Geographers, the time has come to review all the major concepts of Unit 4 for AP Human Geography. Now just like our previous units, to start make sure you click the link in the description of this video and get the study guide that goes along with the video. You'll definitely want it for this video as we are about to do a whole lot of learning.
When you get the study guide, don't forget to check out the rest of the Ultimate Review Packet as well. The packet has unit review videos for each unit, practice quizzes, study guides, answer keys, full practice AP exams, FRQ resources, important vocab lists, exclusive videos, and other resources that can only be found in the packet. All of which will help you get an A in your class and a five on the national exam.
All right, now that you got your study guide out, let's start by reviewing the difference between a state and a nation. A state is a geographic area that has a permanent population, defined borders, a sovereign government and is recognized by other states. If a state has a sovereign government, it means the government has control over its domestic affairs and international affairs. A nation, on the other hand, is a group of people with a shared culture, history, homeland, and a desire to govern themselves. One aspect of a nation is a concept called self-determination, which is a crucial aspect of a nation's identity, referring to their right or desire to self-govern.
Cultural groups and nations frequently seek territorial control to safeguard their cultural heritage and tradition when trying to remember the difference between a state and also a nation. just remember that a state is referencing the government and land, while a nation is referencing a group of people with a shared culture and history. Now that we've gone over the distinction between a state and a nation, we can delve deeper into exploring the different political entities that you will see throughout this course.
The first is a nation state, which is a self-governing state with a relatively uniform population, typically sharing a common language, culture, and history. These states often possess a strong sense of national identity and social cohesion, often due to being geographically- geographically compact and having a history of relative isolation. Nation states tend to revolve around a single nation.
Japan, Iceland, and South Korea are all examples of nation states where the majority of the population belongs to a single ethnic group. Another type of state is a multinational state, which consists of multiple nations within its borders. These states have various ethnic, linguistic, or cultural groups, each with their own distinct identities and traditions, existing together as one state while retaining their cultural uniqueness.
Typically, a multinational state has a dominant cultural group that controls the state's political, economic, and social system. Today, we can see Canada as- as an example of a multinational state. Canada has two main linguistic groups, English and French, each with their own unique culture. The Canadian government recognizes and accommodates those differences through government policies that promote multiculturalism and diversity. Next on the list is a multi-state nation, which is a nation that exists across multiple states.
For instance, the Kurdish population extends over Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, parts of Armenia, and Azerbaijan, making the Kurdish nation a multi-state nation. One other example of this would be the Basques who were located in both Spain and France. Both the Kurds and the Basques are also examples of a stateless nation which refers to a nation with a history of self-determination.
but no officially recognized state. A stateless nation lacks one or more of the following. Control over their political boundaries, a government with a sovereign authority, control over internal and external affairs, and recognition from other states.
Now two other political organizations that you need to be familiar with is an autonomous region and a semi-autonomous region. Autonomous regions are located within a state that enjoy a certain level of independence from the state. Such regions have their own government and are granted a high degree of self-rule and control over their internal affairs. In other words, the state in which the autonomous region exists has limited involvement and interaction in the region's affairs.
An example of an autonomous region is the Native American Reservations in the United States. On the other hand, semi-autonomous regions refer to regions controlled by another state, but are only granted a moderate degree of self-governance. These regions may have some control over their internal affairs, but But the controlling state retains the authority to intervene whenever they deem it necessary.
An example of a semi-autonomous region would be Hong Kong. which is subject to the authority of the central government of China. As you can probably already tell, there is a lot to this unit, and there's a lot of vocabulary. In order to help keep it all straight for you, I've included some extra exclusive videos and resources in my Ultimate Review Packet that specifically focus on reviewing the various terms from this unit. Be sure to check it out after you finish watching this summary video.
All right, now let's continue our conversation by delving into how different political processes have been shaped by historical events, starting with colonialism and imperialism. Colonialism is the practice of acquiring territories and settling there to exert political, economic, and social control over the area. While on the other hand, imperialism is the idea of growing a state or empire by exerting force over other nations to gain economic and political power without actually having to do anything. actually establishing any settlements.
During the colonial era we saw empires grow and expand which led to the diffusion of different religions, languages, cultures, resources, people and ideas around the world. Unfortunately we can see that oftentimes diffusion though did not occur evenly both ways. The culture of the colonizer was often imposed on the colonized population with the colonized culture being forced to adapt and adopt The culture of the colonizing power.
We can also see how colonialism and imperialism contributed to the establishment of different political boundaries. that continue to be relevant today. As European powers expanded their control, they often established political boundaries that favored the colonial rulers and did not accurately reflect the local cultures and populations. This can be observed in historical events such as the Berlin Conference, where European powers colonized Africa and created boundaries based on longitude and latitude and what worked best for them. Instead of recognizing the different ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups in the region, the goal here was to create states that benefited the European people.
and set up systems that would allow for the extraction of natural resources. from Africa to Europe. However, we can see the resulting colonies and newly formed states often lacked adequate infrastructure, education, and were designed to be dependent on European power.
When African countries gained independence, many newly formed states had diverse nations, ethnic groups, and linguistic groups within their borders, leading to conflict, civil wars, and in some cases, ethnic cleansing and genocide. We can also see European powers exert power over countries in Asia. For example, China, where European powers divided the country.
into different spheres of influence, with the split of the area being between the different European powers, all of which focused on the colonial interest instead of the interest of the local population. Now as time went on, we eventually started to see colonies break away from their colonial rulers and become independent states. This is known as decolonization, which is a process by which colonies gain independence from their colonizers.
In regions such as Africa, we saw decolonization occur primarily in the decades following World War II. One thing to note though is that as- colonies became independent, they often continued to depend on their former colonial rulers. African countries also experienced conflict over land, resources, and political power, partially due to how the colonial powers had created the different political boundaries. Apart from colonialism and imperialism, the concept of devolution has also had an impact on independence movements and political boundaries around the world.
Devolution refers to the transfer of political power from a central government to a regional government. This can happen in a variety of different ways. In some cases, we we may see devolution involve the creation of new regional government. For instance, we can look at how devolution impacted the United Kingdom and led to the creation of new political boundaries and regional government, such as the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
But in other cases, we may see devolution result in only the transfer of specific responsibilities or powers from the central government to existing subnational government. This next part of the unit is all about political power and territoriality. And to start, let's just explain what the- heck territoriality means. Territoriality refers to the tendency to establish and defend a specific geographic area.
Territoriality involves the use of space to indicate ownership or occupation of an area. Non-verbal communication, control of boundaries, military interventions, promotion of specific political or economic systems, and the regulation of activities within a region are all ways in which people and countries express territoriality. Today we can see that states around the world try to promote their interests in the global community.
community by exerting their political and economic influence on other states around the world. More economically developed countries and multinational corporations often tend to exert control over less economically developed countries through neocolonialism, which is the indirect use of political, cultural, or economic power to influence or control another country. For instance, when dominant countries or companies exploit their power to manipulate weaker countries for their own benefit, such as extracting resources and wealth, multinational companies use their economic might to exploit low-cost labor markets in less economically developed countries or will seek out regions with less lax regulations and low taxes to reduce their overall operational costs. Countries also use neocolonialism to promote their own interests and culture. For instance, China has been expanding its power and influence across Africa, using neocolonial tactics to assert its dominance in the region.
China has invested heavily in African infrastructure, which often involves loans from the Chinese government and uses Chinese companies to complete the project, which puts countries in Africa in debt to China, resulting in China gaining power over. different countries in the region. Now, the majority of these loans that China is giving African countries have low interest rates, but also come with conditions that benefit China if the loans cannot be repaid.
China's goal here is to help create political alliances and gain more influence and control over countries. China is hoping to benefit from what will soon become a booming African economy as more and more countries continue to urbanize and continue to advance in the demographic transition model and move from stage two to stage three. Now, when looking at countries around the world, we can sometimes see different geographic areas get caught up between larger powers that are at odds with one another. These areas are known as Shatterbelt. A Shatterbelt region is an area where countries or people are subject to the political, cultural, and economic pressure of the world.
and economic pressures from external powers that are in conflict with each other. This creates instability in the region and uncertainty for anyone living in the area. Eastern Europe during the Cold War is an example of a Shatterbelt region, where we can see that people were caught in the middle of a larger conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Speaking of the Cold War, we could also look at the Korean War, which is also an example of a Shatterbelt region, as both sides were fighting for control and influence over the Korean peninsula. The region ended up becoming part of a larger conflict at the time and ultimately resulted in the splitting of North and South Korea, with a demilitarized zone splitting the two countries.
We can also see countries express political power over choke points, which are geographic areas that have to be passed in order to reach a destination. Countries that wish to exert their influence and power over a choke point can do so by stationing military forces in the area, invest in infrastructure in the choke point to increase control over the region, or create treaties to regulate control over the area. Countries that do not physically control a choke point can also influence it by using diplomatic pressures to influence the policies and decisions of countries that control the area. Choke points are extremely important and the country or countries that control them often hold a lot of political power in the region.
So as you can imagine countries around the world pay close attention to choke points such as the Panama Canal, the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal and have a vested interest in making sure they remain open and operational for everyone. Changing gears to political boundaries we can see that boundaries are often defined, delimited and demarcated. Defining the boundary is is often the first step.
Here the boundary line is agreed upon and is set. Once the boundary is fixed, it is common for the boundary to be delimited, which is when the boundary line is drawn on a map and physically marked. After that the boundary is demarcated, which is when the boundary is marked permanent physical markers, which could be in the form of a wall, sign, or other physical item to show where the boundary is.
When looking at boundaries around the world, we can see a variety of different types. A boundary that uses straight lines and follows the lines of latitude and longitude is known as a geometric boundary, such as the 49th parallel that forms the border between Canada and the United States. Boundaries that existed before human settlement or the creation of the cultural landscape are called antecedent boundaries. These boundaries are often determined by the size of the boundary.
by local geography and not influenced by cultural groups or the cultural landscape. For instance, the boundary between Argentina and Chile, which is formed by a mountain range. When a boundary is no longer officially recognized but still affects the cultural landscape, it's known as a relic boundary. The Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Germany, is an example of a relic boundary.
Although the wall is no longer an active border, its remnants still impact the cultural landscape today. The next type of boundary is a superimposed boundary, which is created by an external power or state without consideration for the needs and wants of the local communities, ethnic groups, or linguistic characteristics of an area. These boundaries prioritize the interests of foreign states rather than the needs of those who inhabit the region. For instance, the Berlin Conference established the boundaries for nearly all African states without seeking input from different nations and people who live there.
We can also observe subsequent boundaries, which are boundaries that develop along with the development of the cultural landscape. Today, we can see that the majority of Europe's boundaries are are an example of a subsequent boundary. Since many of the boundaries are based off the different nations, linguistic groups, and also cultural landscapes that existed before the boundaries were created.
Another type of boundary we can see is a consequent boundary which is a type of a subsequent boundary. These boundaries are created to separate the various ethnic, religious, or linguistic groups. For instance, the border between Pakistan and India was established due to the religious differences. We could also see an example of consequent boundaries when looking at the boundaries that emerge.
after the collapse of Yugoslavia. New boundaries were based on the different nations that existed in the region. Lastly, when looking at boundaries, you may also hear in your class or see on the national exam the concept of a frontier.
This is a geographic area where no state has direct power or control over. We can see that each of the different types of political boundaries impact geographic areas differently, and each boundary reflects different balances of power. that have been negotiated or imposed on a specific area. We can also see that boundaries can be created based on negotiations between two states, based on the physical features of an area, revolve around the cultural characteristics of a place, or be forcibly created by another state.
Now, if you are struggling on keeping the different political boundaries straight, You can go back to my ultimate review packet where you will find some resources that I've created specifically for the packet to help you with these different political boundaries. Alright, now that we have an understanding of the different types of political boundaries, now let's go and explore the functions of these boundaries. To start...
let's go over the differences between international boundaries and internal boundaries. International boundaries are boundaries that separate one sovereign state from another. These boundaries are established through treaties and agreements between neighboring states and establish legal and political connections. between a state and a geographic area. On the other hand, internal boundaries are boundaries that separate different regions within a single state.
These boundaries are often established by the state's government. Internal boundaries are often used to help distribute power throughout a state to ensure that different regions and people are able to be represented in the state. So we can see that international boundaries and internal boundaries serve as a way to communicate ownership of an area. Now boundaries can be created in a variety of different ways.
Oftentimes boundaries coincide with different different linguistic, religious, or cultural patterns in a specific area. But over the time, boundaries can become contested and changed. Definitional boundary disputes occur over the interpretation of the original documents that defined the boundary. These disputes may often end up in court as states, people, or organizations will need a third party to clarify the original documents. Locational boundary disputes on the other hand occur over the location of the boundary and the ownership of the land.
For instance, in certain parts of Mississippi, land has shifted from the state of Mississippi into the state of Louisiana due to how the Mississippi River has shifted over time. This has led to questions about the original boundary as the shift in the river has altered the location of the boundary. Up next we have operational boundary disputes, which we can see occur when countries have different ideas on how to manage a boundary and handle different issues or situations that occur on the boundary itself. An example of an operational boundary dispute is the dispute between India and Pakistan over the Line of Control, which is by Kashmir. The dispute arises from different interpretations of how the boundary should be operated and enforced.
India believes that the boundary should be shut and secured to prevent cross-border terrorism, while Pakistan insists that it should be should remain open to allow for the movement of people and goods across the border. Then there is allocational boundary disputes, which occur when countries have a dispute over the use of what is on or in the boundary. Most of the time these disputes are over natural resources.
For example, if there's oil on the boundary, who has the right to extract the oil? Now, since we're on the topic of boundaries and natural resources, we also need to talk about UNCLAW, which stands for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In 1985, the United Nations held this conference to- to try and help countries better understand how to deal with allocational boundary disputes in the sea.
The result was in 1938, the International Law of the Sea was adopted. The Law of the Sea consists of three parts. The first part is the territorial waters. This zone extends 12 nautical miles from the shore.
In this zone, states may set laws regulating passage by ships registered in other states. For the most part, any laws that exist on the mainland apply in this area. Here the state has both political and economic control.
The next zone is the contiguous zone. This is between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore. Here a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration. The last zone is the exclusive economic zone or EEZ.
This zone is between 24 to 200 nautical miles. States here have the sole right to the natural resources in the area such as oil and fish. After that you're in international waters and no state has direct control. If conflicts or disputes arise over the the resources or any disagreements about the law of the sea, states can take their disputes to the International Court of Justice.
Today, one of the biggest disputes over the law of the sea is in the South China Sea, where currently seven countries have a claim to part of the sea. The majority of these countries use the law of the sea to justify their claim. China, however, has ignored the law of the sea and has claimed a historical claim. All right, so now that we have spent some time looking at international boundaries, let's switch gears and now look at internal boundaries.
These boundaries are often established by the state's government. Examples of internal boundaries would include the United States congressional districts, county boundaries, city boundaries, and even school districts. Another type of internal boundary would be voting districts, which is a geographic area organized together for the purpose of administering elections. This is a generic term adopted by the Bureau of the Census to include a wide variety of small polling areas, such as election districts, precincts, or wards.
Over time, populations undergo changes and fluctuations that make it necessary for these districts to be redrawn in order to better reflect the area's population. This is known as redistricting, and it takes place after the census is conducted. Depending on the location, the redrawing of districts is usually carried out by third party organizations or or state legislators. For instance, most European countries utilize independent commissions to establish compact and homogenous districts with the aim of avoiding bias.
Any voting preference while in the United States state legislators are primarily responsible for creating districts Although some states do use an independent commission to draw their state and federal district They are however in the minority states that allow their state legislators to create voting districts may experience gerrymandering which is the process of redistricting a voting district in a way to favor one political party over another sometimes politicians will gerrymander a district by using a process known as which is when like-minded voters are spread across many districts. This makes it so like-minded voters are the minority in each district and reduces the likelihood that their vote will have an impact on an election. For example, here we can see the Blue Party has gerrymandered these voting districts by using the cracking method.
Notice how the new districts spread the red voters out between all of the districts, causing them to be the minority in each district. Which... ultimately leads to the blue party winning all of the districts.
Now cracking does not always result in one party winning every district, but it is an effective way to reduce the chance of the opposing party winning. Another way in which politicians can gerrymander a district is by using a method called packing, which is when like-minded voters are stacked into just a few districts. This may result in the opposing party being able to win some districts, however it diminishes their ability to win in all the other districts.
For example, here we can see there are two districts that are all blue. This allows the blue party- party to win those two districts, but tips the scale in favor of the red party in all the other districts, resulting in the red party controlling the majority of the district. Now, if you noticed in both of these examples of gerrymandering, the only thing that was changed was the districts themselves. The breakdown of the population was the same.
The blue party has 60% of the votes and the red party has 40% of the votes. If the districts were created based on the perfect representation. we would get districts that would look like this.
Three of the districts would go to the blue party and two of the districts would go to the red party. But when the districts are gerrymandered, the results end up being skewed towards one particular party. Now, I do wanna highlight that both parties in the United States use gerrymandering to try and get an advantage in elections. The problem with gerrymandering is it often leads to unfair representation as elected representatives end up not reflecting the people that they're supposed to represent. Gerrymandering also decreases the competition in political races and ends up weakening the democratic process.
Since politicians can create safe districts which will allow them to get easily reelected, the next part of unit 4 focuses on different forms of government. Historically power has been observed to be either centralized at the national level or decentralized among regional governments. States that have their power concentrated with the national government are called a unitary state.
The national government here creates laws, policies, and systems for the entire state. Unitary states can also have a strong sense of national identity and can quickly . create and implement new laws and policies for the state.
However, they may also not be able to address the needs of local communities, minority groups, and other day-to-day issues in a quick and efficient manner. Traditionally, unitary states are geographically smaller and have a homogeneous population. For example, many nation states would be an example of a unitary state.
On the other hand, we have federal states, which is when power is distributed between the national government and regional government. This system is typically used by states with a large geographic geographic area, have a high level of diversity or with states that have isolated populations. Federalism allows states to respond. quickly to local issues, cater to the needs of minority groups, and develop laws and policies that reflect the needs of the local population.
However, implementing significant policy changes may take longer and states may have more inefficiencies and a greater chance of experiencing devolution. Oftentimes, multinational states will use this form of governance. So for 4.8, we are going to connect back to a concept we mentioned earlier in this video, which is devolution.
Remember, devolution refers to the transfer of political power from a central government to a regional government. This can happen in a variety of different ways. In some cases, we may see devolution involve the creation of new regional governments. Factors that can lead to the devolution of a state include the physical geography of a state, divisions between different cultural groups, political instability, economic and social divisions, governments abusing their power, and irredentism.
States that are fragmented, whether it be due to a mountain range, ocean, river, or just because the state is geographically large, often have people live in a living in isolation from one another, which may lead to different cultures and identities to form. Over time, as cultural groups start to become more distinct, they may want more local power and control over policies that impact. that resulting in devolution as pressure is put on the national government to pass power down to regional government.
We can see cultural division impacts states and devolution as well. When looking at states that are made up of different ethnic groups with a history of self determination, these states may see those ethnic and national groups want more autonomy from the national government. If a person or group starts to identify more as their own ethnic group than as a citizen of the state and wants more political power.
Power or wants to separate from the state, it is known as ethnic separatism. Examples of ethnic separatism can be seen when looking at the Basques and the Catalans in Spain. or the Kurds in the Middle East. We can see that the Basques are separate from other parts of Spain by a mountain range and have a desire for more autonomy and independence. The Basques have their own language, which is not Indo-European, and still retain their own unique cultural identity from the rest of Spain.
All of which continues to put devolutionary pressures on Spain as the Basques continue to seek for more control over their daily life. The Catalans on the other hand reside in Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain. Over the years the Catalans have seeked independence from Spain. For instance, in 2017 they held a referendum on independence. However, the referendum was declared unconstitutional by the Spanish government and did not result in independence.
If we look at the Kurdish nation, we can see that they speak Kurdish, their religion is Islam, and the Kurdish people do not consider themselves to be Arabs. They consider themselves to be Kurdish. The Kurds have a historical claim to the proposed nation-state of Kurdistan. However, as of today, they still do not have their own state.
Which connects back to a concept we talked about earlier in this video. The Basques, the Catalans, and the Kurds are all examples of a stateless nation, since they have a history of self-determination, but do not have their own state. We can also see cultural devolutionary factors at work in Nigeria as well. Nigeria is made up of a variety of different ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups.
Over the years, Nigeria has experienced ethnic and religious conflicts between different cultural groups, tensions with the government, and unequal distribution of resources throughout the state, all of which has led to an increase in the devolutionary pressures on the state. Now sometimes we can see devolutionary movements occur just because of the languages that are spoken in a geographic area. For example in Belgium where we can see the country is split into two major groups.
The Flemish community known as Flanders and the French-speaking community known as Walloonia. The Flemish are in the northern part of Belgium and speak Dutch. But the Walloons in the south speak French.
This has led to somewhat of an identity clash with some speculation that we may start to see more power shift from the national government and move to the regional level. Devolution is also more prone to occur in politically unstable states, including those with high crime rates or states facing terrorism. Terrorism involves the use of violence and or intimidation against civilians to instill fear for political purposes.
When citizens feel unsafe, they are more likely to demand government intervention and may desire a greater control over their protection. Another devolutionary force is the economic and social inequalities experienced by citizens in a society. States that failed to create enough jobs. job opportunities, provide equal opportunities for citizens, and promote positive economic and social growth are likely to frustrate citizens.
The greater the disparities are between different parts of a state, the more likely it is to experience devolutionary pressure. There's also government corruption and abuse that can lead to devolution. For instance, governments that participate in ethnic cleansing often lead to increased pressure from their citizens and the international community to be removed or to be radically changed.
Here we can see ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. where the government has denied rights and citizenship to the minority Rohingya group. In 2017, the government and military started a brutal campaign against the Rohingya people, burning settlements and killing the Rohingya people, ultimately forcing many of the people to flee the country and become refugees. Lastly, there is irredentism, which is a movement by a nation to unite other parts of its nation that are located in another state's boundary. Irredentism can lead to devolution as nations who are split between different states seek to be united.
with members of their nation who are residing within another state. If we look at the Ukrainian-Russian war, we can see an example of irredentism. If you look at past speeches given by Putin, you will see he views the war between Ukraine and Russia not as two separate states and cultures fighting, but as Russia seeking to unify Russian people under one state, making it a great example of irredentism. Ultimately, states that have more devolutionary factors are more likely to see challenges to their sovereignty. US citizens will often demand changes in where they are going.
where power is located, and may even pressure the state for independence. Now that we've explored different devolutionary factors, let's change our focus to how technological advancements, globalization, and supernational organizations can all challenge a state's sovereignty. Sometimes shifting power from the national government to a regional government just isn't enough, and a state may disintegrate. This means that the state will break up into smaller parts. Essentially, the state ceases to exist in its current form, and new states are created.
For instance, we can look at Sudan. and South Sudan, which were initially a single country. But in 2011, a referendum was conducted, resulting in South Sudan becoming an independent country.
Another example would be the former Soviet Union, which faced several challenges to its sovereignty during its existence. After the Soviet Union collapsed, it disintegrated into 15 separate and sovereign states. As technology continues to advance, it becomes increasingly easier for people to share information. across the world allowing for people to influence other people and states to experience more challenges to their sovereign today social media and the Internet can contribute to devolution disintegration of a state or create new challenges for a state access to more information can also reduce the control and power of Autocratic government as people become more aware of their government's actions and potential alternative for example during the Arab Spring Revolutions occurred across northern Africa and the Middle East where people used Facebook and Twitter to share information on government corruption and abuse.
Additionally, the internet provided access to information about how people lived in other countries, ultimately contributing to the downfall of various dictators, such as Mubarak in Egypt or Gaddafi in Libya. We can see that around the world, the internet often gives citizens a greater role in the democratization of their state, allowing them to participate more in their governments and have their voices heard. Advancements in technology and globalization have also challenged state sovereignty, as now countries need to consider the impact of their decisions on the global community.
For instance, many countries are reliant on commodities such as oil and natural gas, which are traded in the global market. While this allows countries to obtain better prices for their resources, it also makes them dependent on other states that have these resources. As a result, a country's political decisions may be influenced or constrained by their reliance on these resources. And the country may be hesitant to implement certain policies that could lead to retaliation from other states on which they depend. Speaking of global community, we can also see how supernational organizations impact a country's sovereignty.
A supernational organization is an alliance which consists of multiple countries, traditionally three or more, that work together. to achieve common goals or address specific issues or challenges that impact the state. Oftentimes these goals and challenges revolve around political aspirations, economic factors, the environment, or the military. Political supernational organizations often seek to maintain political stability in a region or around the world.
For example, the United Nations seeks to maintain peace and stability around the world. The African Union, which is made up of 55 different African states, seeks to promote stability across Africa and eradicate all forms of colonialism in the region. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was first created to counter the diffusion of communism and the spread of the Soviet Union, but still exists today as both a political and military alliance, which seeks to provide security to its members. Moving from political and military organizations to economic supernational organizations, we have groups that are created with the goal of promoting economic prosperity.
For example, the European Union is both a political and economic organization that helps all countries in the European Union compete with other countries around the world. Another economic supernational organization would be the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which strives to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region. Lastly, we have environmental organizations, which seek to achieve specific goals that protect the world's natural resources, such as the Arctic Council, which is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic states, Arctic indigenous peoples, and other Arctic peoples. Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on the issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
When a country becomes a member of a supranational organization, it agrees to abide by the rules and regulations set by the organization, which results in the country surrendering some of its autonomy and sovereignty. Despite this, countries join these organizations because they believe it will benefit them in the long run by increasing their economic and political power. If you need more help with supranational organizations, devolution, and challenges, to state sovereignty, you can check out my ultimate review packet for more help.
In the packet, you'll find some extra resources specifically created to help you with these concepts. All right geographers, you are almost at the finish line. The last part of unit four is all about centrifugal forces and centripetal forces. Concepts we've already talked about back in unit three. Remember when talking about centrifugal forces, we are looking at forces that divide people, a state or a group.
And when talking about centripetal forces, we are looking at forces that unite people, a state or a group. Uneven economic. Economic and social development can lead to certain regions of a state being deprived of goods, services, or job opportunities, while other regions may have access to a larger variety of these resources, creating frustration among citizens and leading to division, all of which would be examples of centrifugal forces. Cultural differences such as language barriers or conflicting religious beliefs can also act as centrifugal forces, as can negative stereotypes and discrimination. Lastly, we can see how political corrupt governments, businesses, and other institutions often alienate their citizens and create division within a state.
All these different centrifugal forces could lead to a state to become a failed state, which is a state that no longer has a functioning government, which means the state can no longer perform its basic duty and loses its authority over the land. This can happen when the citizens of a state no longer view the government as legitimate and the state no longer functions properly. If centrifugal forces around cultural divisions become strong enough, it may lead to ethnic nationalist movement, which is when a specific cultural group wants to be separate or wants control over themselves based on the specific ethnicity or nationality. For example, the Catalonians wanting their own state based on their cultural identity. Oddly enough, we can actually see ethno-nationalism be a centripetal force as well.
For example, nation states such as Japan have their identity revolve around their nationality. Now speaking of centripetal forces, we can see that states that have a strong sense of patriotism. a variety of economic and social opportunities for all citizens, lack corruption and discrimination, have a shared history, language, and religion, and have a strong national government to often experience more centripetal forces, all of which help keep the state united and together.
All right, now hopefully your head isn't spinning. Now comes the time to check the answers to your study guide. When you're done checking your answers, don't forget to take the Unit 4 Practice Quiz in the Ultimate Review Pack.
Also, don't forget to check out the other exclusive resources and videos in the packet as well. All all of which will help you get an A in your class and a five on that national exam. As always, thank you so much for watching. I'm Mr. Sin, and I will see you next time online.