essential political geography concepts state a political unit nation a cultural unit based on latin...
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Essential Political Geography concepts
State a political unit
Nationa cultural unit
based on Latin status – “to stand”
independent country
defined boundaries
internationally recognized
sovereignty over land andpeople within boundaries
gray areas, including colonies
based on Latin natio – “birth”
ethnic identitycommon ancestry
(mythical or actual);common religion (usually)
and/or language;accepted ways of behavior
political aspirations
has a homeland(“the sacred soil”)
“Nationalism” can take several forms
“Ethnic nationalism” – pride of nation based on group identification with specific culture
or“Civic nationalism” – pride of nation based on
government system or political ideals that transcends ethnicity
How do multi-ethnic or multi-nation states promote a sense of national identity?
Is there a downside with fostering nationalism?
The geography of nations and states
Situation 2 –Multi-nation State
Political unit with two + national homelands –
may lead to ethnonationalism and
stages of political fragmentation:
separatism, devolution, or secession
Situation 3 – Multi-state Nation
Cultural unit (homeland) exists across the
boundaries of more than one political unit – may lead to irredentism:
political goal to unify a nation across existing state
bordersSituation 4 - Stateless Nation – a nation (with political aspirations) without sovereignty over its homeland
Situation 1 – Nation-State Model - close match between political sovereignty and extent of a nation’s homeland
1. Maintain central controlDominant group (political core) doesn’t grant any political autonomy to ethnic regions
Examples: Yugoslavia under Tito, UK prior to Irish independence, Iraq under Saddam
2. DevolutionPeripheral ethnic regions pressure core group for local control = sharing of some power by the core (dominant) group with the ethnic-minority region
Examples: Spain (Basques, Catalans), Belgium (Walloons, Flemish), Canada (Quebec)
Strategies used by multi-nation states for unifying countries (“nation-building”)
Empires often divided peoples to maintain control over ethnic-minority regions
Boundary of former Turkish (Ottoman) Empire
Mismatch between “state” and “nation” in Central Asia – borders drawn by Russian and British Empires
Devolution in the UK
Efforts at greater local control from a core
nation’s political dominance
Scotland has own Parliament for its local
affairs
Northern Ireland and Wales have its own
Assembly for its local affairs
Rep. of Ireland (Eire) split from English
control completely in 1922
London
What if devolution fails to unify a State?
Political Fragmentation
Separatism
Independence movements in peripheral ethnic regions – seek to break free from core’s domination
Examples?
Secession
Fragmenting of multi-nation state into smaller states as local ethnic regions gain independence – may lead to “balkanization” – fragmentation into small states that may not be viable
Examples?
SLOVAKIA
Population: 5,400,000
Ethnicities
Slovak 86%
Hungarian 11%
All others 3%
CZECH REPUBLIC
Population: 10,200,000
Ethnicities
Czech & Moravian 95%
Slovak 3%
All others 2%
Fragmentation -Czechoslovakia split in 1993: one multi-nation
state became two nation-
states
CZECHOSLOVAKIA (data before separation in 1993)
Total population: 15,600,000
Ethnicities
Czech & Moravian 62% Hungarian 4%
Slovak 32% All others 2%
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
(BORDERS FROM 1919 TO 1992)
Singapore split from Malaysia in 1965
Pop. GNI/PPP Ethnicity
Singapore 4.3 $ 26,590 77% Chinese
Malaysia 26.1 $ 9,630 60% Malay
SINGAPORE
MALAYSIA
Successor states to the former Soviet Union (15
countries)
Russia 142 million
Ukraine 47 million
Uzbekistan 26 million
Total of 12 others 70 million
Russian Federation: still a multi-nation
state, with designated
“internal ethnic republics”
Chechnya: Internal ethnic republic in Russia - mostly Muslim; declared independence in 1994 – led to devastating war
Fragmenting of the former Yugoslavia into six countries (so far)
Serbia
Croatia
Slovenia
Bosnia - Herzegovina
Macedonia
Montenegro
Aceh
Moluccas
West Papua
East Timor
Separatist Flashpoints in Indonesia(East Timor gained independence in
2002)
Karenni kids
Myanmar (Burma)
Ethnically diverse,
not unified
Burmese are
politically dominant
Core area (Irrawaddy River valley)
Peripheries (mountainous)
Nations of Southeastern & Central Europe
Irredentism
Cross-border political movement: a nation divided by int’l borders seeks to unify and control all of its land in one state
Examples: Irish, Serbs, Albanians, Hungarians, Germans (pre-WW2)
Ethnic Cleansing
Political strategy by a dominant group to forcibly remove ethnic minorities from within its state boundaries
Governing States – National governments can be classified
as democratic, autocratic, or anocratic.•A democracy is a country in which
citizens elect leaders and can run for office.
•An autocracy is a country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.
•An anocracy is a country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather a mix of the two.
Regime Type
• Governing States -National Scale: Democracies and autocracies differ in three essential elements:
1. Selection of Leaders» Democracies have institutions and procedures
through which citizens can express effective preferences about alternative policies and leaders.
» Autocracies have leaders who are selected according to clearly defined (usually hereditary) rules of succession from within the political elite.
2. Citizen Participation» Democracies have institutionalized constraints
on the exercise of power by the executive.» Autocracies have citizens’ participation
restricted or suppressed.
• Governing States– National Scale: Democracies and
autocracies differ in three essential elements cont’d:
3. Checks and Balances:» Democracies guarantee civil liberties to all
citizens.» Autocracies have leaders who exercise power
with no meaningful checks from legislative, judicial, or civil society institutions.
– In general, the world has become more democratic since the turn of the 19th century.
Governing States – Local Scale • Unitary States –
places most power in the hands of central government officials (more suitable for smaller states)– Ex. France, China
• Federal States – allocates strong power to units of local government within a country (more suitable for larger states)– Ex. United States,
Mexico
Supranationalism vs.
Devolution
Supranationalism = cooperation (economic, political, military) among several countries for
mutual benefit
Supranationalism
• Can be connected with globalizing forces
• States may give up some political power (sovereignty) to join a supranational organization
• Examples: United Nations, European Union, NATO, NAFTA, ASEAN, OPEC, OAS, CIS.
EU Flag and Flags
of Its Member States
(as of 2006)
Since 1980s - Europe has had 15+ new countries created by ethnic nationalism
Since 1950s - Also has been project to increase economic & political integration – an example of concept of “supranationalism”
European Union• Primarily for economic purposes, but
also politically, environmentally, and security oriented
• Economic changes: Border-free work, Euro currency (most members), Free trade in EU, Free flow of currency
• Has made EU largest “market” in the world
• Member states elect representatives to EU Parliament
• “Four freedoms” of movement—of people, goods, services and capital
EU Members
15 members joined 1958-1995
12 newest members joined 2004-2007
Candidatecountries
Some key elements in EU integrationFree trade among member statesRemove barriers to movement of labor & capitalUniform fiscal & environmental policies
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Main aim:• “To accelerate the economic growth, social
progress and cultural development in the region…”
• “To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the U.N. Charter.”