How is space politically organized into states and nations? Do Now: Course Contract Redux HW: Bring in completed course contract. HW#2: Political Geography Key Question 1

The state as we know it was conceived by European countries. The original states were… England France Spain Italian City States Kings wrestled control of territory from feudal lords and created unified countries.

These early modern states Sought wealth through trade, and eventually imperialism and mercantilism. They evolved after the American Revolution and French Revolution. The new idea was the power rested with the citizenry and not an absolute monarch

Definitions State-n- An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and external affairs. (A political entity) Nation-n-an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages. ( A grouping of people with a common identity) Nation-state -n- A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality. ( A people occupying their own political entity)

Nation A group of people with a common history, identity, language, ethnicity and possibly religion. The people of a nation can look to the past and say, “We’ve been through a lot together.” When an ethnic group begins to see themselves as a group that wants to control territory in the name of their nation, nationalism develops.

Why do we call the European takeover of much of the world colonization instead of invasion?

What is a prime example for the harm imperialism can cause?

The Scramble for Africa led to the creation of “superimposed boundaries”

European Colonial Harm The Europeans did not build useful infrastructure in their colonies, as such the countries that exist today have certain disadvantages compared to the colonial powers. IE: The two largest cities in Gabon are 90 miles apart, but one must drive 435 miles to go from one to the other.

The Partition of India in 1947, used superimposed boundaries to create India and Pakistan. Due to religious conflict, a violent migration took place. Hindus and Muslims were not willing to live together. To this day, India and Pakistan have an antagonistic relationship. Both sides might not agree On the borders (Kashmir). The New borders could lead violence. 12.5 million people were displaced. Several hundred thousand to one million people were killed.

What are the problems with man-made boundaries?

Why did most imperialist countries give up their colonies after WWII?

Have we given up all of our colonies and territories?

We have territories all around the world.

Our lands “Special Responsibilities” 1. Federated States of 2. Micronesia (pop. 108k) 3. Marshall Islands (pop. 59k) and 4. Palau (pop. 20k) Remnants of the old Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, acquired in 1947 (with the Marianas) Members of the U.N. and the “Anti-Terror” Coalition of the Willing Statutory Relationship with the U.S. U.S. Territories 1. Puerto Rico (1898) (pop. 3.9 million) 2. Guam (1898) (pop. 167k) American Samoa (c. 1900) (pop. 58k) 4. The Virgin Islands (1916) (pop. 109k) 5. The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (1947) (pop. 80k)

World Systems Theory Created by Immanuel Wallerstein, it is also called the Core-Periphery Theory. A model that describes how economic, political, and/or cultural power is spatially distributed between dominant core regions, and more marginal or dependent semi- peripheral and peripheral regions. 1. The world economy has one market and a global division of labor. 2. Although the world has multiple states, almost everything takes place within the context of the world economy.

3. The World Economy has a Three-Tier Structure. Core Region - The centers of economic, political, and/or cultural power within a given territorial entity. Peripheral Region - The least powerful regions and therefore are often marginalized or under the control of both semi-peripheral regions and core regions. Semi-Peripheral Region - The intermedency regions in terms of the hierarchy of power between core regions and peripheral regions.

World Systems Theory

How does the core exploit the semi-periphery and the periphery?