geography section 3

• Abdoulaye Sowe, a Senegalese farmer, chose a spot to build his new house near the Senegalese border guard's shack. He believed the guard shack was in Senegal. But long-time residents of the area told him that, before the shack was built, a guard used to sit near a tree that was considered the border marker. The tree was several hundred feet north of Sowe's house. Technically, Sowe now lived in the country of Gambia, not Senegal.
• State


  An independent unit that occupies a specific territory and has full control of its internal and external affairs
• Country


  Often used to mean state
• Nation


  A group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity
• Nation-state


  When a nation and a state occupy the same territory
• Many countries of the world are nation-states. However, it is possible for a nation not to have a territory. When that happens, the group without a territory is called a stateless nation. Examples of stateless nations include Palestinians, Kurds, and Basques.
• Types of government


  • Democracy
  • Monarchy
  • Dictatorship
  • Communism
• Democracy


  • Citizens hold political power, either directly or through elected representatives
• Monarchy


  • A ruling family headed by a king or queen holds political power and may or may not share the power with citizen bodies
• Dictatorship


  • An individual or group holds complete political power
• Communism


  • In this government and economic system, nearly all political power and means of production are held by the government in the name of all the people
• Whatever the type of government, it must deal with issues that have to do with the territory and people of the state.
• Size


  • The physical size of a country has much to do with its wealth and power
• Shape


  • Countries can be compact, long, or fragmented. The shape of a country can have an impact on how easily it can be governed, how goods are moved to all areas of the country, and how it relates to neighboring countries.
• Location


  • The relative location of a country can be very important. A landlocked country must find ways to build connections to the rest of the world to get goods in and out of the country.
• Natural boundary


  Based on physical features of the land, such as rivers, lakes, or chains of mountains
• Artificial boundary


  A fixed line generally following latitude or longitude lines
• Sometimes a conquering country imposes boundaries on lands it has taken over. The lines established may not match boundaries previously found in that location, which can lead to internal problems or even war.
• Countries often are divided into smaller political units to make governing more efficient. The most common local units of government are cities, towns, and villages. Smaller political units often combine to form larger regional units, such as counties, provinces, and states.
• Countries may join with each other to form international political, military, or economic units. Groups of states within a regional area may band together to promote mutual goals. An example is the European Union.
• The largest political unit is the United Nations, which has nearly 200 members who work to improve political, cultural, and economic conditions across the globe.