Political Boundaries

National Boundaries National boundaries are borders that set limits of a territory controlled by a state. Types of Boundaries: Natural Artificial

Natural Boundaries Based on the physical features of the land, such as rivers, lakes, or chains of mountains How can natural boundaries cause conflict? A dispute may arise if the physical feature changes. Ex: a river shifting its course.

Artificial or Man-made Boundaries A fixed line generally following latitude or longitude lines Formed by treaties Can cause conflict Ex: when an artificial boundary ignores established divisions between groups of people.

Example of Boundary Conflict: Nigeria A country with many different ethnic groups. Two rivers, the Benue River and the Niger River, form a Y Divided into 3 cultural regions based on religion, language, economy, resources, and the 3 largest ethnic groups in the country Northern Western Eastern

Nigeria continued During colonialism, boundaries were established with little thought to how well the different ethnic groups within a country would get along. Resentment grew and protests began. Nigeria became an independent country in 1960. Today, Nigeria has 36 states, each with its own local laws.

Political Units Governments generally set up clear boundaries and exercise power within these boundaries, creating political units. The area that the government creates and controls is a political region or political unit. Boundaries between countries are known as borders.

Types of Political Units Countries usually have several levels of government. The levels of government can be divided into different political units. Types: Federal/National State County City

Federal/National Political Unit Usually deals with issues that affect the entire nation Ex: national defense, taxes, elections, federal laws, federal highways, sovereign Has little direct contact with the people An example of a federal/national political unit would be The United States.

State Political Unit Usually deals with issues that affect all of the smaller units Ex: laws, regulations of schools and businesses, driver’s licenses, definition of crime, maintenance of state highway system, state taxes Has more direct contact with the people than federal/national units An example would be the state of Texas or even regional groups such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

County Political Unit Usually deals with a smaller area within the state political unit. Ex: county services (hospitals, county roads), taxes An example of a county political unit would be Harris County.

City/Local Political Unit Usually deals with issues that are narrow in scope Ex: city ordinances, property taxes, streets and sanitation Has very direct contact with the people An example of a city/local political unit would be Jersey Village or Katy.