POLITICAL SHAPES, SIZES, AND GOVERNANCE
Russia (spans two continents, 11 of 24 time zones, 11% of the world’s landmass, 6.6 million miles 2 ), China, Canada, US, and Brazil 1) Usually the heartland of the major continents A. LARGEST STATES :
a) Greater possibility of natural resources and economic self- sufficiency b) Large population (greater talent and skill, larger army) c) Vast lands can absorb invasion 2) ADVANTAGES
a) Remote areas with sparse populations makes communication and transportation difficult b) National disunity between different regions c) Hard to protect borders or govern effectively 3) DISADVANTAGES
Vatican City (109 acres), Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu, San Marino (the city of Richmond is bigger than all of them!) 1) Usually islands or city-states B. MICRO- OR MINI-STATES:
a) Usually culturally and ethnically homogeneous b) Easier to develop transportation and communication systems c) Shorter borders to defend 2) ADVANTAGES
a) Lack of natural, human, and capital resources b) Easily overrun c) Economically and politically weak 3) DISADVANTAGES
The relationship between a state’s size or shape and its political situation TERRITORIAL MORPHOLOGY:
Shape: Circle, oval, rectangle, square Examples: Poland, Uruguay, Cambodia COMPACT
Shape: Long and narrow Examples: Chile, Vietnam, Italy, Gambia ELONGATED
Shape: Broken into pieces Examples: Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines FRAGMENTED
Shape: Has another state inside of its borders Examples: Italy/Vatican City; South Africa/Lesotho PERFORATED
Shape: Has a narrow land extension (“panhandle”) Examples: Thailand, Namibia, Burma, Congo PRORUPTED
3. TERRITORIAL SEPARATION
A territorial part of one state that is separated from the main body of the country to which they belong 1) Problems: The intervening country could be hostile, difficult to defend, isolation, supply routes, separatism 2) Examples: Former East/West Pakistan, Alaska/US, Kaliningrad/Russia A. EXCLAVE
A territory completely surrounded by another country that is either sovereign or ruled by a third party (Lesotho, Vatican City) B. ENCLAVE:
1)A state trying to incorporate territory whose people have ethnic or cultural links with it but is in a neighboring state 2)The attempt by a country to provoke coups or separatist movements in another country C. IRREDENTISM:
a.Landlocked countries (those completely surrounded by the land of other states) are at an economic and strategic disadvantage -- Africa has the most landlocked countries b.Countries at a crossroads of trade and commerce are at an economic and technological advantage 4. LOCATION
The original nucleus (central region) of a state that usually contains its most developed economic based, densest population, largest cities, most highly developed infrastructure A. CORE AREA:
Those that have two or more rival core areas B. MULTICORE STATES:
are usually located in the core region and are the political and economic centers of the region C. CAPITAL CITIES
A capital that has been deliberately moved to a state’s interior away from the core area (Rio => Brasilia; Karachi => Islamabad; Istanbul => Ankara) D. FORWARD CAPITAL:
A country’s largest city that politically, culturally and economically dominates the surrounding towns and countryside (Paris, London, Buenos Aires) E. PRIMATE CITY:
1) Highly centralized government with power concentrated in the national capital and little regional authority 2) Policies are applied uniformly throughout the country 3) Relatively homogeneous populations, clearly delineated borders, and a strong national identity A. UNITARY STATES
Most European countries and newly- independent post-colonial countries
1) Power is shared between the federal (central) government and provincial governments within the country => diffusion of power 2) Usually great regional cultural differences B. FEDERAL STATES
US, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND
C. MANY UNITARY STATES ARE DEVOLVING INTO FEDERALISM …
BELGIUM (FLANDERS, WALLONIA)
GREAT BRITAIN (SCOTLAND, WALES)
A loose grouping of states for a common purpose D. CONFEDERATION: