1. Political Manifestations of Ethnic Diversity
Martha B. Sharma
APHG Test Development Committee
NCGE, Kansas City
October 22, 2004

2. Integrating Themes in Human Geography
Cultural Patterns and Processes
Cultural differences
Ethnicity
Political Organization of Space
Evolution of the contemporary political pattern
Internal political boundaries and arrangements
Challenges to inherited political-territorial arrangements
Spatial relationships between political patterns and patterns of ethnicity …

3. Some Basic Vocabulary
Ethnic group – “…a group, which is part of a larger population, that possesses a distinct culture of its own. The members of such a group feel a common origin, real or imaginary, and are frequently set apart by race, religion, or national origin, or a combination of these.”
Territoriality – “A behavioral phenomenon associated with people’s …organization of space….reflects the need that individuals and groups have for space for reasons of security, identify ….area over which [they] wish to assert control….”
Source: Dictionary of Human Geography (Penguin, 1987)

4. Challenges to the State
A perceived threat to a group’s sense of identity can be a strong centripetal force, binding the group together for common defense against the ‘other’
Competing claims among ethnic groups for territory, control, or recognition can be a strong centrifugal force , threatening to undermine the stability of the state

5. Contemporary Conflicts Rooted in Ethnic Identity
Ethnicity stirs human emotions that, under certain circumstance, can erupt into public displays, civil disturbances, even open political conflict.
Some manifestation of ethnicity lies at the heart of tensions that mark events at various places and scales around the world, including …
French Canada
Nigeria
Sudan
Lebanon
Mexico (Chiapas)
Sri Lanka
Russia (Chechnya)
Northern Ireland
Philippines
Eritrea

6. Language is often a symbol of ethnic identity
Source: Atlas of Canada. officiallanguages/mothertonguefrench

7. KFC becomes PFK (Poulet Frait de la Kentucky).
Source:

8. The Number of languages spoken in the states of Nigeria is a clue to ethnic diversity
Nigerian languages represent three different language families
Nilo-Saharan
Afro-Asiatic
Niger-Congo
Source:

9. Ethnic Diversity – a Legacy of Colonialism
Tensions among Nigeria’s main ethnic groups erupt into open conflict in the streets of Lagos.
Source:

10. Ethnic Conflict Puts Nigeria at Risk
53,787 people died in ethnic and religious clashes between Christians and Muslims in Plateau State between September 2001 and May 2004
NY Times (October 8, 2004)
Plateau State

11. Chad-Sudan Border Zone
Border zone marked by ethnic diversity
Open conflict has destroyed villages
Thousands have fled to refugees camps on both sides of the international border
Source: Human Rights Watch [

12. More than 1 million people have fled as Arab militias attack black African populations.
Source:
darfur_villages_0802_2004.jpg
Source:

13. The High Price of Conflict
Two families arrive in Bredjing camp after walking for many days from Sudan bearing on their heads all the possessions they were able to grab when soldiers drove them from their villages in Darfur.
Source:

14. Sri Lanka’s Complex Cultural Environment
Ethnic diversity
Sinhalese – 74%
Sri Lankan Tamils – 12%
Indian Tamils – 6 %
Other minorities – Muslims, Burghers, Veddas
Religious diversity
Sinhalese – Buddhist
Tamils – Hindu
Muslims - Sunni
Source:

15. Sri Lanka's conflict has cost thousands of lives
Source:
world/para/ltte.htm
Source:
from_our_own_correspondent/ stm

16. Ethnic Mosaic of the Former Soviet Union
Source:

17. Russia’s Ethnic Republics
Source:

18. Chechen (58%) + Russian (23%) = Formula for Conflict
Source:
russia/trip/nazran-2.html
Chechen boy with a toy helmet and toy gun leads his sister through Grozny. A Russian mortar shell is in the foreground on the left. [AP/Wide World Photo]
Source:
children_shell.jpg

19. Religion lies at the core of ethnic identity
Source: Cain Project. [

20. Barriers Emerge out of Diversity
One of the main gates on the 'peace line' in west Belfast. This particular gate is used to seal a road that runs between the Catholic Falls Road area and the Protestant Shankill district.
Source: CAIN Project. [ photos/belfast/peaceline/gate1.htm#gate1]

21. Former Yugoslavia – A Patchwork Quilt with Frayed Threads
Source: bosnia/map1993.htm
Source:

22. Searching for the Roots of Conflict
A class investigation …
Divide the class into groups of 2 or 3
Assign each group a country of region experiencing ethnic conflict (see slide #5 for a list; add more for larger classes)
Direct each group to prepare a “briefing paper” addressing the questions on the following slide, including at least one map
If time permits, each group can report back to the class, or the briefing papers can be posted on a class bulletin board or copied for distribution

23. Cultural Patterns and Processes – Ethnic Conflict
Location of the conflict (map)
What lies at the root of this conflict?
What form has this conflict taken (tension, discrimination, open violence)?
What is the spatial extent of the conflict?
How long has there been tension or conflict?
In what ways has this conflict been manifested?
How many people have been affected? In what ways?
Sources ( a complete bibliography of all sources used, print and electronic)

24. Starting the investigation …
The following Internet sites provide a wealth of information on world events:
[click on “world” and then “region” in the sidebar]
[use the site search engine]
[use the site search engine]
[click on Background Notes; Country Reports]
Check for databases, such as CountryWatch.com or LexisNexis in your school library

25. Additional Sources …
The map collection at the University of Texas Perry Castañeda Library is a great place to start a search for maps [
Additional source links for some countries are provided on your workshop CD
Students will want to “google” this assignment. Take time to discuss critical evaluation of the variety of resources that may turn up in an open search