POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
Interaction of politics and place
• The study of the interaction of geographical area and
political process
• It is the formal study of territoriality.
• Covers forms of government, borders, treaties,
trading blocs, conflicts and war.
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
Interaction of power, politics and place
Today:
Political Geography Vocab
DO NOW:
NYTimes Article Debrief
Answer the following questions thoughtfully, using at least
one piece of evidence from the article “Uncharted Ground
After End of Egypt’s Regime” for #1-2. Apply your
knowledge in #3.
1. What political sentiment is currently
spreading across the Middle East?
2. What factors led to the Egyptian
revolution and the end of Mubarak’s
regime?
3. What could happen to US-Middle East
relations as a result of political upheaval
in Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and other
countries?
STATE (with a capital “S”): an area
organized into a political unit and ruled by an
established government that has control over
its internal and foreign affairs (sovereignty)
• Defined territory, permanent population
• Synonym for country, not the same as nation
• A formal region: recognized worldwide, has
organized economy, education, transportation and
government services
• Examples: USA, Russia, Brazil, Costa Rica…
• Non-examples: state with a lowercase “s” is a
division of a federal State (i.e. Illinois the other 49..)
SOVEREIGNTY: right the self-government
without interference from outside
• A sovereign nation has control over its affairs
• Internal: laws, prints own money
• External: treaties, passports (diplomatic relations with
other states)
• Tribal governments not sovereign, but they have
autonomy
• Examples: The USA fought the American Revolution to
gain its independence from Britain, so they could be a
sovereign nation.
NATION: tight-knit group of people, larger than
a tribe/community, who share culture, i.e
language, institutions, religion and historical
experience.
• There are nations
without states (i.e.
Kurds are
stateless,
Palestinians lack
independent state)
• Other example:
Scotland
NATION - STATE
• A sovereign state
inhabited by a
homogeneous
group of people
who share a feeling
of common identity.
Classic Examples
of
a Nation-State:
Japan, Poland
• By contrast, most
countries are multiethnic
STATELESS NATION:
People without
their own state
• Kurds live in
Iraq, Eastern
Turkey, Iran and
Syria
STATES: Number, size, shape, etc.
Number: there
are
approximately
200 countries in
the world
SIZE
Giant:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Russia: 6.6 million sq. mi.
Canada: 3.8 million sq. mi.
China: 3.7 million sq. mi.
USA: 3.6 million sq. mi.
Brazil: 3.3 million sq. mi.
Australia: 3 million sq. mi
SIZE
Microstates:
• Smallest of the small
• Most in Europe (leftover of medieval feudal period,
afterwards was consolidation and they invented
the nation-state
• Less than 200 sq. miles (2.5 times size of
Washington D.C.)
–
–
–
–
–
–
Andorra
Malta
Lichtenstein
Monaco
Vatican City
San Marino
STATES: Shape
Compact state
• Distance from center
to border varies little
• Communication and
transportation is easier
• Fosters a sense of
national identity
• Example: South Korea
STATES: Shape
Prorupt state
• Compact with extension
• Access can vary
• Economically and
strategically important
extension
• Narrow
• High military presence
• Away from core
STATES: Shape
Prorupt state
• Compact with extension
• Access can vary
• Economically and
strategically important
extension
• Narrow
• High military presence
• Away from core
Caprivi Strip in
Namibia
Germans colonized in
1890
STATES: Shape
Prorupt state
• Compact with extension
• Access can vary
• Economically and
strategically important
extension
• Narrow
• High military presence
• Away from core
Thailand has access to
Malaysia and the
entire Gulf
STATES: Shape
Elongated state
• Must be longer than
wide
• Covers a great distance
• Various climatic,
resource, culture zones
(climate more varied if
state runs North-South
• Difficult communication,
transportation, fostering
national identity
• Example: Chile
STATES: Shape
Fragmented state
• Physically broken,
multiple pieces
• Difficult
transportation,
fostering sense of
national identity
• Examples:
Indonesia,
Philippines
STATES: Shape
Perforated state
• One state surrounds the
other
• Perforated state
surrounds land locked
state
• Surrounded state is
always weaker
• Examples: South Africa
surrounds Lesotho; Italy
(surrounds San Marino
and Vatican City)
STATES: Shape
Landlocked state
• Surrounded by
land
• Example 
STATES: Type
City-State
• A region controlled by
a city and that has
sovereignty. They
were more common
in the middle ages
and Renaissance in
Europe.
STATES: Type
Buffer state
• A country lying
between two more
powerful countries
that are hostile to
each other. An
example is
Mongolia, which
serves as a buffer
between Russia
and China.
More Important Political Vocab…
Centrifugal
• Religious,
political,
economic,
conflict, etc. that
causes disunity
in a state
More Important Political Vocab…
Centripetal
• Religious,
political,
economic
attitude that
unifies people
and enhances
support for the
state
Political Geography Vocab Exercise
Use the 12 vocabulary words in one of
the following ways:
• Creative short story, poem or
song – (correct
context/definitions must be
clear)
• News Article (correct
context/definitions must be
clear)
• Create a worksheet for this
class i.e. matching exercise,
State
Nation
Nation-State
Compact state
Prorupt state
Elongated state
Fragmented state
Perforated state
Landlocked state
Buffer state
Centrifugal
Centripetal
Do Now: Keeping Current
Place vocab HW in a pile on
your desk to be collected.
• Complete the News
Article analysis
(take me bin) using
the article you found
about Unrest in the
Middle East
• Be ready to
share/discuss in 7
min.
Anti-Gaddafi protesters display
the old Libyan flag in Benghazi
on 28 February 2011.
Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex
Features
Development of the “State”
Concept…
• The concept of
dividing the world
into states is
relatively new
• Before 1800…
areas were
organized in
different ways
(city-states,
empires, tribes)
Tribal homelands of North America
Development of the “State”
Concept…
• First states in
Mesopotamia were
city-states
• The state of Egypt
emerged
separately, along
the banks of the
Nile
Mesopotamia – land between the
Tigris and Euphrates
Development of the “State”
Concept…
• The closest to a state
(or a political unit) in
Europe was the Roman
Empire
• The Roman Empire
stretched from modern
Spain to Iran, Egypt to
England
• Early European states
came about as
neighboring estates
consolidated under the
unified control of Kings
The Roman Empire
What shape of a “state” would the
Roman Empire be considered?
Development of the “State”
Concept…
• European states came
to control much of the
world through
colonialism…
• Colonialism – the
effort by one country
to establish
settlements and
impose its political,
economic and cultural
principles on the
territory
The sun never sets on the British
Empire…
Development of the “State”
Concept…
• Colonialism is
slightly different
than…
• Imperialism–
political, economic
or cultural
domination, either
formally or
informally.
Imperialism in Africa
Problems with Defining States…
• States are
separated from
neighbors by
boundaries
• Selecting
boundaries can
be difficult and
problematic
• Physical
boundaries – water,
mountains, deserts
• Cultural boundaries
– language, ethnicity,
religion
• Problems occur when
boundaries don’t
match ethnic ones..
Imperialism
in Africa
Read and Review…
Remember…
Quest this Thursday on Political vocab and
content…
• Skim and Scan Key Issue 1-2. (p. 257-274)
• Answer the following questions in your notebook:
1. Summarize the motives for European Colonization.
2. Use the map on p. 262: Hypothesize: Why were
there so many European colonial possessions on
the African continent? How did this affect the
indigenous people of Africa?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
each shape of state mentioned in Key Issue 2
(compatct, prorupt, elongated, fragmented,
perforated)?
Do Now – Colonial Possessions, 1917 (5
min).
List at least 5 observations, 3 conclusions and 2 questions about
colonialism or world political powers from the map below.
Good Morning DEAR 
April is Poetry Month! Read the following poetic quotes
and respond to at least 1.
Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel
that has crushed it.
- Mark Twain
The true poem rests between the words.
- Vanna Bonta
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I choose the one
less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost
Do Now: Political Geo. Reading
Questions
 questions about last night’s reading…
Answer the following
1. Describe in detail what a nation-state is and give at
least 2 examples.
2. What is a federal state? Describe what makes the
USA as federal state.
3. What is the difference between an enclave and an
exclave?
4. What is known as the last frontier?
5. What did the Conference of Berlin accomplish?
Review Work Day! … Let’s get ready for
the Unit Test 
1. Going Over “Concept Review” and “Thinking
Spatially”
(take notes where appropriate)
2. Independent Work Time: Political Geo. reading
comprehension p. 188-201
3. Unit Test Q&A + “What to Study”
Forms of Government
Monarchies:
Republics:
Constitutional Monarchy
Democracy
Traditional Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Restricted Democratic Practice Authoritarian Regime
Totalitarian Regime
Non-Sovereign:
Protectorate
Colonial Dependency
Empire
Source: Matthew White, 2003. http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm Adapted from FreedomHouse.org
Monarchies:
Republics:
Constitutional Monarchy
Democracy
Traditional Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Restricted Democratic Practice Authoritarian Regime
Totalitarian Regime
Non-Sovereign:
Protectorate
Colonial Dependency
Empire
Source: Matthew White, 2003. http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm Adapted from FreedomHouse.org
Monarchies:
Republics:
Constitutional Monarchy
Democracy
Traditional Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Restricted Democratic Practice Authoritarian Regime
Totalitarian Regime
Non-Sovereign:
Protectorate
Colonial Dependency
Empire
Source: Matthew White, 2003. http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/othergov.htm Adapted from FreedomHouse.org