Topic 1 geo

Human Geography

The study of human societies and how humans interact with, adapt to, and transform geographical space.

Relevance of Human Geography to International Relations (IR)

Explains how population, environment, resources, and space influence global politics, economics, security, conflict, and cooperation.

Interdisciplinarity (HumanGeo characteristic)

Integration of geography with sociology, economics, politics, anthropology, and environmental studies to analyze complex spatial issues.

Temporal & Spatial Context (HumanGeo characteristic)

Analysis of how societies evolve over time and across different geographical regions.

Spatial Focus (HumanGeo characteristic)

Study of location and distribution of populations, cities, infrastructure, and economic activities and how they affect each other.

Critical Perspective (HumanGeo characteristic)

Examines how geography influences power, inequality, decision-making, and resource distribution.

Practical Applications of Human Geography

Urban planning, resource management, public policy, migration studies, climate change, and conflict analysis.

Population Geography

Study of population distribution, density, growth, migration, and composition and their political, economic, and security impacts.

Urbanization & Global Cities

Major cities act as economic and diplomatic hubs influencing international negotiations.

Demographic Power

Large populations increase a state’s political and economic influence (e.g., China, India).

Food Security & Population Density

High density increases reliance on food imports, shaping trade and international relations

Population Growth & Resource Pressure

Rapid population growth strains resources and services, potentially causing conflict and international competition.

Population Policies

State-led controls on population size (e.g., China’s one-child policy) affecting domestic and foreign relations.

Economic Effects of Migration
Boosts labor supply and growth but may increase competition and public-service demand.

Cultural & Social Impacts of Migration

Increases diversity but can create integration challenges and identity tensions.

Economic Effects of Migration

Boosts labor supply and growth but may increase competition and public-service demand.

Demographic Reconfiguration Migration

Migration alters age structure, growth rates, and population distribution in receiving states.

Migration & Diplomacy

Migration agreements, asylum, and refugee policies are key diplomatic negotiation areas.
Migration flows can generate interstate tensions and shape bilateral and multilateral relations.

Cross-Border Populations

Communities with ties to multiple states can raise issues of loyalty, nationality, and territorial disputes.

Refugee Crises

Mass displacement affects regional stability and requires international humanitarian cooperation.

Society-Shapes-Nature Model

Perspective emphasizing human control of nature through technology and institutions

Technology’s Environmental Impacts

Resource extraction, waste from production, and waste from consumption.

Technology (Definition)

Tools, processes, and knowledge mediating the relationship between society and nature.

Society (Concept)

The sum of institutions, relationships, and practices created by humans in time and space.

Nature (Concept)

A social creation shaped by cultural beliefs, ideologies, and historical context.

Triple Environmental Threat

Population growth, rising wealth, and technological capacity intensify environmental degradation.

Environmental Determinism

View that natural forces shape or limit human societies.

Cultural Ecology

Study of how societies adapt to environmental challenges through technology and organization.

Political Ecology

Links environmental change to political and economic power, showing unequal distribution of costs and benefits.

Core Assumptions of Political Ecology

Environmental change is uneven, reinforces inequality, and distributes costs and benefits unequally.

Anthropocene:

new geological epoch defined by significant human impact on Earth's geology, ecosystems, and climate, essentially the "age of humans," Driven by agriculture, industrialization, urbanization.

Virgin Soil Epidemics

Diseases introduced to populations with no immunity, causing massive depopulation.

Old to New World:

introduction of the horse, ox and donkey created a virtual energy revolution in the New World

Drivers of European Expansion

Population growth, economic gain, empire building, religion, and capitalism.

European Colonial Expansion (Environmental Impact)

Introduced new agriculture, industries, urbanization, and global environmental change.

Indigenous Environmental Management

Pre-colonial societies actively shaped environments, not passive or uniform.

European internal Expansion (1000–1300):

Population growth → deforestation, agriculture, mining.

Ecological imperialism:

intentional and unintentional introduction of exotic plants and animals into new ecosystems, affected both ecosystems.

External Expansion (15th century):

Initiated a period of environmental change that continues to this day.Drivers: Population pressure, spread of christianity, new exploreers, new territory, trade, empire Expansion of the commercial system.

New to Old World:

crops, animals, pathogens, corn,potatoes, tobacco, cocoa, tomatoes, and cotton syphilis introduced into the Old World, sometimes with devastating effects

Evidence of climate change

Rising temperatures, melting ice, sea-level rise, stronger storms, shifting species and climate zones.

Global Climate Change

Human-driven warming causing rising temperatures, sea levels, extreme weather, and ecosystem disruption.

Climate change impacts

Food insecurity, health risks, flooding, migration, economic loss, and security threats.

Core vs periphery responsibility climate change

Industrial states emit most CO₂; poorer regions degrade environments for survival.

Acid rain

Atmospheric acids from fossil fuels damaging soils, water, ecosystems, and health.

Energy & Environment

Energy use drives economic growth but causes pollution and environmental degradation.

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil, gas enabled industrialization but cause pollution and climate change. most important technological advance of the Industrial Revolution.

Natural gas

Cleaner fossil fuel but still causes environmental and safety risks.

Hydropower

Renewable but disrupts ecosystems, floods land, and displaces populations.

Biomass energy

Fuelwood reliance in poorer regions causes deforestation and air pollution.

Nuclear energy

Low-carbon but high risk due to accidents and radioactive waste.

Major Environmental Conferences

1. Stockholm (1972) – First Earth Summit

1. Rio Earth Summit (1992) – Climate change, biodiversity

2. Johannesburg / Rio+10 (2002) – Implementation of sustainability

3. Rio+20 (2012) – Green economy, institutions

Future Geographies

Globalization and population growth will increase energy demand, environmental pressure, and need for international cooperation.

Virtual water

Water embedded in food and goods consumed globally.

Global water crisis

Problem of access, management, and privatization—not absolute scarcity

Global environmental governance

Globalization: political action has also become connected across the globe

UN, WTO, IMF, World Bank, NGOs, Green Party Europe, etc.

Political protests: Seattle WTO (1999), Genoa G8 (2001), Copenhagen Climate Summit (2009)

Montreal Protocol (1987):

"the most successful treaty in UN history. 200 nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, agreeing to ban the use of chlorine- and bromine-based chemicals (CFCs) that destroy atmospheric ozone.