CHAPTER 8

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

INTRO

• Political Geographers study:– how people have organized

the Earth’s surface into countries and alliances

– reasons for those agreements

– conflicts arising from the organization of the Earth

INTRO cont.

• Political landscape changed after end of the Cold War (post WWII - 1990)

ISSUE #1

Where are States Located?

STATE or COUNTRY?....STATE is a COUNTRY

• Up until the 1940s there were only about 50 countries, now there are about 200

• State – KNOW the definition (text uses it as a synonym for country)

X

United Nations Members

Fig. 8-1: The UN has increased from 51 members in 1945 to 192 in 2007.

PROBLEM of DEFINING STATES

• Antarctica – only large landmass not part of a state (parts of it are claimed by many)

– Treaty of Antarctica (1959, 1991)

– Scientific research allowed, military activities are not

• Korea – divided along the 38th parallel during the 1940s

(N.Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; S. Korea – Republic of Korea)

– no change after Korean War (1950s)

– Both admitted to UN in 1992 as separate nations

– recent developments are not good

Antarctica National Claims

Fig. 8-2: Antarctica is the only large land mass that is not part of a state, but several countries claim portions of it.

North and South Korea

Nighttime satellite image shows the contrasting amounts of electric lighting in South Korea compared to North Korea.

PROBLEM OF DEFINING STATES cont.

• China & Taiwan – China says Taiwan is not an independent state but is part of China

– Confusion goes back to Chinese Civil War (1940s)

– People’s Republic of China (mainland China – the big one)

– Republic of China (island of Taiwan – the small one)• 1999 – announced it would

regard itself as an independent state

• Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic) – most Africans consider the SADR a sovereign state

- Morocco has claimed it since the late 1970s

- controlled by Spain until 1976 (declared independent by the Polisario Front)

- signed a cease fire in 1991

- Spain still controls two cities Morocco (Milill & Ceuta)

VARYING SIZE OF STATES

• What do you think are the 10 largest states/countries by geographic size?

• Microstates – states with very small land areas (about 24 of them)– Exs. Monaco,

Vatican City

– Where are some others?Cia World Factbook

Tonga

Tonga is a microstate, including 102,000 inhabitants and 169 islands.

WORLD’S LARGEST STATES

1. Russia2. Canada3. U.S.4. China5. Brazil6. Australia7. India 8. Argentina9. Kazakhstan10. Algeria

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE CONCEPT

• Prior to the 1800s the Earth was not organized into independent nations– city-states, empires, tribes, large unorganized

territories…

– Modern movement to organize into states originated in Europe but the development of states can be traced back to the Middle East (Fertile Crescent)

ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL STATES

• City-states in Mesopotamia (town & surrounding countryside)– Also in ancient Greece

(Athens and Sparta)

• European political unity best seen in Roman Empire

• Colonialism led to European control of much of the world – God, gold, and glory

Colonial Possessions, 1914

Fig. 8-4: By the outbreak of World War I, European states held colonies throughout the world, especially throughout Africa and in much of Asia.

Image of British Colonialism

An 1840 painting of Queen Victoria receiving an emissary from Africa.

Colonial Possessions, 2006

Fig. 8-5: Most of the remaining colonies are small islands in the Pacific or Caribbean.

ISSUE #2

Why Do Boundaries Cause Problems?

SHAPES OF STATES

• Boundaries result from a combination of physical and cultural features; act as a centripetal force– Exs. U.S./Mexico…

Portugal/SpainJapan/China

• The shape of a boundary affects the potential for communication and conflict between neighbors

LANDLOCKED STATES

• lacks direct outlet to the sea because it is completely surrounded by other countries– Ex. Lesotho

• Most common in Africa– Can lead to major

problems and cause trouble with neighbors

– Ex. Rhodesia/Zimbabwe

SHAPES OF STATES

SHAPES OF STATES1. Compact

2. Prorupted

3. Elongated

4. Fragmented

5. Perforated

SHAPES FOLDABLE• Title: name of the shape

• Definition of the shape

• Benefits and/or drawbacks

• Example

African States

Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact, elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.

WHAT SHAPE AM I?

NAMIBIA

MALAWI

RWANDA

ANGOLA

SOUTH AFRICA

NAMIBIA - PRORUPTED

MALAWI - ELONGATED

RWANDA - COMPACTED

ANGOLA - FRAGMENTED

SOUTH AFRICA - PERFORATED

TYPES OF BOUNDARIES

PHYSICAL CULTURAL

BOUNDARIES cont.• Frontiers - a zone where no state

exercises complete political control

-historically separated states (boundaries are more recent)

• Only Antarctica and the Arabian Peninsula still have frontiers instead of boundaries

• Boundary – an invisible line marking the extent a state’s territory

Invisible line

Frontiers in the Arabian Peninsula

Fig. 8-8: Several states in the Arabian Peninsula are separated by frontiers rather than precise boundaries.

PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES

1. Mountains - effective if difficult to cross- can limit contact- are permanent- Not always effective (ex.

Argentina/Chile)

2. Deserts- common in Africa & Asia

(ex. Sahara)

3. Water- physical feature most

commonly used as a boundary

- boundaries are typically in the middle of water

- offer good protection- Can be problematic

- precise position of water may move

- how far out into the ocean is the boundary?

CULTURAL BOUNDARIES(often used to separate different languages and/or religions)

1. Geometric Boundaries - straight lines drawn on the map (ex. U.S./.Canada; Chad/Libya)

- can lead to conflict(Aozou strip)

2. Religious Boundaries- Religious differences often

coincide with boundaries but are rarely the determining factor in selecting the boundaries

- Some exceptions:Ex. India/Pakistan; Rep. of

Ireland/N. Ireland

CULTURAL BOUNDARIES cont.

3. Language Boundaries - very important in drawing boundaries, particularly in Europe

- played major role in determining boundaries after WWI (Versailles Peace Conference)

- these boundaries were relatively strong/stable until the 1990s (why?)

4. Cyprus’s “Green Line” Boundary- 2 nationalities

- Turks(18%) primarily in the NE

- Greeks (78%) primarily in the south)

- disputes go back to gaining of independence in 1960s

- admitted to UN in 2004 as one island (opening of relations between the two sides since)

Division of Cyprus

Fig. 8-10: Cyprus has been divided into Greek and Turkish portions since 1974.

Nicosia, Cyprus Checkpoint

Checkpoint between Greek and Turkish portions of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.

BOUNDARIES INSIDE STATES

• Unitary State vs. Federal State

• Electoral College & Gerrymandering

• PA Congressional district map

http://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/Maps/Congressional.cfm

ISSUE #3

Why Do States Cooperate With Each Other?

UNITED NATIONS• Most important int’l

organization (1945)

• Replaced the League of Nations

• UN members can vote to establish a peacekeeping force and request states to contribute military forces

• Role of the Security Council

• Tries to stay neutral

REGIONAL MILITARY ALLIANCES• Prior WWI the balance of power was

maintained by the existence of numerous great powers (no single one could dominate)

• During the Cold War many nations joined one of 2 new military alliances dominated by either the U.S. or the U.S.S.R.

– NATO (U.S.)– Warsaw Pact (U.S.S.R.)– What were their main objectives?(obsolete after the Cold War???)

BALANCE OF POWER

OTHER REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• OSCE – concerned with ending conflicts in Europe

• OAS – all 35 states in the Western Hemisphere- Promotes social, cultural,

political, and economic links

• AU – includes 53 African nations– Emphasizes economic integration

in Africa

European Alliances,

1960

European Alliances,

2007

ECONOMIC COOPERATION

• Since the end of the Cold War (1992) there are 2 major differences in the pattern of global power:

1. Growing importance of economic power (as opposed to military)

2. Leading superpower is not one state (ex. U.S. or the Soviet Union) but a an economic union of European states

BALANCE OF POWERis

CHANGING

EUROPEAN UNION

• Originally established with 6 countries in 1958– Created to heal Europe’s post-

WWII problems– Now has 27 countries

• Main task: promote development of the member states through economic cooperation– Has removed many barriers to free

trade (common currency – Euro)

ISSUE #4

Why Has Terrorism Increased?

TERRORISM

• the systematic use of violence by a group in order to intimidate a population or coerce a government into granting its demands.

– Often targets civilians and the goal is to spread FEAR/TERROR

Terrorist – person whose extremist views have led them to believe violence is justified

Cause – feel their cause is being neglected and/or ignored

Violence – believe that they have no other option left but violence to bring attention to their cause , which will lead to change

TERRORISM :WHO AND WHY?

T

C

V

Why have terrorists attacked America?

1. OUR SUPPORT OF ISRAEL (think about the Arab/Israeli Conflict)

2. INVOLVEMENT IN PAST WARS (ex. First Gulf War)

3. TROOPS STATIONED IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES (currently have troops in Afghanistan)

4. ECONOMIC POLICIES

5. SPREAD OF AMERICAN CULTURE IN THE Middle East

6. BELIEVE “WESTERN” CULTURE IS DESTROYING THEIR CULTURE

TERRORISM• Term was first applied to French

Revolution

• Differs from other acts of political violence (ex. assassination) because it targets ordinary people instead of political/military leaders

• Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish terrorism from acts of political violence (think of the Arab/Israeli conflict)– Does it depend on point of

view/perspective or is it more black and white?

What is terrorism?

History of terrorism

ATTACKS ON AMERICA &

AMERICAN TERRORISTS

• Several attacks before 9/11 (Pan Am flight, first World Trade center attack, Oklahoma city)

• Domestic terrorists included Ted Kaczynski (Unabamober) and Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City)

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 & AL-QAEDA• World Trade Center, Pentagon and

Shanksville, PA

• Al-Qaeda – terrorists network responsible for 9/11 and many other attacks (Arabic for “base” or “foundation”)

– Founded by Osama bin Laden in 1990 to unite jihad fighters

– Consists of cells

– Not centralized, difficult to find and fight

BIN LADEN (skip this slide)

• BL fought against Soviets in Afghanistan (1980s)– on a holy jihad

• 1996 – issued declaration of war against U.S. and its citizens– Claims U.S. is responsible

for maintaining gov’t in Saudi Arabia and the existence of Israel

World Trade CenterJune, 2000

Ikonos satellite image of World Trade Center on June 30, 2000

World Trade Center Site September 15, 2001

World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001

World Trade Center

Sept. 11, 2001

United Flight 175 approaches Tower 2. Tower 1 has already been hit by American Flight 11.

World Trade Center

Sept. 11, 2001

United Flight 175 crashes into Tower 2.

World Trade Center Topographic Map: Sept. 19, 2001

Fig. 8-14: Elevations above sea level are depicted in green; those below sea level are in red.

STATE SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM

• Some states in the Middle East have supported terrorism by:– Providing sanctuary for

terrorists– Supplying terrorists with

weapons, money, and/or intelligence

– Planning attacks with terrorists

• Exs:– Taliban (located in

Afghanistan) supporting Al Qaeda in the late 1990s/early 2000s

AFGHANISTAN

• U.S. invaded in 2001 due to Taliban support of Al-Qaeda

• Taliban– Muslim extremists

– Gained control in 1995 after civil war

– Soviet Union fought mujahedeen throughout the 1980s

– Removed from power by end of 2001 but still powerful and influential

IRAQ

• 1991 – Deserts Storm– After Iraq invaded Kuwait

the U.S. and others liberated Kuwait and attacked Iraq

• 2003 - U.S. invaded Iraq because it believed:– Iraq had weapons of mass

destruction– Links existed between

Hussein and Al-Qaeda

• Much more int’l support for Desert Storm than the invasion of 2003 (why?)

• Since the ouster of Hussein there has been great violence/tension between various religious sects (p.285)

IRAN• Hostility between U.S. and Iran dates

back to Iranian revolution of 1979

– Iran became an Islamic Republic governed by Ayatollah Khomeini

– 62 Marines held hostage from 1979-1981

• U.S. has accused Iran of:

– sheltering members of Al-Qaeda

– Trying to gain influence in Iraq

– Developing nuclear weapons?Mahmoud Ahmadinejad –

President of Iran

Chapter 08: Review

08.01 Which country controlled the most colonial territory in 1914?

1. United States2. Japan3. Germany4. France 5. United Kingdom

08.01 Which country controlled the most colonial territory in 1914?

1. United States2. Japan3. Germany4. France 5. United Kingdom

08.02 From a shape perspective, Chile can best be described as a(n)

1. Prorupted state2. Compact state3. Elongated state4. Fragmented state5. Centralized state

08.02 From a shape perspective, Chile can best be described as a(n)

1. Prorupted state2. Compact state3. Elongated state4. Fragmented state5. Centralized state

08.03 The largest number of landlocked states are found in

1. East Asia2. The Middle East3. Southeast Asia4. South America5. Africa

08.03 The largest number of landlocked states are found in

1. East Asia2. The Middle East3. Southeast Asia4. South America5. Africa

08.04 Libya and Egypt are separated by a

1. Desert boundary2. River boundary3. Mountain boundary4. Religious boundary5. Language boundary

08.04 Libya and Egypt are separated by a

1. Desert boundary2. River boundary3. Mountain boundary4. Religious boundary5. Language boundary

08.05 Federal government

1. Is most common in small countries2. Places nearly all power with a central government3. Was rejected by the writers of the United States Constitution4. Has become more common in recent years5. Is practiced in China

08.05 Federal government

1. Is most common in small countries2. Places nearly all political power with a central government3. Was rejected by the writers of the United States Constitution4. Has become more common in recent years5. Is practiced in China

08.06 In the United States, congressional district boundaries are usually drawn by

1. Congress2. An independent non-partisan commission3. The Federal Election Commission4. State legislatures 5. The United States Supreme Court

08.06 In the United States, congressional district boundaries are usually drawn by

1. Congress2. An independent non-partisan commission3. The Federal Election Commission4. State legislatures 5. The United States Supreme Court

08.07 The United Nations

1. Currently has nearly 300 members2. Was founded in 1935 3. Has so far been less effective than the League of Nations4. Has had substantial success with peace- keeping missions5. Places nearly all power in the hands of the U.N. Secretary General

08.07 The United Nations

1. Currently has nearly 300 members2. Was founded in 1935 3. Has so far been less effective than the League of Nations4. Has had substantial success with peace- keeping missions5. Places nearly all power in the hands of the U.N. Secretary General

08.08 At the end of the Cold War, several new countries emerged in

1. Eastern Europe2. Western Europe3. Northern Europe4. North Africa5. Latin America

08.08 At the end of the Cold War, several new countries emerged in

1. Eastern Europe2. Western Europe3. Northern Europe4. North Africa5. Latin America

08.09 This group predominates in the far north of Iraq:

1. Shiites2. Sunnis 3. Turkomen4. Kurds5. Persians

08.09 This group predominates in the far north of Iraq:

1. Shiites2. Sunnis 3. Turkomen4. Kurds5. Persians

08.10 United States’ hostility toward Iran began with

1. The 1953 overthrow of a democratically elected government2. The 1979 Islamic revolution3. The 1980-1988 war with Iraq4. Iran’s refusal to support the American invasion of Iraq in 20035. Iran’s desire to develop nuclear energy in the early twenty-first century

08.10 United States’ hostility toward Iran began with

1. The 1953 overthrow of a democratically elected government2. The 1979 Islamic revolution3. The 1980-1988 war with Iraq4. Iran’s refusal to support the American invasion of Iraq in 20035. Iran’s desire to develop nuclear energy in the early twenty-first century