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(Independent) Country, or State . The basic political unit of the contemporary worldA self-contained entity with established bordersWithin its borders, a country has sovereigntyPowers: taxation, defense, negotiate with other countries, legal system, welfare of citizens . Nation . an
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1. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
2. (Independent) Country, or State The basic political unit of the contemporary world
A self-contained entity with established borders
Within its borders, a country has sovereignty
Powers: taxation, defense, negotiate with other countries, legal system, welfare of citizens
3. Nation an “imagined community” of people who share cultural elements – language, religion, tradition, etc – and identify with with a specific area of land
4. Nation-state A relatively homogeneous cultural group with its own political territory
5. NATION WITHOUT A STATE
6. – Multinational state – states containing different cultualr and ethnic groups Micronationalism – group identity with the goal of self-rule within an existing nation state
7. Centrifugal forces – cultural and political forces acting to weaken an existing state
Centripetal forces – forces that promote political unity and reinforce the state structure
Examples?
8. State Boundaries A state’s territory is demarcated by borders recognized by a large number of other states
Physical feature boundaries – rivers, mountain ridges, etc.
Ethnographic boundaries – follow cultural traits such as ethnicity or religion
Geometric boundaries – straight lines drawn without regard for physical or cultural features
10. CHANGES IN WORLD POLITICAL SYSTEM
11. Colonialism The formal establishment of governmental rule over a foreign population
1500’s through mid 20th centuries – spread of European colonialism
12. Early 20th century The apex of European colonial expansion
The age of “empires”
14. Mid to late 20th century The “Cold War” – the period when communist countries competed with western countries for world domination
1st world, 2nd world, 3rd world
15. Decolonization The process of a colony gaining (or regaining) control over its territory and establishing a separate, independent government
16. Neo-colonialism Relations of dependency and exploitation continue in the economic realm, even after independence is gained
17. 1990’s - present Decline of Cold War, breakup of Soviet Union
U.S. the sole military and political superpower
Difficulties of international governance
Regional alliances such as the European Union
Global terrorism presents challenges to international political system