugal forces have led to
failed states (Afghanistan); Uneven development (segregation or apartheid), Stateless nations (kurds), ethnic national movements (Croatia)
Centripetal forces can be
economic, political, or national
centripetal forces can be
may lead to Ethnonationalism (Nazis), equitable infrastructure (boroughs of NYC) increased cultural cohesion (value the democracy)
