Human Geography
Jerome D. Fellmann
Mark Bjelland
Arthur Getis
Judith Getis
Human Geography…
Stressing out HS students since 1995
Kuby and Fellman and
Wood…Oh My…
The Political
Ordering of Space
Insert figure 12.2
© Corbis RF
Enough knowledge to expand your cranium by 2X it’s normal size
Political Geography
• The study of the organization and distribution of political
phenomena, including their impact on other spatial
components of society and culture
TPS
1. What do we mean by “Political Organization?”
2. What is Government?
3. What is Politics? Political Culture?
Human Geography 11e
Definitions Reviewed
• Sovereignty
– Self Determination free of outside control
• State
– Independent political entity holding sovereignty over a territory
• Nation
– Community of people with a common culture and territory
Why are State and nation are not synonymous
Human Geography 11e
National Political Systems
• Nation-States
– A state whose territorial extent coincides with that
occupied by a distinct nation or people
• Stateless Nation
– People without a state
Human Geography 11e
National Political Systems
• The Evolution of the Modern State
– Developed by European political philosophers in the
18th century
– The concept that people owe alliance to a state
• Solidified the concept of territoriality and the State
Geographic Characteristics
of States
– Size
• What are the Challenges of governing these states?
»
»
Human Geography 11e
Micro-States
Monaco
Geographic Characteristics
of States
– Shape
• Can affect the well-being of a state by fostering or hindering
effective organization
• The least efficient shape administratively is represented by
the elongated state; part of the country far from the capital
are likely to be isolated
• Fragmentation make it harder for the state to impose
centralized control over its territory
Human Geography 11e
Geographic Characteristics of States
Shape
Fragmented
Perforated
Compact
Prorupted
Human Geography 11e
Elongated
Geographic Characteristics
of States
– Relative Location
Human Geography 11e
Geographic Characteristics
of States
– Relative Location
Human Geography 11e
Geographic Characteristics
of States
– Cores and Capitals
• The core is the original nucleus of a state and is typically the
most developed area…but not always
Lagos was the capital?? Why Abuja?
Forward Capital
Geographic Characteristics
of
States
Exclaves…
and…
Enclaves
Human Geography 11e
Boundaries
• Boundaries: The Limits
of the State
Classification of
Boundaries
• Natural boundaries are
those based on
recognizable
physiographic feature
• Geometric boundaries
are frequently delimited
as segments of parallels
of latitude or meridians
of longitude
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© PhotoLink/Getty RF
Human Geography 11e
Boundaries
• Boundaries: The Limits
of the State
– Subsequent
• Drawn after the
development of the
cultural landscape
– Superimposed
• Forced on existing
cultural landscapes; can
be the product of
conquest
– Relict Boundary
• A former boundary that
no longer functions
Human Geography 11e
Boundaries
• Boundaries and territorial disputes
Human Geography 11e
Centripetal Forces:
Promoting State Cohesion
•
•
•
•
Nationalism
Unifying Institutions, THE Constitution…
Organization and Administration
Transportation, Communication, Economy
Human Geography 11e
Centrifugal Forces:
Challenges to State Authority
• Organized Religion
Search Results: Eratrean Christians
About 10,300 results (0.38 seconds)
Three Christians beheaded by Isil were Eritreans who were ...
-Apr 21, 2015
Three Christians beheaded by Isil were Eritreans
who were ... Eritrea: the African North Korea
which thousands will risk anything to escape.
Telegraph.co.uk
Yemen
And….ISIS…Al Quida…Etc…
Centrifugal Forces:
Challenges to State Authority
• Nationalism
–
–
–
–
Bi-National
Multi-National
Separatism
Devolution
• Regional Autonomous
Movements
Human Geography 11e
Centrifugal Forces:
Challenges to State Authority
Human Geography 11e
Centrifugal Forces:
Challenges to State Authority
Human Geography 11e
Electoral Geography
Districts and Gerrymandering
• Under the single• Districts that have
member district
unusual shapes or even
arrangement, the voter’s in
defy description have
each district elect one of
sometimes been
the State’s representatives.
gerrymandered.
• The general-ticket system
• Gerrymandering refers
provided that all of a
to the act of drawing
State’s seats were filled
congressional districts
at-large.
- Eliminated in 1842
-
Contiguous territory
Equal population
Compact territory
to the advantage of the
political party that
controls the State
legislature.
Chapter 10, Section 2
•Top ten most
gerrymandered districts
•Massachusetts
•Define: Cracking, Packing, Hijacking, Kidnapping
•http://www.propublica.org/article/redistricting-a-devils-dictionary
Redistricting in Wisconsin?
2000 Census
2010 Census
Imperialism and Colonialism
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Human Geography 10e
Legacy of Colonialism
Sudan Article
The Projection of Power
• Changing Geopolitical Concerns
– 3 Early Theories: Ratzel, Mackinder and Spykman
• Friedrich Ratzel
– The State as a biological organism
Human Geography 11e
The Projection of Power
• Changing Geopolitical Concerns
– Early Theories:
• Sir Halford Mackinder
– Heartland Theory (Eurasia)
» Resources need to grow and dominate (colonialism?)
World Island:
Europe and Asia
The Heartland: Center
of power – E. Europe
And Russia
Control the heartland…
Control the world!!!
Changing Geopolitical Concerns
• Early Theories:Nicholas Spykman The
Geography of Peace
• The Rimland theory
– Balance of power based on fragmented control of the
worlds coastal regions…”The Eurasian Rim”
– Power lies in the Rim…The Heartland cannot dominate
the world
Human Geography 11e
Geopolitical Reality
1945 -1991
• The Cold War….A Bi-Polar World
Human Geography 10e
Post Cold War International Political Systems
• Supranationalism
– Associations among states…League of Nations
• The United Nations and Its Agencies
– 192 voluntary members, Limited Enforcement
– Primarily a “Peacekeeping” authority
– Security Council Veto Power…Sovereignty???
Post Cold War International Political
Systems
• Regional Alliances
– Economic alliances
• NAFTA, The EU, ASEAN, etc
– Military and political alliances
• EU, NATO, Warsaw Pact, etc
Human Geography 11e
Forces of Change
• Globalization, and Democratization…
- Remember Huntington and the Clash
of Civilizations??
- Political and Economic Liberalization
Giving Rise to….
Human Geography 11e
Religious Politics
Iran…AlQueda…ISIS…