Boundaries and Disputes

1
Boundaries and Disputes

• WORLD ISSUES

2
Five Basic Shapes of States

• Compact
• Prorupted
• Elongated
• Fragmented
• Perforted

3
Compact

• Distance from center to boundary does not vary
• Beneficial to small states easy to set up
  communication systems if capital is in center
• Efficient to govern
• Examples Rwanda and Uganda

4
Prorupted

• Compact state with a large projecting extension
• Can provide access to a resource
• Separate two states that would share a boundary
• Example Caprivi strip in Namibia

5
Elongated

• State with large distance from one end to another
  but smaller distance side to side.
• Regions can be separated from capital
• Country may have poor communications
• Ex. include Chile and Norway

6
Fragmented

• State that has several discontinuous pieces of
  territory.
• 2 types
• Separated by water and separated by another state.

7
Tin Bigha corridor (Fragment)
8
Perforated

• A state that completely surrounds another state.
• Lesotho is surrounded by S. Africa

9
Landlocked states

• Lacks a direct outlet to the sea.
• Ocean access is critical, international trade.
• Landlocked states must work with neighboring
  states to transport goods to the ocean.
• Most common in Africa, 14 states are landlocked

10
Types of boundaries

• Physical
• Geometric
• Anthropographic (Cultural)

11
(No Transcript)
12
Geometric Borders

• Almost always appear as straight lines
• Usually follow lines of latitude or longitude
• Completely created by humans
• Examples
• Border between MN and IA
• Northwest Angle

13
(No Transcript)
14
Physical Borders

• Use a physical feature of the landscape
• Rivers easy but problematic
• The darn things move!
• People tend to live along them, so population
  centers get divided
• Mountain ridges awesome, they stay still and
  people dont live along the tops of mountains.

15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
Anthropographic Borders

• Borders that separate cultural features
• Language groups
• Religion
• Ethnicity
• Huge advantage makes political units
  (countries) that have consistent cultural
  features. Much easier to govern.
• Not as easy to create.

19
Cultural Boundaries

• Religious boundaries
• Used in dividing Ireland and Pakistan/India
• Language Boundaries
• European countries set main boundaries based on
  language. Ex. France, Germany, and Italy.

20
Cultural Boundaries

• Religious boundaries
• Used in dividing Ireland and Pakistan/India
• Language Boundaries
• European countries set main boundaries based on
  language. Ex. France, Germany, and Italy.

21
May also classify boundary when boundary was made.

• Antecedent boundarydrawn before an area becomes
  populated.
• Subsequent boundarydrawn after the cultural
  landscape has been developed.
• Consequent boundary is a type of subsequent
  boundary that is drawn to accommodate differences
  within a state.
• Subsequent superimposed boundariesboundaries
  forced on a country by a conquering or colonizing
  power.

22
Boundary Disputes

• 1. Positional disputes When states disagree
  about the interpretations of documents that
  define a boundary. Usually arise when the
  boundary is antecedent.
• 2. Territorial dispute These arise when a
  boundary has been superimposed and divides a
  ethnic population.

23
Boundary Disputes (Cont.)

• 3. Resource disputes Disagree to the resources
  and their use in boundary areas.
• 4. Functional disputes arise when neighboring
  states disagree over policies applied to
  boundaries. Usually over the issue of land use
  or immigration.

24
Two types of states.

• 1. Unitary Highly centralized governments,
  few internal cultural contrasts, strong sense of
  national identity, borders are cultural as well
  as political.
• 2. Federal Associations with provinces or
  states and the states have strong regional govt.
  responsibilities. Capital city was created to
  serve as an administration center.
• The trend is for countries to have a federal
  government.

25
What are the government responsibilities inside a
state?

• establishes the legal code
• what kind of currency will be used
• may have to join army
• speak a common language
• kind of religion that is taught in school

26
GEOPOLITICS

• Geopolitics is the study of economic, political,
  and military value of space to help predict and
  direct international relations.

27
Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904)

• State resembles a biological organism.
• To prolong its existence, a state needs
  nourishment.
• Nourishment is provided by acquisition of
  territories.
• If a state is confined with static boundaries,
  the state will die.
• Territory is the states essential life-giving
  force.

28
Halford Mackinders Heartland Theory
29
Halford Mackinder

• 1861-1947
• Founded the London School of Economics in 1895
• In 1904 wrote The Geographic Pivot of History
• Within this paper he discussed the Heartland
  theory.

30
Heartland Theory

• The Earth is divided into two sections
• One section is called the World Island made up
  of Europe and AsiaEurasia.
• The other section is the periphery, comprised of
  the Americas and Oceania.
• The Heartland was Ukraine, W. Russia, and
  Eastern Europe.

31
Heartland Theory

• The World Island had more resources and a larger
  population.
• For the Periphery to conquer the W.I. the
  periphery would have to transport long distances
  by sea.
• W.I. could locate industries deep inside for
  protection form invasion.

32
Heartland Theory

• Who controls E. Europe rules the Heartland.
• Who rules the Heartland rules the World Island.
• Who rules the World Island rules the World.

33
(No Transcript)
34
Rimland Theory

• Near the end of WW II the theory was modified by
  Nicholas Spykman.
• He argues that the coastal areas of the
  heartland or the Rimland were more important.

35
Why did this theory worry the U.S. at the end of
WWII?

• U.S. Foreign Policy decisions.
• Containment and Domino Theory
• Containment meant to contain the spread of
  Communism
• The Domino Theory was that if one country fell to
  communism, soon after, the neighboring country
  would fall like a row of dominoes.

36
Valid Theory?

• Many analysts believe these theories no longer
  apply to the current world situation because of
  the following.
• breakup of the USSR/end of the cold war
• development of nuclear power
• rise of Japan/China/W. Europe
• decline of power of the U.S.

37
Future Conflict

• Many political geographers believe it is not
  military power that will cause conflict and shape
  the world in the future but two other forms
  competition.

• 1. Economic rivalryeconomic competition between
  the north (developed countries) and the south
  (undeveloped countries).
• 2. Competition between different civilizations.
  More importantly many believe the world will be
  shaped by eight major civilizations and the
  conflicts between them.

38
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SYSTEMS
39
UNITED NATIONS

• Organization that brings together countries to
  promote world peace
• Provides a forum where countries can discuss
  international and regional concerns.

40
UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMS

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
  Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

41
UNITED NATIONS

• Much of the UN budget is committed to assisting
  states with economic growth and development.
• UN has NO authority of any countries military.
• Most recently has taken a different approach to
  world affairs.

42
International Law of the Sea(1982)
43
International Law of the Sea(1982)

• Territorial Sea, 12nm (19km). Coastal states
  have sovereignty. Most vessels have the rights
  to innocent passage.
• Contiguous zone, to 24nm (38km). Coastal states
  do not have complete sovereignty, but can enforce
  some laws and pursue out of territorial waters.

44
International Law of the Sea(1982)

• Exclusive Economic zone (EEZ), up to 200nm
  (370km). State has rights to explore and exploit
  natural resources. Has rights to continental
  shelf up to 350nm beyond their coasts.
• High Seas. Outside any one states jurisdiction.
  All minerals are the property of humankind.

45
World Trade Organization (WTO)

• Located in Geneva, Switzerland
• WTO is the only global international organization
  dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
• Handles trade disputes between states
• Goal of WTO is to cut tariffs and dismantle all
  barriers to trade.

46
European Union (EU)

• Also referred to as the common market.
• The EU has rid Europe of trade barriers and
  allowed free movement of capital, goods, and
  people throughout member nations.
• The EU has created a single European Market.

47
(No Transcript)
48
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• NATO is an alliance of 26 countries from North
  America and Europe.
• NATO treaty was signed on April 4, 1949.
• NATO is a mutual defense agreement.

49
Warsaw Pact

• The Warsaw Pact was a military organization of
  Central Eastern European Communist countries.
• It was established in 1955 in response to the
  formation of NATO.
• The Warsaw Pact dissolved in 1991.

50
NATO vs. WARSAW PACT