Geography Test #2 JMU Dohrenwend

Region

An area of the planet we characterize by a level of similarity based in certain features

A way we categorize the world

Formal Regions

“uniform” regions

“officially recognized” boundaries often set by governmental entities within which similar characteristics are observed

“nested”

Functional Regions

“nodal” regions

areas of processes and activities that often radiate from a central node

service areas

Vernacular Regions

“perceptual” regions

relative and subject to change as they are based in part on individual and group attributes, perceptions, & dialects

Nordic Countries

Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland

often referred to as Scandinavia (not entirely accurate)

What are some facts about Nordic Countries?

Scandinavians make up about 75% of the region’s population

secularism 

wealthy

many of the world’s most powerful companies

mutually intelligble languages

similar currency names and last names

“Fourth World People’s”

socially-marginalized, often indigenous, minority groups in both developed and developing states

a people, or a nation, w/out a states

Climate in N. Europe

temperate, continental, and polar (C, D, & E climates)

Glacial Landforms in N. Europe

last glacial maximum

lots of lakes

valleys

fjords - Norway

Temperate Forest

in the S. and on the coast

warmest area of the region

low species diversity

huge, old trees

cool to warm summers, cool to cold winters

consistent precipitation over the year

logging

Boreal Forests

mountainous areas, higher latitudes

low species diversity

cool summers, cold winters

not as much precipitation

logging

Tundra

“treeless” landscape

coldest areas

highest latitudes and altitudes

far from water

cool summers, cold to very cold winters

animal and plant adaptations (rabbits)

The Nordic Model

highly democratic (small d)

very low rates of corruption

highest development rates across the board

N. Europe Economies

mixed

largely capitalist w/ robust public sector, welfare states, and strong sectoral bargaining

“capitalism-lite”

high/highish salaries, taxes, and prices

high provision of public services

low GINI coefficient (low income inequality)

low gender inequality

few very poor, few very rich

Øresund Region

roughly 4 million in the area

basically greater Copenhagen

cross border urban area

Freetown Chrisitiana

commune in the middle of Copenhagen

really bizarre place

850-1,000 residents

squatted military area in 1971

the rules forbid stealing, violence, guns, etc

Baltic States

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

relationships w/ Russia (energy dependence)

large Russian populations

Eastern Europe

largely former Soviet countries influenced by the USSR

Russia is still very powerful in this region

less wealthy than N. & W. Europe

mostly slavic languages (exceptions!)

mostly catholicism & Eastern Orthodocxy

Jewish Geographies

Jews have historically not had a lot of luck w/ finding places to live long-term

Late 1800s = 90% of the world’s Jews live in Europe

Today = 10% of the world’s Jews live in Europe

Jewish Pale

destination for many Jewish migrants in the middle ages

centered on Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Romania

“Jewish homeland” attempt in Europe

Marxism

Karl Marx, 19th century

social, political, and economic philosophy

based on common ownership of the means of production

class-based

ultimate goal is a communist society (eliminate issues in a capitalist society)

workers overthrow capitalist system and seize means of production

elimination of private property

command economy

one-party authoritarianism 

The Soviet Union

communist-block dominated by Russia

Russia + other Soviet Republics + soviet-allied countries

Soviets wanted a “buffer” zone

The Iron Curtain

E/W division of Europe from 1945 until 1991

The Cold War

geopolitical tension between U.S., Soviet Union, and their allies

NATO & Warsaw Pact

Proxy Wars

armed conflict between 2 states or groups which act on the instigation on or behalf of other parties not directly involved in the hostilities

Afghanistan & Vietnam

Fall of the Soviet Union

ethnic nationalism in the Soviet Republic

desire for independence of member republics

economic stress (Regan’s defense spending)

detente (“relaxation”)

easing of strained relations

Glasnost & Perestroika

European Integration

fall of Berlin Wall (1989, both a physical and ideological barrier)

gradual process and varies country by country

many still have deep political and economic ties to Russia

Russia does NOT like NATO expansion

Russia/Ukraine Conflict

irredentism (a policy advocating for a country to reclaim/claim a country or territory formerly belonging to it)

Czechoslovakia

a state of two distinct nations

“buffer” state

two distinct cultures that vary geographically

The Velvet Revolution

1989

demonstrations against one-party rule in the country

International Student’s Day protest suppression

The Velvet Divorce

Czech side was wealthier

Slovak parties wanted devolution

combined country agreed to split

The Balkans

named for Balkan Peninsula and mountains

often doesn’t include Greece

former provinces of Ottoman Empire

part becomes Yugoslavia

What happened to Yugoslavia?

1980s pose crises (death of Tito, economic collapse, instability of Soviet Union)

spike in ethnic nationalism

demand for independence and sovereignty over their own territories

The Yugoslav Wars

1991-2001

extreme nationalism & irredentism by multiple different cultures

Social Stratification

hierarchal division of people into groups based on social and economic factors

Ethnicity

people who identify w/ each other based on shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups

Balkanization

the fragmentation of a region or country into multiple smaller, often hostile states or groups based on differences in ethnicity, race, culture, etc.

Southern Europe

characterized by proximity to the Mediterranean Sea

slightly lower development indicators compared to European standards

Demographics in S. Europe

home to many of Europe’s oldest populations

lowest TFR’s in Europe

retiree destination

great healthcare

recent economic instability

destination of international migrants and refugees

Major Physical Features of S. Europe

maritime-influences

Iberian and Italian Peninsula

Tagus River

Apennines

Pyrenees

lots & lots of islands

Mediterranean Climates

dry summers, wet winters

Mesothermal

Geography of Food in S. Europe

based on what resources are available and the climate

holy trinity (olives, grapes, wheat)

Arab influences in Spain, Portugal, Italy

intro. of plants from America (tomatoes)

almost everything is grown here

Primary Activities

extraction of raw materials from the earth (agriculture)

huge contributor to S. Europe’s economy

Food Products: Secondary Activities

manufactured products packaged in factories

adds value through alteration

activities that produce a finished, usable good or that is involved in the construction of something

wheat vs. flour

Food Experiences: Tertiary Activities

food retail, restaurants, bars, brewery tours, etc

the “service sector”

activities that produce services instead of products

“intangible goods”

Geographic Indication

a name or sign used on a product that relates it to a specific geographical indication or origin

enshrined in a system of 3 major EU policies

“promote and protect traditional food products”

policy is based in consumer protection, rural economic development, and the promotion of culture and exports

Terroir

the unique character of a crop believed to be imbued by a certain place’s environmental factors (this is debated)

champagne region of France, Louisiana shrimp

Olympics

originated in Olympia, Greece, to celebrate the Greek God Zeus

suppressed in 393 AD by Holy Roman Empire

Summer Olympics in the year divisible by 4

Winter Olympics in the other even years 

political advantage, but huge infrastructure costs

making them a financial success is a pretty big deal

geopolitical symbol in the past (countries try to outdo each other both on the sports field and the battlefield)

Spanish Regional Identity: Catalonia

Barcelona is the capital

like a state, kind of

Spain = decentralized gov. system, featuring some devolution

own distinct culture

separatist movement

Cyprus

divided

source of tension

Greeks and Turks

difference between de facto and de jure sovereignty

Italy

North is wealthier, South is poorer

Greece

architecture and political ideas have spread across the world

European Microstates

very small states

4/6 are monarchies

historically known as tax havens

dependent on a larger country

The European Union

political and economic union of 27 member states (countries)

mostly located in Europe

population = half a billion

Supranational Government

EU

political union where negotiated power is delegated to an authority by gov. of member states

policy standardization (trade, resource, etc)

European international negotiating power

Congress of Vienna

aftermath of French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Treaty of Paris to create plan for Europe

“resize” the main powers (balance)

The World Wars

M.A.I.N (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism)

The Marshall Plan (rebuild W. Europe and assert American influence in the region)

founding of the Council of Europe (does not make binding laws but can enforce international agreements)

European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

1st international org. designed for supranational governance

response to WWII

goal was to force countries to get along by forcing them to cooperate over steel and coal production

wildly successful 

members wants to expand it

dev. of European common market

free movement of goods, labor, and capital across borders

removal of economic and migration barriers

one country could not dominate another

established by Treaty of Rome (1957)

a tool to prevent war

Full Integration

ECSC was blueprint for EU

countries drift to EU as they no longer had financial support from USSR

Tools for Full Integration

cohesive policy and regulation across borders

companies like policies to be consistent

comparison w/ US federalism (“competence” in EU)

The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

individual currencies replaced by common currency

“Eurozone”

imperfect system 

increases efficiency of doing business

loss of sovereignty over the country’s monetary system

The Schengen Area

Schengen Agreement, 1985

26 Euro. states have abolished all types of border control w/ one another for travel purposes and common currency

elimination of travel restrictions between Schengen countries

not all Schengen members are EU members, not all EU members are Schengen members