Lecture 6 What is Political Geography? ⢠Political ...
Lecture 6 What is Political Geography? Political geography studies the spatial dimension of human conflict and cooperation on this planet Scale of study: Traditionally at the state level Meaning Political Geography studies the actions of governments and institutions rather than those of actual people Essentially, political geographers are interesting in how humans… Group themselves into nations How those nations can form the foundation of states How states claim space as their territory How states compete for territory and negotiate boundaries between each other Concepts Nations (people): A group of people that share a common cultural trait/feature/identity Cultural trait can be: o A common mother tongue (ex: Welsh or Basque) o A common ethnic ancestry (ex: Ojibway) o A common religion (ex: Christianity) o A common history (ex: Newfoundland) States (area): The state is an area (as in a country) and a political institution (as in the authorities) It has the following characteristics: o It covers a distinct space (the “territory”) o The limits of the territory are defined by boundaries to neighbouring states o The territory is ruled by one government that exercise power over the territory and those that live within it Key facts about “state” 1. There can be no state without a defined territory where its law are enforced 2. There can be no state without a set of laws 3. There can be no state without a population that enforces and follows the laws Stateless Nations: Nations that do not currently have a state of their own Examples include: o The Basque living in Northern Spain and Southern France want to form their own state o Kurds living is dispersed across Turkey, Iraq, and Syria – pushing for a sovereign state to be carved out of northern Iraq o An example of a successful attempt by a stateless nation to establish territorial sovereignty is the creation of Israel in 1948 Nation-State: An ideal form consisting of a homogeneous group of people governed by their own state NOTE: there are few “true” nation-states Example of “true” nation-states are Japan, Iceland, Slovenia, and Portugal Multi-National States: Where a state’s population is formed by two or more distinct nations Examples include:
o o o o
Belgium – shared between French-speaking Walloons in the south, Dutchspeaking Flemings in the north, and a German-speaking minority in the east Switzerland – incorporates speakers of German, French, and Italian Great Britain – comprises English, Scots, Welsh, Cornish and the inhabitants of Northern Ireland Canada – population is made of at least three nations
The Politics of Territory and Space The territorial or spatial morphology of states o Main idea size and shape may greatly contribute to a state’s ability or inability to secure its unity, its survival, and its potential for economic and political development Other important factors: o Location (land-locked state vs. coastal state) o Location (temperate, tropical, or arctic climate) o Location (geographically active zone i.e. earthquake) o Location (next to an overpowering neighbor?) Forces determining the stability of states 1. Centripetal forces: are those that tend to keep a state together and strengthen its unity and cohesion o Extensive and strong transportation and communication infrastructure o Common language, religion, history, traditions, or customs o Strong central institutions o Strong ethnic identity 2. Centrifugal forces: are those that tend to keep a state together and strengthen its unity and cohesion o Weak transportation and communication infrastructure o Lack of common languages, religion, history, traditions, or customs o Weak central institutions o A multitude of ethnic groups among the population o Regionalism or regional inequalities o Separatist movements Boundaries and Frontiers Boundaries lines that separate states from each other What is the importance of international boundaries? 1. They separate states from each other to avoid conflict over the extent of territorial space 2. They establish how far the territorial authority of a state extends Boundaries can be physical or cultural in character o Physical or Natural Boundaries: A river (…but has problems – can dry up) A mountain range (environment can change) o Cultural or Artificial Boundaries: Religious boundaries Language boundaries Geometric boundary: o Straight lines or arcs that have been drawn on a map and then transferred to the real landscape
1. Antecedent boundaries: o Those that existed before the current cultural landscape was established by the current population 2. Subsequent boundaries: o Those that were drawn after the current cultural landscape was established The current attempt to draw boundary between Israel and Palestinian territory 3. Relic boundaries: o Those that are no longer functioning as such but are visible on the cultural landscape Ex: Berlin wall or the boundary between east and west Germany Boundary disputes Types of boundary disputes: Positional Disputes o States disagreement over: a line (boundary) o Most positional disputes are antecedent 1. The interpretation of existing documents that define a boundary 2. The way the boundary was delimited Territorial Disputes Dispute over ownership of a region (ex: Kashir) Resource Disputes Territorial conflict over resources (ex: Oil reservoir known as the Rumailia field was the source of the 1991 Gulf War Functional Disputes States disagree over policies to be applied along a boundary (ex: immigration policies) Geopolitics and Geopolitik What is geopolitics? o Geopolitics is about the ways in which states (area) and institutions (governing place to enforce rules and regulation) apply geographical knowledge and principles to enhance their power vis-à-vis their competition Stages of evolution of geopolitics 1. “Classical” Geopolitics and the race for Imperial Hegemony o Geopolitical ideas of Friedrich Ratzel (in 1897) o Conceptualized the state as “organism” o State required space and resources to meet its biological needs for food and shelter o Because of the desire of states to satisfy the need for resources and space it can result in conflict Geopolitical ideas Halford Mackinder o Eurasian landmass is necessary for world domination o He called Eurasian landmass the HEARTLAND of the world o He expressed his ideas as follows: He who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland
He who rules the Heartland commands the world island He who rules the world island commands the world 2. The Nazi Regime and German Geopolitik o The most famous application of geopolitics was devised by the Nazis o Called “Geopolitik” – brand of geopolitics built on Ratzel and Mackinder, but distorted their ideas o Geoplitik: states needed living space and resources, and stronger states can obliterate weaker states and absorb their resources to increase power o Survival of the fittest (Darwinist idea)
NOTE: both “Classical” Geopolitics and “Geopolitik” argued that physical attributes such as location, size, and shape, influence nations and states Factors such as: o Access to oceans o Access to resources o Terrain o Shape of territory 3. Geopolitics of the Cold War (between 1945 and 1989) DON’T NEED TO KNOW o The Soviet Union and the US employed ideas and methods that were rooted in geopolitics Nicholas Spykman (1944): Who controls the rimland rules Eurasia Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world Heartland still the key but to control that it is essential to control the rimland Policy of Containment – confining USSR within its borders through series of alliances in the Rimland Dominion Theory: o Described what would happen if the attempt to contain or isolate the Soviets was unsuccessful o Any country that succumb to Soviet influence would destabilize the neighbouring countries to the point where they would be vulnerable too o Hence US policy should prevent any country from falling under the influence of communism 4. Post-Cold War Geopolitics (DON’T NEED TO KNOW) o Post-Soviet Union era o Dissolution of alliances o Formation of new alliances o Cooperation between US and Russia (ex: against terrorism)
Changes during post-cold war geopolitics o Ideological differences seem to have been superseded by religious differences o The East-West conflict seems to have morphed into a North-South conflict (between developed and non-developed countries) o Trade is becoming increasingly globalized o Increasing prominence of environmental problems at the global level o Emergence of global diseases (ex: AIDS)
International Political Systems
Supranationalism o The United Nations and its agencies WHO FAO UNESCO Regional Alliances o Economic alliances: ex: NAFTA; EU; ASEAN; APEC o Military and political alliances: ex: NATO
Summary The relationship between politics and geography is a two way The relationship between politics and geography is often driven by particular theories and practices of the worlds states
o o o o
Belgium – shared between French-speaking Walloons in the south, Dutchspeaking Flemings in the north, and a German-speaking minority in the east Switzerland – incorporates speakers of German, French, and Italian Great Britain – comprises English, Scots, Welsh, Cornish and the inhabitants of Northern Ireland Canada – population is made of at least three nations
The Politics of Territory and Space The territorial or spatial morphology of states o Main idea size and shape may greatly contribute to a state’s ability or inability to secure its unity, its survival, and its potential for economic and political development Other important factors: o Location (land-locked state vs. coastal state) o Location (temperate, tropical, or arctic climate) o Location (geographically active zone i.e. earthquake) o Location (next to an overpowering neighbor?) Forces determining the stability of states 1. Centripetal forces: are those that tend to keep a state together and strengthen its unity and cohesion o Extensive and strong transportation and communication infrastructure o Common language, religion, history, traditions, or customs o Strong central institutions o Strong ethnic identity 2. Centrifugal forces: are those that tend to keep a state together and strengthen its unity and cohesion o Weak transportation and communication infrastructure o Lack of common languages, religion, history, traditions, or customs o Weak central institutions o A multitude of ethnic groups among the population o Regionalism or regional inequalities o Separatist movements Boundaries and Frontiers Boundaries lines that separate states from each other What is the importance of international boundaries? 1. They separate states from each other to avoid conflict over the extent of territorial space 2. They establish how far the territorial authority of a state extends Boundaries can be physical or cultural in character o Physical or Natural Boundaries: A river (…but has problems – can dry up) A mountain range (environment can change) o Cultural or Artificial Boundaries: Religious boundaries Language boundaries Geometric boundary: o Straight lines or arcs that have been drawn on a map and then transferred to the real landscape
1. Antecedent boundaries: o Those that existed before the current cultural landscape was established by the current population 2. Subsequent boundaries: o Those that were drawn after the current cultural landscape was established The current attempt to draw boundary between Israel and Palestinian territory 3. Relic boundaries: o Those that are no longer functioning as such but are visible on the cultural landscape Ex: Berlin wall or the boundary between east and west Germany Boundary disputes Types of boundary disputes: Positional Disputes o States disagreement over: a line (boundary) o Most positional disputes are antecedent 1. The interpretation of existing documents that define a boundary 2. The way the boundary was delimited Territorial Disputes Dispute over ownership of a region (ex: Kashir) Resource Disputes Territorial conflict over resources (ex: Oil reservoir known as the Rumailia field was the source of the 1991 Gulf War Functional Disputes States disagree over policies to be applied along a boundary (ex: immigration policies) Geopolitics and Geopolitik What is geopolitics? o Geopolitics is about the ways in which states (area) and institutions (governing place to enforce rules and regulation) apply geographical knowledge and principles to enhance their power vis-à-vis their competition Stages of evolution of geopolitics 1. “Classical” Geopolitics and the race for Imperial Hegemony o Geopolitical ideas of Friedrich Ratzel (in 1897) o Conceptualized the state as “organism” o State required space and resources to meet its biological needs for food and shelter o Because of the desire of states to satisfy the need for resources and space it can result in conflict Geopolitical ideas Halford Mackinder o Eurasian landmass is necessary for world domination o He called Eurasian landmass the HEARTLAND of the world o He expressed his ideas as follows: He who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland
He who rules the Heartland commands the world island He who rules the world island commands the world 2. The Nazi Regime and German Geopolitik o The most famous application of geopolitics was devised by the Nazis o Called “Geopolitik” – brand of geopolitics built on Ratzel and Mackinder, but distorted their ideas o Geoplitik: states needed living space and resources, and stronger states can obliterate weaker states and absorb their resources to increase power o Survival of the fittest (Darwinist idea)
NOTE: both “Classical” Geopolitics and “Geopolitik” argued that physical attributes such as location, size, and shape, influence nations and states Factors such as: o Access to oceans o Access to resources o Terrain o Shape of territory 3. Geopolitics of the Cold War (between 1945 and 1989) DON’T NEED TO KNOW o The Soviet Union and the US employed ideas and methods that were rooted in geopolitics Nicholas Spykman (1944): Who controls the rimland rules Eurasia Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world Heartland still the key but to control that it is essential to control the rimland Policy of Containment – confining USSR within its borders through series of alliances in the Rimland Dominion Theory: o Described what would happen if the attempt to contain or isolate the Soviets was unsuccessful o Any country that succumb to Soviet influence would destabilize the neighbouring countries to the point where they would be vulnerable too o Hence US policy should prevent any country from falling under the influence of communism 4. Post-Cold War Geopolitics (DON’T NEED TO KNOW) o Post-Soviet Union era o Dissolution of alliances o Formation of new alliances o Cooperation between US and Russia (ex: against terrorism)
Changes during post-cold war geopolitics o Ideological differences seem to have been superseded by religious differences o The East-West conflict seems to have morphed into a North-South conflict (between developed and non-developed countries) o Trade is becoming increasingly globalized o Increasing prominence of environmental problems at the global level o Emergence of global diseases (ex: AIDS)
International Political Systems
Supranationalism o The United Nations and its agencies WHO FAO UNESCO Regional Alliances o Economic alliances: ex: NAFTA; EU; ASEAN; APEC o Military and political alliances: ex: NATO
Summary The relationship between politics and geography is a two way The relationship between politics and geography is often driven by particular theories and practices of the worlds states
