Essential Political Geography concepts

State a political unit

Nationa cultural unit

based on Latin status – “to stand”

independent country

defined boundaries

internationally recognized

sovereignty over land andpeople within boundaries

gray areas, including colonies

based on Latin natio – “birth”

ethnic identitycommon ancestry

(mythical or actual);common religion (usually)

and/or language;accepted ways of behavior

political aspirations

has a homeland(“the sacred soil”)

“Nationalism” can take several forms

“Ethnic nationalism” – pride of nation based on group identification with specific culture

or“Civic nationalism” – pride of nation based on

government system or political ideals that transcends ethnicity

How do multi-ethnic or multi-nation states promote a sense of national identity?

Is there a downside with fostering nationalism?

The geography of nations and states

Situation 2 –Multi-nation State

Political unit with two + national homelands –

may lead to ethnonationalism and

stages of political fragmentation:

separatism, devolution, or secession

Situation 3 – Multi-state Nation

Cultural unit (homeland) exists across the

boundaries of more than one political unit – may lead to irredentism:

political goal to unify a nation across existing state

bordersSituation 4 - Stateless Nation – a nation (with political aspirations) without sovereignty over its homeland

Situation 1 – Nation-State Model - close match between political sovereignty and extent of a nation’s homeland

1. Maintain central controlDominant group (political core) doesn’t grant any political autonomy to ethnic regions

Examples: Yugoslavia under Tito, UK prior to Irish independence, Iraq under Saddam

2. DevolutionPeripheral ethnic regions pressure core group for local control = sharing of some power by the core (dominant) group with the ethnic-minority region

Examples: Spain (Basques, Catalans), Belgium (Walloons, Flemish), Canada (Quebec)

Strategies used by multi-nation states for unifying countries (“nation-building”)

Empires often divided peoples to maintain control over ethnic-minority regions

Boundary of former Turkish (Ottoman) Empire

Mismatch between “state” and “nation” in Central Asia – borders drawn by Russian and British Empires

Devolution in the UK

Efforts at greater local control from a core

nation’s political dominance

Scotland has own Parliament for its local

affairs

Northern Ireland and Wales have its own

Assembly for its local affairs

Rep. of Ireland (Eire) split from English

control completely in 1922

London

What if devolution fails to unify a State?

Political Fragmentation

Separatism

Independence movements in peripheral ethnic regions – seek to break free from core’s domination

Examples?

Secession

Fragmenting of multi-nation state into smaller states as local ethnic regions gain independence – may lead to “balkanization” – fragmentation into small states that may not be viable

Examples?

SLOVAKIA

Population: 5,400,000

Ethnicities

Slovak 86%

Hungarian 11%

All others 3%

CZECH REPUBLIC

Population: 10,200,000

Ethnicities

Czech & Moravian 95%

Slovak 3%

All others 2%

Fragmentation -Czechoslovakia split in 1993: one multi-nation

state became two nation-

states

CZECHOSLOVAKIA (data before separation in 1993)

Total population: 15,600,000

Ethnicities

Czech & Moravian 62% Hungarian 4%

Slovak 32% All others 2%

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

(BORDERS FROM 1919 TO 1992)

Singapore split from Malaysia in 1965

Pop. GNI/PPP Ethnicity

Singapore 4.3 $ 26,590 77% Chinese

Malaysia 26.1 $ 9,630 60% Malay

SINGAPORE

MALAYSIA

Successor states to the former Soviet Union (15

countries)

Russia 142 million

Ukraine 47 million

Uzbekistan 26 million

Total of 12 others 70 million

Russian Federation: still a multi-nation

state, with designated

“internal ethnic republics”

Chechnya: Internal ethnic republic in Russia - mostly Muslim; declared independence in 1994 – led to devastating war

Fragmenting of the former Yugoslavia into six countries (so far)

Serbia

Croatia

Slovenia

Bosnia - Herzegovina

Macedonia

Montenegro

Aceh

Moluccas

West Papua

East Timor

Separatist Flashpoints in Indonesia(East Timor gained independence in

2002)

Karenni kids

Myanmar (Burma)

Ethnically diverse,

not unified

Burmese are

politically dominant

Core area (Irrawaddy River valley)

Peripheries (mountainous)

Nations of Southeastern & Central Europe

Irredentism

Cross-border political movement: a nation divided by int’l borders seeks to unify and control all of its land in one state

Examples: Irish, Serbs, Albanians, Hungarians, Germans (pre-WW2)

Ethnic Cleansing

Political strategy by a dominant group to forcibly remove ethnic minorities from within its state boundaries

Governing States – National governments can be classified

as democratic, autocratic, or anocratic.•A democracy is a country in which

citizens elect leaders and can run for office.

•An autocracy is a country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.

•An anocracy is a country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather a mix of the two.

Regime Type

• Governing States -National Scale: Democracies and autocracies differ in three essential elements:

1. Selection of Leaders» Democracies have institutions and procedures

through which citizens can express effective preferences about alternative policies and leaders.

» Autocracies have leaders who are selected according to clearly defined (usually hereditary) rules of succession from within the political elite.

2. Citizen Participation» Democracies have institutionalized constraints

on the exercise of power by the executive.» Autocracies have citizens’ participation

restricted or suppressed.

• Governing States– National Scale: Democracies and

autocracies differ in three essential elements cont’d:

3. Checks and Balances:» Democracies guarantee civil liberties to all

citizens.» Autocracies have leaders who exercise power

with no meaningful checks from legislative, judicial, or civil society institutions.

– In general, the world has become more democratic since the turn of the 19th century.

Governing States – Local Scale • Unitary States –

places most power in the hands of central government officials (more suitable for smaller states)– Ex. France, China

• Federal States – allocates strong power to units of local government within a country (more suitable for larger states)– Ex. United States,

Mexico

Supranationalism vs.

Devolution

Supranationalism = cooperation (economic, political, military) among several countries for

mutual benefit

Supranationalism

• Can be connected with globalizing forces

• States may give up some political power (sovereignty) to join a supranational organization

• Examples: United Nations, European Union, NATO, NAFTA, ASEAN, OPEC, OAS, CIS.

EU Flag and Flags

of Its Member States

(as of 2006)

Since 1980s - Europe has had 15+ new countries created by ethnic nationalism

Since 1950s - Also has been project to increase economic & political integration – an example of concept of “supranationalism”

European Union• Primarily for economic purposes, but

also politically, environmentally, and security oriented

• Economic changes: Border-free work, Euro currency (most members), Free trade in EU, Free flow of currency

• Has made EU largest “market” in the world

• Member states elect representatives to EU Parliament

• “Four freedoms” of movement—of people, goods, services and capital

EU Members

15 members joined 1958-1995

12 newest members joined 2004-2007

Candidatecountries

Some key elements in EU integrationFree trade among member statesRemove barriers to movement of labor & capitalUniform fiscal & environmental policies

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

• Main aim:• “To accelerate the economic growth, social

progress and cultural development in the region…”

• “To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the U.N. Charter.”