The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 7 Political Geography

CHAPTER Political Geography Concepts and Terminology Political geography is the study of the spatial distribution of political entities and systems , and the effect that politics has on particular places . Geography should be the ultimate deciding factor for every political dilemma , for proximity to an ailing land is bound to result in one , the first Middle Eastern female of an English language newspaper DEMOCRACY AND by corpus from Noun Democracy is a system of government in which political power is held by the people , who form their government through free elections . Authoritarianism is a system of government in which political power is held by a small minority , often against the will ofthe people . These are not necessarily two separate categories of government , but two ends ofa political spectrum . Some countries , such as 38

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 39 Norway , are highly democratic . Other countries , such as North Korea , are highly authoritarian . Many countries , though , fall somewhere in between , with some elements of both democracy and authoritarianism . A full democracy is a country that regularly holds free , elections , permits political dissent and a free press , and where the rule of law and individual civil rights are respected . Examples include the countries of the European Union , the United States , Canada , Australia , and japan . Of course , many of these democracies are not without their flaws . Nearly every democracy has had some experience with corruption involving elected officials , and sometimes free elections are not entirely fair . In the United States , for example , the electoral college , and the influence political donors are often cited as being somewhat undemocratic . Created by from Noun A partial democracy is country with democratic institutions , but which has some undemocratic traits , such as weak opposition parties , rampant corruption , election fraud , significant limitations on free speech and the press , and frequent constitutional changes . Examples include , Turkey , Pakistan , and Thailand , which fall on the political spectrum somewhere between democracy and authoritarianism . Authoritarian governments come in many different forms . Some feature military rule , or rule by a single political party . Others are dictatorships or absolute monarchies , where political power rests with a single individual . Such government do not hold fair elections , have little respect for law or civil liberties , and little tolerance of free speech or a free press . Examples include China , Russia , Algeria , Iran , and Cuba . Many authoritarian countries are nominal democracies , or democracies in name only . In fact , all but two of the world independent states claim to be democracies , and some of the most authoritarian regimes regularly hold sham elections . It is said that nobody loves elections more than dictators , because the outcomes ofthose elections are predetermined . AND STATE Nations and states are the fundamental building blocks of international political geography . These terms can be somewhat confusing for Americans . In the United States , we think of states , such as Illinois , New York , or Oregon , as pieces that make up a whole , which we often refer to as the In the context of American politics , this usage is not incorrect . But the terms nation and state mean something different in the context of world regional geography . Nation is a cultural term , referring to a large group of people who share a common cultural identity . For example , the Japanese nation consists of all those people who identify as Japanese . State is a political term ,

40 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL referring to an independent government , and the territory it governs . The State , therefore , refers to the Japanese government and its territory . Often , nations and states share a geography . A refers to a state that is dominated by one national group . Examples of include , Egypt , and japan , each where more than 98 of the population belong to a single national group . Some contain significant minority populations , but if one national group is still demographically , culturally , and politically dominant , it is still considered a . Examples of with significant minority populations include Turkey , France , and Israel . A multinational state is state that contains two or more national groups , where no single group is dominant demographically , culturally , and politically . Examples of multinational states include Indonesia , Afghanistan , and Belgium . by Daniel ' There are some countries that fall somewhere between the definition of a and multinational state . Such evolving often contain a mixture of indigenous populations and populations of immigrants and their descendants . The United States is an example of such a state . The could be considered a state , since most people in the country consider their nationality to be American . That said , many Americans have a hyphenated identity . They are American , but also perhaps , American , or , to name a few . This ethnic diversity also makes the United States something ofa multinational state . Other examples of evolving include Canada and Brazil . Finally , there are also stateless nations . A stateless nation is defined as a large group of people who share

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 41 a common cultural identity , and who occupy their traditional homeland , but who do not enjoy political independence , often finding themselves divided geographically among multiple states . Examples include the Kurds , whose homeland spills across Iraq , Iran , Turkey , and Syria the , whose homeland is found in parts of , and Togo and the Palestinians , whose homeland is divided , Lebanon , Syria , Israel , and the territories known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip . AUTONOMY AND The terms autonomy and sovereignty both refer to political independence . If a state is sovereign , that means it has ultimate political authority within its own territory . In sovereign states , there is no higher political power . Autonomy refers to limited independence . An autonomous region is a part ofa country that enjoys some political independence at the local level , but which is still subject to a higher political power . Examples of autonomous regions include Scotland in the United Kingdom , the Basque Country in Spain , and , an autonomous territory of Denmark . There are some states , known as satellite states or puppet states , that possess nominal sovereignty , but which , in reality , are subject to the political rule ofa foreign power . Prominent examples from the past include the Soviet satellite states of eastern Europe . From 1945 until the late 19805 , East Germany , Poland , Hungary , and were officially sovereign states , but they were , in reality , under the control of the Soviet Union . Did You Know ?

There are currently 196 sovereign states in the world . That number includes , which is officially part of China , but which has been a de facto sovereign state since 1949 , and , which has been a sovereign state since 2008 , although not all members of the international community recognize its independence . In Political Geography , the word state , meaning country , can be confusing for Americans who know that their country includes fifty states meaning fifty political of the United States , a country . Thus , sometimes will use the term State to mean country and the term state to mean political . CITED AND ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY , Daniel . 2016 . A World Message to the United Nations . Generic (