Political Forces and Spatial Conflict POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

 The designation and demarcation of space to particular unified populations constantly causes political turmoil.  WHY? SPATIAL CONFLICT

WAR DEATHS

FORCES

Within their boundaries, countries must contend with forces that work to pull them apart while promote the forces that bind them together.

 Forces that divide a country or pull a country apart  Includes: regionalism, ethnic strife, and territorial disputes. CENTRIFUGAL FORCES

 ation_rev.swf ation_rev.swf UNDERSTAND WHAT A CENTRIFUGE DOES…

 Political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions.  Centers on increasing the region's influence and political power through:  movements for limited form of autonomy  devolution  states' rights  decentralization  Or through stronger measures for a greater degree of autonomy  Sovereignty  Separatism  independence REGIONALISM

DISCUSS PROS AND CONS OF REGIONALISM

 Process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.  Consequently, some power(s) from the central government is/are transferred to regional governments.  What can this lead to? DEVOLUTION

 Can:  Reduce tensions by giving angry groups more regional power and autonomy  Lead to independence  Examples:  U.K. and Scottish Parliament  France and Corsica  Serbia and Montenegro  first_time_voter/ stm first_time_voter/ stm  junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/britain/britain.htm junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/britain/britain.htm

DEVOLVED GOVERNMENTS

 Political process by which a state may break up into smaller countries.  The word comes from the Balkans region of Eastern Europe, which is now composed of a handful of small states. BALKANIZATION

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 Balkanization can occur when:  enclaves develop with their own ethnic identities  or when central governments increasingly devolve administrative authority to their constituent territories.

 Forces that bind countries together:  strong national institutions  a sense of common history  reliance on strong central government CENTRIPETAL FORCES

 Negative external forces or threats can sometimes pull a nation together.  Example: September 11 th.  Symbols of strong centripetal forces  good institutions  strong traditions and values  an effective circulation and communication system

 The feeling that one’s country should be internally cohesive and should have political autonomy.  At controlled levels, nationalism can be a healthy centripetal force. NATIONALISM

 Nationalism can sometimes be used for evil purposes.  When does that happen?

 Nationalism has been associated with:  militaristic regimes  power-hungry leaders  dangerous group mentalities that prevent introspection  racist ideologies.  Example: Nazi Germany  LEBENSRAUM

 The identification and loyalty a person may feel for his or her nation. ETHNONATIONALISM

 A movement to reunite a nation’s homeland when a part of it is spread into another state’s borders.  Can lead to violence.  Examples?  edentism.html edentism.html IRREDENTISM

 Areas of the earth’s surface that have yet to officially be designated with political boundaries.  An area where borders are shifting and weak, and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land.  Examples: The Amazon region and Antarctica FRONTIERS

 A relatively small country sandwiched between two larger powers.  The existence of buffer states may help to prevent dangerous conflicts between powerful countries.  Buffer zone- area consisting of two or more countries located between two larger countries in conflict.  Example: Iron Curtain BUFFER STATE

 State or group of states that exists within a sphere of competition between larger states.  States in a shatterbelt are often invaded, experience boundary changes, and have poor economic development. SHATTERBELT

HISTORIC FORCES

 The expansion and perpetuation of an empire.  Colonial powers: Britain, Spain, Portugal, Frances, Sweden, Russia, Austria, China, and Japan.  In ancient times, Rome, Greece, and the great Aztec civilization of Mexico were colonial.  Single most important global geopolitical phenomenon of the past 500 years. COLONIALISM

 The perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign.  Describes a situation in which one country exerts cultural or economic dominance over another without the aid of official government institutions.  Examples: Kenya (gained independence from Britain in 1963) and the US as an imperial power. IMPERIALISM

 The right of a nation to govern itself autonomously. SELF-DETERMINATION