4.2 Types of States and Boundaries

Types of States

Multinational State

  • A state that includes more than one nation within its borders

  • The United States, Russia, Iraq, Nigeria, & Afghanistan

Multi-State Nation

  • A group of people who share a common characteristic and live in multiple states

  • Example: Former Soviet Union States, The Koreas

Stateless Nation

  • A nation that has no territory of its own, but which it is implied should.

  • Many Kurds advocate for the establishment of their own state to be created from parts of the other states they live. This is also known as irredentism.

  • For many centuries, the Jewish people were a stateless nation that was scattered throughout the world.

  • The diaspora of people retained their national identity, even though separated across multiple countries.

Autonomous Region

  • An area that governs itself but is not an independent country

  • 3 Facts from the Hong Kong video:

    • After Britain gave up control of Hong Kong and Macau, it made China agree to the "One Country, Two Systems" rule. This rule lets China manage these places. It also let the places keep their own capitalist ways for 50 years.

    • In Hong Kong, people cannot directly choose their leader. The leader is called the Chief Executive. People only get to pick from a few candidates. China approves these candidates first. This shows people do not have full control over their own government.

    • In 2014, big protests took place. These protests helped stop China. China wanted to put a new national education system into Hong Kong's schools. This event showed that the people could push back. They could resist certain rules from the central government.

Semi-Autonomous Region

  • An area that can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern.

  • Example: Nunavut in Canada

  • 3 Facts from the Nunavut video:

    • The creation of Nunavut provides a mechanism for the Inuit to preserve, protect, and guide the future of their unique culture, acting as a foundation for self-determination within Canada.

    • The region actively maintains Inuktitut as the primary language learned by many children, underscoring the authority of the government to support and prioritize its indigenous linguistic identity.

    • The continued reliance on respect for traditional knowledge and practices related to hunting and the environment influences regional laws and policies, demonstrating a system where traditional stewardship is integrated into modern governance.

Buffer States and Zones

  • A buffer state is a state located between two different, conflicting countries.

  • Mongolia acts as a buffer state between Russia and China, who have had border conflicts for centuries.

  • Eastern Europe acted as a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Western Europe after WWII.

Satellite States

  • A state that is formally independent but under heavy military, economic, and political control by another state.

  • Poland was a satellite state of the USSR until the Iron Curtain fell in the 1990s.

Function of Political Boundaries

Characteristics of Boundaries:

  • Defined, delimited, demarcated, and administered.

  • They are an expression of political power and territoriality.

  • Used to establish sovereignty.

  • Exists on land, air, and in the water.

  • They are subject to change and conflict.

  • It can sometimes correspond with political or economic divisions.

Identifying Boundaries

  • Defined - Countries legally define and agree on where borders are located through an agreement or treaty.

  • Delimited - Identifying the location of the defined boundaries on a map. Usually, at the same time that boundaries are defined and established through a legal designation.

  • Demarcated - Visible marking of the landscape with objects, such as fences or signs.

  • Administered - Legal management of the border through laws, immigration regulations, documentation, and prosecution.

  • Boundaries - Invisible lines that mark the extent of a territory.

  • Borders - A political boundary that separates the territory and authority of states.

Types of Political Boundaries

Geometric

  • Borders that are established on straight lines of latitude and longitude.

  • Example: The 49th parallel separates the U.S. and Canada.

Physical

  • Borders that are established along physical boundaries.

  • Example: The Rio Grande River separates the US and Mexico.

Antecedent

  • Borders that already existed before the present settlement in the area occurred.

  • Example: The Boundary between Malaysia and Indonesia on the island of Borneo is because the island was lightly inhabited before the Dutch & British colonized it.

Subsequent

  • Borders that are drawn in areas that have been settled by people, typically due to changes that have occurred over time.

  • Example: Boundaries in Europe have changed frequently throughout history, usually in response to a new empire, war, or political agreement.

Consequent

  • A type of subsequent boundary, but it takes into account the existing cultural distribution of the people living in the territory and redevelops boundary cultural lines to more closely align with cultural boundaries.

  • Example: The boundary between Nunavut and the rest of Canada was drawn in 1999, establishing a province that coordinated with indigenous groups.