Political Organization of SpaceChapter 8

© Robin Foster

Political Geography

Political Geography is the study of the political organization of the planet.

A constantly changing collage of countries.

Where are states located?

State-people under a single government.◦In political geography we do NOT refer to the

50 regional governments within the USA.

Sovereignty-which means independence from control of its internal affairs by other states

Country an identifiable land area-country

Key differences

Nation-population with a single culture.Nation-state-single culture under a single

government.Stateless nation-culture group not in

political process. Example: Kurds, gypsies, Tibetans

Theocracy-government based on religious law.

The only landmass not a part of a state?

The concept of territoriality

Government refers to leadership and institutions that make policy decisions for a country.

Politics is basically all about power. Who has it? How did they get it?

In the USA, who has the power?

Territoriality

Territoriality refers to efforts to control pieces of the earth’s surface for political and social ends.

Territoriality is the key to political geography.

Human Territoriality

Robert Sack used this term.

He sees human territoriality as a key ingredient in the construction of human and political spaces.

Various size of states

States vary in land area.

Russia-6.6 million square miles

Tonga-a microstate of 289 square miles.

Monaco-1.5 square miles.

States in the world

In 1930 there were 70In 2007 there were more than 200

The development of the State concept

Colonialism-efforts by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principals on such territory for three basic reasons:◦European missionaries promote Christianity.◦Colonies provided resources that helped European

economies.◦European states considered the number of colonies

the indicator of relative power.

◦God, gold and glory

Look at Africa

Shapes of states

Territorial morphology is the term that describes the shapes, sizes and relative locations of states.

There are six basic shapes of states:◦Compact-◦Prorupted◦Elongated◦Fragmented◦Perforated◦Bifurcated

Shapes of states-Compact

Compact-distance from center to any boundary is about the same, giving it a shape similar to a circle.

Capital is usually in the center, easy to rule.

Compactness promotes good communications among all regions.

Shape of states-prorupted

A compact state with a large projecting extension.

Exist to reach a natural resource such as a river or ocean.

Shape of states-elongated

Long narrow state-sometimes for either political or economic reasons.

Can have transportation and communication problems between geographic ends of the country.

Potential for isolation.

Shape of states-fragmented

Several discontinuous pieces of territory.Remoteness of islands can cause

problems.Population concentrations or lack of lead

to control problems.If fragments are separated by another

country problems can arise.

Shape of states-Perforated

A state that completely surrounds another one.

Transportation issues can be created.

Shapes of states-bifurcated

Has two distinct territories.

Exclaves and Enclaves

The shape of states created by their boundaries can create enclaves and exclaves.

Enclaves are landlocked within another country, so that the country totally surrounds it.

Exclaves are small bits of territory that lie on the coasts separated from the state by the territory of another state.

Enclave

Enclaves are landlocked within another country, so that the country totally surrounds it.

Exclave

Exclaves are small bits of territory that lie on the coasts separated from the state by the territory of another state.

Cabinda, which is part of Angola

Relative location

Landlocked states-◦Lack ocean frontage◦Surrounded by other states◦At a disadvantage for trade◦Try to arrange use of a port with another country.◦There are 40 in the world.

◦Double landlocked-must travel through two countries to reach the ocean or water.

◦There are two in the world.

Frontiers

Frontiers rather than boundaries separated states.

A frontier is a geographic zone where no state exercises power.

Frontiers provide buffers between states.

Frontiers

Boundaries

Boundaries can be physical or cultural.Boundaries may be set by physical

features like lakes, rivers, mountains.Boundaries can be drawn to separate

ethnic groups from one another.Boundaries may be set by negotiation or

war with neighbors, which can be subject to change in the future.

Functions of boundaries

Boundaries mark limits of state jurisdiction, serve as symbols of sovereignty or the ability to carry our actions or police actions.

Modern nationalism is a sense of unity with fellow citizens and loyalty to the state to promote its interests over those of others.

Boundaries

Boundaries are invisible lines that mark the extent of a state’s territory and the control its leaders have.

Boundaries

Boundaries mark the place where two or more states come into direct contact.

They have the potential to create conflicts among them.

Boundaries

Boundaries are a vertical plane that cuts through the subsoil.

Resources underground are split between countries.

Boundaries also include the airspace that is above the country.

Evolution of Boundaries

Definition-treaty-like document where boundary is described.

Delimitation-Cartographers put the boundary on the map.

Demarcation-The boundary is marked on the ground by concrete posts or steel pillars, fencing or other visible means.

Types of Boundaries

1. Geometric-straight-line boundaries. ◦USA /Canada West of the Great Lakes.

2. Physical/Political or Natural Political Boundaries-

oConform to physical features-Rio Grande RiveroMay follow old trespass lines.oMountains, water or desert

Types of Boundaries

3. Cultural Political Boundaries-Boundary between Christian Armenia and Muslim Azerbaijan.

These can shift over time. Can also be religious, language based or

“Green Line’ (the buffer zone on Cypress).

Genesis/Genetic Boundaries

Certain boundaries were defined and delimited before the present day human landscape developed.

1. Antecedent boundary-the border passes through sparsely populated areas. Example: Indonesia and Malaysia.

2. Subsequent boundary-China/Vietnam-border is the result of long term process of adjustment and modification

Genetic Boundaries

3. Superimposed boundary-forcibly drawn across a unified landscape. Indonesia/New Guinea

4. Relict boundary-the border has ceased to function but the imprints are still evident on the cultural landscape. N/S. Vietnam, E/W. Germany/Berlin

Borders gone wrong

Bad planning

Ocean Boundaries

In the Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCOLS)

the UN generally paved the following guidelines:

1. Coastal states can lay claims to the sea up to 12 nautical miles from the shoreline. Ships from other countries have the right to pass through these waters.

Ocean Boundaries

2. A coastal state can claim up to 200 nautical miles of territory beyond its coastline as an exclusive economic zone, over which it has economic control and can explore and mine natural resources in the waters.

3. When there is not enough water for each country on opposite sides of the sea to have 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone, the two countries will divide the water evenly under the medial line principal.

Boundaries

Buffer Zone Shatterbelt

Zone of separation, cushion that keeps rivals apart.

DMZ in Korea

A region caught between stronger colliding external cultural/political forces.

IsraelKashmirE. Europe during Cold

War

World Map

Functions of Boundaries

Mark limits of state jurisdiction.

Symbols of sovereignty.

Foster nationalism

Internal Boundaries

Canada-10 provinces2 territories1 self-governing

homeland-Nunavut

Internal boundaries represent more cultural variation

Boundary Disputes

Locational/Positional/definitional boundary dispute-center on delimitation and demarcation of the boundary.

Operational/functional boundary dispute-involve neighbors who differ over the way their boundary should function.

Definitional-focus on legal language. Ex. Median line of river as river may change.

Resource/Allocational boundary dispute-involve resources like oil/natural gas, and now water rights.

Territorial disputes-ownership of a region.◦ Irredentism-Citizens of the US settled in Texas which

was controlled by Mexico. The USA wanted to annex the territory.

Gerrymandering-used to disperse or concentrate groups for political purposes

States and distribution of power

Unitary System-concentrates all policymaking powers into one central geographic place.

Confederate System-spreads the power among many sub-units with a weak central government.

Federal System-divides the power between the central government and sub-units.

States and Distribution of power

Unitary System Federal System Confederate System

Concentrated Power Divided Power Dispersed Power

Most countries are unitary and are facing: Devolution-transfer of some important powers from

the central government to sub-governments.

Theocracy

Government based on religious law.

Law based on religious text.

Rulers are normally religious leaders.

Other kinds Governments

Dictatorship-one person takes power by force--Cuba

Communism- a group of people in charge.Monarchy-a king or queen rules by divine

right.Constitutional/Parliamentary Democracy-A

king or queen exist, but an elected government run the country.

Economic systems of Countries

Captialism, Free-Market, Market Economy-economic decisions based on supply and demand. Consumer purchases tell companies what to produce.

Socialism-decisions made by government and people.

Mixed Economy-a combination of Capitalism and Socialism

Command Economy-Government makes all economic decisions

Traditional Economy-Family makes decisions based on tradition.

Centripetal Forces

Unify peopleBind together the

people of a stateGives state strengthNationalism-allegiance

to a country, promotes loyalty and commitment.

Schools, armed forces, flags, religion.

Pledge of Allegiance

Centrifugal Forces

Tend to fragmentDestabilize the

governmentEncourage a country

to fall apart.Separatist movements

in a regionDevolutionDeep religious

conflictsInternal boundary

conflicts.

Devolution

Can divide and destabilize the government. These forces can be divided into three basic types:

1. Ethnic forcesethnonationalism-tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy

Example-Quebec, the former Yugoslavia

Devolution

2. Economic Forces-economic inequality, especially if regional.

Example: Italy-Ancona Line-the north (industrialized) is clearly more prosperous than the south (rural).

3. Spatial Forces-Distance, remoteness, landformsExample: Puerto Rico

4. Balkanization-fragmentation or break-up of a region into smaller regions or countries.

Organization of States

Two important geographic clues to understanding how states are organized are it’s core area(s) and functions of its capital city.

Core Areas

Nation-states grew outward from a core area and expanding outward along their frontiers.

Many states have an identified core area.

Multi core states may have problems, if the areas are ethnically diverse, like Nigeria.

Capital City

The capital city is the primate city.Forward capital-a capital serving as a model

for national objectives, especially economic development and future hopes.

Japan moved it’s capital from Kyoto to TokyoCzar Peter moved the capital of Russia to St.

Petersburg from Moscow.Brazil built Brasilia a to encourage interior

development of the country.

Forward Capitals

Geopolitics

Geopolitics

Fredrich Ratzel, in the 19th Century compared a state to a biological organism.

There is a life cycle from birth to death, with a predictable rise and fall of power.

Hitler used this theory to justify the growth of the German state.

Dependency theory

Many countries are poor today because of their colonization by European powers.

Continued economic dependence of new states on their former colonial masters is called neocolonialism or postcolonial dependency

Heartland Theory

Sir Halford Mackinder looked at power relationships surrounding Britain’s global empire.

Sea power was ending and land power would be the key to power.

Eurasia was the world island, and key to dominating the world.

Ruling the world island necessitated controlling eastern Europe.

Heartland Theory

Rimland Theory

Nicholas Spykman built off Mackinder’s theory.He wrote of rimland, all of Eurasia’s periphery,

not its core of Russia and central Asia.

It was important to balance power in the rimland to prevent a global power from emerging.

His theory is linked to the Vietnam and Korean wars.

World System Analysis

World Systems Theory

Looks at the world as a capitalist system of interlocking states. Social change in developing world is linked to economic activity in developed world.

Global economic core-industrialized, developed countries that drive the global economy.

Periphery-countries that are underdeveloped and were, usually, once the core’s colonies

Semiperiphery-countries between core and periphery

Supranationalistic Organizations

Cooperating groups of nations that operate either on a regional or international level for decisions and rules.

Ex. United Nations, Geneva Conventions or Law of the Sea

Super nationalistic Organizations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace.

UN was founded in 1945 after World War II.

There are currently 192 member states, including nearly every sovereign state in the world.

Trade Agreements

1993-NAFTANorth American Free Trade Agreement

Bill Clinton signed the agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico.

Reduced tariffs, opened up more trade.

Trade Agreements

1993-European Union (EU)

Trade bloc to abolish tariffs and quotas for members.

Common import rulesEuro is the common currency.

England will not join, as other countries are added incrementally.

OPEC-Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries.

Formed to coordinate policies to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum product producers.

North Atlantic Treaty Organizataion-NATO

A military alliance of Western democracies begun in 1949.

Agree to mutual defense

Hegemonic Power

Forces of change, a multipolar world?

Three trends are seen in the ever changing world order:

1. Democratization2. Movement toward market economies3. Revival of ethnic or cultural politics

Democratization

More nations moving to a form of popular government

The modern world is in a third wave of democratization. Why?

1. Loss of legitimacy of authoritarian regimes.2. Expansion of urban middle class3. New emphasis on human rights4. Snowball effect5. Internet, satellite TV, and seeing what others

have.

Movement toward market economies

Market or Mixed economies are replacing command economies.

Marketization-state’s re-creation of a market in which property, labor , goods and services can function in a competitive environment.

Privatization-transfer of state-owned property to private ownership

Revival of Ethnic or Cultural Politics

Fragmentation-divisions based on ethnic or cultural identity are becoming important in world politics.

Politicization of religion has dominated world politics in the early 21st century.

New World Order

International relations no longer driven by the communist/anticommunist groups.

International relations are multilayered and complex.

Challenges of terrorism and other types of warfare.

Post Cold War time period

Multipolar World

A multipolar world is emerging in which the heartland and rimland are represented by power cores.

Four potential world Superpowers on the World Island: Russia, Europe, China and the United States

An unstable multipolar conflict with potential for conflict.

Development

Development

We will look at the following:

Human DevelopmentDevelopment indicatorsDevelopment through trade

Differences between MDC and LDC

Human Development

Human Development Index HDI

-Developed by the UNMeasured:GDP Per Capita-EconomicLiteracy Rate and Education-SocialLife Expectancy-DemographicThe closer to 1 or 100% the better.

Gender Related Development Index GDI

Compares the level of development of women to both sexes.

Gender Empowerment Measure

Combines income and professional jobs

And two indicators of political power-managerial and elected jobs.

Economic indicators of development

Per capita income-divide GDP/total popEconomic structure-number of people

employed in primary, secondary and tertiary economic activity

Productivity-LDC workers more productive, why? Less machinery and equipment

Consumer goods-MDC more wealth to purchase consumer goods

Social Indicators

Education and literacyLife expectancyInfant mortalityNatural increase in populationCrude birth rates

Health indicators

Nutrition-how is your diet?Health care—MDC more access to health

care

Paths to Development

LDC’s must promote development:

1. Become self sufficient—create businesses and jobs

2. Develop international trade-develop resources the rest of the world wants. Money is available through investment, loans from the world bank and international monetary fund

Fair Trade

Products are made and traded according to standards that protect workers and small businesses.

A higher percentage of the sale price goes back to the producers