POLIT

ICAL G

EOGRAPH

Y

CHAPTER 4 –

SECTIO

N 3

TEKS:13A, 13B, 14B, 14C, 15A, 5A, 6A, 21B

NATION VS. STATE

N AT I O N

A G R O U P O F P E O P L E W I T H C O M M O N C U LT U R E L I V I N G I N A T E R R I T O RY.

STATE

AN INDEPENDENT UNIT THAT OCCUPIES A SPEC IF IC TERRITORY.

.

Often the term “country” is used to mean state.

In the news, you’ll hear something like “Chinese State Media.”

Just understand they are talking about a country.

SOMETIMES ‘STATE’ MEANS COUNTRY…

TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

DEMOCRACY: Citizens hold political power; either directly or through elected representatives.

MONARCHY: Ruling family headed by a king or queen. May or may not share power with citizen bodies.

DICTATORSHIP: Individual or group holds complete political power.

COMMUNISM: Nearly all political power and means of production are held by the government.

GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A NATION

•Size•Shape•Location

BASED ON PHYSICAL FEATURES:

Rivers

Lakes

Chains of Mountains

Example:

Rio Grande River

NATURAL BOUNDARIES

• Fixed line of latitude or longitude.

• Man-made division

(Great Wall of China)

• Conquering people set boundaries.

ARTIFICIAL BOUNDARIES