Geographic Characteristics of Nations

Ch. 15: Nations, Borders, & Power

Political RegionAn area that is run

by a government

◦Has its own laws. ◦Has different

levels of government A.K.A. political

unit

United States

Texas

Brownsville

Cameron County

Rancho Viejo

Local Governme

nt

Sovereign Government:A State that has the power to

govern their own internal & external affairs◦Tax system◦Laws◦Political structure◦Foreign policy

State: state:A sovereign

political entity. ◦Ex. United States

◦A territory with that has some sovereignty

◦Not independent Ex. Texas

Mini-Quick Write #1 (2 min)Which kind of State/state has a

truly sovereign government and why? Explain your answer.

Must write at least 2 sentences

NATION: NATION-STATE:A community of

people who share a common culture

Has NO physical TERRITORY◦ EX: Kurds (Middle East)

A politically independent country

Citizens also share a common culture

Territory:Land controlled by a

government or country ◦ Has a separate government

Ex. United States and Puerto Rico

Borders, Boundaries, & Buffer Zones:

Boundary = border◦ Line that divides one

area from another

Can be divided into;◦ Natural boundaries◦ Artificial boundaries

A Buffer zone is a neutral territory

Meant to prevent conflict

Mini -Quick-write #2 :What kind of state or nation would not have

borders/boundaries and why? (2 sentences)

Natural Boundaries:Occurs when physical features

separate countries◦ Ex. Rivers and Mountains

Artificial Boundaries:Types of Boundaries;1. GEOMETRIC- Man-made, uses longitude and

latitude◦ EX: 49°N Latitude line separates

Canada & U.S.

2. ETHNOGRAPHIC/CULTURAL – based on factors like culture and ethnicity

◦ *Hard to establish/define*◦ Ex: Conference of Berlin Dividing

Africa in 1884

Artificial Boundaries:

Political Maps:These maps show:

◦Boundaries/borders between countries

◦Locations of cities and capitals◦States/provinces and counties

Boundary Disputes:

Ethnic Conflicts: Religious Conflicts:Occurs when violent

acts are committed between ethnic groups

Ethnic cleansing/Genocide◦ EX: Rwanda, Kosovo &

Sudan

Occurs when there is violence between different religious groups

◦ Ex. Conflict between India (Hindu) & Pakistan (Muslim) over Kashmir

Agenda for April15, 2015Students will get their binders and take

out their spirals to write in

Students will finish viewing the Geographic Characteristics of Nations PPT

Students will complete the Geographic Characteristics Graphic Organizer (15 min)

Students will complete the Borders and Boundaries map (15-20 min)

Graphic Organizer/Quickwrite (15 min)Geographic Characteristics Graphic Organizer

◦ Write the appropriate term above the boxes◦ Write a brief description and one example for each

term in the boxes

Complete the Quickwrite on the back of the organizer

Must answer BOTH prompts◦ Must be paragraph Format◦ At least 4 sentences (both prompts altogether) ◦ Finish it by the end of the period – will be picked

up for a grad

Borders and Boundaries Map (15-20 min)

Students must label the10 countries listed below on the map

Students must then label the natural boundaries in these countries ◦Mountains, Rivers, Deserts, Oceans,

and SeasMake a map legend for the boundaries

◦colors and symbolsAnswer the short Quickwrite on the

back __Countries___

Peru France China Japan United States

Mexico Italy India Algeria Canada

Example

BALKANIZATION- ANNEXATION-Breakup of an area

into smaller independent units ◦ Hostile process

◦ EX: Yugoslavia

Adding territory to an already existing State◦ Ex: Texas joining the U.S.

3 Geographic Characteristics:

Size: how big a country is in comparison to others.

Shape: can impact how easily it can be governed, how goods are moved to all areas of the country, & how it relates to neighboring countries

Location: a landlocked country is surrounded by other land & has no direct outlet to the sea.

SIZE:

Microstates-

Small in area &

population

Ministates-

City-states

Size of Countries:

San Marino

Vatican City

SHAPE:

The 5 Shapes of Countries:

Compact Elongated

Fragmented

Perforated

Prorupted

LOCATION:

LANDLOCKED

NOT LANDLOCKED

Rwandan Genocide:The 1994 mass

murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda.

Over the course of approximately 100 days

Rwanda’s population of seven million was composed of three ethnic groups: ◦ Hutu (85%) ◦ Tutsi (14%) ◦ Twa (1%)

The Hutu remembered past years of oppressive Tutsi rule, and many of them not only resented but also feared the minority.

Ethnic Cleansing:In the early 1990s,

Yugoslavia broke up into 5 separate republics- ◦ Ethnic groups began

fighting◦ Serbian leaders

followed a policy of ethnic cleansing; Expulsion or killing of

an ethnic group

Expelled rival ethnic groups from:◦ Serb-controlled

areas of Bosnia◦ Herzegovina◦ province of Kosovo

Became refugees-◦ People who escape

to a foreign country for safety.

International Relations & the “Balance of

Power”

Balance of Power: Policy of a nation

or group of nations

Protecting itself against another nation or group of nations

By matching its power against the power of the other side

States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways: ◦ Increasing their

own power◦ competitive

acquisition of territory

◦ policy of alliances

Factors that Influence how much Power an Individual Nation Possesses:

Size

• Armed Forces

Population

• Physical Features

Top 15 Powerful Countries2012

Political Organization of Space:

EMBASSIES-

Consulates

Ambassadors

International Organizations:United NationsEuropean Union