Study Notes for AP Human Geography - Political Geography

AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | UNIT IV: POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY | PATTERNS AND PROCESSES

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

  • Importance of classifying global phenomena such as language, politics, wars, ceremonies, construction, etc.

OBJECTIVE: HOW DO COUNTRIES FORM?

  • Do Now Question: In your opinion, what makes a country a country?

MAP ACTIVITY

  • Instructions: Analyze the map of North America.

    • What type of map is this? How do you know?

    • Is there anything “different” about this map compared to maps studied in the past?

    • How many countries are represented in this map?

NOTES ON CLASSIFYING POLITICAL ENTITIES

I. Definitions of Political Entities

  • State: Formal term for a country in international relations.

    • Criteria for Statehood:

    • Defined boundaries.

    • Permanent population.

    • Sovereignty over domestic and international affairs.

    • Recognition by other states.

  • Sovereignty: The power of a political unit to govern itself.

II. City State

  • Definition: A small sovereign state consisting of a city and surrounding area.

    • Examples: Monaco, Singapore, Vatican City.

    • Benefits:

    • Centralized government leads to efficiency.

    • Lower corruption potential.

    • Drawbacks:

    • Resource scarcity due to limited territory.

    • High population density leads to limited opportunities.

III. Nation

  • Definition: A group of people sharing a common cultural heritage and desire for self-determination.

    • Unified through common beliefs and claims to a homeland.

    • Examples: The French, Koreans, Mexicans, The British.

IV. Nation-State

  • Definition: A singular nation of people fulfilling all qualifications of a state.

    • Examples: Iceland (94% Icelanders), Japan (99% Japanese).

  • Other Nation-States: Countries where 85%+ of the population comprises a single nation (e.g., Albania, China, Greece).

  • Benefits: Easier law-making, higher political stability.

  • Drawbacks: Intolerance of diversity, resistance to immigration.

V. Multinational State

  • Definition: A state containing more than one nation, often with a dominant culture.

    • Example: Canada - 22% Francophone (mainly in Quebec).

    • Benefits: Innovation from diverse cultures, immigration attraction.

    • Drawbacks: Law complexity, cultural conflicts, potential for ethnic separatism.

VI. Autonomous Region

  • Definition: A defined area within a state with a high degree of self-government.

    • Example: Aland (Finland), Hong Kong (China).

    • Why Created: Administrative efficiency and to meet unique needs.

VII. Stateless Nations

  • Definition: Cultural groups without an independent political entity.

    • Examples: Palestinians, Kurds, Rohingya.

CASE STUDIES

  • Taiwan: Examines its claim to statehood amidst complex political divisions post-Civil War.

  • Implications: Lack of recognition impacts trade, law protection, and sovereignty.

UNITED NATIONS NON-MEMBER STATES

  • Non-member states with standing invitations to UN events: The Holy See, The State of Palestine.

    • Statehood Criteria (Montevideo Convention): A permanent population, defined territory, government, capacity to enter relations with other states.

BOUNDARY TYPES AND FUNCTIONS

Importance of Boundaries

  • Define government power, manage people, control movement, and protect values.

BOUNDARY TYPES

  1. Natural Boundaries: Based on physical features (e.g., rivers).

  2. Geometric Boundaries: Straight lines disregarding natural landscapes (e.g., US/Canada).

  3. Antecedent Boundaries: Established before significant population settlement.

  4. Subsequent Boundaries: Created to reflect cultural or ethnic differences.

  5. Relic Boundaries: Former boundaries with historical significance.

  6. Superimposed Boundaries: Imposed by external powers disregarding local populations.

HOW BOUNDARIES FUNCTION

  • Defined Boundaries: Established by legal documents.

  • Delimitation: Graphically drawn on maps.

  • Demarcated: Identified by physical markers.

  • Administered: Enforced by government regulations.

BOUNDARY DISPUTES

Types of Disputes

  1. Definitional: Disagreements over boundary interpretations.

    • Example: Dispute between Argentina and Chile over Southern Patagonia.

  2. Locational: Disagreements on boundary placements due to shifting physical features.

    • Example: India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

  3. Operational: Conflicts over boundary enforcement and function.

    • Example: US and Mexico on immigration control.

  4. Allocational: Conflicts over resource distribution across a boundary.

    • Example: Claims in the Arctic region.

UNCLOS & THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

  • UNCLOS: Established maritime boundaries with four distinct zones:

    1. Territorial Waters: 0-12 miles, complete sovereignty.

    2. Contiguous Zone: 12-24 miles, limited enforcement rights.

    3. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): 24-200 miles, economic benefits only for the state but free passage for others.

    4. International Waters: open access for all.

  • Dispute Summary: Overlapping claims from multiple nations, with China asserting extensive territory violating UNCLOS agreements.

POLITICAL MAPS AND CHANGE

EVENTS AND TRENDS THAT CHANGED POLITICAL MAPS

  • Colonization, imperialism, the Berlin Conference, World Wars, post-war partitioning, and independence movements have all shaped present-day boundaries.

  • Examples of Change: Post-WWI restructuring led to the creation of new states from former empires (e.g., Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire).

DECOLONIZATION

  • Examining the independence movements primarily from 1950-1980 across Africa and Asia.

  • Partition of India: Resulted in mass migration and violence due to hastily drawn boundaries.

MODERN POLITICAL DYNAMICS

  • Geopolitics: Effects of geography on international relations, including theories like Organic Theory, Heartland Theory, and Rimland Theory that explain power dynamics based on geography.

  • Neocolonization: Economic dominance exerted by powerful states over weaker ones without military intervention.

  • Transnational Corporations: Influence on state sovereignty through global economic ties.

GERRYMANDERING

  • Manipulation of electoral boundaries to benefit a specific political party. Techniques: cracking and packing to influence election outcomes.

DEVOLUTION AND BALKANIZATION

  • Devolution: The process of transferring power from the central government to regional governments.

  • Balkanization: The fragmentation of a larger state into smaller, often hostile, units. Examples in the case of the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s.

SUPRANATIONALISM

  • Political and economic cooperation between multiple states, often at the expense of individual sovereignty. Benefits include stability and cooperation; drawbacks include loss of jobs and diminished individual state power.

CONCLUSION

Role of Cooperation

  • Emphasizes that national security and sovereignty are paramount amidst the emergence of global interdependence.