Chapter 8: Political Geography

1. Chapter 8: Political Geography The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography A Really good PowerPoint http://www.slideshare.net/deilands/ap-human-geography-unit-4-political-geography

2. Scale and Political Geography • Political Geography – is the study of the relationship between people, political units and territory at various scales Scale in Political Geography: Local Scale: How a country geographically distributes power to it’s people; such as establishing voting districts Country Scale: how a country’s government is organized and interacts with it’s people Supranational Scale: organizations that includes many countries (such as the European Union)

3. What do governments need to control Territory? Sovereignty Legitimacy Recognition of that power by other countries • The power that a government has to control its own territory Some countries exercise sovereignty in ways others don’t like but still considered legitimate Countries are considered to be internally legitimate when their people allow the government to rule Some countries are considered legitimate by some and not by others

4. States, Nations and Nation-States What is a State? • State: A political Unit with – A Permanent Population - Sovereign Territory - Legitimacy by other States - An effective government and working economy

5. History of the State The Rise of the Modern State The Westphalian State System In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia, established the modern ‘state system’ defined by sovereign states with specific borders instead of Empires Before a territory was defined by a society, afterwards a territory defined the society • Up until the 1500s most political power was contained in large, borderless empires, city-states, tribal systems and feudal areas: • The first ex of true states were ancient city-states in Mesopotamia *Large, land-based empires in South America & Asia *Africa & N. Amer. controlled by individual tribal groups *Europe = Feudal or Monarchial empires

6. History of the State Nationalism Expansion & Imperialism The European exported their ideas on states and nationalism • Rise of nationalism changed the attitude of citizens towards the state Decolonization • Overthrow of colonial powers created more states than any other reason

7. Nation A group of people with: • A shared cultural heritage or belief • Loyalty towards one another and to the nation as a whole • A distinct homeland (even if everyone is not living there) • Self-Determination, or the ability or desire to form their own sovereign state

8. What’s the difference between a State and a Nation?

9. Internal Boundaries and Boundary Disputes • Boundary Disputes: • What are some reasons that people might fight over boundaries? • Positional Disputes: • Occur when states argue about where the border actually is • Ex: the US and Mexico argued over their border even after it was set by treaty in 1848 • The Orphan Strip & Ellis Island • Territorial 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… and because they were Nazis…

10. Examples of Border Disputes in US Who owns Ellis Island? The Walton War was an 1804 boundary dispute between the U.S. states of North Carolina and Georgia over the twelve-mile wide strip of land called the Orphan Strip. The Orphan Strip was given to Georgia in 1802, and gave Georgia and North Carolina a s hared border.Problems arose when Georgia established Walton County in the small piece of land, and South Carolina called in the militia. 2 years of conflict = SC gets the strip The island, largely artificially created through landfill, is situated on the New Jersey side of Upper New York Bay. The natural portion of the island, part of New York City, is surrounded by rest of the island in Jersey City. Ownership decided by the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled in New Jersey v. New York (1998), that New Jersey had jurisdiction over all portions of the island created after the original compact was approved (effectively, more than 80% of the island's present land). It remains wholly a Federal property though… The Walton War

11. Internal Boundaries and Boundary Disputes • Boundary Disputes: • What are some reasons that people might fight over boundaries? • Allocation Disputes • Involve natural resources (mineral deposits, fertile farmland, or rich fishing groups) that lie in the border area • Ex: the US and Canada have fought over fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean • Ex: Artic circle and Antarctica • Operational Disputes • When neighboring states cannot agree on policies that apply in a border area • Ex: The US/Mexican border in regards to immigration and transport of goods

12. Internal Boundaries • Most modern countries divide themselves into districts, states or provinces • These boundaries may be physical, cultural or geometric

13. Internal Boundaries in the US • County • In the United States, a county is a political and geographic subdivision of a state, usually assigned some governmental authority. • The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 U.S. states. • The exceptions are Louisiana and Alaska, which use parishes and boroughs. ????why??? • Counties still have significant governmental functions in all states except Rhode Island and Connecticut. • Towns, cities and other municipalities have precedent • The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has removed most government functions from eight of its 14 counties

14. Alaska… Because they had to be different… In Alaska there are two main options for local government under state law--cities and organized boroughs. State Constitution Delegates said they wanted Alaska to break with the past and avoid the problems identified with county government. Today, Alaska has 16 organized boroughs and nearly 150 cities. The cities range in size from a population of 24 in Kupreanof to more than 30,000 in Fairbanks. The constitution provides that the entire state be split up into organized and "unorganized" boroughs. The legislature treats the portion of the state not within a borough, about 57% of the state, as a single "unorganized borough." The unorganized borough does not have a local government, but under the constitution the legislature provides necessary services.. About 13% of Alaskans live in the unorganized borough. The unorganized portions of the state considered the Unorganized Borough do not have a government, and therefore cannot tax properties.  http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=407

15. Why Do Boundaries Between States Cause Problems? http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/0adjfq/american-horrible-story---gerrymandering • Electoral geography • Boundaries within the United States are used to create legislative districts • Gerrymandering • The two goals of gerrymandering are to maximize the effect of supporters' votes, and to minimize the effect of opponents' votes. • Three types: wasted, excess, and stacked vote • Illegal (1985 U.S. Supreme Court decision)….???? Or is it…

16. Gerrymandering • State legislators are often in charge of submitting new maps of their state’s congressional districts, • Gerrymandering is when they redraw the lines around a favored electorate to help their friends and fellow party members to stay in power. http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/kwgaxa/democalypse-2014---south-by-south-mess--austin-s-real-weirdness 1:50 http://www.redistrictinggame.org/

17. Types of Gerrymandering Wasted Stacked Links distant areas of like-minded votes through oddly shaped boundaries • Spread opposition supporters across many districts but making sure they are always in the minority Excess • Concentrates opposition supporters into a few districts

19. http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/gerrymandering

20. Redistricting • The Gerrymandering Game: • Tasks: • Watch the Introduction on Gerrymandering • Play the Basic level game • - (1 round) • What do you observe about what is required to create the required districts? • Why do you think politicians create these new lines? (what motivates them) • How does this change the voting process in these new districts? • Why does redistricting occur? • How can it result in Gerrymandering? • What are the effects of Gerrymandering? • Examples of Gerrymandering: • Why is California’s Proposition 11 so controversial?

22. Vocab --- Territoriality • The modern state is an example of a common human tendency: the need to belong to a larger group that controls its own piece of the earth, its own territory. • AP Central: How earth’s surface should be organized • This is called territoriality: a cultural strategy that uses power to control area and communicate that control, subjugating inhabitants and acquiring resources.

23. Parag Khanna Maps the Future of Countries – Ted Talks • According to the speaker what is the Fundamental problem? • Examples that the speaker uses: • State building • Former Soviet Republics • Europe

24. Types of Boundaries Cultural Boundaries Antecedent Boundaries Malaysia/Indonesia Canada/US Consequent Boundaries Religious Boundaries between Ireland & N. Ireland Language Boundaries Subsequent Boundaries Yugoslavia Superimposed Boundaries Indonesia/Papua New Guinea • Types of boundaries • Physical • Desert boundaries • Mountain boundaries • Water boundaries • Cultural • Geometric boundaries • Human features (language, religion, ethnicity) • Frontiers

25. Boundaries Creating Boundaries Disputes over Boundaries Definitional: focus on legal language Locational:  definition is not in dispute, the interpretation is Operational: neighbors differ over the way the boundary should function (migration) Allocational: disputes over rights to natural resources (gas, oil, water) • Boundary definition • determining the boundary by a treaty-like agreement through actual points, latitude/longitude, or landscape • Boundary delimitation • the boundary is drawn on the map • Boundary demarcation • the boundary is established by steel posts, concrete pillars, fences, etc. to mark the boundary on the ground

26. Why Do Boundaries Between States Cause Problems? • Boundaries inside states • Unitary states • Example: France • Federal states • Example: Poland • Globally, there is a trend toward federations

27. Unitary Countries where the capital is associated with the core, and all power is concentrated in a single place, the capital. • Centralized governments, relatively few internal contrasts and a strong sense of national identity, little provincial power. • Examples: France, China and newly independent states developed out of former colonies.

28. Power is shared between a central government and the governments of provinces. Acknowledges and gives some powers to its constituent parts; have strong regional government responsibilities. Examples: the US, Canada, Germany, Australia. --One result of federalism is to lessen public support for something so radical as secession (as in Canada). Federal

29. Shapes of States in Southern Africa Figure 8-10

30. Why Do Boundaries Between States Cause Problems? • Shapes of states • Five basic shapes • Compact = efficient • Elongated = potential isolation • Prorupted = access or disruption • Perforated = South Africa • Fragmented = problematic • Landlocked states

31. Shapes of States • Compact States • Efficient • Theoretically round • Capital in center • Shortest possible boundaries to defend • Improved communications • Ex. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Poland, Uruguay

32. Shapes of States • Elongated States • States that are long and narrow • Suffer from poor internal communication • Capital may be isolated • Ex. Chile, Norway, Vietnam, Italy, Gambia

33. Shapes of States • Fragmented States • Several discontinuous pieces of territory • Technically, all states w/off shore islands • Two kinds: separated by water & separated by an intervening state • Exclave – • Ex. Indonesia, USA, Russia, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Angola

34. Shapes of States • Prorupted States • w./large projecting extension • Sometimes natural • Sometimes to gain a resource or advantage, such as to reach water, create a buffer zone • Ex. Thailand, Myanmar, Namibia, Mozambique, Cameroon, Dem. Rep. of Congo

35. Proruption Examples • Dem. Rep. of Congo – when Belgians colonized included Zaire River to Atlantic Ocean • Afghanistan – when British ruled, created a 200 mi. proruption to prevent Russia from sharing border with Pakistan • Namibia – Germans carved a proruption known as Caprivi Strip to gain access to the Zambezi River

36. Shapes of States • Perforated States • A country that completely surrounds another state • Enclave – the surrounded territory • Ex. Lesotho/South Africa, San Marino & Vatican City/Italy

37. Enclaves and exclaves • An enclave is an area surrounded by a country but not ruled by it. • It can be self-governing (Lesotho) or an exclave of another country. • Can be problematic for the surrounding country. • Pene-enclave—an intrusive piece of territory with a tiny outlet such as Gambia.

40. An exclave is part national territory separated from the main body of the country to which it belongs. Example: Kaliningrad, separated from Russia, Cabinda from Angola, Alaska from US Very undesirable if a hostile power holds the intervening territory. Defense and supplies are problematic. Inhabitants may develop separatist ideas. Example: Pakistan and Bangladesh. Exclave

41. Distribution of territory—geographic characteristics of states • The more compact the territory, the easier it is to govern. • Ideal shape is round or hexagonal. • Types of shapes: compact, prorupt, elongated, fragmented and perforated (which contains an enclave). • The most damaging territorial distributions affect a country’s cohesiveness and stability: enclaves and exclaves.

43. Landlocked States • No access to major sea or ocean • Must negotiate rights to move resources through other countries – problems exist when countries do not agree on fundamental policies Ethiopia

44. Location • Relative location: Some states are landlocked.

46. Warm up Questions • Give an example of a landlocked state. • What is a fragmented state? What are some problems associated with this shape? • What connections can you make between a fragmented state and gerrymandering? • Opinion – If Gerrymandering is so corrosive to the political process why is it still widely used, by both parties?

47. Main Topics • States Cooperating with Each Other

48. Why Do States Cooperate with Each Other? • Political and military cooperation • The United Nations (est. 1945) • Regional military alliances • Balance of power • Post–World War II: NATO or the Warsaw Pact • Economic cooperation • European Union (EU)

49. Other Regional Organizations… Map the World! & then watch it get complicated…

50. European Union 1. If you were a European Country would you join the EU? Why or Why not? 2. What is the future of the EU?