States & Nations
Dec 25, 2015
What is a State?
Political Unit Sovereign government
having ultimate governmental authority in an area States have the right to defend their borders (maintain territorial
integrity)
Defined political borders Internationally recognized Examples:
United States of America Pakistan Japan
Q1
So, why “United States of America?”
History of our government systems Do we Americans have a sense of being a
‘nation’ of people? What is our common culture? We are a nation of Immigrants—complicates
things…
What is a Nation?
Culture Group Common culture—shared language, beliefs,
customs “Imagined Community” Not sovereign No defined borders Examples:
Kurds Palestinians Quebecois
Q5
The Changing Map
Conflict between states and nations may cause political borders to change
WWI and WWII Cold War Colonialism Examples
Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia Serbia / Kosovo Most of Africa
Q2
History of Old States
Origins traced to distinct kingdoms and empires going back over 2000 years
Pre-1600s, sovereignty was held over people, not a defined territory Little agreement upon where political borders are
located
Q4
History of the Modern State
Peace of Westphalia – 1648 – Ends the Thirty Years War Clearly defined political borders and guaranteed
sovereignty based on territory Consolidation of estates by Kings formed the
first ‘states’-- England, France, and Spain in the 17th and 18th C
Later, Germany and Italy in the 19th C
Q3
The Rise of the ‘Nation – State’
Takes root in Europe It is the belief that a culturally similar group
(a nation) should establish it’s own political sovereignty (be a state)
Therefore, political borders of a state should be the same as the ‘borders’ between culture groups
This belief becomes the basis for lots of conflicts A ‘state’ claiming control over area of similar people A ‘nation’ declaring independence, and fighting for it
Q6
The Nation-State Exists when the
perceived borders of a nation and the political borders of a state are the same
Best example: Japan Why is this desirable?
Fewer political differences
Less likelihood of internal conflict
Q7
Multinational state
A state with many nations
Ex. Canada Virtually every
country in the world is a multinational state
Q8
Multistate Nation
A single nation that is dispersed and predominant in two or more states.
Ex. Arab Nation
http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/geogres/maps/nwgif/nwlang.gif
Q8
Notice that Iran is not an Arab nation. Iranians are Persian.
http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/images/farsi_map.gif
Stateless nation A people (nation)
without a state and are not dominant in any state
May be seeking political sovereignty (statehood)
May function like a state in some ways (political organization, militias)
Ex. Kurds
Q8
Diffusion of the Nation-State Waves of
European (and US) colonialism spread the notion of dividing territory with borders N-S
Post-colonialism: government and economic ideas remain
Borders also remain
Q9
Enclaves and Exclaves
Enclave – a group of people or land that exists within the boundaries of another
Example: Native American Reservations (Within the US)
Exclave – a part of a country or people separated from the main part, surrounded by foreign territory
Example: Kaliningrad (From Russia)
Q10, 11
Korea
A colony of Japan for many years Divided into two occupation zones after WW
II (USSR-North, U.S.-South) Country divided along the 38th parallel N. Korea invaded S. Korea in 1950 This started a 3 year war. Border stayed the
same as before the war.
Korea
Both countries want to reunite. Talks ceased with N. Korea development of
nuclear power. In 1992 both countries were admitted to the
UN as separate countries.
China and Taiwan
Is the Island of Taiwan a sovereign state? Until 1999 both agreed that Taiwan was part
of China Civil War fought in late 1940’s between
Communists and Nationalists. Nationalists lost, fled to Taiwan.
China and Taiwan
Until 1971, the U.S. recognized the Nationalists as the official govt. of China
Taiwan is the most populous state not in the United Nations