Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces and the Devolution of States

Tamils fought (and lost) for their own nation-state from 1983-2009. Sri Lankan government dominated by Buddhist Sinhalese, Tamils are mainly Hindu.

AP Human Geography – DamonJanuary 2015

Devolution of States

the movement of power from central government to regional

governments

a matter of degree …

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

• Major Centripetal Forces: forces that unify– Form of government– Nation-state status– Long history as unified state– Accepted boundaries

• Major Centrifugal Forces: forces that divide– Form of government– Ethnic, language, religious, cultural differences– Lack of history as unified state– Disputed boundaries

Centrifugal or Centripetal Force?

Devolutionary Movements

Fueled by:

• Ethnocultural forces: ethnic and cultural differences among regions

• Economic forces: economic differences among regions

• Spatial forces: geographic location

Devolutionary Movements

• Vary in degree: range from desire for more autonomy to desire for secession

• May be peaceful or violent

• Often occur on margins of states

Balkanization“Balkanization or Balkanisation, is a geopolitical term originally used to

describe the process of fragmentation or division of a region or state into smaller regions or states that are often hostile or non-cooperative with one

another.”

Which Devolutionary Movements Are You Already Familiar With?

From News?

From Class?

From Text?

Scotland Referendum

South Sudan

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/12/30/9-questions-about-south-sudan-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

Ethnolinguistic Groups in Africa

Former USSR

Ethnic Regions in Former USSR

Former Yugoslavia

Ethnic Regions in Former Yugoslavia

Until 1992 Yugoslavia’s six republics included much ethnic diversity. Brutal ethnic cleansing occurred in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo during civil wars in the 1990s.

Hawaii

U.S. overthrew Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, annexed Hawaii in 1898, granted statehood in 1959

Hawaiian Queen Liliʻuokalani

Partition of India

Former Czechoslovakia

Tibet

East Turkistan (Uighurs)

Chechnya & Dagestan

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/04/19/9-questions-about-chechnya-and-dagestan-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

Ukraine & Crimea

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/01/30/9-questions-about-ukraine-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/

Remember the Law of the Sea?

12 Social, Political and Economic Indicatorshttp://ffp.statesindex.org/

Fragile State: Somalia

Somalia’s government controls blue areas as of October 2014.

The Islamic State

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/history/article2602855.html