Political Geography l Centripetal Forces l Centrifugal Forces l Internal Territorial Disputes l Migration l Refugees

State Cohesiveness l Centripetal Forces - Forces that bind together the people of a state, strengthens the state l Centrifugal Forces - Forces that destabilize a state, weakens a state

Centripetal Forces l Nationalism - allegiance to one’s country. Promoted by iconography. l Unifying institutions - schools, armed forces, religion

l Organization & Administration - governments. Canberra, Australia (left) l Transportation & Communication - in large countries important eg.TCH

Centrifugal Forces l Nationalism - most powerful of any force eg.Basque separatists and others wanting self rule in Europe

l Size and Shape of state - isolation for some parts. Transportation & communication problems l Fragmented states have the greatest challenges.

l Disputes over resources and wealth esp in large states like Canada & Russia l Territorial claims/boundary disputes

Internal Territorial Disputes

Rwanda l Tutsis gained favour under Belgian rule after WWI, then Hutu tribe gained it l animosities increased after 1962 (independence) l civil war in 1994, Hutus driven out into DRC. Over 1,000,000 refugees fled, many now repatriated.

Important vocabulary for Centrifugal Forces Nationalism multinational state unassimilated minorities racial or ethnic conflict contrasting cultures multiple languages or religions Subnationalism regionalism and self determination devolution ethnic cleansing peripheral locations Social and economic inequality

Migration l Immigration - movement of people into an area l Emigration - movement out of an area l Significant numbers of immigrants can act as a centrifugal force within a state, esp when they are of a different ethnic group/culture.

France l Since high immigration for jobs in industry, low birth rate l Post WWII, most immigrants into France from former colonies & protectorates in Africa and SE. Asia l Immigrants from the Magreb (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) recently met hostilities l Muslim and Arab l Political right-wing parties formally anti-immigration now.

Migration

Refugees l Persons outside their state who cannot return for fear of persecution: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, membership in a group l 10,000,000 est in 2003 by UN l 4,500,000 IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) l Need for refugee camps, esp in neighbouring states (DRC, Iran, Pakistan) strains on these states of “asylum”.