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Political geography

Political geography. What is Political Geography ?. The scientific study of the relationship between politics and terrestrial space Definition contains two parts : GEOGRAPHY - spatial distributions E.g. people, ethnic, boundaries,

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Political geography

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  1. Political geography

  2. What is Political Geography? • The scientific study of the relationship between politics and terrestrial space Definition contains two parts: • GEOGRAPHY - spatial distributions E.g. people, ethnic, boundaries, • POLITICS - political phenomena E.g. Power, interactions, loyalties compromises, struggles

  3. Political Cultural region: Boundaries • Older boundaries were marchlands—not clearly defined • Natural – follow some feature of the natural landscape, e.g. a river or mountain ridge • Ethnographic – culture trait, e.g. language or religion • Relic - no longer exist but leave traces in the culture- example Germany • Modern Boundaries: • Geometric – regular or straight lines –E.g. North America

  4. Political culture regions A world of States The world has about 200 Independent States- Sub-Saharan Africa has 43 statesThese States:1. Have had many different forms2. Recognizes each others’ sovereignty3. Colonialism diffused idea of modern territorial state into Africa4. Distribution of national territory a. Importance of a state’s geographic shape b. Enclaves c. Examples of exclaves

  5. Organizing the Territory Inside the Boundaries

  6. Organizing the Territory Inside the Boundaries Federal States: • Compromise – Nigeria • Imposed – Central African Federation (1943-53) Unitary States: • Many African countries • Centralized government system

  7. Central African Federation (1943-1953) - Imposed Mining Agriculture Industrial/Service

  8. B. Diffusion of independence and innovations 1. Example of contagious expansion diffusion in Africa 2. Examples of political innovations spread by cultural diffusion

  9. V. Politico-cultural interaction A. The nation-state1. Nationality equals culture 2. Centripetal forces create homogeneity 3. Examples of centrifugal forces disrupting nation-states

  10. V. Politico-cultural interaction: Cultural contradictions of state borders 1. Most countries are not nation-states 2. Borders drawn during European colonialization

  11. a. Importance of cultural factorb. Group identity—nationalism c. Centripetal—promotes unityd. Centrifugal—disrupts internal order Centrifugal and centripetal forces

  12. How the rest of the world sees Africa? One of two extremes: 1) Landscape of Political Instability - Continent beset by genocidal warfare, corrupt leaders, and rampant poverty. 2) A region that is about to enter a renaissance.

  13. Causes of Centrifugal forces 1)Military coup d’états 2) One Party States and Dictatorships 3) Ethnic and civil Unrest 4) Border Disputes

  14. What causes Political instability 8 reasons ( According to Mazrui and Khapoya) • Ethnic differences and tensions in the region • The triple of the region • Incompetence of some leaders • Poorly defined role of the military • Unrealistic expectations placed on state institutions • Undue international interference in the internal sovereign affairs of states

  15. Military Coup d’états • 1960-early 90s: 25 out of 43 Sub-Saharan African countries had Coup d’états • Reason for Military take over - civilian squandering of resources - bureaucratic delays - sluggish speed in development - people distrust of government • OAU resolution1998 in Algeria Coups d'etats will no longer be tolerated as a means of claiming power in Africa • Year 2000: Cote d’Ivoire coup d’etat -General Robert Gueie toppled Henri Konan Bedie.

  16. Ethnic Loyalties in Africa • Ethnic loyalties and identities are powerful bases for social and political life in Africa ↓ because Real sense of identification, loyalty, emotions – pride & grievances) • Ethnic groups are easy to mobilize than classes

  17. Islamic law in Nigerian politics 1. Muslim north and Christian/animist south 2. Application of Sharia laws 3. Increase of religious violence

  18. Sense of an ethnic groups no longer accept domination by others • E.g. of countries with major fault lines based on ethnicity: Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Rwanda

  19. One Party States • Those national leaders who opted for one party rule on the premise: • National integration given the dangerous ethnic and social cleavages. • Social and economic development of young nations to progress, confrontational politics of divisiveness is not affordable. • Societies are not matured for the luxury of multiparty.

  20. In 1960 &70s: Intra-state violence was a prominent feature of the African political landscape  For some leaders One Party rule was honest solution  However • Good intention was corrupted by various authoritarian leaders Why? • seeking to advance personal agendas of power. • accumulation of wealth.

  21. Present multi-party political systems • Beginning 1992 most single party rule countries of Africa became multi-party rule. ↓ but • There is no real attempt to dismantle the inherently repressive and anti-democratic state structure • E.g. Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda etc

  22. Border and territorial disputes • OAU conference in 1964 (held in Cairo) • African leaders agreed to respect existing international borders, even though they resent them as colonial legacy. “Mwalimu” Julius Nyerere’s comments on African states: “These new countries are artificial units, geographical expressions carved by imperialists . These are units we have tried to turn into nations”.

  23. Border Wars • Africa civil wars have been fought to defend colonial boundaries • E.g. Nigeria – 3 yrs Biafra War (1967-’69) 1 million estimated dead Zaire – Katanga War (1960s) Sudan – ongoing Ethiopia – 1993 allowed Eritrea to be independent state Tz vs Uganda border War (1978) • more than 2 million lives lost • Question: Will Africa map be redrawn 100 years to come?

  24. Multi-Party Politics In Kenya • Moi and KANU were reluctant converts to pluralism • Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia launched the campaign for multi-party democracy (in 1990)  They were detained • Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) a year later • 1992 & 1997 elections, won by KANU • Moi continue to stay in power

  25. Tanzania • Tanganyika independence 1961 • Zanzibar independence 1963 • Tanzania Union 1964 • Ruled under single Party named “Chama cha Mapinduzi” (Revolutionary Party) until 1995 • Multiparty Election 1995, 2000 & 2005 • Major competing Party is Civic united Front (CUF) • CCM Party use military and police force during every election to continue to win and continue to rule

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