1. State Morphology (aka Size and Shape of States)

2. state: a politically organized territory administered by a sovereign government, having a permanent population, and recognized by the international community
morphology: the study of the form or structure of something

3. The size and shape of a state determines the length of it boundaries which in turn affects the potential for communication, trade, and conflict with its neighbors.

4. First shade in the world’s ten largest states by area on your map.

5. What might be some characteristics (both advantageous and disadvantageous) of large size for a state?

6. What might be some characteristics (both advantageous and disadvantageous) of large size for a state?
Large State: Advantages
Large State: Disadvantages
Larger population (likely but not necessarily, e.g. Australia, Canada) for workers, soldiers
Likely steady food supply
Large supply of raw materials
Difficult for invading army to conquer entire territory
Wide variety of climates=wide variety of food and mineral resources
Difficult to defend borders
Difficult to maintain central political control, stability and organization, (i.e. “stronger devolutionary forces”)

7. Now circle the approximate locations of the ten smallest world states by area. These are the so called “microstates”. Throughout this course, I have often eliminated them from our categorillas. Why might I have done that?

8. Vatican City Set in the heart of Rome and separated by a surrounding wall, The Vatican is the smallest state in the world. It spreads across 0.2 square miles and has a population of only 770 people. Despite its size, The Vatican is a state simply because it is viewed as the spiritual center of the Catholic Church and the home of The Pope.

9. Vatican City

10. Monaco At just 1.95 square km, Monaco is the smallest state recognized by the United Nations (The U.N. doesn’t recognize the Vatican City). But unless you have an 8-figure sum in your bank account, there is no point in going to Monaco, a nation famous worldwide for its casinos. This tiny state is also known as a tax paradise and many important celebrities make Monaco their residence just to evade some taxes. It was founded as a state in the 13th century. It has a population of 32,000.

11. Monaco

12. Nauru The Republic of Nauru is set in the Southern Pacific and is the world’s smallest island nation, with a surface of just over 8 square miles. Originally inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian tribes, the island entered Germany’s sphere of influence and was attached as a colony. It was occupied by Japan during WWII and finally achieved independence in Pleasure Island, as it’s called has a population of 13,000.

13. Nauru

14. Tuvalu Halfway between Hawaii and Australia, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean lays the Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu. It became completely independent in 1978, and now it is the second-smallest member of the United Nations. Tuvalu is set on 9 coral atolls, covering a surface of only 9 square miles. It has a population of 12,000 souls.

15. Tuvalu

16. San Marino This small nation claims to be the oldest established state in the world, founded on September 3, 301 CE by Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason. It is completely surrounded by Italy and it is set in the Apennine Mountains. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with a population of 29,000 inhabitants and a surface of 24 square miles.

17. San Marino

18. Liechtenstein Bordered by Austria to the west and Switzerland to the east, the tiny nation of Lichtenstein is a remnant of the old Holy Roman Empire. Known as the smallest German-speaking country on the planet, Liechtenstein spreads across 62 square miles and has a population of 34,000 citizens. It is best known for its winter destination, and for being a financial paradise.

19. Liechtenstein

20. Saint Kitts and Nevis The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is made up of two corresponding islands, the larger, Saint Kitts and the smaller Nevis. It is located in the Leeward Islands and with a population of only 39,000 it is the smallest country in America. It covers just 104 miles.

21. Saint Kitts and Nevis

22. The Maldives Set in the Indian Ocean, the Republic of Maldives is an island nation made up of twenty-six atolls featuring 1,192 islets, out of which just two hundred and fifty six are inhabited. With only around 300,000 inhabitants, the Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. Before the year 1965, when Maldives became an independent country, there were only 100,000 citizens in the area, but soon after, the number doubled and in 2007 it reached 300,000.

23. The Maldives

24. Malta Malta is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, 80 km south of Sicily, It is also one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. Malta is internationally renowned as a tourist destination, with numerous recreational areas and historical monuments, including nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

25. Malta

26. Grenada Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" because of the production of nutmeg and mace crops of which Grenada is one of the world's largest exporters.

27. Grenada

28. The very smallest states have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT: a. Many of the island nations are former European colonies. b. Most are in the southern hemisphere. c. Many are islands. d. They are (by one definition) all smaller than 1,000 square kilometers. e. They are called microstates.

29. In addition to size, geographers classify states by shape
In addition to size, geographers classify states by shape. These classifications are: Compact Elongated Prorupted Perforated Fragmented Landlocked (not really a shape)

31. Compact State:
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.
Ideal compact state = circle.

32. Examples?

36. Zimbabwe

37. The capitals of compacts states are most often located in the center of the state. Why might this be?

38. If a capital is moved to the center of the state, this is called a forward thrust capital.

39. forward thrust capital (on back of worksheet): A capital that has been moved from its from its original location in order to encourage economic development or social cohesion. Other examples?

40. Brasilia, Brazil (capital moved from Rio de Janeiro in 1960)

41. Islamabad, Pakistan (capital moved from Karachi in 1960)

42. Canberra, Australia (capital moved from Melbourne in 1927)

43. New Delhi (capital moved from Calcutta in 1947)

44. What might be some advantages or disadvantages of a compact state
What might be some advantages or disadvantages of a compact state? Think ESPen!

45. Compact States: Pros and Cons
Efficient administration
Easier to defend (has shortest boundaries to defend for a given area) (IF SMALL)
Easier to establish communications to all regions (IF SMALL)
promotes political and cultural cohesiveness (IF SMALL)
BUT: Does not ensure peace: compact states are just as likely (or more likely!) to have ethnic rivalries or civil wars as any other state (no place for ethnic groups to "hide".

46. Compact ≠ Ethnically Harmonious

47. Long, narrow shape Capital usually located at midpoint
Elongated State
Long, narrow shape
Capital usually located at midpoint

48. Examples?

49. Chile: (4,000km by 150km)

50. Malawi: (850km by 100 km)

51. Italy: (1,000km by 200km)

53. Panama is an elongated state
Panama is an elongated state. What other kind of state was it before 2000 when the canal zone belonged to the U.S.?

54. What might be some advantages or disadvantages of an elongated state?

55. Elongated States: Pros and Cons
Diverse climates means diverse human and natural resources
BUT: Difficult administration
Difficult to defend borders
Poor internal communications, transportation (friction of distance issues)
Remoteness of areas far from capital (esp. two ends) strengthens devolutionary pressures and may lead to calls for greater autonomy or even succession.

56. Prorupted States
An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension (a proruption!)
Created either to access some resource (usually ocean) or to intentionally separate two regions from each other for political reasons.

57. Examples?

59. Can you spot the two prorupted states in Southern Africa?

61. What might be some advantages or disadvantages of a prorupted state?

62. Prorupted States: Pros and Cons
Proruption provides access to a resource (usually sea) or
Disrupts access of neighboring enemy states
Can create room for ethnic groups to live peacefully (room for everybody).
BUT: As with elongated states, remoteness strengthens devolutionary pressures. Areas far from capital are most likely to seek autonomy or succession.

63. Ethnic groups in Thailand
Where is conflict more likely, in the main body of the country or in the proruption?

64. Perforated State A state that complete surrounds another state
The state surrounded is called an enclave

65. enclave: a small and relatively homogeneous group or region surrounded by a larger and different region (e.g., Nagorno-Karabakh (part of Armenia surrounded by Azerbaijan), West Berlin during the Cold War, Lesotho (surrounded by S. Africa)

66. Examples?

68. Italy: A doubly perforated state
Italy: A doubly perforated state. (It has two enclaves: Vatican City and San Marino)
(It’s “holey”!)

69. What might be some advantages or disadvantages of a perforated state (and for the enclave)?

70. Perforated States and Enclaves: Pros and Cons
Perforated state likely to have almost total control over the enclave (good for perforated state, bad for enclave)
BUT: If the enclave is occupied by people with different culture or values, this can be a source of instability to the surrounding, perforated state.

71. Gambia in West Africa is simultaneously an example of what two kinds of states? So Senegal is a…?

72. Fragmented State
A state with several discontinuous (not touching) pieces of territory.
Discontinuous piece is an exclave.
Technically includes any state with an offshore island.
Two types: exclave by water (common), exclave by intervening state (rare).

73. exclave: a bounded territory that is is separated from the main body of the state it belongs to by water or the territory of another state

74. Examples?

75. (Any state with island territories is technically a fragmented state.)

78. Land separated exclaves are much less common than water separated exclaves. Can you spot the exclave here?

80. Two Exclaves

81. What might be some advantages or disadvantages of a fragmented state?

82. Perforated States and Enclaves: Pros and Cons
May promote peace by giving rival ethnic groups their own spaces.
BUT: Fragmentation complicates internal communications, transportation (friction of distance issues)
Difficult administration (Weak centralized control)
Increased regionalism and devolutionary pressures are perhaps most extreme in fragmented states.
(East Timor got independence, West Papua wants independence), Cabinda wants to succeed from Angola
Many islands are subject to devolutionary pressure: Corsica (from France), Sardinia (Italy), Taiwan (China), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Puerto Rico (US), East Timor, Aceh, West Papua (Indonesia)

83. Landlocked State A country with no access to the sea
Most common in Africa (14 of 54 African states are landlocked)

84. Landlocked States 12-7 Figure 12.9
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Landlocked States
Figure 12.9
12-7

85. There are two states that are “double landlocked” (not only are they themselves landlocked but all of the countries surrounding them are also landlocked. Can you name them?

86. Yep, Liechtenstein & Uzbekistan

87. Practice Analysis of Shape
What US state is closest to a perfect compact state?
What US state is elongated?
Is there a prorupted US state?
What US state is fragmented BUT doesn’t have an exclave?
What US state is fragmented AND has an exclave?
What US state is a protruded state?

88. Point Roberts, WA
(Land Exclave)

89. Now, with partners and a world atlas, find at least two examples of each of the types of states defined above and label them on your map with the first three letters of each shape. Then brainstorm with your group any advantages or disadvantages for each shape. Think in terms of these three areas: 1) political administration of the state 2) economic activity within or between states 3) cultural/ethnic unity or conflict

90. Other perforated states

91. Other fragmented states

92. Separatist Flashpoints in Indonesia
Aceh
Moluccas
West Papua
East Timor
Separatist Flashpoints in Indonesia
(East Timor gained independence in 2002)

96. devolution: the process by which regions within a state demand and gain political strength and autonomy at the expense of the central government.