Political Geography

The Shape and Size of States

Size of States state sizes vary considerably Largest = Russia (11 % of the world’s land area) Megastates = very large states US #4 (after Canada #2, China #3) discuss affect of climate change on rankings Brazil, Australia > 2 million square miles Smallest = Monaco? (Rubenstein) Vatican City = smallest independent country but not in UN!!!! Microstates = states with very small land areas About two dozen microstates mostly in Europe or islands (Caribbean or Pacific)

Map of microstates

Compact State most efficient, centripetal force Best if equidistant from capital Theoretically, most desirable shape is round or hexagonal short borders easy to defend. short communication lines As a rule, the more compact the territory the better Some countries come close to ideal —France, Poland Other shapes (following) = problematic

Elongated State long and narrow poor communication potentially to isolate regions from the capital. shape is centrifugal force

Prorupted State otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension serves to give access to a natural resource or separate or disrupt two states that would otherwise share a border.

Perforated State a state that completely surrounds another. Enclave — district surrounded by a country but not ruled by it Pene-enclave and Pene-exclave — an intrusive piece of territory with only the smallest of outlets free from the surrounding country

Fragmented State contains several discontinuous pieces of territory separated by water or an intervening state. Exclaves — Pieces of national territory separated from the main body of a country by the territory of another Hard to defend Isolated population may develop separatist feelings

Exclaves

The Caucasus area between Black and Caspian Seas formerly part of USSR oil rich VERY religiously/linguistically diverse Chechnya (know this) separatists from Russia Islamic terrorist acts Boston Marathon bombings diversity → many enclaves and exclaves

Enclaves/Exclaves

India partitioned along religious lines (1947) leads to massive migration violence 4 wars over Kashmir irredentism???

East Pakistan as an exclave in 1947 exclaves = centrifugal force Two parts were separated by 1,000 miles of Indian territory West Pakistan had the capital, most of the territory, and hoarded the country’s wealth East Pakistan had most of the people and resources War in 1973, East Pakistan became Bangladesh

Landlocked States all landlocked states outside of Europe = LDCs Often the poorest countries in their region, Why? limited access to international trade routes dependent on neighbors (sometimes unstable) increases cost of imports/exports