January 29, 2015 Political Organization of Space

Political Geography Political Geography is the study of the political organization of the planet  Since the beginning of history, humans have divided the planet into political units, or territories Territoriality: effort to control pieces of the Earth’s surface for political and social reasons Political Culture: the collection of political beliefs, values, practices, and institutions that the government is based on

A politically organized territory Administered by a sovereign government Recognized by a significant portion of the international community. (Ex: Kosovo, the Southern United States) A state must also contain:  a permanent resident population  an organized economy Characteristics of a State

Morphology Territorial Morphology is a term that describes the shapes, sizes, and relative locations of states

Shapes of States. Compact – The most efficient form. A state whose territory is nearly circular. Because all places could be reached from the center in a minimal amount of time making it the most efficient for roads, railway lines, other infrastructure. Examples: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda

Prorupt - A state that is nearly compact but possess one or two narrow extensions of territory, which isolates a portion of the state. The proruption can be a physical (penninsula) elongation of land or may have economic or strategic significance – access to resources, sea, establishment of a buffer zone, etc… Examples: Democratic Republic of the Congo Shape of States

Elongated – A state whose territory is long and narrow. The least efficient shape administratively. It may sacrifice national cohesion to promote eco strength. Example: Chile, Italy, and Gambia Shape of States

Fragmented – Entirely made up of islands or territory, separated by another state, or is a state with an offshore island. - contains isolated parts, separate and discontinuous. Examples: Indonesia, United States, former East and West Pakistan

Perforated - A state that completely surrounds a territory that it does not rule. That area is called an “enclave” and it may be independent or part of another state. An area outside of the state’s borders that belongs to the state is called an “exclave”. (Ex: Alaska) Example: Italy or South Africa Shape of States

Size of States Microstates: a country with a land size of a few square miles  Examples: Vatican City, Monaco Russia is the largest country in the world, followed by Canada, China, the United States, and Brazil

Relative Location of States Landlocked State: countries lacking an ocean coastline, and surrounded by other states Sometimes a landlocked country will try to access a foreign port, or become prorupted  Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked state

The Nation-State State: a territorially organized piece of land, or country Institution: stable, long-lasting organizations that help to turn political ideas into policies Nation: a group of people that is bound together by a common political identity

The Nation-State A nation-state is a state whose territorial extent coincides with a group of people, or nation  Examples: Denmark, Iceland, The United States Binational/Multinational State: a state with more than one nation  Ex: The former USSR Stateless Nation: a group of people without a country  Ex: Palestine, the Kurds

Organization of States Core Area: the heartland of an area; identified by levels of population concentration and transportation networks Multicore State: a state with more than one core area  Example: Nigeria

The Capital City In most states, the capital is not only the center of government, but also the economic and cultural center Primate City: the largest city in a nation and one where the second largest city is significantly smaller Forward Capital: the capital city serves as a model for national objectives  Ex: Japan and Brazil