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AP Human Geography
Chapter 8
Political Geography
1. What is the difference between old-style geography and human geography?
2. Despite the change in emphasis, why do you still need to know where things are
located?
3. How has the nature of conflict changed?
Case Study / Changing Borders in Europe
4. What makes it possible for Germany and France to transcend political differences with
regard to who controls the border area of Alsace?
Introduction
5. Why do some people consider national borders more important than physical features?
6. How has the end of the Cold War changed the political landscape?
7. How has globalization encouraged cooperation among states?
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8. How has local diversity influenced independence movements around the world?
Key Issue I
Where Are States Located?
Problems of Defining States
9. List the four things an entity needs in order to be considered a state. Name the places
that test the definition of a state.
Korea: One State or Two?
10. What are the prospects that North and South Korea will unite into one state?
China and Taiwan: One State or Two?
11. Describe the argument(s) as to why Taiwan is and is not a sovereign state.
Varying Size of States
12. List the top five largest states in the world.
13. What is the most pressing threat to microstates?
Development of the State Concept
14. How was most of the world’s land divided and controlled prior to 1800?
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Colonies
15. Describe the difference between colonization and imperialism.
16. What were the main reasons for Europeans establishing colonies?
The Few Remaining Colonies
17. Where are most of the remaining colonies in the world located?
Key Issue II
Why Do Boundaries Between States Cause Problems?
18. What aspect of boundaries are geographers specifically interested in?
Shapes of States
Five Basic Shapes
19. Fill in the chart below with detailed information.
Shape
Description
Positives
Compact
Negatives
Examples
Elongated
Prorupted
Perforated
Fragmented
Landlocked States
20. What is a landlocked state? Where are most of the world’s landlocked states located?
What challenges do landlocked states experience?
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Types of Boundaries
21. Why can political boundaries lead to conflict?
Physical Boundaries
22. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Description
Positives
Negatives
Examples
Desert
Boundaries
Mountain
Boundaries
Water
Boundaries
23. Why do ocean boundaries cause problems? What is the Law of the Sea?
Cultural Boundaries
24. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Description
Geometric
Boundaries
Positives
Negatives
Examples
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Religious
Boundaries
Language
Boundaries
Cyprus’s “Green Line” Boundary
25. Describe the geography and demographics of Cyprus.
26. Describe the why the “Green Line” was created and how well has it worked.
Frontiers
27. What is a frontier, and where are they? What is the connection between frontiers and
population growth and technological advancements?
Boundaries Inside States
Unitary and Federal States
28. What is the main reason for governments to reconstruct their governments to transfer
some authority to local government units?
29. What is a federal state and give some examples? Why is a federal state good for large
and/or diverse states?
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30. What is a unitary state? What shapes of states lend themselves to be organized in this
manner?
Trend Toward Federal Government
France: Curbing A Unitary Government
31. Why is France a good example of a nation-state? Why are they moving towards more
federalism?
Poland: A New Federal Government
32. Why did Poland institute a federal system, and what challenges have they faced in
this process?
Electoral Geography
33. What is gerrymandering?
34. Why are internal political divisions redrawn every ten years?
35. Who is responsible for redrawing the boundaries? How is this process different in
most European countries?
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36. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Type
Wasted Vote
Description
Who it benefits
Examples
Excess Vote
Stacked Vote
37. Why is gerrymandering potentially damaging to the political process?
Key Issue III
Why Do States Cooperate with Each Other?
Political and Military Cooperation
38. How did the Cold War influence cooperation between states?
The United Nations
39. Why have so many new members been added to the United Nations since 1945?
40. With respect to peacekeeping missions, what difficulties does the UN face?
Regional Military Alliances
Era of Two Superpowers
41. Describe how relative peace throughout the world was maintained during the Cold
War.
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42. What is Balance of Power, and how is globalization changing the power dynamics in
the world?
Military Cooperation in Europe
43. What does NATO stand for, and why was it formed? What was the Warsaw Pact?
How have the mission and number of member countries changes in NATO?
44. Fill in the chart with the appropriate information.
Organization
OSCE
Reasons for Existence
Members
OAS
AU
The
Commonwealth
Economic Cooperation
45. What are the two key differences with respect to global power arrangements after the
end of the Cold War?
46. What is the EU, and why does it continue to add new states?
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47. Who were the original members of the EU? What states are possibly being
considered for inclusion into the EU? Why might they not gain admittance?
48. What is the main task of the EU? Why has the EU taken on more importance in
recent years?
Key Issue IV
Why Has Terrorism Increased?
49. According to your book, what is the definition of terrorism?
50. How do terrorists attempt to achieve their goals?
51. Why do terrorist rationalize the use of violence?
Terrorism by Individuals and Organizations
52. Why is it difficult to distinguish between terrorism and acts of political violence?
Terrorism against Americans
53. Why do you think most Americans didn’t pay attention to most terrorist attacks prior
to 9/11?
September 11, 2001, Attacks
54. Who was most responsible for the terrorist attacks on 9/11?
Al-Qaeda
55. Why did Bin Laden issue a declaration of war in 1998 against the United States?
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56. How is Al Qaeda organized from a leadership and geographic perspective?
State Support for Terrorism
58. Fill in the chart with examples for the different levels of support for terrorists.
Sanctuary
Providing weapons et.
Planning attacks
Libya
Afghanistan
Iraq
Iran
Pakistan
Case Study Revisited / Future of Nation-State in Europe
60. Create a “T” chart with information supporting the continued growth of the EU
versus reasons why the nation-state is still strong.