1. BOUNDARIES AND THE SHAPE OF STATES

2. FIVE BASIC SHAPES COMPACT STATES PRORUPTED STATES ELONGATED STATES
FRAGMENTED STATES
PERFORATED STATES

3. COMPACT STATES
The distance to the outside does not vary significantly. (Ideal would be a circle with the capital in the middle.
Benefits are good communication and connectedness between all areas

4. PRORUPTED STATES
An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension
Why?
Extension can cause
access to a resource
such as water or as a
transportation corridor.

6. To prevent two states from sharing a border
Example: Afghanistan
The British used it
to prevent Russia
from sharing a border
with Pakistan
(formerly part of India)

7. ELONGATED STATES
Problems are potential isolation
4000 km in length

8. Fragmented States
Includes several discontinuous pieces of territory. Technically all states that have offshore islands are fragmented
Two types: those separated by water
those separated by land

9. Separated by Water
Indonesia (13,677 islands) breeds the problem of isolation and independence.
Timor-Leste gained its independence in 1999 after conflict

10. Separated by Land Examples: U.S.A. – Alaska, Russia- Kaliningrad
India – Tin Bigha corridor allows Bangladesh to have two areas connected

11. Tin Bigha Corridor

12. Perforated States One state completely surrounds another state
The state within is
completely
dependent
on that which
surrounds it.

13. Other Terms Landlocked State (no access to oceans)
Frontier (a zone where no state exerts control and is a tangible geographic area vs. an infinitely thin line)
Waziristan in Pakistan

14. Physical Boundaries (mountains, rivers, deserts)
Geometric Boundaries 49th parallel between Canada and the United States
Libya and Chad