An Introduction to Human Geography

The Cultural Landscape, 8e

James M. Rubenstein

Chapter 8
Political
Geography
PPT by Abe Goldman
What is a political
map?
One that shows state boundaries.
When has there been the
most states in the world?
 Most of the planet is unorganized territory
prior to the 1800s.
 Past - 1940s 50 total states.
 Present – 193 members of UN.
 Future?
 more states will be added
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AivEQmfPpk&safe=active
 Sovereignty
 A state has the right to govern itself without
interference from outside sources.
 Aka Autonomy, Autonomous

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdimK1onR4o

*What makes a state is if other states think

that state is a state.
Varying Size of States
 Largest?
 Russia (11% of
world’s land)
 Smallest?
 Monaco
(.6 square miles)
Challenges in
Defining States
1. Korea: One State or Two?
 WWII – U.S. and Soviet Union meet at 38 parallel
when fighting stops.
 Korea divided by demilitarized zone (DMZ):
*North – communist, supported by the Soviets.
*South – capitalist, supported by the United States.
 Both would like to become one Korea again
Happy Fun Good Times Thinking Moment

 After winning the election, President-elect

Trump accepted a congratulatory phone
call from the President Tsai of Taiwan.
They spoke for ten minutes.

 Why is this a big deal?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNVfiKQovqs
2. China and Taiwan: One State or Two?
 1949 Communist Revolution in China.
 Defeated capitalists flee to Taiwan.
 Capitalists planned to regroup in Taiwan until
they could defeat communism.
 Taiwan becomes independent state, but China
still claims it.
 The Chinese call it the Republic of China
 The rest of the world calls it Taiwan.
 Chinese Taipei – a compromised title
*Taiwan is biggest state not in UN.
3. Antarctica
 Only land mass that
is not part of a state.
 Several states claim
it.
 Many disputes.
 https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=DbKNlFcg02c

Fig. 8-2: Antarctica is the only large landmass that is not part of a state, but several
countries claim portions of it.
Who owns the north pole?
 Debatable
 Thought to be rich in
energy resources.
 2007 Russia claims
the Arctic.
 Arctic Claims
 Frontiers:
 Zones where no state exercises complete
control.
 Historically, frontiers rather than boundaries
separated states.
 Frontier – an area
 Boundary – a thin line
Frontiers in the Arabian Peninsula

Fig. 8-8: Several states in the Arabian Peninsula are separated by frontiers
rather than precise boundaries.
Boundaries
 Physical
Boundaries
1. Mountains
 Can be effective if
difficult to cross
2. Desert
 Hard to cross and
sparsely inhabited
 Sahara is a stable
boundary.
3. Water
 Can offer protection
from an attack.
 Problem: rivers
change course.
 Where is ocean
boundary?
 For most, 14 miles
offshore.
 Cultural
Boundaries
 1. Geometric
 Geometric – follow a
line of lat. or long.
Ex: U.S. and Canada at
49 degrees north
2. Religious (Ethnic)
 Rarely used.
 Ex:
*India / Pakistan
*Northern Ireland
3. Language (Ethnic)
 Used mostly in
Europe.
 Example
*Yugoslavia was all
South Slavic
speakers.
Thought Provoking Question
 Which type of boundary is the best chance
for peace?

*The best boundaries are those to which all

affected states agree, regardless for the
rationale used to draw the line.
More boundaries…
SUBSEQUENT/ CONSEQUENT boundary
 Drawn after the development of the cultural
landscape. These are drawn to accommodate
religious, language, or ethnic differences.
 Aka ETHNOGRAPHIC / ETHNIC boundaries
ANTECEDENT Boundary
 One drawn across an
area before it is well
populated.
 Ex: U.S. / Canada
border drawn in 1846.
 Malaysia / Indonesia
border across
sparsely inhabited
rainforest.
SUPERIMPOSED Boundaries
 Forced upon a people
by a colonizing
power.
 Africa was divided up
by colonial powers in
the mid 1800s.
 Britain divided India
and Pakistan.
RELIC Boundary
 A boundary line that
no longer functions
as one.
 Ex: boundary
between former North
and South Vietnam.
 Ex: abandoned
castles throughout
Wales and England.
 Cool Class
Competition
Fewest students needed to
answer ten questions…
 Give an
example of a
Superimposed
Boundary.
Define Relic
Boundary
What kind of
boundary is
Pakistan /
India?
What is another
type of
boundary that
describes
Pakistan/India?
Give an example
of a geometric
boundary not
listed in your
notes.
Name three
physical
boundaries
 Consequent
boundaries are
also known as
_______.
 Define
Antecedent
Boundary
 Give an
example of a
relic boundary
not named in
the notes.
 Which
boundary is the
best chance for
peace?
Development of
State Concept
 Ancient States
 Mesopotamia- made up of city-states,
which are towns and their surrounding
countryside.
 Egypt – emerges into a large unified
empire.
 The Fertile Crescent

Fig. 8-3: The Fertile Crescent was the site of early city-states and a succession of
ancient empires.
 Early European States
 Roman empire – height of political unity
 Downfall – fragmented into estates owned
by kings.
 States formed as these kings became more
powerful.
 Examples: France, Hogwarts, England, and
Spain.
 Italy and Germany fragmented until the
1800s.
 Colonialism Imperialism
 establishes settlements
and imposes political,  Control of an already
cultural, and economic occupied and organized
principles. territory.
 A colony is legally tied  Goal is economic
to a sovereign state.
domination.
 Established for God,
Gold, and Glory.
*Britian had the biggest
colonial empire.
*Almost every developing
country has been
colonized.
 Colonial Possessions, 1914

Fig. 8-4: By the outbreak of World War I, European states held colonies throughout the
world, especially throughout Africa and in much of Asia.
 Colonial Practices
 France – attempted to assimilate their
colonies.
 Britain – approaches varied based on the
situation.
After Independence is regained:
 French colonies remained close to France.
 British colonies made a clean break.
 Colonies that remain today…
 68 remain mostly located in the Pacific
Ocean or the Caribbean Sea.
 Puerto Rico is most populous.
 AKA dependencies
Colonial Possessions

Fig. 8-5: Most of the remaining colonies are small islands in the Pacific or Caribbean.
 Why are the
remaining colonies
not fighting for
independence?
 Unitary State
 Places most power in the hands of a
central govt.
 Best for?
- States with few cultural differences.
- States with a strong sense of national unity.
*Dangerous – one ethnicity can dominate
another.
 Federal State
 Power is allocated to units within the
country. (Local Govt)
*Works best for multi-national states.
What is the global
trend?
Unitary States?
or
Federal States?
Globally, there is strong trend
toward federal government…

Unitary Federal
Devolution-
 The transfer of power from unitary (central)
to federal (local) government.
Regime Types
 Democracy – citizens elect leaders
 Autocracy – a ruler makes the decisions
 Anocracy – a mix of the two.
Trend toward democracy…
Fascinating Video…
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yYwn
PvuTQE
Shapes of States
 Shape affects the
potential for conflict.
Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact,
elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.
 1. Compact states
 Ideally a circle with capitol in the center.
 Most efficient because communication can
easily be established to all regions.

• Just as likely to experience civil wars and

ethnic conflict.
• Ex: Rwanda is a compact state.
Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact,
elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.
 2. Prorupted (Protruded) States
 Compact state with an extension
 States extended to reach a resource such
as water
Ex: Belgium expanded Congo for access to
Atlantic Ocean
 Extensions can also separate two states
that would otherwise share a boundary.
Ex: Namibia divides Angola and Botswana.
 African States

Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact,
elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.
 3. Elongated States
 States with a long narrow shape
 Produces a potential for isolation
Ex: a region at one end might be isolated
from the capitol.
*Long borders mean much movement across
it.
 African States

Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact,
elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.
 4. Fragmented States
 Include several discontinuous pieces of
territory.
 Ex: Indonesia – 13,677 islands make
communication and integration extremely
difficult.
 Ex: Alaska and U.S. – not a problem as
long as Canada remains friendly
 African States

Fig. 8-6: Southern, central, and eastern Africa include states that are compact,
elongated, prorupted, fragmented, and perforated.
 5. Perforated State
 A state that completely surrounds another
state.
 Ex: South Africa surrounds Lesotho.
 Lesotho is completely dependent on South
Africa.
Enclave
 A state that is
completely
surrounded by
another state.
 Ex: San Marino,
Vatican City, Lesotho
Ethnic Enclaves
 an ethnicity inside an
area where another
ethnicity dominates.
 Ex: Chinatown, Little
Italy
Exclave
 A disconnected piece
of territory is located
within another
country.
 Ex: Kaliningrad is the
Russian exclave
between Poland and
Lithuania.
 Cabinda is an
exclave of Angola.
Landlocked States
 Lack a direct outlet to the sea
 14 out of 54 states in Africa are landlocked.
 A seaport is crucial for international trade.
*Transportation through other countries leads
to tension.
Electoral Geography
What do you think this
map represents?
 Gerrymandering

 The deliberate
rearrangement of
congressional districts
to influence an election.
 1812 Governor Elbridge
Gerry changed a district
to look like a
salamander.
JOTD
 What do you call the redrawing of
cat and mouse voting lines?
Tom and Jerrymandering
 Decennial Census
 Every ten years a census determines how
many representatives each state will send
to the House of Representatives.
 Voting boundaries must be redrawn.
JOTD
What was it called when
people had a realization in
2010?
They came to their census.
How is this possible?
 In
the 2012 election, Republicans
won 1.4 million fewer votes than
Democrats, but still secured a
dominant 234-201 House
majority.
2016 House of Representatives
 Republicans– 63,173,815 (49.1%)
 Democrats – 61,776,554 (48.0%)

 Republicans- 241 seats

 Democrats – 194 seats
 Three types of Gerrymandering

 Stacked vote – links like minded voters

through oddly shaped boundaries. (win)
 Wasted vote – spreads opposition support
across many districts. (win)
 Excess vote – concentrates opposition
votes into a few districts. (a few big losses
to win the rest)
Stacked Vote
Wasted Vote
Excess Vote
JOTD
What do you call a ballot
that has had a few too
many?

a wasted vote
What demographics
can be
gerrymandered?
Match the following:

 Strongly Democrat  Women

 Slightly Democrat  Elderly
 Neutral  College graduates
 Slightly Republican  White Males
 Strongly Republican  Hispanics
 Rural America
 Blacks
What demographic
would be the biggest
factor in
determining where
to draw district
boundaries?
2012 Voting by Race/Ethnicity
Demographic Barrack Obama Mitt Romney
Democrat Republican
White 39% 59%

Black 93% 6%

Hispanic 71% 27%

Asian 73% 26%

Who is more likely to
gerrymander?
Republican or
Democrat
Both sides are equally guilty.
 Who is ready for
some
gerrymandering?
Cool Class Contest – least amount
of time needed for three groups to
solve the puzzle.
Gerrymandering video…
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11
UJb9AY&safe=active
Effects of Gerrymandering
 Lower voter turnout
- Why vote in a packed district?
 Increased incumbent advantage
- In any given election, only about 1/10th of
congressional districts are competitive.
 More extremists in Congress.
- Helps create gridlock
Possible solutions…
 Have neutral party or computers draw
political boundaries.
*Iowa is already doing this.
Supranationalism
 Three or more states forge an association
for the mutual benefit and pursuit of shared
goals.
 Examples are as follows…
 United Nations
 A forum where states can meet to discuss
issues without resorting to war
 Created in 1945 by victorious nations after
WWII.
 1945 – 49 states
 2018 – 193 states
These five have veto power in the
UN….
 China, France, Russia, US, and UK
United Nations Members

Fig. 8-1: The UN has increased from 51 members in 1945 to 191 in 2003.
 Era of two superpowers
 Before WWI:
Balance of Power – several nations would
have equal power and therefore there
would be no war.
 After WWII:
Two superpowers emerged –
*United States - capitalist
*Soviet Union - communist
 Both raced to collect friends (Cold War).
Both used military power to keep
alliances…
Soviet Union:  United States:
 Hungary 1956  Dominican Republic
 Czechoslovakia 1968 1965
 Afghanistan 1979  Grenada 1983
 Panama 1989
 Military Alliances
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
– organized to prevent the expansion of the
Soviet Union.
 Warsaw Pact 1955 – Soviet led countries
formed in response to NATO
*NATO remains even after communism fell
….. Has even added more states.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
 Thought Provoking Question

 Doyou think that NATO still

serves a purpose or should it
be done away with?
 European Union
 Goal is to promote economic growth
through cooperation
 Trade barriers removed.
 Open borders within EU.
 27 members, 19 of them share the same
currency (Euro).
 *EU is the wealthiest market in the world.
 US alone is a very close second.
The European Union

Fig. 8-12: NATO and the European Union have expanded and accepted new members
as the Warsaw Pact and COMECON have disintegrated.
Which is more important…..
Economic or military
alliances?
 The most important
element of state power
is now economics
rather than military.
Brexit Video
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgVhR
VrANhA
Heartland-Rimland Theory
Heartland Theory
 By Halford MacKinder in 1904
 suggested that whoever owns Eastern
Europe and Western Asia has the political
power to rule the world.
The Rimland Theory
 By Nicolas Spykman
 forming alliances is necessary to keep the
Heartland in check. Because the Heartland
is so powerful, no individual country can
contain it by itself.
 Do these
theories still
make sense
today?
Shatterbelt
 Regions caught in the middle of conflict
between superpowers.
 Korea and Vietnam during the cold war.
 SW Asia as superpowers competed for oil.
Irredentism
 Attempt to reclaim or reoccupy a lost
homeland, justifying territorial claims based
on historic or ethnic affiliation.
 Encourage a separatist movement or
provoke a coup.
 Russia and the Ukraine