Human Interest

This conflict represents the changes and challenges to political-territorial arrangements, because Over the course of 40 years, this territory has been greatly disputed by different states. An arrangement to have Morocco and Mauritania both control the Western Sahara only lasted 4 years, because Western Sahara valued their own sovereignty and fought back. The conflict still has not been settled, and changes could occur in the upcoming years.

Unit 5: Agriculture

The Uk is trying to label all products coming in from the Western Sahara. This is an effort to weaken Morocco's claim of the territory. The territory is highly disputed, and many products from that area say there from Morocco and not Western Sahara.

This relates to unit 5 because not only is it talking about growing and farming, but it is also talking about the area in which the crops come from. It also relates to unit 4 as the territory is highly disputed and the UK refuses to  label the crops as 'Moroccan'

Great question!  I think we all know the answer...Santa Claus!! ;)

The video discusses a big topic in discussion today - Who really owns the North Pole? Although the North Pole is uninhabited, many countries have claimed to take ownership of the vast majority of land (or, ice). Canada has already claimed that the North Pole is part of its nation. Russia has put up Russian flags on the North Pole (such as underwater) but does that really make North Pole a Russian territory? The media plays a role in this by offering different opinions on who should and who deserves the right to own the North Pole. You might read a Canadian article that lists all the outright reasons why the North Pole is or deserves to be a Canadian territory. 

In my opinion, I don't understand how the United nations can be seen as an entity that, essentially, controls who would have rights to a place like the North Pole(technically, not owned by anyone).  I, naively, understand the basics of the U.N.  In short, it is an organization that was formed, post-WW I or II, as a governing board for world-issues.

 With that being said, how can they believe that their "law" is the all-powerful one?  If I'm a leader of a country who is not a member of the U.N., do I really care what they say?   I just find it odd that this narrator speaks about the issue while holding the U.N. as a supreme authority.  I know that this video is just a quick fun type of video but it leaves me with wanting to hear the perspective of a non-U.N. member.  But a very interesting topic, none the less.

Option - marine environments and management

APHG-Unit 4

Thoughts from my friend Seth...

Seth Dixon's insight:

This five-part video report from the New York Times is from 2011, but still has some pertinent information, even if the situation has changed in some of the particulars.  These videos brings important voices from a variety of perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; together they all  show how a complex cultural and political geography leads to many of the difficulties in creating a long-lasting peace.  The discipline of geography doesn't simple study the peace process--it is a part of it.  The creation of borders and the cartographic process play a critical role in solving territorial issues.  Geography can be both the problem and the solution.

APHG-U4

This video explains why defined borders are an important part of any potential solution for the conflict, and why it is such a complex issue. While agreeing on a border that benefits both seems like it should be an easy task, the realities on the ground and actions from both sides make it anything but easy. 

You can find this on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-Karabakh

The Crimea region has been hotly debated and fought over for quite a while now. The collapse of the USSR created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe which led to the contest for power in many of the former Soviet Satellite countries, including Ukraine. The Crimean peninsula, while mostly occupied by Russians, is legally a part of Ukraine, but maybe not for long. The Russian government is seemingly working to annex the peninsula while the Ukrainian government is working to keep it. The region will continue to be under lots of tugging and pulling for a while until a single government wins in to their nation. 

this is a perfect example of some of the conflicts which have resulted because of the failure of the soviet state. with many of these states trying to gain land that the view as theirs, these wars can only really end in bloodshed or massive investments in peace.

This interactive page gives relevant information about islands that are disputed over in southeast Asia.  I liked it because you could see the information in context with the map.

This is like a game of Monopoly when people try and get all the houses or businesses. Except this is real life and real isles. Whose is whose? How does Asia decide where and how the EEZ's should be divided.

considering that half of the nations involved are island nations, this is hardly surprising. every nation has issues with their neighbors. even the us and Canada dispute some territory. but these disputes can hardly end as well, when half of these nations have fought wars with each other for most of their histories.

Unit 4

What do these say about the world?

Borders seem to be a problem whether you live in one continent or another, everyone wants power and control but not everyone can gain it. This video focuses and goes into depth about enclave and exclave borders, showing the irregularity of the borders in different areas that causes conflicts and problems. An example of a problem that the citizens have to deal with is that some villages can not leave due to the road blocks due to the borders. I can not imagine not being able to leave a certain area for all that time, I would go insane and I imagine those people are as well. International borders power has to be split somehow and not everyone can always come to an easy decision because parts of the land are claimed but the people do not have any control of it. Irregular borders cause more trouble than they are worth in my opinion. The final interesting fact about this video was that you learn that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are the two locations that have the most irregular border, these places must have the most conflict and problems. These borders are in places such as Germany, South Asia, China, Belgian, Sweden and Central Asia.

A fascinating look into the complexity of borders. It is always important to keep in mind when looking at maps that the borders are neither permanent or defined as it exists in reality. Borders on world maps are rough estimations of what the borders actually are for they can't depict precise details on such a large scale. Furthermore regional/local maps sometimes do not whether as to conform to the border misconception unfortunately. In Central Asia as defined int he video the border were primarily a result of the Soviet Unions attempts to divided ethnic minorities reducing their power (primarily Stalin). As a result the countries after the collapse proceeded to claim the ethnic groups which created enclaves within each-other. As long as these groups are on peaceful terms this kind of thing isn't an issue. Unfortunately it does make the peoples lives in the enclaves slightly more difficult due to having to cross the border twice to see the rest of your country. This kind of thing was even done to the Jews in the first century AD who like the Russians wanted to eliminate or at least reduce attempts at revolution by the local populace. Hopefully Central Asia has or will make the lives of these enclaves easier.

How can political stability and security be measured? The Fragile States Index is a statistical ranking designed to measure the effective political institutions across the globe.

APHG-Unit 4

APHG-U4

Use in Political Geo unit, or for Canada and US region

I honestly feel like we are never taught about these areas ever in US schools. We are always drilled about the 50 states and that's it. I would be interested in learning the history behind why this is still the case and what is keeping our government from considering them part of the states. The fact that they wont even consider American Samoa's citizens is a disgrace.

Amazing stories on the World's changing Geopolitical status. Current stories about disputed borders, unrecognised territories and  newly declared nations.

Nunca é "Toda a Verdade" ... 

APHG-U1

The Trans-Dniester region functions as a working state, but is not internationally recognized as such.  Members of this region are hoping Russia will annex them for political and economic stability.

A nation that is not internationally recognized, Trans-Dniester reflect how borders are subject to changed based on cultural differences. The region identifies with Russia more than it does with Moldova. After the USSR broke up, the borders were created without considering demographic and cultural makeup of each region of the new states. With the Ukraine and with Trans-Dniester we see how many eastern European regions still identify with Russia. As Russia seems more willing to expand, many borders are likely to change in the area.

This situation only further complicates Eastern European dynamics.  One thing that stood out to me after reading this aritcle is the reality that anti-Russian Ukraine is sandwiched between pro-Russian eastern Ukraine and pro-Russian eastern Moldova.  This situation can only get uglier.