IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
5 – 10% of AP Human Geography Exam
15 Days:
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF SPACE
A. Nature and Significance of Political Boundaries
-Definition of Political Geography VocabularyStudystacks.com
Iraqaaphobia
1. Ways of conceptualizing territory: From Local To Global
-National Political Systems
a. State, nation, nation state
b. Stateless political units
c. Multinational State
a. Influence of Political Boundaries on Identity and Political Representation
1. Terms: Antecedent, subsequent, consequent, superimposed, relict, enclave,
exclave
2. Territorial morphology – geographic characteristics of states (size, shape
{elongated, compact, prorupt, fragmented, perforated}, location)
b. Natural, ethnographic, geometric
c. Core areas and capitals
d. Unitary, federal, and regional states
e. International and frontier zones (
B. Evolution of the Contemporary Political Pattern
1. Territorial Assumptions Underlying the Modern State
a. Evolution of the Modern State
b. Emergence of states
c. European model of the nation state
2. Colonialism and Imperialism
a. Definition of geopolitics
b. Theories
1. Organic (Ratzel)
2. Heartland (Mackinder)
3. Rimland (Spykman)
4. Domino
c. Strategic choke points
d. Colonization – Decolonization
a. Internal political Boundaries and Arrangements
b. Spatial arrangements
1. Land Survey System
2. Zoning
c. Electoral geography
1. Gerrymandering
2. Baker v. Carr
3. Shaw v. Reno
Page Two
C. Challenges to Inherited Political – Territorial Arrangements
1. Changing Nature of Sovereignty
a. Sovereignty
b. Supranationalism
c. United Nations
d. Maritime boundaries and U.N. Law of the Sea
2. Fragmentation, Unification, Alliance
a. Centripetal and centrifugal forces
b. Nationalism and regionalism
c. Devolution
d. Alliances
1. Economic (e.g. EU, NAFTA, OPEC)
2. Military (e.g. NATO)
3. Political (e.g. OAS, OAU)
3. Spatial Disjunctions Between Political Entities and other Patterns
a. Boundary disputes
1. Positional
2. Territorial
3. Resources
4. Functional
b. Irredentism
c. Shatterbelt
AP Political Geography Multiple Choice and Free Response
Questions
A.
Nature and Significance of Political Boundaries
1.
Which country would be most likely to satisfy the definition of a nation-state?
A. Kurdistan
B. United States
C. Sweden
D. Mexico
E. South Africa
2.
A border that has ceased to function but whose imprints are still evident on the
cultural landscape is known as a(n)
A. geometric boundary.
B. antecedent boundary.
C. cultural-political boundary.
D. relict boundary.
E. subsequent boundary.
3.
The element most common to the world's political states is
A. ethnicity.
B. core capital.
C. territory.
D. religion.
E. coastline.
4.
In which of the following state morphologies is internal circulation and contact or
other distance
friction likely to be a problem?
A. fragmented
B. compact
C. perforated
D. enclave
E. prorupted
5.
As an example of each concept which of the following pairs is NOT correctly
matched?
A. core area: Paris Basin
B. primate city: Tokyo
C. capital city: Canberra
D. forward thrust capital: Brasilia
E. federal state: Spain
6.
Which of the following phases best defines "stateless nation"?
A. many ethnic groups contained within several contiguous states with no one
group dominating
B. a group of people with a common culture and sense of unity but with no
particular territory
C. a single nation dispersed across and predominant in two or more states
D. a distinct group of people occupying a specific territory and sharing a common
set of values
E. an independent political entity that is not subdivided into regional or local units
Free Response A
1.
Boundaries are much more than invisible lines marking the extent of a
nation's territory.
A. What kinds of physical and cultural elements can serve as boundaries?
B. Describe how a country's shape can foster or hinder its effective
organization.
B.
7.
.
Evolution of the Contemporary Political Pattern
Which of the following in modern Africa was NOT primarily a consequence of
European colonialism and imperialism?
A. multinational states
B. some geometric boundaries
C. superimposed boundaries
D. interethnic conflict
E. infrastructure to exploit natural resources
8.
The following statement reflects which geographer's geopolitical viewpoint that
"who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia, who rules Eurasia controls the
destinies of the world."
A. Spykman
B. Malthus
C. Sauer
D. MacKinder
E. Rostow
9.
Which of the following is NOT a general process or pattern of imperialism?
A. political or economic domination of a strong core state over a weaker
peripheral state
B. a stronger state pressures a weaker state government to behave in certain
ways
C. formal incorporation of a weaker state into a stronger state
D. use of military threats, economic sanctions, or cultural domination by a
stronger state
E. exploration of a weaker state followed by exploitation of the people and/or
resources by stronger state
10.
11.
The European model of the nation - state includes all of the following
characteristics EXCEPT
A. a substantial and clearly defined territory.
B. a measure of power or sovereignty.
C. a population that considers itself to be a nation.
D. a national currency and independent economic processes.
E. a well-developed government organization and administration.
Which academic field of inquiry deals with the spatial aspects of voting systems,
voting behavior and voter representation?
A. political geography
B. electoral geography
C. congressional geography
D. apportionment geography
E. district geography
12.
A sharply divided Supreme Court brought down what decision in the 1993 case
Shaw v. Reno?
A. "One person, one vote" signified the end of overrepresentation of sparsely
populated rural
districts in state legislatures.
B. Racial gerrymandering reflected in the irregular shapes of some congressional
districts may
violate the constitutional rights of white voters.
C. The doctrine of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional and lead to the
redrawing of thousands of attendance boundaries of school districts.
D. The "wasted vote" strategy of legislative redistricting was declared
unconstitutional because votes are divided among a number of districts.
E. States were ordered to reduce the number of special use districts because the
boundaries did not coincide with major civil divisions.
Free Response B
1.
Using examples of various scales, discuss how the "politics of geography"
differs from the "geography of politics."
A. What kinds of maps or other visual tools would you use to illustrate
these two
contrasting orientations?
B. Describe the value of these interactive relationships in comprehending
both geography and politics.
C.
Challenges to Inherited Political - Territorial Arrangements
13.
Which of the following statements regarding state cohesiveness is NOT true?
A. Nationalism can be both a centripetal and centrifugal force.
B. If centrifugal forces are stronger than centripetal forces, the very existence of
the state will be threatened.
C. The schools and the armed forces are examples of unifying institutions.
D. A state's transportation and communication networks are considered
centrifugal forces if they promote interaction between areas and join them
economically and socially.
E. The low percentage of women elected to national legislative seats is potentially
a source of
centrifugal pressure.
14.
Which of the following is NOT an example of devolution in Europe?
A. the breakup of Yugoslavia
B. the "velvet revolution" in Czechoslovakia
C. Scottish autonomy
D. the Basque separatist movement
E. the re-unification of East and West Germany
15.
NATO and the Warsaw Pact were designed to
A. command armed forces.
B. promote social, cultural, political and economic unity.
C. maintain a bipolar balance of power in Europe.
D. divide Germany into the Democratic and Federal republics.
E. create economic and political unity in Western Europe.
16.
If preexisting cultural patterns are ignored when a boundary is created, State A
may follow a
policy of cultural extension and political expansion, thus annexing territory from
State B, creating a potential dispute. This policy is called
A. irrendentism.
B. devolution.
C. hegemony.
D. shatter belt.
E. territorial morphology.
17.
Which of the following statements about the United Nation's Law of the Sea is NOT
correct?
A. Countries share maritime boundaries with additional countries.
B. A country enjoys exclusive fishing rights in its 12nm territorial sea.
C. Islands, because of their comparative small sizes, have no exclusive economic
zone.
D. A country can enforce its customs, immigration and sanitation laws in its 24
nm contiguous zone.
E. Exclusive economic zones have resulted in overlapping national claims.
18.
From the perspective of sovereignty, the United Nations is illustrative of the trend
towards
A. regionalism.
B. autonomous nationalism.
C. interventionism.
D. predevelopment annexation.
E. supranationalism.
Free Response C
1.
The competing forces of supranationalism and devolution continue to
reshape the international landscape.
A.
Describe how you see these forces at work in two of the following
areas: Africa,
Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East,
or Latin America.
B.
Predict the impact of these trends on nation-states in the next
century and the subsequent effect on the United Nations.
Answers
1.
C
2.
D
3.
C
4.
A
5.
E
6.
B
7.
B
8.
A
9.
C
10.
D
11.
B
12.
B
13.
D
14.
E
15.
C
16.
A
17.
C
18.
E
Supranationalism: Expanding the European Union?
Geographic Data Analysis and Problem Solving
Summary: Students analyze geographic data and maps to identify the three
most and three least likely states to join the European Union.
Objectives - Students will:
a. read and analyze geographic data and maps relating to the European
Union;
b. create a graphic organizer summarizing factors influencing E.U.
admission or rejection;
c. apply geographic concepts and data to determine and defend their
decisions.
Student Directions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Read the European Union background information and database. (U.S.
included as point of reference)
Examine and analyze the maps in your text and atlas relating to
supranationalism, the EU, Europe, and the specific states applying for
admission.
Create a graphic organizer of geographic factors influencing EU admission
for each of the applicant states. The factors are listed below.
Rank order the best three candidates for admission to the European
Union, giving specific reasons.
List the three least likely candidate states for EU admission, giving specific
reasons.
Be ready to defend your decisions.
EU Admission Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Locational advantages (on trade routes, contiguous with other EU states,
etc.)
Economy (recent trends)
a.
core areas?
b.
type and strength of the economies beneficial to the EU?
c.
need for EU grants and subsidies?
d.
transition to a mixed economy?
System of governance
Religion
Nationalism and separatist movements
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Border disputes
Environment
a.
Do the states meet the strict EU pollution regulations?
b.
Will the EU have to pay to help clean up expensive environmental
damage?
Physical factors: climate, terrain, natural barriers, and natural hazards
State size
State shape
Capital city location
A.P. Geography Institute – July, 1998
The European Union - background
•
•
15 European states (1998), with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
Formerly called the European Community, Common Market, EEC, etc.
Goals
1.
The EU is an economic cooperation, integration, and trade organization
competing
with large U.S. and Japanese economic power and trade markets.
2.
National borders that were barriers to trade and free movement of people
and capital among the EU no longer exists, much like state borders within
the U.S.
3.
Some, but not all member states hope for future political unification of
Europe.
Actions Taken to Strengthen EU Economies
a.
Protective tariffs (taxes) between EU states, making trade goods more
expensive,
have been eliminated.
b.
Trucks, trains and ships no longer have to stop for hours at each border to
process
paperwork and pay taxes, reducing shipping costs.
c.
Nine EU states now allow free movement of people across borders
without passport inspection allowing foreign workers, students, etc. to freely migrate.
Additional states may allow free movement in the future.
d.
The member states have established common policies and regulations in
foreign trade,
agriculture, fisheries, transportation, and fiscal
monetary activities.
e.
Common regulations and joint programs such as anti-trust measures,
energy
development, environmental protection, education and training, research
and development, and technology assist member states.
f.
The EU promotes the economic advancement of its poorer regions
through grants,
loans, and development programs. The European
Investment Bank (EIB) provides
financing for multipurpose economic
development around the world.
g.
Each member state pays for these programs through a variety of taxes to
the EU.
h.
A common currency (Euro) is planned for 2000, which will end exchanging
money in
each state - losing a percentage of the money and time at each border
crossing. (Great Britain and Denmark currently oppose converting their
currencies in 2000.)
Key Organizations
The Council of Ministers makes most important policy decisions and has one
representative from each country, usually the foreign minister. Important
decisions must be unanimous, i.e. the acceptance of new member states.
The European Parliament debates issues, questions the Council of Ministers,
and amends or rejects the EU's annual budget. It is not as powerful as individual
European national legislative bodies. It currently has 626 elected members
meeting alternately in Brussels and Strausbourg, France.
The Court of Justice interprets EU laws, resolves conflicts between the EU and
national laws, and enforces EU treaties.
Membership Advantages
• The EU is now the world's largest trading power, accounting for approximately
20 percent of international trade. EU population is currently 368 million, with a
$6.7 trillion GDP (Gross Domestic Product) - $18,000 per capita.
• Goods bought and sold within the EU are less expensive, without tariffs and
border inspections - making it easier to sell goods to and from member states.
Border inspections in the past have slowed trucks traveling from Belgium to Italy
to 12 M.P.H., despite generally high quality highways.
• European states outside the EU usually pay tariffs on both imports from &
exports to the EU, making them more expensive - lowering the amount of overall
trade.
• Pooled finances increase the quality of research and development for all
members, also allowing space and atomic energy programs.
• Consistent standards for quality of goods and food protect consumers and
makes sales easier among member states.
• Some cores within the EU (Paris, Hamburg, etc.) have a standard of living five
times higher than the poorest states (Portugal, Greece). A variety of economic
programs assist the poorer states and regions.
• Investments and loans can be made freely across borders, making them more
competitive/less expensive.
• Travel, labor, and student movement is much easier, with an optional EU
passport
and no passport inspections currently among nine EU members (France,
Germany, the Benelux states, Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal).
• About half of the EU budget subsidizes farm products, guaranteeing minimum
prices.
• The success of the EU and its predecessors has led to other trade alliances,
such as
OPEC and NAFTA.
Membership Disadvantages
• Individual states give up much control or sovereignty over their own economies
–
having to pay higher minimum wages, provide worker benefits, improve safety
conditions, etc.
• EU states often have to improve pollution controls, meat and food quality levels,
transportation, etc., which makes their products more expensive and less
competitive in the short run.
• High taxes paid to the EU could be used for state programs and goals.
• Certain traditional industries may be regulated to a point where they are not
competitive and die out, leading to unemployment for those workers and a loss of
traditional ways of life. Norway voted against membership, partly to avoid
regulation of fishing and whaling and to avoid North Sea oil profit losses.
• High unemployment in member states may lead to unwanted labor migration
from poorer to wealthier states.
• Wealthier states subsidize and economically support poorer states.
• Economic unity could lead to political and military unity, weakening the
sovereignty, power, many traditions, and customs of each states.
European Union Expansion Data Base Sources: CIA World Fact Books 1995-1996
U.S.A. Germany
Estonia Slovenia
United Greece Poland Russia Turkey Ukraine Bulgaria Czech
Kingdom
Republic
Natural Resources
coal, oil
coal,
iron ore
zinc,
bauxite
amber
uranium
silver
gold, tin
nat. gas
arable lnd
coal, iron
coal, oil bauxite coal, lead
oil, coal coal
iron ore bauxite
shale oil coal, lead
timber nat. gas oil
copper nat. gas copper coal, oil copper clay,
peat
copper iron ore marble nat. gas timber iron ore titanium coal, zinc
uranium
nat. gas tin, lead
silver gold, tin arable lnd
timber timber
mercury
nickel arable
arable bauxite
nickel lead
land
arable land
land
arable arable arable
land
uranium land
land
land
graphite
Gross Domestic ‘94 6,738 1,345
1,045
94
191
721
305
189
34
77
10
16
Product (bill $) ‘95
23
7,248
1,452
1,138
102
227
796
346
175
43
106
12
Per Capita GDP ‘94
8,110
($)
‘95
11,000
GDP Growth rate’94
4
(% per year)
‘95
4.8
25,580 16,580 17,980 8,870
4,920
4,820
4,900
3,650
3,830
7,350
6,460
27,500 17,900 19,500 9,500
5,800
5,300
5,500
3,370
4,920
10,200 7,600
4.1
2.9
4.2
.4
5.5
(-15)
(-5)
(-19)
.2
2
4
2.1
1.8
2.7
1.7
6.5
(-4)
6.8
(-4)
2.4
2.4
5
Infant Mortality ‘94
8
(per 1,000)
‘95
7
8
6
7
8
12
26
46
21
11
9
19
7
6
6
7
12
25
43
23
16
8
17
Life Expectancy ‘94
75
(years)
‘95
75
76
77
77
78
73
69
71
70
74
74
70
76
76
76
78
72
63
72
67
74
74
68
Literacy %
98
‘95
96
99
99
95
99
98
82
98
98
99
100
Inflation rate
20
‘94
3
3
2
11
30
10
106
280
122
10
3
‘95
3
2
3
8
22
7
94
180
35
9
29
Unemployment ‘94
9
‘95
6
10
9
10
16
8
13
<1?
16
3
2
6
11
8
10
15
8
10
high?
12
3
8
arable
8
8
External Debt
2
(billions $)
3
‘94
NA
NA
16
27
47
95
67
8
12
9
.7
‘95
NA
NA
17
31
42
130
74
9
10
15
.3
5
3
6
3
12
(-21)
7
(-28)
4
5
(-27)
5
3
2
2
10
(-3)
7
(-11)
2
13
?
Industrial Prod ‘94
6
Growth (per yr) ’95
2