Political Geography AP Human Geography

What is political geography? The study of how people have organized the Earth’s land surface into countries. Key Questions What are the reasons for the arrangement/ organization of different countries? Why do conflicts arise from arrangements/ organization of different countries?

Political vs. Physical Geography

State vs. Nation vs. Country These three terms can mean the same things…or not.

State/ Country An area organized into a political unit Ruled by an established government Has control over its internal and foreign affairs. Has a defined territory Has sovereignty= independence from others Formal/ uniform region Examples: Mexico, China, U.S.A., but not Texas, Illinois, Florida, etc.

Nation Nation can be another way of saying state “What nation are you from?” “I am from South Korea.” However, nation can also refer to a tightly-knit group of people which share a common culture, but do not necessarily occupy an area of land Examples: Palestinian people, Nation of Islam, Cherokee Nation

Nation-State A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnic group. Iraq is not a nation state, but could be if divided into 3. Examples: Armenia, Egypt, Hungary, Japan, Israel

The United Kingdom As a whole, the UK is viewed as a multi-national state. However, it is made up of 4 nation-states.

State Sizes Big States Micro States Russia Canada U.S. China Brazil Australia Monaco Vatican City Andorra Bahrain Lichtenstein Most are small islands in the Caribbean, Pacific, and off the coast of larger countries.

Microstates of Europe

Ancient City States Today, city-states are not widespread, although the Vatican is an example. Historically, city-states included a city and it’s surrounding countryside. Each city is sovereign/ no unity. Example: Ancient Mesopotamia (Ur) or Medieval Italy

Colonies Territory legally tied to a sovereign state and is not completely independent. e.g. 13 American colonies under the British Motives include God (spread Christianity), Gold ($$$), and Glory (power/ prestige) The British had colonies world wide, including India, Australia, much of Africa, Eastern N.A., Middle East Most gained independence after-WWII. Puerto Rico is still a colony of the U.S.