Nation Nation: area that has a large population that shares a common history and culture, ie. Kurds and Palestinians. No physical borders

State State: independent country ruled by a government. Sovereign: Independence from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Nation-State Nation-State: political unit comprising a clearly defined territory where the population shares a common history and culture, ie. Japan.

Definitions: State = country State = country Territory = area controlled by a state Territory = area controlled by a state Nation = cultural group – No physical Boundaries! Nation = cultural group – No physical Boundaries! people with a common ancestry, culture, language, religion, historypeople with a common ancestry, culture, language, religion, history Nation state = clearly defined cultural group (a nation) occupying a spatially defined territory (a state) Nation state = clearly defined cultural group (a nation) occupying a spatially defined territory (a state)

Boundaries Boundary –invisible line marking the extent of a state’s territory. Can lead to communication or conflict. Boundary Dispute - when two or more states disagree about the demarcation of a political boundary.

Boundaries Boundaries are: Lines that establish the limit of each jurisdiction & authority Lines that establish the limit of each jurisdiction & authority Jurisdiction administers laws; collects taxes; provides defense, education, training; enforces legal code, etc.Jurisdiction administers laws; collects taxes; provides defense, education, training; enforces legal code, etc.

Five Basic Shapes Compact: Efficient Compact: Efficient Distance from the center equidistant.Distance from the center equidistant.

Elongated Elongated: Potential Isolation Elongated: Potential Isolation Poor internal communicationsPoor internal communications

Prorupted Prorupted: Access or Disruption Prorupted: Access or Disruption Large protruding extensionLarge protruding extension Access to a resourceAccess to a resource Separate two states that would normally share a border.Separate two states that would normally share a border.

Perforated Perforated: South Africa Perforated: South Africa A state that completely surrounds another.A state that completely surrounds another.

Fragmented: Problematic. Fragmented: Problematic. Several discontinuous pieces of territorySeveral discontinuous pieces of territory By water or intervening statesBy water or intervening states

Landlocked States No direct outlet to sea. No direct outlet to sea. Most common in AfricaMost common in Africa

Shapes of States Microstate: state that is extremely small, ie. San Marino.

Shapes of States Frontier - zone where no state exercises political control, ie. Antarctica and Portions of Saudi Arabia.

Boundary Types Physical Boundary: major physical features such as a desert, mountain ranges, and/or water bodies that serves as a means of separation, ie. Great Lakes, Pyrenees Mountains, and Sahara desert.

Boundary Types Geometric Boundary: straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and /or cultural differences, ie mile United States/Canadian border.

Boundary Types Cultural Political Boundary: political boundary that separates different cultures, ie. former Yugoslavia.

Boundary Types Religious Boundary: boundary that separates different religions, ie. Northern Ireland/Ireland.

Boundary Types Language Boundary: boundary that separates different language speakers, ie. traditionally many countries in Europe such as England, France, Spain, and Portugal.

Boundary Types Fortified Boundary: when a state constructs physical barriers along a boundary to either keep people in or out of their territory, ie. Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, Earth berms along the Morocco/Spanish Sahara border.

Berlin Wall