 In complete sentences use the terms
Balkanization and/or Balkanized to
describe the problems with Kosovo and
Lebanon
Analyzing how people are
organized into countries and
alliances, the reasons for these
arrangements and the
conflicts that they cause
 (little s)
 Politically a
Formal/uniform region
 Has an established
government
 Defined territory
 Permanent Population
 Sovereignty: no other state
can control its internal
affairs
 World’s largest states
1.
Russia (6.6 mill sq miles)
2.
China
3.
Canada
4.
US
5.
Brazil
6.
Australia
 Microstates: state with an extremely small
land area
1.
Monaco (.06 sq miles)
 Roots in ancient Fertile Crescent
 City-states: sovereign state
comprising a town and its
surrounding countryside
 Controlled agricultural land to feed
urban residents and provide barrier
between city-states
 Take control of several city-states
create an empire
 Medieval Europe
 After crusades Monarchs
consolidated power into first states:
England, France, Spain
 Colonialism (The Americas)
 Effort to establish political, economic, and
cultural principles on a territory that is
uninhabited or sparsely inhabited
 3 Reasons (God, Gold, Glory)
 Missionaries to promote Christianity
 Resources to boost economy
 More colonies = More power
 Imperialism (Africa and Asia)
 Controlling land that is occupied by an
indigenous society
 By understanding the definitions of
Colonialism and Imperialism, why do you
believe more of today’s boundary and ethnic
disputes are as a result of Imperialism and
not colonialism?
 Still rely on another entity for at least some
political control and Most are:




Islands
Isolated
Have small populations
Remnants of empires
 Example: Puerto Rico
 Largest surviving colony
 “Commonwealth of the US”: US citizens but no
participation in elections or Congressional
representation; Complete internal sovereignty
1. Why is Puerto Rico still considered a state
even though it is a Commonwealth of the
US?
2. Define colonialism IN YOUR OWN
WORDS
 Created through a combination of natural
physical features (rivers, deserts, mountains)
and cultural features (language, religion)
 Focal point of conflict
 Distinct shape affects unity of country
1. Compact states: distance from the center to
the states boundaries are relatively similar
o
o
o
o
Ideal if capital centrally located
Ease of communication to all parts of the state
Ex. Rwanda
Not always peaceful but good communication
is easy to create
2. Prorupted states: compact state with a large
projecting extension
o
Projections created for 2 reasons
o
Access to resources
o
o
Ex: Belgians extending their territory in the Congo to
have access to the Atlantic
To separate two countries that would otherwise
have a boundary
o
Britain extending its former territory in Afghanistan so
Russia wouldn’t border Pakistan (its other colony)
3. Elongated States

Long narrow shapes

Often poor internal
communication because
those on extremes
separated from the
capital

Ex. Chile
4. Fragmented State

Several discontinuous pieces of territory

2 Types
1.
Those separated by water

Ex. Indonesia: Integration and communication
between islands difficult , violent uprising
occurs between the islands because they have
developed unique cultures due to isolation
2. Those separated by intervening states


Ex. Russia and Kaliningrad: separated by the
Baltic states (previously German until after
WWII-Germans fled making it predominantly
Russian) Now wanted bc of its naval base and
access to Baltic Sea
Creates tension when neighboring states
unfriendly
5. Perforated States

states that completely surround
another state

Ex: South Africa and Lesotho:
Lesotho must depend entirely on
South Africa for importation and
exportation of
resources…difficult for the
people during Apartheid
(Lesotho majority Black)
6. states completely surrounded by other states
leaving them without direct sea access



Prevalent in Africa
Remnants of colonial era and the breakup of the
countries during independence
Forces relationships between landlocked
countries and their seaside neighbors

Access to sea critical for international trade of bulky
goods (oil, grain, vehicles)
 Label your paper A-F
 Name the Shape of the following states
Name the 6 types of states, based on
shape/ position shown in the box on the
right.
 For A, discuss its potential for internal
communication
 For B, discuss its potential for internal
communication
 For C, discuss its potential for internal
communication
 For D discuss 1 reason for its unique
shape
 For E name a country that is an example
of this shape of state
 For F discuss why it must have a good
relationship with the surrounding country
 Possible points 18: you need 15 for a 100

F
 Label your paper A-F
 Name the Shape of the following states
F
 Boundary: imaginary line of separation
between two states



Puts two states within direct contact with
each other
Most common demarcation of states
Best boundary are those that all states agree
with regardless of physical or cultural
delineation
 Frontier: geographic zone of tangible
land area where no state has complete
control


Usually sparsely or uninhabited
Today only exists on the Arabian Peninsula
between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman,
Qatar, and United Arab Emirates
1.
2.
3.
4.
Physical
Antecedent
Subsequent
Superimposed
 Characteristics of Effective Mountain and Desert
Boundaries

Hard to cross
 Separate ethnicities
 Sparsely populated


Ex: Sahara
Andes Mountains between
Chile and Argentine (some dispute)
 Water Boundaries
 Most common form of Physical Boundary
 Typically drawn using median-line principle (in the
middle of the water)
 Offers good protection against invading state
 Why?

Problems with water boundaries
 Change over time

Ex: Rio Grande between US and Mexico
 states claim ocean boundaries out in the sea not on the
coastline


Why?
Established “Law of the Sea”: extends territorial limits to 14 miles
into sea and gives exclusive fishing rights to 200 miles (not all follow
this rule)
 Antecedent Boundaries
 Lines drawn as demarcation before well
populated
 Ex: US and Canada
 Subsequent/Consequent Boundaries
 Drawn after the cultural landscape is drawn
 Often coincide with Religion but rarely used to
draw line
 2 examples we have talked about?
 Language Boundaries
 Used language to redraw map
of Europe after WWI at
Versailles Peace Conference
 Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and
Romania: boundaries drawn
between the languages used
 Created Czechoslovakia
because of intelligible
languages but ethnicities could
not peacefully coexist: Czech
Republic and Slovakia today
 Cyprus’s “Green Line”
Boundary


Island 78% Greek, 18% Turkish
traditionally mingled
Greek Coup in 1974 tried to
reunite Cyprus with Greece
 Cypriote Turks (helped by Turkey)
overthrew government

Turkish army never left
 Greeks and Turks geographically
separated




UN buffer zone right through capital
Only top diplomats and UN personal can cross
Some cooperation: Turks supply water, Greeks
supply electricity
Today member of EU and limited borders open
for travel
 Boundaries forced upon an existing cultural
landscape by a colonial or political power
without regard for cultural barriers


Example: Much of Africa
Berlin Conference divided Africa by colonial
powers with no regard for cultural
barriers…impossible to rectify after
independence in the 1950’s
 Only one of SEVERAL examples:
Former British Colony of Sudan
 Post Colonial Period: Boundaries
leave Arab Muslims in North
control over many other major
ethnic groups: Black Muslims,
Christians, Animists, etc.


Arab Muslims in north pastoralists
looking for better land and today oil in
South/West (Darfur region inhabited
by Black Muslim Fur farmers)
Began ethnically cleansing these
people by using the Janjaweed:
(Government pays this Arab Muslim
militant rebel group to kill and force
these people off their land for oil and
resources)
 List and define the 4 types of boundaries
 Using your atlas, find an example of each
type of boundary on the continent of Africa.

For example write: The boundary between
Angola and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo


UN has charged much of the government of crimes against
humanity but they must rely on Local Government to turn
these men over to the International Criminal Court…Why is
that a problem?
Officially called Ethnic Cleansing, US calls it Genocide
(400,000 people have died, 2.5 million have been displaced)
 Concepts that strengthen the viability (ability
to develop and function without problems) of a
state…AKA. Political centripetal forces




Economic Development
Forward Capitals
Homogenous Culture
Physical Geography
 Strong economy creates jobs, supports a
sense of well-being, and supports
confidence in leadership and loyalty to the
state — all lead to unity.
 • Economic prosperity tends to mask
ethnic divisions
 Highlighted Examples: China, US, Japan

US: Multi-ethnic and Multi-national state
which is overall economically stable.
 Economic stability leads to creation of national
identity despite differences: (think symbols of US
nationality)
 Can see teetering with current economic downturn
 Political Division and discussions of illegal
immigration
 Symbolically moved capital city to assist
in economic or political development


Centralized capitals breaks ties with colonial
past and often overcome regional imbalance
to strengthen a state
Designed to show power and wealth
 Highlighted Example: Brasilia, Brazil
 Capital of Brasilia, in the middle of the
country, was built in the late 50’s, opening in
1960, moving the capital from its colonial
location at Rio de Janeiro on the Southern
coast
 Shifted population to center, increased economic
development of interior regions, facilitated a
national identity away from Portuguese colonial
power
 Concept of a Nation State: stability
 Highlighted Examples: Japan
 98.5% consider themselves ethnic Japanese
 83.9% Shinto /Buddhist (often believe both)
 Near 100% speak Japanese
 Little to no in-migration


Other Nation-States: European: Germany,
France, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic;
Middle Eastern: Israel, Iran
South Asia: Homogeneity: India: 85% of the
Population is of the Hindi ethnicity leading
to stability in the vast majority of the state
(though language can be a point of
contention)
 Geography provides protection
and adequate resources for
country
 Highlighted Example: Pakistan


Deserts and Mountains run along its
borders with Iran, Afghanistan, and India
helping protect the country and stabilize
border disputes (more soldiers die from
exposure to the cold in the Kashmir dispute
than fighting)
Pakistan River Valley: Provides vital water
and resources for Pakistan’s Bread basket
Region in Punjab as well as power and
transportation for industry creating stability
for the people in terms of economy and
therefore politically
 Concepts that inhibit the viability of a
state…AKA political centrifugal forces




Ethnicity
Transportation Infrastructure
Physical Geography
Morphology (Shape of State)
 Examples we have discussed:
 Highlight: Kashmir in India
 In Hindi mythology (the
Mahabharata) important spot
during the development of the
religion
 Under Muslim rule and majority
since 14th century
 Partitioned to India instead of
Pakistan at the end of British
rule, fighting ensued and
continues
 How would this affect viability?
 Highlighted Example:
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 One sea port
 What type of environment is this country?
 98% of its roadways are unpaved…so why is this a
problem?
 From sea port to other side of country means moving
cargo by rail, water, and roads taking months to
complete trip
 Only 1 fixed phone line per 1000 people, ranking 167
out of 232 countries. (cell phone use has increased
dramatically though)
 Can divide cities and towns
forming isolation
 Highlighted Example: Nepal

Internally: Himalayas isolate
towns making transportation
between difficult
 Nepal’s government has divided its
development plans by its ecological
regions (plains, hills, mountains to
try and reach these unique
problems)

Landlocked: surrounded by
India on 3 sides, China on top
 Dependent upon India for all
transit shipping through the Bay
of Bengal
 Which types of countries have morphologies
that inhibit viability? Examples?
1.
Identify 3 concepts that can strengthen the viability of a state.
A.
2.
Of these 3, in complete sentences explain one using a real world example.
(3 sentences)
Identify 3 concepts that can inhibit the viability of a state. (3
points)
A.
Of these 3, in complete sentences explain one using a real world example.
(3 sentences)
 Unitary System
 Bulk of power lies with the central government
 Works best in small compact states and nationstates
 Why?

Common in Europe
 Why might a multinational state want to
impose a unitary system of government?
 Ex: Rwanda: Hutus and Tutsis
 Ex: Former Soviet Block (diffusion of
communism)
 Federal System
 Local governments given substantial power
 Helps give localized ethnicities some autonomy
 Global trend towards this system especially in previous
states apart of the Soviet Block in order to dismantle
communist law (ex: Poland)
 Suitable for large states
 Why?

Ex: US, Brazil, India, Russia
 Applying what you know about Belgium,
why has it chosen to use a federal system
even though it is a small state?
 What type of system do you believe China
uses today? Why?
 The United States
 Electoral Geography: boundaries separating legislative
districts to ensure each district has an even population
 Redrawn every 10 years according to Census
 Europe uses bipartisan independent commissions to draw lines
 State legislatures redraw lines in most of the US
 Why might it be a problem that State
Legislatures are allowed to draw the
legislative districts?
 Leads to Gerrymandering: process of
redrawing legislative boundaries for the
purpose of benefiting the party in power
 3 Types of Gerrymandering
1.
Wasted Vote: spreads the
opposition vote into several
districts so none have the
majority
2.
Excess Vote: concentrates the
opposition into a few districts
3.
Stacked Vote: links like
minded voters together into
oddly shaped districts
 Ex: SC has 1000 voters and 6 districts
 Democrats have 480 voters (48%)
 Republicans have 520 voters (52%)
 The Republicans redraw the lines using a “wasted
vote”.
 Each district gets 104 Republican voters (520/5) and 96
Democratic voters (480-5), possibly winning control of
all 5 districts with only 52% of the vote

The Democrats redraw the lines using “excess
vote”
 4 districts get 104 Democratic voters and 96 Republican
voters. 5th district gets 64 Democratic Voters and
Republicans get 136 voters, giving Democrats control of
4 of the 5 districts with only 48% of the vote
 Stacked Vote most popular
 Ex: Give 3 districts securely for Republicans and 2 for
Democrats
 Used in US to isolate minority voting practices
 90% of African American’s vote Democratic
 Placing them in all African American districts secures the rest of
the State leans Republican, keeping the majority of the
legislative seats Republican
 Gerrymandering illegal but previous districts not
required to be redrawn making changes from one
election to the next unlikely
1. Define terrorism
2. Why does the distribution and structure of al-
Qaeda make it difficult to stop?
Answer on your Test Review Sheet:
44. The geographic significance of Iraq is that the fertile
soils of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as well as the oil
in the North has caused many groups to try and control
the country
45. The Kurds are the Northern, non Arabic ethnic group
living in the North of Iraq and several other Middle
Eastern countries, wanting either their own homeland
or more control within the Iraqi government
1. Define Unitary and Federal Systems of
Government. BY each definition explain 2
types of states that benefit the most from
each system.
2. What is the difference between how
Europeans draw legislative boundaries and
how Americans draw legislative
boundaries?
3. What is the effect of the American system
of drawing electoral regions? Explain this
concept
Political and Military
Cooperation
 Established in 1945 to prevent a 3rd World
War
 Protect countries from foreign attack
 192 members (Primarily Political Support)
 Replaced the League of Nations
 Why did large numbers of countries join the
UN in the years 1955, 1960, and the early
1990’s?
 5 Permanent Members
 US, UK, France, Russia, and China (Cannot be
removed)
 Power to: establish peace keeping operations,
international sanctions (economic etc), and
authorize military action (video)
 Any member can veto thwarting action
 Often US and former Soviet Union
used to stop intervention related to
communism

Exception Korea
 Recently Iraq: China and Russia
veto use of force against Iraq and
its “WMD’s”
 Current work in Eastern Europe,
Middle East, and sub-Saharan
Africa
 Dedicated to neutrality but difficult
 Relies on individual countries for troops
leading to shortages
 First long-lasting forum where almost all
states of the world vote on issues without
resorting to war
 Result of emergence of Superpowers: US and
Soviet Union



Others broken by world wars
Superpowers use military force on their allies to keep
them aligned (i.e. keep governments supportive of their
mission)
Created military bases in foreign allied counties
connecting them, militarily, to remote parts of the world
 US: NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
mostly Western Europe originally
 Soviet Union: Warsaw Pact: Communist East
Europe after WWII

Disbanded with break-up of Soviet Union
 Join NATO protection against Russian invasion
(unlikely today)
 Organization on Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE): concerned with ending
conflicts in Balkans and Caucasus
 Organization of American States (OAS): all
Western Countries: promoting social,
cultural, political, and economic links
between these states
 African Union: Mostly for Economic
integration but similar to OAS
 Commonwealth: Britain and its former
colonies (besides US): economic and
cultural cooperation
Economic Cooperation
 Most important state power is Economic
 Japan and Germany superpowers bc stable
 Russia slipping due to economic failures
 Leading superpower not individual state anymore
 Leading Power is the European Union (economic
union of European states run by Germany)
 Designed to heal scars of
WWII in Western Europe
 Promotes Economic
Development within member
states
 European Parliament (and
now president) eliminating
barriers on free trade of
goods, services, capital, and
people
 Uniform currency (Euro)
 World’s healthiest market
Supported by Individuals
and Organizations
 Systematic use of violence to intimidate and
coerce a government to answer the terrorists
demands
 Use of violence to gain publicity
 Aimed at ordinary people
 Is this an example of terrorism?
 A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 10 people
during an attack in an Israeli restaurant.
 Means “the foundation”
 Founded by Osama bin Laden
 Estimated 20,000 members all over the world
 Bureaucratic
 Reconnaissance specialists report to military
committee
 Military, finance, media, legal-religious policy
makers, report to Majiis al Shura (consultation
council)
 Majiis report to Osama bin Laden ( well they
did) now they report to Ayman al-Zawahiri
 “Sleeper Cells”: lead ordinary lives awaiting a
call from their leader
 Franchise: other groups ideologically but not
Responsible for (to
name a few):
6 killed and 1000 injured when a car bomb exploded
in the world trade center underground garage
 17 soldiers killed when a small bomb laden boat crashed
into the military ship
 2974 people killed and 2680 injured or still affected with repertory
problems when 4 planes, hijacked by 19 men crashed into the 2
twin towers, the pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field after
passengers thwarted the terrorist’s plans to hit the capital
 191 people killed, 1800 wounded when bombs exploded on 4
commuter trains during rush hour.
49 Killed, 700 Wounded when 3 subway cars and this double-decker
bus exploded within minutes of each other during rush hour
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab: 23 year old Nigerian man responsible
for Christmas Day terrorist plot
 Recruited militant Muslims to expel soviets
from Afghanistan in mid-80’s called it a
jihad
 Consistently expelled from countries due to
his instigation of anti-American movements
including Sudan and Saudi Arabia
 Back to Afghanistan as a guest of the
Taliban (gov)
 1996: Declaration of War against the US for
support of Saudi Arabia and Israel
 1998: Fatwa: (religious decree) saying
Muslims’ duty to wage a holy war against
the US citizens
 2011 Killed in Pakistan
 Bin Laden’s opinion (Now al Qaeda generally)
 Attack US because eliminating them will help
eliminate Saudi monarchy and Israel liberating
Holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem for
the devout Muslims
Supported by States
 Sanctuary for Terrorists
 Supplying weapons, money, and intelligence
 Planning attacks using terrorists
 Named 3 Countries as supporting Terrorism
 Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran

Why are we fighting in
Afghanistan?
Over 2,000 American Casualties…
Most Americans cannot answer
this question.
 2001 attack overthrew Taliban (radical
fundamentalist Muslim group) for harboring
Osama bin Laden
 Still fighting for control today
 Militant Shiite majority held US embassy
hostage from Nov 79- Jan 81 as a response to
hatred of pro-US Shah when he was
overthrown by fundamentalist Shiite Muslim
Ayatollah Khomeini
 Accused of harboring al-Qaeda members
 Today troubled by their development of
nuclear weaponry