Colonization, boundaries, and territorial morphology

Conference of Berlin – Scramble for Africa Superimposed borders that divide ethnicities or put groups together that don’t belong

BOUNDARIES Boundary – invisible line marking state’s territory – ARTIFICIAL Can be based on…. Natural/physical features (mountains, river) Rivers are bad because they move..in a drought who gets the water? If an oil spill who cleans it up? Meridian Line Principle: boundary right down middle of river

Boundaries - contd Cultural features (language, religion) Geometric: follow straight line that has nothing to do with nature or culture (US/Canada – line of latitude)

Boundary origins Subsequent Boundaries: established after population has established itself and follows existing social/cultural/ethnic lines Antecedent Boundaries: boundary given to region before the population has established itself (Western boundary between US and Canada – established by treaty in 1846 when few people lived there)

Boundary Origins Superimposed Boundaries: drawn after a population has been settled but ignores social, cultural, ethnic lines (i.e. colonialism in Africa) Relict: boundaries that no longer exist but you can still see effects (i.e. east and west Germany/Berlin)

FRONTIERS Historically frontiers, not boundaries, separate states. Frontiers = zone where no state exercises complete political control. Frontier was a buffer zone of safety…boundaries are thin lines that bring people right up to each other & increases chances of dispute Highly contested frontier today…oceans – claim sea & its resources

OCEANS Law of the Sea established in 1983 restrict territorial seas to 12 nautical miles from shoreline, in which ships of other countries have right of passage EEZ – Exclusive Economic Zone – state has economic rights to 200 nautical miles from shore. In this zone each state has the right to explore and exploit natural resources in water, seabed, and soil

Shapes of States – territorial morphology a term that describes the shape, size, and relative location of states

Compact State relatively round i.e. easy communication (Poland)

Prorupted State compact state w/ one large projecting extension..often to get water access (Namibia)

Elongated State long and narrow… isolation of extremes, communication diff (Chile, Italy, Vietnam)

Fragmented States territory broken up into several discontinuous pieces Indonesia, Philippines)

Perforated States: state that completely surrounds another (S. Africa surrounds Lesotho)

States Landlocked States: no outlet to sea…BAD situation – makes you dependent on other state for sea access/shipping/trade Most landlocked states in Africa – 14 Exclaves: small, detached holdings that are completely separate from country and lie within boundaries of another state (ex: W. Berlin to W. Germany; embassies)

Centrifugal V. Centripetal Forces Centrifugal forces pull apart and lead to dissolution ex. Tribes, ethnic strife, regionalism, language or religious differences……Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, China-Taiwan, USSR, Basques in Spain, French in Canada, etc. Centripetal Forces unify, create common identity – national institutions, pledge, anthem, common language/religion, even external threats (9/11, Pearl Harbor