BOUNDARIES AND THE SHAPE OF STATES

FIVE BASIC SHAPES

COMPACT STATES PRORUPTED STATES ELONGATED STATES FRAGMENTED STATES PERFORATED STATES

COMPACT STATES The distance to the outside does not vary

significantly. (Ideal would be a circle with the capital in the middle.

Benefits are good communication and connectedness between all areas

PRORUPTED STATES An otherwise compact state with a large

projecting extension Why?

1. Extension can cause access to a resource such as water or as a transportation corridor.

To prevent two states from sharing a border

Example: Afghanistan The British used it

to prevent Russia from sharing a border with Pakistan (formerly part of India)

ELONGATED STATES Problems are potential isolation

4000 km in length

Fragmented States Includes several discontinuous pieces of

territory. Technically all states that have offshore islands are fragmented

Two types: those separated by water those separated by land

Separated by Water Indonesia (13,677 islands) breeds the

problem of isolation and independence. Timor-Leste gained its independence in

1999 after conflict

Separated by Land

Examples: U.S.A. – Alaska, Russia- Kaliningrad

India – Tin Bigha corridor allows Bangladesh to have two areas connected

Tin Bigha Corridor

Perforated States

One state completely surrounds another state

The state within is completely dependent on that which surrounds it.

Other Terms

Landlocked State (no access to oceans) Frontier (a zone where no state exerts

control and is a tangible geographic area vs. an infinitely thin line)

Waziristan in Pakistan

Physical Boundaries (mountains, rivers, deserts) Geometric Boundaries 49th parallel between

Canada and the United States Libya and Chad