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Political Geography

-Christina Garcia-

Where Are States Distributed?

     It is sometimes difficult to determine whether some territories are states. There are several reasons for this. One is that the history and geography of the places involved caused multiple states to claim the territory. Another reason is that some places are not universally recognized as sovereign. The last reason is that polar regions have not been organized into states.

     Nation-states are states whose territory correspond to that occupied by a particular ethnicity. Ethnic groups have pushed to create nation-states. They differ from earlier ways to govern. Historically most of earth's surface was organized in other ways, such as empires or kingdoms, or else unorganized.     

European Nation-States

Why Are Nation-States Difficult To Create?

     Nation-states, as stated before, are states that only have one naton or ethnicity. But, there is actually no pure nation-state. Japan and Iceland come close to being one. But not every member of those nations is an ethnic resident of that nation.

     There's a difference between a nation-state and a multinational state. A nation-state is a country that has only one ethnic group. Technically, Japan might be considered an example since only ethnic Japanese are considered to truly be full citizens of that country. A multinational state is a country that has citizens of many different ethnic groups. The Soviet Union was a great example of a multinational state.

     Colonies are territories that are legally tied to a state. In the 20th century, much of the world consisted of colonies. An example would be the former American colonies that traveled from Britain. But, today, few colonies remain. Some colonies that still live on right now are the three groups of Hutterites.

Hutterite Colonies

Hutterite Colonies

Why Do Boundaries Cause Problems?

     There different types of physical boundaries between states. Some include deserts, mountains, and bodies of water. An example of a physical boundary is the border between France and Spain. It follows the peaks of the Pyrenees mountains.

     There are also different types of cultural boundaries between states. Ethnicity can be used to create boundaries. A boundary line can also coincide with differences in language and religion. An example of a cultural boundary is Ireland because the lines were drawn according to different religious groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     There are five shapes that a state can be. States are compact when the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly. Elongated states are states with a long, narrow shape. A prorupted state is basically a compact state with a large projecting extension. Perforated states are states that competely surround another state. Fragmented states include several discontinuous pieces of territory.

     Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting a political party in power. There are several forms of gerrymandering. One  occurs when an area with a high concentration of voters for a certain party is split among several districts, ensuring that the party has a small majority in several districts rather than a large majority in one district. Another occurs when the boundaries of a district are changed in order to eliminate some area with a high concentration of people who vote for a certain political party.

African Cultural and Country Boundaries

Why Do Some States Cooperate And Compete With Each Other?

     Europe had some principle alliances during the Cold War era. They were Eastern Europe and the non-communists. Western Europe and Russia were communist states, though. The war was between the states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also know as NATO, and the Warsaw Pact states. Other communist states and non-aligned states were also involved.

     Terrorism is the systematic use of violence to intimidate a population or coerce a government. There are three distinctive characteristics of terrorism. One is that terrorists try to achieve their goal by spreading fear and anxiety. Another characteristic is that they view violence as a way of spreading publicity. The final characteristic is that they believe in a cause so strongly that they do not hesitate to attack despite knowing they will die in the act. States have also sponsored terrorism by providing shelter and weapons.

States That Sponsored Terrorism

(IN GREEN)

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