1. Political Geography

2. A state is the same thing as a country.
These are states (as opposed to States--political divisions within countries).

3. A Nation is a group of people with a common ancestry--regardless of whether the group controls its own territory.

4. The term nation-state applies if a nation’s homeland corresponds to a state’s territory.

5. A stateless nation is a cultural unit that has no country.

6. A multinational state includes more than one ethnic/cultural group.

7. What is important to understand about this?
Attempts to create nation-states have caused much conflict in recent history.
The Breakup of Yugoslavia
The Arab-Israeli Conflict

8. Size
Large--access to natural resources and large population base, but can be difficult to administer.

9. Size
Small--can be a disadvantage, but it is difficult to generalize. (W. Africa vs. Singapore)

10. Shape

11. Afghanistan is a prorupt state.

13. Relative location can be a blessing or a curse.
Can benefit greatly if close to resources, harbor sites, proximity to friendly nations, accessibility.
Landlocked countries can face challenges.

14. Enclaves and Exclaves Exclaves are “outliers.”
An enclave is an area within a state that belongs to another state.

15. Centrifugal forces
Quebec’s Flag
Protesting war in Chechnya
Centrifugal: Forces that make it difficult to bind an area together as an effective state
Myanmar Buddhist monks protesting

16. Centripetal Forces
Centripetal: Forces that pull and area together as one unit to create a stable state.