1. Why do Boundaries Cause Problems?
Key issue 3
Why do Boundaries Cause Problems?

2. A state is separated from its neighbors by a boundary, an invisible line the marks the extent of a state’s territory.

3. Historically, frontiers - zones where no state exercises complete political control - separated states, rather than defined boundaries.
Undeveloped frontier

4. As every part of the Earth’s surface has become part of one state or another (except Antarctica), defined boundaries have become necessary.

5. There are two steps in establishing a border:
DELINIATION is the process of drawing a boundary, and involves complex political maneuvering between involved parties.
DEMARCATION is the process of physically establishing a boundary. Some are marked by high walls, while others are not physically defined at all.

6. BOUNDARY DELINIATION

7. BOUNDARY DEMARCATION

8. Demarcated Indian/Pakistani border – visible from space @ night!

9. There are two types of borders: PHYSICAL and CULTURAL

10. 3 Types of PHYSICAL boundaries:
DESERT
MOUNTAIN
WATER

11. Non-demarcated desert border between Mali and Mauritania in the Sahara
DESERT BOUNDARIES can be effective because deserts are hard to cross and are relatively unchanging.
Non-demarcated desert border between Mali and Mauritania in the Sahara

12. Non-demarcated desert boundaries in Northern Africa

13. Mountain border between Chile and Peru – lightly demarcated
Like deserts, MOUNTAINS provide effective boundaries because of their inaccessibility and unchanging character.
Mountain border between Chile and Peru – lightly demarcated

14. Mountain border between Spain and France through the PYRENEES

15. US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande
WATER BOUNDARIES can be more problematic than the other two. Though a body of water provides a good demarcation, they can also change over time.
US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande

17. Several states in eastern Africa are divided by water boundaries.

19. Two types of CULTURAL BOUNDARIES
Geometric
Ethnic

20. GEOMETRIC boundaries are (relatively) straight lines drawn on a map
GEOMETRIC boundaries are (relatively) straight lines drawn on a map. They do not coincide with physical or cultural features.
1,300-mile geometric border between the US and Canada runs along the 49th parallel.

21. Demarcation along US-Canada geometric border

22. ETHNIC boundaries coincide with differences in ethnicity, especially language and religion.
Many of Europe’s borders are ETHNIC, and are divided by either WATER or MOUNTAINS.

23. The former ‘SSRs’ of the USSR were carefully drawn along ethnic lines.

24. OCEAN BOUNDARIES are defined by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

25. 4 Primary Layers:
Territorial Waters (12 miles from land)
Contiguous Zone (12 miles from TW)
Exclusive Economic Zone (200 miles from baseline)
International Waters (>200 miles from baseline)

28. CLASSIFYING SHAPES OF STATES

29. The Shape of a State-
Affects the potential for communication and conflict with neighbors.
Impacts access to resources.
Influences the ease/difficulty of internal administration, and can affect social unity.

30. COMPACT States - EFFICIENT
Distance from center of state to any boundary does not vary significantly. Capital ideally placed at center.

31. ELONGATED states – POTENTIAL ISOLATION
Long and narrow shape; may suffer from poor internal communications.

32. PRORUPTED states
Otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension.
Created for two principal reasons-
Provide a state with access to a resource; or to
separate two states that other would share a boundary.

33. A state that completely surrounds another one.
PERFORATED states
A state that completely surrounds another one.
Encompassed state is dependent on the surrounding state for interactions beyond its boundary.
San Marino (Microstate)
Inside of Italy

34. FRAGMENTED states - PROBLEMATIC
Includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
Two kinds: - separated by water
-separated by an intervening state.

36. GOVERNING STATES DEMOCRACY, AUTOCRACY, and ANOCRACY

37. A DEMOCRACY is a country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office.
An AUTOCRACY is a country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.
An ANOCRACY is a country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but a mix of the two.

38. WORLD GOVERNMENT TYPES (2013)
FIGURE 8-34 REGIME TYPE Most states are either democratic, autocratic, or anocratic. In a few “failed” states, such as Somalia and Haiti, government institutions have broken down because of civil war, extreme poverty, or natural disasters—or some combination of the three.

39. -Selection of Leaders -Citizen Participation -Checks and Balances
Democracies and autocracies differ in three essential elements:
-Selection of Leaders
-Citizen Participation
-Checks and Balances

40. In general, the world has become MORE DEMOCRATIC since the turn of the 19th century.

41. Recent example: THE ARAB SPRING
In , citizens in countries throughout the Arab world rose up against their autocratic leaders. Long-time rulers were deposed from power in EGYPT, LIBYA, TUNISIA, and YEMEN.

42. Legislative Districts in CT (2002)
ELECTORAL GEOGRAPHY
Legislative Districts in CT (2002)

43. This is called REDISTRICTING. US CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
When the Census is held every 10 years, every Legislative District in the United States is redrawn to reflect population changes.
This is called REDISTRICTING.
US CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

44. The PARTY in control of each state legislature controls redistricting.
If they use this power to give themselves an electoral advantage, this is called GERRYMANDERING.

45. North Carolina congressional map
GERRYMANDERING leads to oddly-shaped campaign districts, as ruling parties divide opposition voters to make them less powerful.
North Carolina congressional map

46. There are three types of
GERRY-MANDERING.

47. Wasted vote spreads opposition voters across many districts

48. Excess vote concentrates opposition supported into a few districts

49. Stacked vote links distant areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped districts