Political Geography
Political culture
learned and shared
how / what we think about politics
communism, democracy, conservatives, liberals, democrats, republicans, theocracies, secular states, territoriality,
Political Landscape
How political culture is reflected on the landscape
Examples:
Our View of the World
Election Results
Election Results
Campaign Headquarters
Election Signs (lawn ornaments)
Political Buildings
Political Buildings
Monuments
Land Division System
Borders and Flags
Duty Free Shop
Territoriality
a sense of ownership
mark your territory
Fences are one of the most common ways to show / mark territory.
Sovereignty
final authority over social, economic, and political mattersrest with the independent state
Sovereignty can be exerted subtly or more forcefully.
Examples: …
Canadian scientific expedition to the Arctic
Canadian Coast Guard providing ice-breaking service
SS Manhattan & the Northwest Passage
The Canadian Coast Guard ship John A. MacDonald accompanied the SS Manhattan on its voyage through the Northwest Passage to support Canada’s claim to control of the Passage.
Search and Rescue missions off our coast
Canada’s new submarines will help patrol our vast Coastline, and our 200 mile limit.(over fishing, pollution, ….)
Brandenburg Gate separating E and W Berlin
Border of Pakistan and India
The ‘security barrier’ / ‘wall’ separating the West bank from Israel
Parts of the 100+ km of wall separating the U.S. and Mexico
U.S. – Mexico border crossing
Political Morphology
Shape
Size
Relative Location
Shape Prorupt, Protruded
Perforated
Fragmented
Compact
Elongated
Size & Relative Location
Nation
State
Nation-state
KurdsNation(a group of people)
State (country)
Nation – state (a country occupied by 1 group of people)
Stateless nationsKurdistan
Palestine
Inuit: a nation ?
A state for the Inuit nation ? Devolution ?
Centripetal Forces
unite a country
examples: ….
Centrifugal Forces
divide a country
examples: ….
What is a key centripetal force here ?
What was a key centrifugal force here ?
Supranationalism
2 or more countries form a common union for economic, military, or political cooperation in order to promote shared objectives
Examples of supranational organizations: ….
United Nations
NAFTA
NATO
Arab League
Devolution
the process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government
Examples of devolution: …...
Canada & Quebec
U.S.S.R.
Former Yugoslavia
Scotland Act 1998 (creation of new Scottish parliament giving Scotland greater authority)