States and Nations

created the Berlin Conference in Africa, they created colonies and shaped their economiDepayPolitical Geography: study of political organization of the world

State: politcally organized territory with a permanent population, defined territory, and government

Territoriality: central to concept of state, “the attempt by an individual or group to affect, influence, or control people, phenomena, and relationships by delimiting and asserting contorl over a geographic area”, takes on many forms and reflects huamn organization - Robert Sack Robert Ardrey: territoriality is animalistic instinct to defend territory

Sovereignty: control over territory politically and militarily, state => sovereign Territorial Integrity: control over territory, can defend

Modern State Idea §

Territoriality was different 400-500 years ago

Pre-1600s §

Tribes behaved territorially but not exclusively. Plains tribe shared hunting grounds if friendly, fought if not friendly. Own territory communally. Similar in Southeast Asia and Africa, Europe. Pre-1600’s, rulers had control but no specific rules.

European State Idea §

1600s. Influenced modern state system. Southeastern shore of Medjiterranean Sea had distinct kingdoms and territories.

Greek philosophy and governance -> Rome -> modern state idea.

Rhys Jones: first states in Wales were small but modern. Late Middle Ages, larger states in UK, France, Spain. No clear evolution, but in Europe fs.

Early 17th century: Republic of Venice, Brandenburg, Papal states, Hungary, minor German states -> political entities and mercantilism -> colonization + plunder -> wealth -> protection of home industries and foreign markets -> competitive politics in Europe

Peace of Westphalia: peace negotiated in 1648 by Holy Roman Empire and neighbors. Conclude 30 years war over religion, created modern state by defining rights of rulers and territories, set standard within western and central Europe

Creation of wealthy middle class -> decline of nobility -> urban power > land -> 1780’s upheaval, including French revolution.

Rebuttal §

Challenged by Supranational Organizations.

Nations §

Nations

• are defined variously based on culture
• share culture, history, religion, language, ethnicity
• seek autonomy
• are mixtures of different people
• Example: French are mixture of Celts, Ancient Romans, Franks, Goths, and more
• often have different borders than state
• can be constructed identity
• “imagined community” - Benedict Anderson

Nation-State §

Nation-state: overlap between nation and state Creation idea started during French Revolution. Nation w/ sovereign territory -> true democracy, ultimate political-territorial organization. However, nation-state overlap doesn’t really exist. Quest to create -> nationalism. State cannot have nationalism, government can. Nationalism -> integration into nation (France and Spain), culture into state (Germany, Italy), and separation (Iceland, Norway, Poland) State provides security, goods, services -> nationalism -> nation-state:

• colonization of Africa and Asian in 1800-1900 -> nationalism in colonial empire by contrast with “savage” colonies

Multistate Nation, Multinational States, Stateless Nations §

Multinational state

• state with >1 nations
• Includes almost every state.
• Yugoslavia had too many nations != state
• Iraq: Iraqi and Kurds

Multistate nation

• nation = many states
• Transylvania connected to both Hungary and Romania
• Kurdistan?
• “Nations will defend their territory like language, religion, or way of life” - White

Stateless nations

• nation with no state
• Palestine Arabs have control over Gaza + occupied territories but not state yet.
• Kurds in Kurdistan w/ Diyarbakir but no state, need consent of Turkey

Stateless can be multistate.

European Colonialism and Diffusion of Nation-State Model §

European concepts of state, sovereignty, nation staes -> rest of the world through 2 waves.

First Wave §

• 1600s - late 1700s
• Spain and Portugal first
• Britain, France, Netherlands followed
• Mainly Americas, India, Indies
• established capitalism
• Ended w/ indpendence movements in Americas in late 1700’s

Second Wave §

• late 1800s
• Berlin Conference 1844-45
• Colonizers: Britain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy
• Colonies: Africa and Asia
• Purpose: economic profit, Christianity spread
• Europe controlled world -> nation-state model worldwide and interdependent commerce
• ended after WW2 when African and Asia gain independence

Colonialism §

• exploitation -> cultural landscape (plantations, ports, mines, railroads)
• political organization and global economy remain, econ still interdependent
  • Example: Gabon, Africa railroad -> Libreville because plywood, but not Port Gentil because latter is for global oil corporations

Construction of Capitalist World Economy §

Impact: §

• Europe dominates world in global economic orer
  • some negatives (Spain getting drained)
• Russia and US profit from indigenous lands
• Japan controlled Korea + East and Southeast Asia + Pacific islands
• uneven global distribution of power
  • GNI
    • Haiti: 1840
    • Norway: 40420

To understand impact on distribution of power, we need to analyze countries as part of global system scale. Enter Wallerstein’s World-Systems Theory.

Impact of Nation-State Idea §

We still try to apply nation-state idea to Yugoslavia and Israel/Palestine.