Political_Geography-Morphology

Political Geography: State Shapes and Borders

• Focus within AP Human Geography on how state shapes and borders influence governance, culture, and interaction.

Territorial Morphology: The Shape of States

• Compact

  • Defined as having a shape where distance from the center to any boundary is minimal.

  • Benefits: Easier communication and governance.

  • Example: Switzerland and Hungary.

• Prorupted

  • A compact shape with a large projecting extension.

  • Can lead to issues like devolution (loss of authority).

  • Example: Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand.

• Elongated

  • Long and narrow state shape that can create governance challenges.

  • Example: Chile and Gambia.

• Fragmented

  • States with several disconnected pieces of territory, often islands.

  • Issues with governance mainly due to distance among parts.

  • Example: Indonesia and the Philippines.

• Perforated

  • A state that completely surrounds another state.

  • Leads to unique interactions between the states involved.

  • Example: South Africa surrounding Lesotho.

• Microstates

  • Very small states with usually homogeneous populations.

  • Example: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Singapore.

Exclaves and Enclaves

• Exclaves: Territories separated from the main part of the state by another state, yet not landlocked.

  • Example: Kaliningrad (Russia).

• Enclaves: Areas of one state surrounded completely by another state.

  • Example: Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian territory surrounded by Azerbaijan).

Boundaries

• Physical Boundaries

  • Determined by natural features like rivers and mountains.

  • Example: The median-line principle in lakes and rivers.

• Cultural Boundaries

  • Defined by cultural differences such as language, religion, and ethnicity. Can lead to fragmentation, such as in the Caucasus region.

• Geometric Boundaries

  • Straight lines or imaginary lines that do not accommodate cultural or physical landscapes.

Balkanization and Shatter Belts

• Balkanization: The process where a state breaks down due to conflicts among nationalities.

• Example: Conflicts in the Balkans and Caucasus regions.

Boundary Types

• Antecedent Boundary: Established before the area was populated.

• Subsequent Boundary: Established after settlement, often influenced by cultural aspects.

• Superimposed Boundary: Placed by outside forces without regard to existing cultural patterns.

• Relic Boundary: Old boundaries which are no longer functional but still affect the area culturally or politically.

Boundary Disputes

• Positional (Denominational): Disputes over the exact location of a boundary.

  • Example: India vs. China over Assam.

• Territorial: Disputes related to ownership of land.

  • Example: Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan.

• Resource Allocation: Conflicts over resource use.

  • Example: Kuwait vs. Iraq over oil.

• Functional (Operational): Disputes over how a boundary is administered.

  • Example: Policies at the USA-Mexico border.

Law of the Sea

• UNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, effective since 1994.

• Establishes guidelines for how states interact and utilize the oceans.

Current Issues in Maritime Boundaries

• South China Sea disputes involving multiple countries and conflicting claims.

• Arctic territorial claims involving military presence and resource disputes.

Gerrymandering

• Refers to manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.

• Various strategies and impacts demonstrated by different electoral maps.

• Impacts of gerrymandering include reduced electoral competition, distorted representation, and increased polarization among voters.