1. Political Geography Unit 4 – Part 1

2. Political Geography-the study of political activity in a spatial context. Over 200 countries and territories in the world Great inequality of size, relative location, population, resources and potential Some are landlocked or have little coastline Some are surrounded by hostile nations In the last several decades-the collapse of empires has added to the number of independent states. Many newly independent nations have problems

3. States or Countries, Nations, Stateless Nations, and Nation-States

4. State State – a politically organized territory with a permanent population, a defined territory, and a government. To be a state, an entity must be recognized as such by other states. Exceptions: Colonies and Protectorates

5. The State A state provides services for its citizens. It demands taxes It demands adherence to the laws. It demands military service Periods of adversity can increase a sense of nationalism-but can backfire A state is possible only if a national attitude or emotional attachment to the state develops.

6. Nations Nation – a culturally defined group of people with a shared past and a common future who relate to a territory and have political goals. People construct nations to make sense of themselves. Nations are “imagined communities” -Benedict Anderson imagined = you will never meet all the people in your nation community = you see yourself as part of it

7. Stateless Nations Sovereignty-complete control over a territory’s political & military affairs. Some nations do not have their own state-this can lead to conflict. Palestinians are the most well known example-a stateless nation in conflict with Israel over territory. Kurds-about 20 million people live in Kurdistan-which covers 6 states-since the 1991 Iraq War-Kurdish Security Zone has been virtually independent.

9. Multinational State – A state with more than one nation. Slobadan Milosevic, leader of Serbia launched 4 Balkan Wars that killed 250,000 & left 2.5 million homeless The Former Yugoslavia

10. Multistate Nation – A nation with more than one state. Transylvania – homeland for both Romanians and Hungarians.

11. Defining the Nation-State A Nation should have –A single language –A common history –A similar ethnic background –Unity from a common political system. Cultural homogeneity not as important as “national spirit” or emotional commitment to the state. A Nation-State has: –Clearly delineated territory –Substantial population –Well-organized government –Shared political and cultural history –Emotional ties to institutions or political systems or an ideology.

12. European Boundary Changes Fig. 8-13: Twentieth-century boundary changes in Europe, 1914 to 2003. Germany’s boundaries changed after each world war and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

13. Defining the Nation-State The Four Pillars of Nationalism; –A population that considers itself a nation –A substantial and well- defined territory –A well-developed organization –A measure of economic, political and military power.