Political Geography Political map 1 CE Political Map 500 CE
Political Map 1400 Political Map 1700 Prior to 1800 much of the worlds surface historically consisted of unorganized territory
Imperialism greatly changed this in 2 waves 1st wave 1600s 2nd wave late 1800s 1900
Cold War Era 1945 - 1991 1995 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pOFKmk7ytU 201
6 Nation: geographic area that is dominated by a large population that shares a common history and
culture STATE A politically organized territory Administered by a sovereign government Recognized by a significant portion of the international community.
A state must also contain: a permanent resident population an organized economy Nation-State political unit comprising a clearly
delineated territory where the population shares a common history and culture, Example - Japan. Boundaries are:
Lines that establish the limit of each jurisdiction & authority Jurisdiction administers laws; collects taxes; provides defense, education, training; enforces legal code, etc. 3-dimensional: flat, deep, high
Political Boundaries Political boundaries represent the spatial limit of the political organization of territory They exist at different scales: Supra-national-scale organizations, international organizations such as UN
State-scale - Countries Intra-state scale; boundaries used for the many subdivisions of territory within the state, such as? How the States Got their Shapes? Michigan and Ohio Ep 7 13:26
Boundary Types Physical Boundary: major physical features such as a desert, mountain ranges,
and/or water bodies that serves as a means of separation, ie. Great Lakes, Pyrenees Mountains, and Sahara desert.
Boundary Types Geometric Boundary: straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and /or cultural
differences, ie. 1300 mile (straight line) United States/Canadian border. Boundary Types Cultural Political
Boundary: political boundary that separates different cultures, ie. former Yugoslavia.
Boundary Types Religious Boundary: boundary that separates different religions, ie. Northern Ireland (protestant)/Ireland (Catholic).
Boundary Types Language Boundary: boundary that separates different language speakers, ie. traditionally many countries in
Europe such as England, France, Spain, and Portugal. Super Imposed Boundary: a boundary imposed on the territory of one nation that
divides the members of the nation into two different states. Such boundaries are always unstable. North & South Vietnam North & South Korea
MOST OF AFRICA! Boundary Types Superimposed Boundaries
Fortified Boundary: when a state constructs physical barriers along a boundary to either keep people in or out of their territory,
ie. Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, US debating over creating one Boundary Types
Shapes of States Compact State: the distance from the geographic center of the area to any point on the boundary does not vary greatly,
ie. Hungary. Shapes of States Elongated State: state that is geographically long and narrow,
ie. Chile. Shapes of States Landlocked State: state not having direct access to an ocean, ie. Bolivia.
Problems that landlocked states face?
