Political Geography AP Human Geography Home政治地理美联社人文地理首页.pptVIP

Political Geography Why do boundaries cause problems? Why are boundaries important? Boundary: an invisible line marking the extent of a state’s territory Boundaries are the only location of direct physical contact between neighboring states It has the potential to be the focal point of conflict Frontiers Frontier: a zone where no state exercises complete political control Historically, frontiers separated states (not boundaries!) Frontiers have been replaced by boundaries Places where frontiers still exist: Antarctica and the Arabian Peninsula Two types of Boundaries Physical boundaries: coincide with significant features of the natural landscape Cultural boundaries: follow the distribution of cultural characteristics Many boundaries are a combination of both Physical Boundaries Mountain Boundaries – can be effective because they are difficult to cross , and usually sparsely inhabited Example: Chile and Argentina Physical Boundaries Desert Boundaries: hard to cross and sparsely populated Common in Africa and Asia Physical Boundaries Water Boundaries – rivers, lakes, and oceans Common in East Africa Water Boundaries protect from invasion The Law of the Sea: signed by 117 countries in 1983 12 nautical miles 200 miles Cultural Boundaries Cultural boundaries: coincide with differences in ethnicity, especially language and religion Nation-state – exists when the boundaries of a state match the boundaries of a territory occupied by an ethnic group Cultural Boundaries Geometric Boundaries – part of the U.S. boundary with Canada is a 1300 mile straight line along 49 degrees north latitude Cultural Boundaries Religious Boundaries – religious differences are common between states, but they rarely are used to draw the boundaries An example: the boundary between Pakistan and India Cultural Boundaries Language Boundaries The Treaty of Versailles, 1919 Balkanization-is a geopolitical term, originally used to describe the process of fragmentation or division of a region