1. Why Do Boundaries Cause Problems?
Chapter 8.2

2. Shapes of States 5 basic shapes Communication/Conflict with neighbours
Internal administration
Social unity

3. Compact States: Efficient
Distance from center to any boundary doesn’t vary much (think circle)
Good communication especially if capital is in center
Ex. Kenya, Uganda, Burundi

4. Prorupted States: Access/Disruption
Compact state w/ large projecting extension
Can provide access to a resource (water)
Can separate 2 states that would otherwise share a boundary
Ex. Namibia, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Afghanistan

5. Elongated States: Potential Isolation
Long & narrow
Poor internal communication
Ex. Italy, Chile, Gambia

6. Fragmented States: Problematic
Several discontinuous pieces
Either separated by water or by another state
Difficult communication & sense of unity
Ex. Indonesia, Angola, USA

7. Perforated States: South Africa
A state that completely surrounds another state
Surrounded states completely dependant on imports/exports
Ex. South Africa (Lesotho), Italy (Vatican City)

8. Landlocked States
Lacks a direct outlet to the sea because it is completely surrounded by other countries
14/54 countries in Africa
Forces communication with neighbours
International trade

9. Types of Boundaries Historically – frontiers rather than borders
Antarctica & Arabian peninsula
Boundaries can be physical or cultural

10. Physical Boundaries: Easily seen
Mountains
Can be effective if difficult to cross
Permanent
Sparsely inhabited
Argentina & Chile almost fought a war trying to decide on the boundary line

11. Desert Boundaries Hard to cross Sparsely populated
Common in Africa & Asia
Sahara desert seperates Algeria, Libya & Egypt from neighbours to the south

12. Water Boundaries Rivers, lakes, oceans
Most common physical features used as boundaries
Visible
Unchanging
Good protection from attack
Where in the water in the boundary?
East Africa (various lakes)

13. Cultural Boundaries Geometric Boundaries Based on lines
Latitude/longitude
Canada (Britain) & USA - 49°N (USA originally wanted 54°)
Bizarre Borders
Religious Boundaries
Only in a few cases
India/Pakistan
Ireland

14. Language Boundaries Important in Europe
After WWI, map of Europe was redrawn (Versailles Peace Conference)
Language most important criterion
Used to create new states & adjust borders of existing ones
Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria

15. Name that Shape….
& Name that State!

16. Mexico

17. India

18. Somalia

19. Japan

20. Rwanda

21. Switzerland

22. Russia

23. UK

24. Vietnam

25. Venezuela

26. Egypt

27. DRC

28. Electoral Geography
Legislative districts in US & other countries are sometimes redrawn
Changing populations
Each district should have same population
Redrawn every 10 years in USA

29. Gerrymandering
The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power
Named for American Elbridge Gerry ( )
3 types
Wasted vote (spread out)
Excess vote (concentrates)
Stacked vote (weird links)

30. FIGURE 8-37 WASTED VOTE GERRY MANDERING Wasted vote gerrymandering spreads opposition supporters across many districts as a minority. If the Blue Party controls the redistricting process, it could create a wasted vote gerrymander by creating four districts with a slender majority of Blue Party voters and one district (#1) with a strong majority of Red Party voters.

31. FIGURE 8-38 EXCESS VOTE GERRY MANDERING Excess vote gerrymandering concentrates opposition supporters into a few districts. If the Red Party controls the redistricting process, it could create an excess vote gerrymander by creating four districts with a slender majority of Red Party voters and one district (#3) with an overwhelming majority of Blue Party voters.

32. FIGURE 8-39 STACKED VOTE GERRY MANDERING A stacked vote gerrymander links distant areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries. In this example, the Red Party controls redistricting and creates five oddly shaped districts, four with a slender majority of Red Party voters and one (#3) with an overwhelming majority of Blue Party voters.

33. Cont’d…
Recent gerrymandering in the US has primarily been “stacked vote”
Especially attractive to create districts inclined to elect ethnic minorities
(90% of blacks vote democrat, therefore Republicans support a “stacked” Democratic district)
Illegal in U.S. as of 1985 but did not require dismantling of existing districts

34. Gerrymandering: Florida and Georgia
Fig. 8-11: State legislature boundaries were drawn to maximize the number of legislators for Republicans in Florida and Democrats in Georgia.

35. Gerrymandering