Chapter 8 Outline
I.
Development of the State Concept
A. Ancient and Medieval States
1. Ancient States: The first states formed as a result of the
agricultural revolution and subsequent population growth in and
around the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia).
1. These states began as city-states. Walls marked the
boundaries of the city but it also included the agricultural
lands outside of the walls.
2. Empires: when one city-state would conquer another.
Examples include: Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians,
Persians, Greeks and Romans
2. Early European States:
1. Roman Empire began as a city-state (Rome) and grew to
encompass most of Europe, Northern Africa and Southwest
Asia
2. Feudalism: The fall of the Roman Empire brought control
of territories by lords (landlords) who controlled large areas
of land known as estates. By the year 1100 several lords
(kings) had conquered and controlled many estates forming
one kingdom. These were the origins of the first states:
England, France, Spain etc.
B. Colonies : A colony is a territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state
rather than being completely independent.
1. Colonialism-European countries established colonies for three
basic reasons.
1. spread Christianity
2. gain access to resources
3. as a sign of power
2. Colonial era began in 1400’s when Columbus sailed west to
colonize North and South America. Most countries in North and
South America gained independence between 1776 and 1824.
3. Imperialism: Control of territory already occupied and organized
by an indigenous people.
1. United Kingdom controlled: Eastern and Southern Africa,
South Asia, Middle East, Australia and Canada
2. France: West Africa and Southeast Asia
3. Germany: North Africa
4. Remaining Colonies
1. Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997
2. Portugal returned Macao to China in 1999
3. U.S.: Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa
4. France: French Polynesia, Mayotte, New Caldonia
II.
Shapes of States
A. Compact/Efficient: size does not vary much from center to boundary
1. capital is usually in the center
2. good shape for small states
1. more efficient communication and transportation
2. Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda
B. Prorupted States/Access or Disruption: compact state with a large
projecting extension
1. Proruption serves to gain access to important resources or trade
route.
1. Congo
2. Proruption can serve as a buffer between two hostile states
1. Britain created a proruption in Afghanistan to prevent
Pakistan from sharing a border with Russia.
3. Proruption can disrupt transportation and communication of a
rival state
1. Germany created the Caprivi strip (along the Zambizi
River) to prevent communication/transportation between
British colonies of Southern Africa.
C. Elongated States/Potential Isoloation: States with a long, narrow shape
1. Chile-2,500 miles long and about 90 miles wide,
sandwiched between the Andes Mountains and Pacific
Ocean
2. Italy- 700 miles long, 120 miles wide: isolated by the Alps
in the north and ocean on three sides.
3. Isolation might also occur as cities on the extreme ends of
the country might not have as much access to
communication and transportation networks
D. Fragmented States/Problematic: several discontinuous pieces of territory
1. Separated by water
a. All states with island located offshore of mainland
are fragmented
b. Indonesia: 13,677 islands covering 5,000 kilometers
2. Separated by land
a. Alaska
b. Angola-separated by East Timor
c. Russia-Kalingrad along the Baltic Sea separated by
Lituania and Belarus
d. Tin-Bigha corridor: given to Bagladesh by India to
create cultural unity thereby separating Cooch
Behar from the rest of Idia
E. Perforated States: a state that completely surrounds another
1. South Africa/Lesotho
2. Rome, Italy/Holy See-a.k.a. Vatican City
F. Landlocked States: lack direct access to the ocean because it is completely
surrounded by other countries
1. Africa: 14 of 54 countries are landlocked
a. remnant of colonial era where Britain and France
combined several areas to provide access to the sea.
b. Colonial Transportation Networks: Railroads were
built to connect interior regions with valuable
resources to ocean outlets.
c. Today these rail lines may pass through several
independent states that can restrict or cut-off
transport of goods of the others.
III.
Types of Boundaries
A. Frontier- a zone where no state exercizes complete political control
1. southern end of the Arabian Peninsula
2. Antarctica
B. Physical Boundaries
1. Mountain Ranges (hard to cross and sparsely inhabited)
a. Andes Mountains: Chile and Argentina
b. Zagros Mountains: Iran and Iraq
c. Himalayas: India, Nepal & China
2. Desert Boundaries- (hard to cross and sparsely inhabited)
a. Sahara Desert: separates Algeria, Libya and Egypt
from Mauritiana, Mali, Chad, Niger and Sudan.
b. Gobi Desert: separates India, Nepal, Pakistan and
China
3. Water Boundaries-most common type of boundary
a. water boundaries usually run through the middle of
the body of water giving access to each
side.(exception: Malawi and Tanzania are separated
by the north shore of Lake Nyasa. Britain would not
give water access to German-controlled Tanzania.
b. Water boundaries can be problematic because water
(especially rivers) can change course over time.
Rio-Grande River and Mexican-American border
c. Ocean boundaries are usually not at the shore but
far out to sea so that countries can control valuable
fishing waters and deposits of oil. Law of the Sea, a
treaty signed in 1983 by 117 countries standardized
territorial limits for most countries.
4. Cultural Boundaries- follow cultural lines of language, race and
religion
a. geometric boundaries-a straight line (arc): U.S.Canadian boundary and Aozou Strip which
separates Chad and Libya
IV.
b. Religious Boundaries-Britain separated India and
Pakistan based on majorities of Hindus in India and
Muslims in Pakistan
c. Language Boundaries-language was a major factor
in establishing the boundaries of Europe.
Czechoslovakia separated into the Czech Republic
and Slovakia based on linguistic differences and
Yugoslavia was divided for the same reason by
Croats, Macedonians, Serbs and Slovenes.
Other Boundary Disputes
A. Taiwan/China
B. North Korea/South Korea
C. Cyprus: Turkey and Greece-“Green Line” boundary