The study of the interaction of geographical area and political process It is the formal study of territoriality. Covers forms of government, borders, treaties, trading blocs, conflicts and war. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY Interaction of politics and place

A politically organized territory Administered by a sovereign government Recognized by a significant portion of the international community. A state must also contain: – a permanent resident population – an organized economy STATE

A country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity. NATION - STATE Classic Example of a Nation-State: Japan

Monarchies:Constitutional MonarchyTraditional MonarchyAbsolute Monarchy Republics:DemocracyRestricted Democratic PracticeAuthoritarian Regime Totalitarian Regime Non-Sovereign:ProtectorateColonial DependencyEmpire Source: Matthew White, Adapted from FreedomHouse.orghttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm Forms of Government

Monarchies:Constitutional MonarchyTraditional MonarchyAbsolute Monarchy Republics:DemocracyRestricted Democratic PracticeAuthoritarian Regime Totalitarian Regime Non-Sovereign:ProtectorateColonial DependencyEmpire Source: Matthew White, Adapted from FreedomHouse.orghttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm

Monarchies:Constitutional MonarchyTraditional MonarchyAbsolute Monarchy Republics:DemocracyRestricted Democratic PracticeAuthoritarian Regime Totalitarian Regime Non-Sovereign:ProtectorateColonial DependencyEmpire Source: Matthew White, Adapted from FreedomHouse.orghttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm

Politics of Geography Effect of place on politics Example: Political Borders

U.S.- Canada boundary Alberta- Montana

U.S.- Mexico boundary Calexico, California- Mexicali, Mexico

Iguazu Falls, Argentina / Paraguay

Mexico- Guatemala Border Region

GEOPOLITICSGEOPOLITICS State’s power to control territory, shape international policy and other states’ foreign policy State’s power to control territory, shape international policy and other states’ foreign policy

How Americans View the World?

East versus West: View of Communist “Red Bloc” during Cold War Lumping failed to recognize differences among Communists, or local causes of conflict

Enlargement of Soviet bloc after World War II Berlin Wall,

Changes in Europe,

African colonies

Decolonization, 1940s-1990s

International Cooperation Treaties and Trading Blocs Economic Treaties and Free Trade Agreements Military Alliances Supranational Agreements Map of NATO Countries

Trading Blocs

OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a large group of countries[1][2] made up of Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Ecuador (which rejoined OPEC in November 2007)countries[1][2]AlgeriaAngolaIndonesiaIranIraq KuwaitLibyaNigeriaQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates VenezuelaEcuador

European Union Began as European Economic Community (EEC), Stronger in new members joined, 2004 Turkey and Romania want to join but have faced resistance.

United Nations Member States (192) Non-member States Taiwan (China) Vatican City Western Sahara (territory of Morocco) Palestinian Territories Tibet (China) The United Nations System is based on five active principal organs UN General AssemblyUnited Nations UN General Assembly UN Security Council UN Economic and Social Council UN Secretariat International Court of Justice

Sample United Nations Organizations UNDPUNDP - United Nations Development Programme UNIFEMUNIFEM - United Nations Development Fund for Women UNVUNV - United Nations Volunteers UNEPUNEP - United Nations Environment Programme UNFPAUNFPA - United Nations Fund for Population Activities UNHCRUNHCR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesHigh Commissioner UN-HABITATUN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN- HABITAT) UNICEFUNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

ELECTORAL GEOGRAPHY Political Geography of Elections Variation of voting districts and voting patterns

ELECTORAL GEOGRAPHY VOTER TURN-OUT All elections since Countryvote/VAP % 1Italy92.5 2Cambodia90.5 3Seychelles96.1 4Iceland Romania Spain77 75Luxembourg Nepal Malaysia59 96Zimbabwe Jamaica Honduras Russia55 108Panama Poland Uganda USA Mexico Peru48 Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2005

“Gerrymandering” Redistricting for partisan purposes

U.S. congressional delegation redistricting Reapportionment : allocating seats to a geographic area (normally done after every census)

Tom Delay’s District in Texas After Texas Republicans won a majority in 2002, they enacted redistricting legislation to protect their wins.

Congressional reapportionment

1860 Presidential Vote Led to Southern secession, Civil War

1996 Presidential Vote

Davis (D)48% Simon (R)42% Camejo (G) 5% Copeland (L) 2%

I

2004 Presidential Vote

Types of Boundaries Frontiers – Historically separated states –A geographic zone where no state exercises power –Most frontier lands are gone Antarctica has some and the Arabian Peninsula –Provide buffers between states; states often fight for control Ex: French and Indian War (fight over the Ohio River Valley frontier)

Boundaries Continued Physical Boundaries – Physical features are easy to see –Ie: The Rio Grande is the river border between Mexico and the United States –1983: The Law of the Sea gave standard nautical (water body) limits at 12 nautical miles off shore for drilling

Cultural Boundaries Sometimes boundaries are set by ethnic or religious differences –1947: The Partition of India; the boundaries for Muslim Pakistan were drawn where the Islamic majorities were Many had to move and there was violence between Muslims and Hindus

Geometric Boundaries Straight imaginary lines that have GOOD reason for being drawn –Korea’s division during the Cold War to separate Communist Northern Korea from Democratic Southern Korea was along the 38 th Parallel (lines of latitude)

Functions of Boundaries Historically, they were for protection (ie: the Great Wall of China, built to keep Hun invaders out) Boundaries Today: –Serve as symbols of sovereignty (ability to carry out laws) –Serve as symbols of NATIONALISM (national pride or contiousness)

Boundary Disputes Positional Disputes: US and Mexico feuded for years over their mutual border Territorial Disputes: Conflicts arise if the people of one state want to annex a territory whose population is ethnically related to them –WWII: the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland – where there were German minorities

Boundary Disputes Continued: Functional Disputes: Arise when neighboring states cannot agree on policies that apply in a border area –ie: US and Mexico – immigration disputes - Resource Disputes: Involve natural resources –US and Canada feuded over fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean