Unit 4 Chapter 1

Key Terms to Know

• State – A politically recognized territory with sovereignty.

• Nation – A cultural group with shared identity.

• Sovereignty – The ability of a state to govern itself.

• Nation-State – A state with one dominant national identity.

• Geometric Boundary – Straight-line political border.

• Superimposed Boundary – Borders created by external forces.

• Federal vs. Unitary State – Distribution of power within governments.

• Geopolitics – The study of how geography influences politics.

1. What is Political Geography?

A. Definition

• Political Geography is the study of how political processes and spatial structures interact. It examines the influence of geography on political systems and vice versa.

B. Key Focus Areas

1. Territoriality – The connection of people, culture, and economic systems to a specific land.

2. Boundaries & Borders – How political borders are drawn and their impact.

3. Sovereignty & Governance – How states control land and resources.

4. Geopolitics – How geography influences global power dynamics.

2. The Concept of the State & Nation

A. Definitions

• State (Country) – A political unit with a defined territory, permanent population, government, and sovereignty.

• Nation – A group of people with a shared culture, language, history, and identity (e.g., the Kurds, Basques).

• Nation-State – A state with a population that largely shares a single national identity (e.g., Japan, Iceland).

• Multinational State – A state with multiple ethnic groups who recognize different national identities (e.g., Canada, Russia).

• Stateless Nation – A nation without an official state (e.g., Palestinians, Kurds).

3. Types of Political Boundaries

A. Types of Borders

4. Types of Political Systems & Government Structures

A. Levels of Government

1. Unitary State – A centralized government with little regional autonomy (e.g., France, China).

2. Federal State – Power is shared between central and regional governments (e.g., U.S., Canada, Germany).

3. Confederation – A loose alliance of states with limited central authority (e.g., Switzerland).

B. Forms of Governance

• Democracy – Citizens have political power (e.g., U.S., UK).

• Autocracy – Ruled by a single leader or small group (e.g., North Korea).

• Theocracy – Religious leaders control the government (e.g., Iran).

5. Geopolitics & Political Power

A. Geopolitical Theories

1. Heartland Theory (Mackinder) – Controlling Eurasia is key to world power.

2. Rimland Theory (Spykman) – Controlling coastal regions around Eurasia is key to global power.

B. Supranational Organizations

• Groups of states cooperating for political, economic, or military reasons.

  • United Nations (UN) – Promotes global peace and cooperation.

  • European Union (EU) – Economic and political alliance of European states.

  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Military alliance for mutual defense.