Political Geography
Internal Politics
Centripetal forces vs. Attitude or force that unifies and enhances support for state a single native language or a colonial official language English in India, Nigeria revived Hebrew in Israel homogeneous cultural factors - Catholicism in Poland - Hinduism in India - nation-states language religion and ethnicity Centrifugal force Attitude or force that divides a state many native languages India, Canada, Nigeria or almost all African countries heterogeneous cultural factors - Islam/Christianity in Nigeria - Islam/Hinduism in India - ethnicities in Rwanda patriotism, national symbols (anthems, flags, sports teams) - 1980 Miracle on Ice nationalism desire for self-determination in multinational states (Yugoslavia)
Ethnicities compete to dominate states in Africa African borders do NOT correspond to ethnic groups Legacy of imperialism Scramble for Africa
Ethnicities compete to dominate states in Africa
Ethnicities compete to dominate states in Africa multilingual state interfaith conflict Nigeria (West Africa) + political corruption unequal resources
Ethnic Conflict in Africa Hutu vs.tutsi destabilizes Central Africa ethnic divisions more created than real hierarchy created by colonial Belgians Tutsi made privileged Hutus resent take revenge in 1994
What Is Ethnic Cleansing? process in which a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful group from their territory purpose is not to subjugate, but to remove Today, mostly happens in Europe and Africa
Ethnic cleansing and genocide in Rwanda (1994)
Aftermath of Rwandan Genocide Ethnic conflict spills into neighboring countries Dem. Rep. of Congo falls into civil war most war deaths (5.4m) since WWII failed state? a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control.
Ethnicities compete to dominate Sudan Govt. in Khartoum = Arab/Muslim Darfur targeted Black Muslim Genocide or ethnic cleansing? breakaway South Sudan Black Christian/Animist Economic OIL!!!! Independent 2011 Now ethnic strife Failed state? states in Africa
Ethnicities compete to dominate states in Africa Somalia clans Islamic militias US intervention Black Hawk Down failed state Piracy balkanized = area that can t stabilize due to ethnic conflict
Ethnic cleansing in Europe WWII (1939 45) Largest forced migration Jews, gypsies, and others forcibly removed by Nazis Post - WWII Germans, others forced to relocate after war Goals: USSR buffer zone Nation-state ideal
Ethnic cleansing in Europe multiethnic Yugoslavia created after WWI Linguistically similar w/diverse religions and histories Serbs = Eastern Orthodox, allied with Russia, uses Cyrillic Alphabet Croats = Catholic, ties to Austria/Germany, uses Latin Alphabet Bosniaks = Muslim, reflect influence of Ottoman Turks
breakup of Yugoslavia balkanization = breakdown of state due to ethnic conflict death of Tito what kind of force was he? Ethnic cleansing Bosnia (1992 95) Muslims cleansed by Serbs/Croats Dayton Accords reward aggression Kosovo (1999) Albanians cleansed by Serbs Stopped by NATO airstrikes Ethnic cleansing in Europe
Ethnic Cleansing Rewarded!
Ethnicities compete to dominate states Lebanon = religious civil war since 1975 Israeli and Syrian military interventions
Other ethnicity issues Iraq in the Middle East
Centripetal forces vs. Centrifugal force a common enemy may help to unite a people» anti-british sentiment during Revolutionary War» U.S. during the Cold War or after 9/11 Outside influences irredentism superpower meddling (Africa, Latin America, Asia)» funding rebels, etc. Democracy can inspire civic participation Dictatorships can stifle dissent and other centrifugal forces - Tito in Yugoslavia - Communist party (USSR) Leadership or government (be wary of morality here) (see later slides for internal govt. structure) poor governance Incompetence» US???? corruption» Greece dictatorship» Arab Spring (2011 inequality
Legalized Segregation in Other Countries Apartheid (Jim Crow on steroids) Policy of racial separation by white South African govt. Pass laws, Bantustans, racial classification
Apartheid in South Africa End of Apartheid sanctions & disinvestment Nelson Mandela 1 st black president (1994) agrees not to seek revenge in exchange for whites and their investment remaining in South Africa leads to political but not economic equality
Centripetal forces vs. Centrifugal force Mountain ranges, oceans, deserts etc. can limit outside influences and bind a country together» Egypt along the Nile Physical Features Shape of state (see later) and internal physical features can separate populations and lead to separatism» Russia vastness has been a centrifugal force throughout its history» Nepal s mountains separate communities More advanced countries have things like airports, railroads and highways which allow people to remain in contact, people to move within the country, etc. Infrastructure Less developed countries lack infrastructure. This may isolate areas and become a centrifugal force.
Unitary states Internal Structure of States central govt. dictates all policy from capital Example: France Federal states» France has departments but they only implement policy decided by central government Power is shared between central and regional govts. Example: U.S. (One of the biggest historical debates in the U.S.) Globally, there is a trend toward federations Devolution (weakening of central power) Confederation» more local autonomy, recognition of ethnic autonomy» can be centripetal by allowing some regional control little central authority, all power is regional. Only certain limited powers are given to the central govt. Examples: U.S. under Articles of Confederation
Differences in state laws: federalism in action
The Shape and Size of States
most efficient, centripetal force all equidistant from capital Theoretically, most desirable shape is round or hexagonal short borders easy to defend. short communication lines As a rule, the more compact the territory the better Some countries come close to ideal France, Poland Other shapes (following) = problematic Compact State
Elongated State long and narrow poor communication potentially to isolate regions from the capital. shape is centrifugal force
Prorupted State otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension serves to give access to a natural resource or separate or disrupt two states that would otherwise share a border.
Perforated State a state that completely surrounds another. Enclave district surrounded by a country but not ruled by it Pene-enclave and Pene-exclave an intrusive piece of territory with only the smallest of outlets free from the surrounding country
contains several discontinuous pieces of territory separated by water or an intervening state. Exclaves Pieces of national territory separated from the main body of a country by the territory of another Hard to defend Isolated population may develop separatist feelings Fragmented State
Exclaves
The Caucasus area between Black and Caspian Seas formerly part of USSR oil rich VERY religiously/linguistically diverse Chechnya (know this) separatists from Russia Islamic terrorist acts» Boston Marathon bombings diversity many enclaves and exclaves
India partitioned along religious lines (1947) leads to massive migration violence 4 wars over Kashmir irredentism???
East Pakistan as an exclave in 1947 Two parts were separated by 1,000 miles of Indian territory West Pakistan had the capital, most of the territory, and hoarded the country s wealth East Pakistan had most of the people and resources War in 1973, East Pakistan became Bangladesh
Landlocked States all landlocked states outside of Europe = LDCs limited access to international trade routes dependent on neighbors (sometimes unstable) increases cost of imports/exports
every 10 years = census Seats in Congress are reapportioned new maps are drawn = redistricting manipulation of redistricting Three types 1) Wasted or cracking Spreading opponents strength across several districts in order to weaken 2) Excess or packing Concentrating opponents strength in one district to lessen effect on others 3) Stacking (form of packing) Create majority-minority district Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering: wasted vote or cracking An example of "cracking" gerrymandering. The urban (and mostly liberal) concentration of Columbus, OH, located in Franklin County, is split into thirds, each segment then attached to and outnumbered by largely conservative suburbs.
Excess vote or packing
Gerrymandering: stacked vote aka packing