Geopolitics:

Fundamental principles and

key concepts

Unit Outline

States, Nations, Nation-States

The Structure

of the State

The History of The State

The Modern

State

Important VocabularyBalkanization

Binational or Multinational State

Boundary

Centripetal Force

Centrifugal Force

Colonies

Command Economy

Compact States

Confederal System

Consequent Boundaries

Core Area

Core-Periphery

Cultural Boundary

Democratization

Devolution

The Four Boundary Disputes

Economic Force

Electoral Geography

Elongated States

Enclaves, Exclaves

Ethnic Force

Ethnonationalism

European Union

Federal System

Fragmentation

Fragmented States

Frontiers

Geometric Boundaries

Gerrymandering

Geopolitics

Imperialism

Institutions

Integration

Internal Boundaries

Irredentism

Landlocked States

Market Economy

Marketization

Microstates

Minority/Majority Districting

Mixed Economy

Multicore State

Nation/Nation-State/State

Perforated States

Physical Boundary

Political Geography

Politicization of Religion

Politics

Primate City

Privatization

Security Council

Separatist Movement

Shatter Belts

Sovereignty

Spatial Force

Stateless Nation

States

Supranational Organization

Territoriality

Unitary state

Important Models and Theories

Nicholas Spykman’s Rimland Theory

Friedrich Ratzel’s Heartland Theory

Wallerstein’s World System Theory

Guiding Unit Questions

• How is space politically organized into states and nations?

• How do states spatially organize their governments?

• How are boundaries established, and why do boundary disputes occur?

• How do geopolitics and critical geopolitics help us understand the world?

• What are supranational organizations and what is the future of the state?

Part 1: Political Organizations of Space

A: States, Nations, Nation-States

What is Political Geography?

Political Geography is the study of the political

organization of the world.

Political Divisions

States

NationsNation-States

The State

Politically Organized

Permanent Population

Defined Territory and Government

Recognized by other States

State

State

Territory

Sovereignty

What is sovereignty?

Sovereignty means that a state is independent from

control of its internal affairs by other states.

Are the US States actual states?

Because the US States do not have sovereignty, they are not considered states but districts.

The Nation

Culturally Defined

Shared Culture

Not defined by territory

“An Imagined Community”

Nation

Nations

The French

Native Americans

Not Nations

Italy

Great Britain

How has globalization affected the concept of ‘nation’?

Dates to the French Revolution

Created to inspire nationalism within

a state

Largely an ideal rather than fact

Unifies groups that may destroy the

state

Nation-State

Examples

The Vatican

IcelandScotland

Different Types of Nations and States

Multinational State

• A state with more than one nation inside its borders.

• Nearly every State in the world is a multinational state.

• Iraq: Sunnis, Kurds, Shiites

Multistate Nations

• A nation that stretches across borders.

Stateless Nations

• A nation that does not have a state.

• Palestinians, Kurds

B: Territoriality

What is territoriality?

Territoriality is the efforts to control pieces of the earth’s

surface for political and social ends.

Territory is the most basic form of power.

To understand territoriality you have to understand politics of space.

Sack’s Theory

• Human territoriality is different than animal territoriality.

• HT takes on different forms depending on the social and geographic context.

C: Boundaries

What are boundaries?

Boundaries are invisible lines that mark the extent of a

state’s territory and control its leaders have.

Before boundaries, there were frontiers.

A frontier is a geographic zone where no state

exercises power. It is a neutral zone of power.

Types of Boundaries

Physical

• Mountains

• Desert

• Water

Cultural

relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society.

(Consequent)

• Geometric

• Religious (India/Pakistan)

• Language

Shapes of Boundaries

What is territorial morphology?

Territorial Morphology is a term that describes the shape, size, and relative

location of states.

Compact State

The distance from the center to any boundary is about the same.

Promotes good communication.

Prorupted State

A compact state with a large projecting extension.

Exists to reach a natural resource.

Perforated State

A perforated state completely surrounds another.

To get to the other state you have to go through the other.

Problems arise if there are issues between the two states.

Elongated State

A long state.

Fragmented State

A state that is separated by a physical or human barrier.

Communication is difficult.

Enclave State

A state completely surrounded by another state.

Does not have a political affinity for the surrounding state.

Exclave State

A part of a state almost completely separated from the rest of the country.

Size of States:

A microstate (Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino) may only be a few square miles.

The size of the state does not necessarily suggest power.

D: Internal Boundaries and Boundary Disputes

Boundary Disputes

What are some reasons that people might fight over boundaries?

• Occur when states argue about where the border actually is.

• Ex: The United States and Mexico argued over their border position even after it was set by treaty in 1848.

Positional Disputes

• Arises over the ownership of a region.

• Conflicts arise if the people of one state want to annex a territory whose population is ethnically related.

• Ex: Germany invaded Poland and Czechoslovakia because there were German minorities living there.

Territorial Disputes

• Involve natural resources (mineral deposits, fertile farmland, or rich fishing groups) that lie in the border area.

• Example: The US and Canada have fought over fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean

Allocation Disputes

• When neighboring states cannot agree on policies that apply in a border area.

• Example: The US/Mexican Border in regards to immigration and transport of goods.

Operational Disputes

Internal Boundaries

Internal Boundaries

Most modern countries divide themselves into districts, states, or provinces.

These boundaries may be physical, cultural or geometric.

Canada

10 Provinces

2 Federal Territories

1 Self Governing Homeland

India

28 States

People in different states often speak different languages.

Part 2: The Structure of the State

A: Types of Government in States

Unitary States, Confederate States, Federal States

CONFEDERACY

FEDERALISM

UNITARY

B: Organization of States

Capital City

Core Area

Periphery

What is a core area?

A Core Area is heartland of a country, usually more

advanced than the rest of the country, with an intense

feeling of native culture and nationality.

Multi-Core Areas

Some states have more than one core area.

Capital Cities

In most states, the capital city is both an economic and cultural center as well as a center

for government.

What is a primate city?

A primate city is the leading city in its country or region,

disproportionately larger than any others in the urban

hierarchy.

Examples of Primate Cities

• Paris (9.6 million) is definitely the focus of France while Marseilles has a population of 1.3 million.

• Similarly, the United Kingdom has London as its primate city (7 million) while the second largest city, Birmingham, is home to a mere one million people.

• Mexico City, Mexico (8.6 million) outshines Guadalajara (1.6 million).

Forward Capital

When the capital city serves as a model for national objectives – such as economic development and future hopes.

(Example: Tokyo, and Brasilia)

Periphery

The Periphery is the outlying areas of a state.

Towns get smaller, factories less frequent, etc.

Part 3: The History of the State

Part A: Colonies and Imperialism

History of the Colonial Period

What is a colony?

Colonies are areas dependent on another country – they often

establish boundaries and government where none

exist.

The 14th Century

What major discovery was made in the 14th

Century that inspired the start of colonialism?

Why Colonize?

God

GoldGlory

What happened to the Western Colonies?

The United States – 1776 Independence

Most Latin American Countries – 1800-1824

What might this do to a nation’s morale?

Loss of Western Colonies

Rise of Nationalism

What is nationalism?

Nationalism is loyalty or devotion to one's nation.

Why Nationalism?

The French Revolution

The Enlightenment

Revolution

Rise of Politics

The French Revolution

What was the French Revolution?

How did the French Revolution inspire nationalism?

The Enlightenment

National awakening grew out of the Enlightenment. It emphasized national identity

based on nationhood instead of for the established government.

“Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood”

Revolution!!

Many European states were being ruled by foreign authority. (Example: Greece by the Ottoman Empire)

The people overthrew their government and established a national identity.

The Rise of Politics

As people began to have more control over their country, nationalism began to be an important

point for politicians trying to win support.

The Rise of Imperialism

What is a imperialism?

Imperialism is the policy of extending a country’s

influence through diplomacy or military force to areas

already governed by a indigenous society.

Imperialism was a large part of the political landscape from the 19th and early 20th century in

both Africa and Asia by the European Nations.

The Scramble for Africa (1881 – 1914)

What was the scramble for Africa?

The Scramble for Africa was a process of invasion,

occupation, colonization and annexation of African

territory by European powers

Causes

Exploration

Technology

Resources

Military Bases

Trade Routes

Military Labor

The Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference formalized the Scramble for Africa.

It set ground rules.

Rules

Abolished Slavery

Congo and Niger River

Open for Ship Traffic

Any fresh colonization

would have to be approved

Established Regions of

Control

When did it end?

The Race for Africa ended after World War I –especially when Germany was stripped of its colonies.

Most African/Asian nations became independent after WWII because the European nations did not have the resources to maintain control.

Results

African Nations split at Colonial

Lines

Drastically increased the

number of Nation States

Loss of Tribalism

Race for Power

Part 4: The Modern State

Part A: Modern Challenges to the Nation-State

1) Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

Important Questions

• How is the nation-state concept changing?

• Considering organizations like the United-Nations, is it possible that the flow of power might change?

• What are the differences between centripetal and centrifugal forces?

• What is devolution and how is it affecting governments?

Centripetal Forces

• Forces that unify states.

Centrifugal Forces

• Forces that fragment states.

Centripetal Forces

Nationalism

Flags, Symbols, Holidays

Schools and Education

Church and Religion

Transportation

Communication

Centrifugal Forces

Opposing Institutions

Oppositional Nationalism

Separatist Movements

Peripheral Locations

Ethnic Forces

Economic Forces

2. Devolution and Its Causes.

English Government

Imagine, as a Louisianan, that you were being governed by a group of people from North

Dakota.

How would this make you feel?

What problems might this cause?

English Government

England is largely governed by people out of London.

The problem is that many people feel that London does not adequately represent them so London has moved from a strict Unitary System

to a Federal System.

What is devolution?

Devolution is the transfer of power from the central

government to sub-governments.

Ethnic Forces

When a state contains a strong ethnic group that is different than the majority it can cause

ethnonationalism.

This can be further exacerbated when the ethnic group lives in one central area.

Examples:

French Canadians in Quebec, India and Pakistan’s Separation, Yugoslavia (Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia,

and Serbia-Montenegro)

Economic Forces

When one area of a state is economically unequal to the other areas.

Examples:

Italy’s “Ancona Line”,

This is especially true in any areas separated from the core.

Spatial Forces

Distance, remoteness, and peripheral location promote devolution, especially if water, desert, or mountains separate the areas from the center of

power.

Examples:

Example: Puerto Rico. 2 + 2 = 5 in extremely large cases of 2.

Part B: Changing Geopolitical Concerns

1. Theories of Geopolitics.

What is geopolitics?

Geopolitics is the study of spatial and territorial dimensions of power

relationships within the global political-territorial

order.

Examples of Geopolitics

• How does Chinese Trade affect American Interests?

• How does the European Union affect the individual governments of members?

• How does the conflict in the Middle East affect relationships between UN countries.

The Power Structure of Global Politics

Friedrich Ratzel

• States are like biological organisms

• They have a predictable rise and fall.

Sir HalfordMacKinder

• The Heartland Theory

• Eurasia has the resources to rule the world.

Nicholas Spykmann

• The Rimland Theory

• The Rimland (Encircles the Heartland of Eurasia) has Control

Rimland Theory

Heartland Theory

2. Supranational Organizations.

What is a supranational organization?

Supranational Organizations are organizations that

transcend national boundaries to make decisions

on a geopolitical level.

Historical Supranationals

The Concert of Europe

• Formed in the 19th

Century

• Formed to restore the balance of power after Napoleons fall.

• Voluntary Agreement

League of Nations

• Formed after WWI

• Failed at the advent of WWII

The United Nations

• Started with only 49 nation-states in 1945, has grown to 192 members.

• Membership is voluntary, but the body has limited-powers to force its members to abide by peace keeping principles.

• The Security Council (The U.S., Great Britain, France, China, and Russia) can establish a peace-keeping force in a hotspot and request states to contribute military forces.

• Contains many sub-organizations that promote general welfare and monitor world trade and economics.

The European Union

• Considered a regional organization.

• Fostered by the belief in integration(encourages states to pool sovereignty)

• Largely an economic organization (The Euro)

– Trade and other economic matters

– Justice and Home Affairs

– Common foreign and security policy

Effects of the

EU

Has large control over

Monetary Policy

Demonstrates the rise of the

S.O over National

Sovereignty

Provides Europe more power over

World Issues

Part C: Forces of Change

Forces of

Change

Democritization

Move Towards Market

Economies

Religious Politics

Globalization

What is globalization?

How might globalization effect the way that states look and govern themselves?

1. Democratization.

What is democratization?

Democratization is the process of non-democratic

countries becoming democratic.

Liberal Democracies

• Civil Liberties

• Equal Treatment

• Neutrality of Judiciary

• Open Civil Society

• Open Media

• Civilian control of the military

Illiberal Democracies

• Missing some or all of those characteristics.

Third Wave

• Defeat of dictatorial or totalitarian rulers.

• More Recent

Second Wave

• After WWII – Post-Colonialism

First Wave

• Gradual

Samuel Huntington’s Theory

Reasons for Democratization

Loss of Legitimacy by Authoritarian

Regimes

The expansion of an urban middle

class

A new emphasis on “human

rights” by the United States

The “snow-ball” effect

When is a country considered democratic?

Democracy may be declared when a country has had at least two successive peaceful turnovers.

2. Market Economies.

Types of Economies

Command Economy – The government determines the cost of product and what to sell.

Mixed Economy – Allows significant government control while still providing for market principles.

Market Economy – The producers determine the cost of product and what to sell based on what people determine what to purchase.

Global Economic Change

• Most countries have experienced or are experiencing Marketization – the movement from a command economy to a mixed economy.

• This does not necessarily connect with the government’s power (China, Russia)

3. Revival of Ethnic or Cultural Politics.

Fragmentation

The division of states based on cultural identity.

How can you see fragmentation in the Middle East?

What is the politicization of religion?

The politicization of religion is the use of religious principles to promote

political ends and vice versa.

Examples

Islam in the Middle

East

American Politics

Terrorism

The End.