Unit 4: Political Patterns & Processes Flashcards
A state refers to a country. List 4 of its characteristics.
- spatial extent
- permanent population
- defined borders
- sovereign gov. meaning no other gov. in the world can tell that gov. what to do
Nation
a unified group of ppl with a common culture.
- ex: the Kurds, the Navajo & the Roma or “Gypsies”
Nation-State
a state in which over 90% of the population is comprised of a specific culture or group of people
- tend to be small & somewhat isolated
- ex: Japan, Iceland
Heartlands (or core areas)
countries have core areas where economic development is usually the greatest.
Shape of Country: Compact
- round
- easy for defense & communication among all areas
- ex: Belgium, Poland, Bhutan, Hungary
Shape of Country: Prorupt or protruded
- round w/ a large extension (panhandle)
- increases access to resources such as water
- ex: Thailand, Myanmar (Burma)
Shape of Country: Elongated
- long, narrow
- difficult communications between areas
- ex: Chile, Italy, Vietnam, Argentina
Shape of Country: Fragmented
- 2 or more areas separated by another country or body of water
- difficult communications between areas
- ex: Philippines, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia
Shape of Country: Perforated
- totally surrounds another country
- ex: South Africa surrounds Lesotho; Italy surrounds Vatican City & San Marino
Shape of Country: Landlocked
- no access to water
- trade difficulties due to lack of ports
- ex: Bolivia, Laos, Rwanda, Serbia, Switzerland
- approx. 30% of the countries in Africa are landlocked as a result of the colonial era
Frontiers
empty or almost empty areas not controlled by any country
- ex: Antartica, Arabian Peninsula
Boundaries
are geometric w/ lines drawn during colonial times w/ no respect for ethnic divisions
Antecedent Boundary (very rare)
boundaries placed before the cultural landscape developed (in other words, very early in the area’s settlement history)
- ex: USA & Canada
Consequent Boundary
a kind of subsequent boundary that’s drawn to accommodate existing language, religious, or other cultural boundaries
- ex: India & Pakistan, Nunavut in Canada: in 1999, the Canadian gov. gave the province of Nunavut a lot more autonomy by giving them their own territory
Subsequent Boundary
drawn after the cultural landscape is in place
- many borders in Europe
Superimposed Boundary
boundaries forced by outsiders, ignoring local cultures
- ex: Borders in Africa created by European colonizers
Relic Boundaries
old boundaries that are no longer used between countries
- ex: the Great Wall of China, which was built during the 3rd century B.C as a defensive border to repel invading Mongols from the north
Disputes often arise over boundaries, define positional disputes.
occur when countries disagree about the interpretation of boundary documents
Irredentism
the situation arises when an ethnic group supports & seeks to reunite with its ethnic population in a neighboring country
Resource disputes
often occur as 2 countries dispute ownership of a natural resource that lies on the border.
- dispute over a rich oilfield on Iraq’s border w/ Kuwait was a major reason for Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 or 1991 & the resulting Persian Gulf War.
Imperalism
the use of military threat, cultural domination & economic sanctions to gain control of a country & its resources
Colonialism
the actual practice of claiming territories & settling there to exert economic & social control
- ex: Spain colonizing South America, British colonizing South Asia
- today, many countries with multiethnic populations still suffer conflict bc of the superimposed boundaries placed by European colonial powers
Decolonization
the process by which former colonies gain their independence
Heartland Theory
- Developed by Halford Mackinder to justify European colonization.
- Heartland = core of Eurasia (Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia); Rimland = surrounding territories.
- Key idea: Control of the heartland leads to global dominance due to its land size, resources, and defensibility.
- Influenced European efforts to limit Russia’s expansion.