Chp 8: Political Geography

State

A political unit with

sovereignty 

population

defined territory

official government

(recognition - United Nations, majority of surrounding states)

Nation

A group of people with a shared cultural identity (language, religion, ethnicity, traditions, and/or history) and based on a sense of unity or belonging

Ethnicity

denotes a person’s cultural or ancestral identity, characterized by shared language, traditions, and heritage

Nationality vs Ethnicity

legal or political identity that connects people to a specific state of nation, often through citizenship and government recognition. _______ denotes a person’s cultural or ancestral identity characterized by shared language, traditions, and heritage

State Imposition on Colonies

The modern concept of the state is a new European concept where allegiance shifted from the rulers to the state itself. Eventually imposed on Africa, Asia, and South America through colonization, often replacing or overriding existing indigenous political systems. Led to long-lasting conflicts in many colonial regions

Nation-State

A ______ in which the boundaries largely coincide with the geographic area inhabited by a specific ______

Requirements to be a Nation-State

Sovereignty

Cultural Hegemony

Recognition

Multinational/ Binational State

A _____ that contains two or more distinct national groups that exist within its borders, each with a strong sense of identity and sometimes a desire for self-rule (ex: Belgium)

Part-Nation State

A ________ that is dispersed across multiple states and whose national identity exceeds the territorial limits of a single _____ (ex: Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Syria, etc)

Stateless Nation

An ethnic, cultural, or national group that does not have its own independent state or sovereignty

Physical Boundaries

________ that align with prominent physical features, such as mountains, rivers, or deserts

Geometric Boundaries

_______established by human-made constructs, such as lines of latitude, longitude, and arbitrary straight lines

Cultural Boundaries

Boundaries that follow the distribution of cultural features such as ethnicity, religion, or language

Antecedent Boundaries

_________ were established before significant human settlement or cultural development

Subsequent Boundaries

___________ established after an area has been significantly settled and developed and are drawn based on the cultural, political, or social landscapes

Superimposed Boundaries

boundaries ________ on a region by an external power, often without regard for existing cultural, ethnic, or political landscapes

Relic

Former boundaries that once served a political or administrative function but have since ceased to exist as borders

Partition of India

Punjab was formerly one region, but was divided into West Punjab (Pakistan) and East Punjab (India) following the British withdrawal from South Asia and the ________ in 1947. Division was drawn hastily by British authorities based on perceived religious boundaries and led to the mass displacement of Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, with Muslims moving to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs relocating to India amidst widespread violence and upheaval

Consequent Boundary

type of subsequent ________ draw to respect cultural divisions, such as language, ethnicity, or religion to minimize conflict