Al-Bayan Bilingual School

 How is control of the Earth’s surface divided?  How does the culture of a place influence its government?

 There are about 200 countries in the world today.  Country- independent government with authority over territory within its borders.  Governments- ◦ free to make their own laws ◦ Free to have their own leaders

 Diplomacy- governments negotiating deals with each other in peace  Governments interact with each other- ◦ For trade agreement purposes ◦ For international organizations  Disputes between governments can lead to war

 GOOD GOVERNMENTS: ◦ Protect the lives of their people ◦ Protect the property of their people ◦ Protect the rights of their citizens ◦ Protect the freedoms of their citizens ◦ By doing so, they ensure conditions for economic development and prosperity

 UNSTABLE GOVERNMENTS: ◦ Do not last long ◦ Do not have much authority ◦ Corruption may be a problem ◦ Political leaders may use their power to benefit only themselves/friends

 Cultural beliefs of different groups affect how governments are set up and operate.  These cultural beliefs can influence government decisions and public policies.  Example: Cultural Belief: Business must close on a religious holiday  These cultural beliefs also affect the way a citizen sees their duties and responsibilities.

 Example: ◦ Religious Law vs. Secular Law

 3 main types of geographic boundaries separate countries from each other: ◦ Natural Boundaries: boundaries that follow a feature of the landscape; example- mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, oceans, etc. ◦ Cultural Boundaries: boundaries that are based on culture traits, such as religion or language  Example:  Muslim Pakistand/Hindu India (largely religious lines)  Ireland/Northern Ireland (largely religious lines)  Portugal/Spain (largely language lines)

 Geometric Boundaries: boundaries that follow regular, geometric patterns (usually straight lines drawn without regard to environmental or cultural patterns; often based on lines of latitude or longitude) ◦ Example: border between the US and Canada lies mostly on the 49° parallel. ◦ Some geometric borders can be problems as they divide territory of different ethnic groups

 Political Conflict- common within/among countries - WHY?  Nationalism: feeling pride/loyalty for one’s country or culture group; can be expressed in special songs, symbols, writing, etc. ◦ Competing nationalism of different groups can cause conflict with each other ◦ Differing culture traits  Example- Religion (Sri Lanka: Hindus vs. Buddhists)

 How should people be governed? ◦ Also a cause of conflict  Totalitarian Governments: one person or a few people have full authority to make laws or decisions; people have little to no say in how their country is governed. ◦ Communist countries (North Korea, Cuba)

 Democracy: all citizens have a say in their government (people decide who will govern); leaders are chosen in free and fair elections; individual freedoms and rights are valued. (U.S., U.K., Canada, France, etc.)

 Economic Issues can cause conflict: ◦ Tariffs: taxes on imports and exports ◦ Quotas: limits to the amount of a product that can be imported ◦ Tariffs and quotas usually help protect a country’s industries from foreign competition but they can cause trade disputes among countries.

 Terrorism: use of violence and fear as a political force ◦ Why?  Independence for homelands that may be part of or under control of another country  Political goals- different public/social policies  Do not usually act under authority of a particular government but some governments may protect or support terrorists with similar goals to their own.

 Why do countries cooperate with each other? ◦ Political and Economic benefits  United Nations: most important international organization; representatives of world’s countries can discuss international issues and voice their concerns  Main goals:  To settle disputes  To try to prevent wars  To try to solve global problems: disease, hunger, illiteracy  May use peace-keeping military forces to warring regions

 Many countries benefit from economic cooperation and free trade ◦ Can help countries produce goods at lower costs and reach larger markets; goods can then be bought at lower prices ◦ Economic cooperation can also end or reduce tariffs and quotas WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO): works to make trade between countries fairer and easier.