Unit 5 Political Geography Shapes of States

How many shapes? States come in 5 shapes. The shape of a state effects its ability to communicate. Also, shapes can lead to conflicts with other states. All 5 shapes can be seen in sub-Saharan Africa.

Elongated states A state that is long and narrow. Problems: Potential Isolation. Poor internal communication. Isolation from the capital. Examples: Gambia Italy Chile

Fragmented states A state that include several discontinuous pieces. Problems: Territory is separated by other states. Examples: Angola and the area of Cabinda. Cabinda trying to get independence. Indonesia

Compact states A state in which the distance from center to any boundary does not vary significantly. Problems: This state is the “best” state. Allows for good communication between all regions of the state. Examples: Kenya Uganda

Perforated states A state that completely surrounds another state. Problems: The state that is surrounded has to rely on the perforated state for all international trade. Examples South Africa, surrounds Swaziland and Lesotho Italy, surrounds the Papal state and San Marino

Prorupted states A compact state with a large projection extending out of it. Usually to gain access to an important resource, like water. Examples Democratic Republic of Congo: proruption made by Belgium to have access to the sea. Nambia: Germans made the Caprivi strip to stop communication between English colonies, and have access to Zambezi, one of Africa’s most important rivers.

Landlocked states Lacks a direct outlet to the sea. Landlocked states have to cooperate with coastal states to have international trade. Examples Zambia Zimbabwe Botswana