1. Political and Economic Systems

2.  Four Characteristics - clearly defined territory - population - sovereignty - government

3.  Includes… - land - water - natural resources *(all within the countries boundaries)

4.  What can unequal distribution of natural resources lead to?

5.  Defining boundaries - natural divisions (rivers, mountains) - wars/conquests - international treaties/agreements -geographic factors

6.  Countries vary in both size and the makeup of their populations - some countries have large amounts of land that are unpopulated, - while others can have very small amounts of land and be overcrowded. - some countries contain a wide diversity of people and cultures, - while others do not.

7.  What does it mean to be a ‘sovereign’ country?  How can a country defend/maintain its sovereignty?  What can weaken a country’s ability to defend/maintain its sovereignty?

8.  Classifying Governments - country - smaller unit (states, provinces, republics) *base the relationship between smaller units and the central government.

9.  Unitary System  Federation  Confederation

10.  Authoritarian  Dictatorship  Totalitarianism  Monarchy  Democracy

11.  Traditional Economy  Market Economy  Command Economy  Mixed Economy *Draw diagram for traditional, market, command