Country: An identifiable land area.
Nation: A population with a single culture. Example: Japan, where the culture is predominantly Japanese.
State: A population under a single government. Example: Argentina.
Nation-State: A single culture under a single government. Example: Iceland.
Sovereignty: Full independence, territory control, international recognition, and a permanent population. Example: Switzerland is recognized as a sovereign state.
Multinational States:
The United Kingdom: Includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands.
People's Republic of China: Includes cultures such as Han, Manchu, Yuga, Tibetan.
The United States: Not a nation-state; a multinational state with diverse cultural groups including Hispanic, African American, Asian American, and more.
Nation States: Defined as states with a single culture group under one government. Examples:
Japan: Predominantly Japanese culture.
Ireland: Mainly Irish culture.
Portugal: Primarily Portuguese culture.
Lesotho: Contains a homogeneous Basotho culture.
Note: No nation state is composed exclusively of one culture; there are minorities in every nation-state.
Groups without political representation within a state. Examples:
Kurds: Found in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey with limited autonomy.
Basques: In Spain and France, seek full independence despite some autonomy.
Tibetans: In China, seeking cultural and political autonomy.
Tartars: In Russia, faced with issues regarding cultural survival.
Federal States: Comprising smaller states or provinces under a single governmental structure. Example:
USA: Comprises multiple states with individual governance.
Canada: Provinces operate under a federal government.
Confederations: Allow states to maintain control while sharing some governance. Example:
European Union: Member countries maintain national control but cooperate in certain areas (e.g., trade, regulatory standards).
Unitary System: Centralized government with some local powers; significant example is the United Kingdom, which has devolved powers to regions but maintains a strong central government.
Very small sovereign states with global significance. Examples:
Vatican City: The world's smallest sovereign state.
Monaco: Known for its wealth and casinos.
Malta: Rich in history and tourism.
Autonomous Regions: Regions with a degree of self-governance, often based on historical or cultural factors. Example:
Basque region: In Spain, has its own parliament and police force.
Semi-Autonomous Regions: Similar to autonomous regions but with less independence. Example:
Hong Kong: Enjoys certain freedoms but is under Chinese sovereignty.
Supranationalism: Two or more sovereign states aligned for a common purpose. Examples:
United Nations (UN): Focuses on peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.
European Union (EU): Functions with shared laws and economic policies among member states.
Brexit: The UK's decision to leave the EU due to sovereignty concerns raised debates about national vs. supranational authority.
Territoriality: Control expressed over a space by a government. Example:
Canada exercises territoriality through its Comprehensive Land Claim Agreements with Indigenous peoples.
Citizenship: Legal identity based on the state of birth or residence. Example:
In Italy, citizenship can be obtained through ancestry (jus sanguinis).
Types of Boundaries:
Antecedent Boundaries: Existing before settled; e.g., the U.S.-Canada border established before extensive settlement.
Relic Boundaries: Historical boundaries with cultural significance; e.g., the Berlin Wall's impact on East and West Germany.
Subsequent: Established after settlement, influenced by cultural change; e.g., the boundaries in Ireland post-Partition.
Superimposed: Established for political reasons over existing cultures; e.g., Africa's colonial borders established during the Berlin Conference of 1884.
Boundary Processes:
Claiming: Initial assertion of borders.
Delimitation: Marking borders on maps, e.g., Treaty of Tordesillas.
Demarcation: Physical markers on the ground, e.g., fences along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Definitional Disputes: Different interpretations of treaties. Example: Disputes over the boundary between India and Pakistan.
Locational: Physical border changes (e.g., river movements affecting the U.S.-Mexico border).
Operational: Issues with border usage or transit (e.g., the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border).
Allocation: Resource disputes across borders; Example: water rights in the Colorado River among U.S. states.
Frontier: Undefined territories, largely historical, e.g., Antarctica under the 1959 Treaty for peaceful use.
Yugoslavia: Balkanization and the emergence of multiple states due to cultural and ethnic divisions after the 1990s.
Compact: No irregularity (e.g., Nigeria).
Fragmented: Broken pieces, often archipelagos (e.g., Philippines).
Prorupt: Has a panhandle (e.g., Florida, USA).
Perforated: Contains another state (e.g., Utah, which contains the Navajo Nation).
Landlocked: No ocean borders (e.g., Wyoming, a U.S. state).
Historical variations of suffrage based on race and gender; for example, women in the U.S. gained the right to vote in 1920.
All democracies have representatives; electoral systems vary (e.g., first-past-the-post in the U.S. vs. proportional representation in Germany).
Gerrymandering: Manipulation of district boundaries for political advantage, e.g., in several U.S. states where district lines are drawn favorably for a political party.
Republic: Armed separation of powers; aim to avoid aristocracy (e.g., USA).
Socialism/Communism: Historical attempts to balance inequality, with prominent examples like Cuba and North Korea.
Centrifugal Forces: Tear social/political fabric apart (e.g., ethnic conflicts in Bosnia).
Centripetal Forces: Unite societies (e.g., nationalism in countries like France).
Irredentism: Desire for state formation based on cultural similarity, as seen in Russia's interests in Ukrainian territories.
Balkanization: Process of fragmentation from a larger entity into smaller states (e.g., the breakup of Yugoslavia).