Unit IV: Political Organization of Space

Political Geography

• organization & distribution of political phenomena

Territory

• effort to control land

• world divided by borders– countries (or “states”)

I. States

1. independent political unit

2. w/ defined territory

3. must be recognized by others

World States

• 192 recognized by UN

Issues defining states

• some territories not recognized:

– Taiwan– Tibet– Western Sahara

II. Nations II. Nations

• A cultural unit A cultural unit bound by sense of bound by sense of shared shared beliefs/customs beliefs/customs

“Stateless Nations”

• Nations without a country

– Palestinians– Kurds – Basques

Multinational State

The Former Yugoslavia

•A state with more than one nation.

The Nation-State

• a nation & a state (country w/ homogenous culture)

• about 20 countries

Exs: Iceland, Portugal, Poland, Japan

d. stateless nation

Types of Relationships Between “states” & “nations”

a. nation-state

b. multi-national state (Cyprus)

c. part-nation state (Arab)

Spatial Characteristics of States

• Smallest:

City-states:• Singapore, Monaco, San Marino

Microstates: Andorra, The Vatican

• Largest: Russia

5 basic shapes:

– Compact (Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Poland)

– Prorupt (extension out; Thailand)

– Elongated (Chile)

– Fragmented (difficult to defend; Philippines, Indonesia)

– Perforated (country that surrounds another; South Africa

A

C

B

E

D

Relative Location

• size and shape matter!

• absolute & relative location matter!Ex: Singapore, Switzerland

• Landlocked countries usually at disadvantage– Bolivia

Boundary Types

1. Physical: mountains, rivers, lakes

2. Geometric: lines of latitude/longitude

3. Cultural: separated by language/religion – India & Pakistan

Boundary Origins

1. Antecedent: border before populated Ex: U.S.

2. Subsequent: border drawn after2 types:

• Consequent (Ireland & N. Ireland)• Superimposed (British India)

– Ireland & N. Ireland

Consequent

3. Relict/relic Boundary: historical boundary

U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea

• Territorial waters: 12 NM out• Exclusive Economic ZoneExclusive Economic Zone: 200 NM (fish, mineral resources)

Types of Boundary Disputes

1. Positional: over border

2. Functional: over policies (immigration)

3. Resource (oil)

4. Territorial- irredentism

Capital Cities:

• usually centralized (“core” area)

Primate City: dominates economic activity

• some capitals relocated:

– Forward Thrust Capital (Abuja, Brazilia, Canberra, Islamabad)

Nigeria - Abuja

Geopolitics

Ratzel’s Organic Theory: countries are living organisms

Mackinder Heartland Theory:

land-based power (pivot area Europe)

Spykman Rimland Theory:

naval power

Forms of Government

Unitary: centralized gov’t (strong capital)

Federal: gov’t organized by territories

Centripetal Forces

• promote cohesion

• nationalism

• unify

• better transportation/communication

Centrifugal Forces

• challenges to the state

• ethno-nationalism

• devolution (autonomous regional gov’t); regionalism

• inequality

Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements

Eastern Europedevolutionary forces since the fall of communism

Economic Devolutionary

Movements

Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona is the center of banking and commerce in Spain and the region is much wealthier than the rest of Spain.

Electoral Geography

Gerrymandering: redrawing of voting districts to benefit 1 political party

• protects minority districts

Supranational Organizations:

3 or more states form an alliance

- military (NATO)

- economic (EU, NAFTA)

-political (UN)

Global Scale – The United Nations

Regional Scale – The European Union