1. Geographic Characteristics of Nations
Ch. 15: Nations, Borders, & Power

2. Political Region An area that is run by a government Has its own laws.
Has different levels of government
A.K.A. political unit

3. Local Government United States Texas Cameron County Brownsville
Rancho Viejo

4. Sovereign Government:
A State that has the power to govern their own internal & external affairs
Tax system
Laws
Political structure
Foreign policy

5. State: state: A sovereign political entity.
Ex. United States
A territory with that has some sovereignty
Not independent
Ex. Texas

6. Mini-Quick Write #1 (2 min)
Which kind of State/state has a truly sovereign government and why? Explain your answer.
Must write at least 2 sentences

7. NATION: NATION-STATE: A community of people who share a common culture
Has NO physical TERRITORY
EX: Kurds (Middle East)
A politically independent country
Citizens also share a common culture

8. Territory: Land controlled by a government or country
Has a separate government
Ex. United States and Puerto Rico

9. Borders, Boundaries, & Buffer Zones:
Boundary = border
Line that divides one area from another
Can be divided into;
Natural boundaries
Artificial boundaries
A Buffer zone is a neutral territory
Meant to prevent conflict
tUESDAY
Mini -Quick-write #2 :What kind of state or nation would not have borders/boundaries and why? (2 sentences)

10. Natural Boundaries: Occurs when physical features separate countries
Ex. Rivers and Mountains

11. Artificial Boundaries:
Types of Boundaries;
1. GEOMETRIC- Man-made, uses longitude and latitude
EX: 49°N Latitude line separates Canada & U.S.
2. ETHNOGRAPHIC/CULTURAL – based on factors like culture and ethnicity
*Hard to establish/define*
Ex: Conference of Berlin Dividing Africa in 1884

12. Artificial Boundaries:

13. Political Maps: These maps show: Boundaries/borders between countries
Locations of cities and capitals
States/provinces and counties
End Tuesday

14. Boundary Disputes: Ethnic Conflicts: Religious Conflicts:
Occurs when violent acts are committed between ethnic groups
Ethnic cleansing/Genocide
EX: Rwanda, Kosovo & Sudan
Occurs when there is violence between different religious groups
Ex. Conflict between India (Hindu) & Pakistan (Muslim) over Kashmir
Wednesday
Boundary Disputes:

15. Agenda for April15, 2015
Students will get their binders and take out their spirals to write in
Students will finish viewing the Geographic Characteristics of Nations PPT
Students will complete the Geographic Characteristics Graphic Organizer (15 min)
Students will complete the Borders and Boundaries map (15-20 min)

16. Graphic Organizer/Quickwrite (15 min)
Geographic Characteristics Graphic Organizer
Write the appropriate term above the boxes
Write a brief description and one example for each term in the boxes
Complete the Quickwrite on the back of the organizer
Must answer BOTH prompts
Must be paragraph Format
At least 4 sentences (both prompts altogether)
Finish it by the end of the period – will be picked up for a grad

17. Borders and Boundaries Map (15-20 min)
Students must label the10 countries listed below on the map
Students must then label the natural boundaries in these countries
Mountains, Rivers, Deserts, Oceans, and Seas
Make a map legend for the boundaries
colors and symbols
Answer the short Quickwrite on the back
__Countries___
Peru France China Japan United States
Mexico Italy India Algeria Canada

18. Example

20. BALKANIZATION- ANNEXATION-
Breakup of an area into smaller independent units
Hostile process
EX: Yugoslavia
Adding territory to an already existing State
Ex: Texas joining the U.S.

21. 3 Geographic Characteristics:
Size: how big a country is in comparison to others.
Shape: can impact how easily it can be governed, how goods are moved to all areas of the country, & how it relates to neighboring countries
Location: a landlocked country is surrounded by other land & has no direct outlet to the sea.

22. SIZE:

23. Small in area & population
Size of Countries:
Microstates-
Small in area & population
Ministates-
City-states
San Marino
Vatican City

24. SHAPE:

25. The 5 Shapes of Countries:
Compact
Elongated
Fragmented
Perforated
Prorupted

26. LOCATION:
NOT LANDLOCKED
LANDLOCKED

27. Rwandan Genocide:
The 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda.
Over the course of approximately 100 days
Rwanda’s population of seven million was composed of three ethnic groups:
Hutu (85%)
Tutsi (14%)
Twa (1%)
The Hutu remembered past years of oppressive Tutsi rule, and many of them not only resented but also feared the minority.
End Wednesday

28. Ethnic Cleansing: Expelled rival ethnic groups from:
Serb-controlled areas of Bosnia
Herzegovina
province of Kosovo
Became refugees-
People who escape to a foreign country for safety.
In the early 1990s, Yugoslavia broke up into 5 separate republics-
Ethnic groups began fighting
Serbian leaders followed a policy of ethnic cleansing;
Expulsion or killing of an ethnic group

29. International Relations & the “Balance of Power”

30. Balance of Power: Policy of a nation or group of nations
Protecting itself against another nation or group of nations
By matching its power against the power of the other side
States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways:
Increasing their own power
competitive acquisition of territory
policy of alliances

31. Factors that Influence how much Power an Individual Nation Possesses:
Size
Armed Forces
Population
Physical Features
Educated & United Citizens
Economy
Factors that Influence how much Power an Individual Nation Possesses:

32. Top 15 Powerful Countries
2012

33. Political Organization of Space:
EMBASSIES-
Consulates
Ambassadors

34. International Organizations:
United Nations
European Union