Reference no: EM133356127
Political Geography
1. What is the meaning of the term "state," according to the article? How is the United Nations related to states and the evolution of states in the world?
2. Explain why there is some disagreement over the number of states in the world. Why is there a dispute over the issue of statehood when it comes to Korea and China?
3. Briefly trace the origins of states and nation-states in the world. Provide examples from the ancient world, medieval world, and modern world.
Differentiate between nation-states and multinational states. Using these concepts, compare Denmark or Slovenia to any of the states (other than Russia) in the former Soviet Union.
4. Why is Russia called "the largest multinational state" in the world? What kinds of ethnic challenges has Russia faced in recent decades?
5. Describe colonialism and provide a few historical or contemporary examples. How has the phasing out of colonialism contributed to the growing number of states in the world?
6. What are ethnic boundaries? Explain how this concept can be applied to Ireland and Cyprus. Compare these two cases when it comes to the impact of ethnicity (nationality).
7. Differentiate between democracy and autocracy. How were these terms related to the Arab Spring that occurred in the Middle East and North Africa?
8. Differentiate between unitary states and federal states. What are the main reasons why either unitary or federal systems are adopted by states?
10. What are military alliances and economic alliances? Provide a few examples of each category. Focus on one military or economic alliance and explain why it is an important actor on the world stage.