1. Where are states located? Chapter 8, key issue 1

2. overview • State: area organized into a political unit with a sovereign government • Sovereignty: independence and control over internal affairs • US States are not states in this sense • Problems: • Defining states • How has the state concept developed?

3. Problems of Defining States • Nation-state: ethnicity + sovereignty • North and South Korea: one ethnicity, two governments divided by DMZ • China and Taiwan: new nation or province? • Western Sahara: new nation or control by Morocco • Recognition by other nations an issue

4. DMZ

5. size • No minimum or maximum requirements on land area • Russia largest in land area, Monaco the smallest • China has the largest population, Tuvalu the smallest • Microstates: small land area nations

6. Tuvalu

7. Development of the state concept • Ancient states: earliest states were city-states that formed early civilizations • European states formed as kingdoms were consolidated along ethnic lines • Many new nations were formerly colonies of more powerful European nations

8. Colonies • Imperialism: control of territory occupied by indigenous people • Colonialism: control of unoccupied territory • European nations began colonization in 1500’s and began divestiture after WW2 • Few colonies remain, mostly in Caribbean and Pacific

9. Curacao