An Introduction to Human Geography
The Cultural Landscape, 9e
James M. Rubenstein
Chapter 7
Ethnicity
Victoria Alapo, Instructor
Geog 1050
Difference between ‘Race’ and
‘Ethnic Group’
• Many Americans wrongly use “race” & “ethnic group” interchangeably
the way they use “religion” and “denomination”.
• What’s the difference?
– Your ethnic group is your culture/language e.g. German
person, Yoruba person, Cherokee person. In other words, what
used to be called “tribes”. So ethnic groups are Culture Groups,
see pg 220. On the other hand, race is your SKIN COLOR (i.e.
based on genetics, not culture). See next slide.
– You can have people belonging to the same race, but not the
same ethnic group. E.g. not all white people are German. Not all
Blacks are Yorubas. Not all Native Americans are Cherokee, not
all East Asians are Chinese, etc…Ethnic groups are based on
cultural affiliation, not on color.
• Clustering of ethnicities and races in the United States &
• Division by race in South Africa (see maps and next slides)
Difference between ‘Race’ and
‘Ethnic Group’
• Races
– Even though there is just a single species of humans, Anthropologists
use secondary biological characteristics e.g. skin color, eyes, hair, etc
to classify the human race into different racial groupings. This is not
the same as “racism”. Racism is when people carry these
classifications (and their implications) too far. E.g. presuming human
ability, potential, etc. on color.
– 3 main races: Caucasoid (White), Negroid (Black) and Mongoloid
(Asian). But there are others e.g. Native American (Red), etc. What
about Hispanics? Actually, “Hispanic” is not race, it’s an Ethnic
Group. Why? Pg 227.
– As Census 2000 shows though, sometimes people are hard to
classify (if they have a mixed racial heritage, e.g. our President.
Unless you use the dominant features of the individual). See pg 227.
African Americans in the U.S.
The highest percentages of African Americans are in the rural South and in northern cities.
Racial Segregation in the U.S.
Hispanic Americans in the U.S.
The highest percentages of Hispanic Americans are in the southwest and in northern cities.
Asian Americans in the U.S.
The highest percentages of Asian Americans are in Hawaii and California.
Ethnic Diversity, New York City
People from East Asia (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese) are all of the same race, but NOT of the
same ethnic group (i.e. CULTURE GROUPS). ‘Race’ and ‘Ethnic groups’ are not the same things.
Furthermore, I disagree with the Asian classifications on page 227.
Native Americans in the U.S.
The highest percentages of Native Americans are in parts of the plains, the southwest, and Alaska.
Native Americans belong to the SAME race, but to different ethnic groups.
Ethnicities in Chicago
African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and European
Americans are clustered in different areas of the city.
Ethnicities in Los Angeles
Hispanic, white, African American, and Asian areas in and around Los Angeles.
Black “Homelands” in South Africa
During the apartheid era, South Africa created a series of black “homelands”
with the expectation that every black would be a citizen of one of them.
These were abolished with the end of apartheid. Pg 228. Also see next slides.
Train Station Stairs for Whites
South Africa under Apartheid
Train Station Stairs for Blacks
South Africa under Apartheid
Ethnicities & Nationalities
• Rise of nationalities
– Nationalism means loyalty & devotion to a
nationality (patriotism).
– Nation-states are where the territory coincides
with the ethnic group. But many sovereign states,
esp. in Africa, do not contain unified nations.
• Multinational States
– Nigeria is probably one of the best examples, with
over 400 different ethnic groups. See pg 167.
– Former Soviet Union, and present-day Russia.
See next slide. Russia is one of the largest
multinational states, and has 39 nationalities,
many of which are eager for independence.
During the Soviet Union, nationalism was
suppressed.
Ethnic Groups in Russia
Russia officially recognizes 39 ethnic groups, or nationalities, which are concentrated in
western and southern portions of the country.
Ethnicities in the Caucasus
The Caucasus region is extremely diverse ethnically; this causes turmoil.
Ethnic groups are spread across several national boundaries.
Clashes of Ethnicities
• Dividing ethnicities among more than one state
– The Kurds (30 million) lived in independent Kurdistan in
1920. Their country disappeared when Turkey was recreated and expanded in 1923. Now they are found in 6
different countries. An example of a Stateless Nation.
Pg 242. Other examples of clashes:
– Dividing ethnicities in South Asia (India)
– Dividing Sri Lanka among ethnicities
– Ethnic competition in the Horn of Africa
– Ethnic competition in Lebanon
Ethnic Groups in Southwest Asia
Ethnic boundaries do not match country boundaries,
especially in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Ethnicities in Africa
The boundaries of African States do not (and cannot) coincide with the
thousands of ethnic groups on the continent. In Geography, we MEAN “Sovereign States”.
Ethnicity in the Horn of Africa
There have been numerous interethnic civil conflicts in the countries of the Horn of
Africa (including the Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia).
Ethnicities in Lebanon
Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and Druze are dominant in
different areas of the country.
The Balkans in 1914
The northern part of the Balkans was part of Austria-Hungary in 1914, while much of the south
was part of the Ottoman Empire. The country of Yugoslavia was created after World War I,
which contained MANY ethnic groups.
Ethnic Regions in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia’s six republics until 1992 included much ethnic diversity. Brutal ethnic cleansing
occurred in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo during the civil wars of the 1990s.
Ethnic Cleansing
• Ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia
– Creation & destruction of multi-ethnic Yugoslavia. See next
slide and aerial photography in text, pg 248.
– Balkanization: the process by which a State breaks
down thru conflicts among its ethnicities. E.g. the case
of Yugoslavia.
– Balkanization is regarded as a threat to peace, since it could
spread beyond the local area into neighboring countries: for
instance, conflict in the Balkans led to WW1.
• Ethnic cleansing in central Africa e.g. Rwanda (Hutus
vs. Tutsis).
Forced Migrations after World War II
Territorial changes after World War II resulted in many migrations,
especially by Poles, Germans, and Russians.
Ethnic Division of South Asia
At independence in 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan, resulting in the
migration of 17 million people and many killings. In 1971, after a brutal civil war,
East Pakistan became the country of Bangladesh.
Train Station in Amritsar, India,
October, 1947
The station is filled with Hindu refugees who have fled from the new country of Pakistan.
Recommended “must see” historical movie – Gandhi.
Jammu and Kashmir
Although its population is mainly Muslim, much of Jammu and Kashmir became
part of India in 1947. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the territory,
and there has been a separatist insurgency in the area.
Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka
The Sinhalese are mainly Buddhist and speak an Indo-European language, while the Tamils are
mainly Hindu and speak a Dravidian language. The Sinhalese dominate govt.,
so the Tamils feel cheated.