World Regional Geography

Spring 2005

Test 2 Review

Date: February 22 (Lecture) or by February 12 (Internet)

 

Europeans laid foundation of modern world: Hearth for contemporary ideas and culture:

 

§         Democracy

§         Christianity

§         Colonialism

§         Imperialism

§         Capitalism

§         the Enlightenment

§         nationalism

§         fascism

§         socialism

§         communism

§         genocide  

 

Europe: Single largest trade center in world.

Western Europe - over 40 percent of world trade

Europe: small but diverse and economically cohesive.

European Union: goal is political integration, focus- economic cooperation and trade advantage. The EU is by volume the largest and most powerful trade cartel in the world.

Early people- Greeks (1,000 BC)/Romans(100 BC- Christian 381)/Celts (1,000 BC)

Celtic culture gave rise to Welsh, Irish, Scottish and British

Capitalism (practice of individuals and corporations owning businesses and keeping profits (system linked to colonialism and imperialism.)

Communism: A system where workers make economic and political decisions

Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain.  Colonies produced raw materials.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648): Led to the nation-state- each nation should govern itself as its own state.  Nations are people, not countries. 

Genocide- extermination of specific groups of people

Europe: marine in economic outlook, environment, climate and culture.  Climates:

§         Mid-latitude west coast climates

§         Mediterranean climates

§         Mid-latitude continental interior climates

 

Rhine River: second largest and busiest in Europe

Rotterdam: the largest port in Europe an don Rhine River

Alps- highest mountain range.

Pyrenees- separate Spain and France.

Northern European Plains: (Netherlands through Poland into Russia) form a broad lowland plain.  Provide area for agriculture, transportation (rivers) and invasion routes

Black Triangle- East Germany, Poland and Czech Republic: intensely polluted

Mediterranean  Sea- high population density, manufacturing and tourism results in pollution.  World's highest levels of oil pollution.

NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949)- defensive group that included West European states and the US, to counter power of Soviet Union..  Today includes former Soviet countries (East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc) and Turkey (only Moslem country.)  Russia is now included as a partner to NATO.

 

European Union (1967)- Organized and legal, political, legal, social, economic and military cooperation among members.  Supranationalism- close and tightly connected cooperation among countries.  Headquarters in Brussels.  Money is the Euro.  Treaty of Maastricht (1991) set a timetable for political and economic unity.  Member nations (15) have a population of 370 million.  Important: Consider issues and advantages of EU membership.  What are the major challenges that face the EU? What is the problem of enlarging the EU?

 

Devolution- breakup of Czechoslovakia- "velvet divorce." 

Agglomeration economies- advantages of producing goods in one region- skilled labor, infrastructure, distribution facilities, financial services, etc.

London is one of World’s major cities (New York, Tokyo and London)

Highest Population Density: Urban industrial belt from Central Britain through Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany

 

Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom ((England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.) Understand W. Europe's role as the center of the modern role.  Explain this relationship in terms of colonialism, economics and culture.

France- Culture of strong individualism with a strong central government (socialist).  French revolution (1789) inspired other revolutions (nationalism) across Europe

 

Population: Slow or negative population growth characterizes demographic change in Germany, UK, Ireland, and France.  Labor migration policy recognizes the aging of labor forces in core countries and demands for more and cheaper labor (from former European colonialized areas in Asia and Africa are creating multicultural and racially diverse societies in France and the U.K- Turks in Germany- called “guest workers"

Gentrification- renovation of older urban neighborhoods as new owners turn these into higher income areas.

 

West European Economy: France (bulk of the EU's agricultural output). Most (99%) of arable land stock is now cultivated.  Manufacturing employment is mainstay of the European economy.  Admission of Eastern European countries into EU is a concern (due to effects upon labor costs and competition between West and East.  France is very very politically active in agricultural issues- their farmers are a strong political force. Industries: 60% of all manufacturing jobs and 75 % of research and development (in Europe) Europe's aerospace industry (Airbus) is second to the United States' world market share. Automobiles and aerospace are two major industries.

Service industry- 65% of total work force. Europe dominates the world in tourism

Economies of Germany, France and U.K. rank 3rd, 4th and 5th in world

Energy: France and Belgium: high consumers of nuclear energy. Siberian natural gas is Germany's main source of this clean burning fuel. Energy also comes from local oil and gas sources (North Sea.) Switch from coal (pre-1950)

 

East Germany: Reunited (1990) drain on Germany's social welfare infrastructure costs.

 

Northern Europe: Denmark (Greenland, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands), Finland, Norway and Sweden

Natural environment- boreal forest ecosystems, subarctic winters, rock and conifer forests

Economy/Industry: diversified economic system (population- 25 million ) Moving toward high-tech industrialization and away from an economy based on natural resources.

High urbanization (85%) (little farmland/cold climates.) (Finland and Norway- lower.)

Culturally- Germanic people and descendants of Vikings.  Strong champions of human rights and some of world’s highest GDPs

Sami (Lapps) – practice a traditional nomadic lifestyle- reindeer herders.

Religion- 90% Lutheran- (serious and community conscious work and social ethic)

Sweden: most diversified, globally competitive manufacturing and service sector. Largest and most industrialized- Volvo and Saab automobiles

Norway: moving away from extraction industries toward manufacturing and service. Mountainous (limited farmland) North Sea oil made Norway second world exporter of oil Denmark is Northern Europe's agricultural leader. Maker of Legos

Finland's major economic and employment generators are forests, mining, and fishing.  Once part of Sweden and Russia.  Border state between Soviet Union and Europe.  Produce the Nokia phone (most mobile phones per capita in world)

Denmark- Queen Margrethe II (oldest royal lineage in the world) is related to the Viking King Gorm. Greenland, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands were once part of Denmark.

 

Mediterranean Europe: Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, Malta and the British colony of Gibraltar.

Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece: influenced world history from ancient times to colonization of Americas.  Portugal and Spain spread Roman Catholicism throughout the world.  Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) – Pope divided world between Spain and Portugal.

Spain and Portugal (1400s): bring slavery/colonialism into the European/world systems

Basque- live in the region between Spain and France. Seek independence.

Italy: Once conglomeration of independent areas.  South is rural, north is industrial.

 

Eastern Central Europe: Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary and the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria) and Kaliningrad (small enclave of former Germany, now part of Russian Federation)

 

§         Formerly controlled by Soviet Union

§         Struggle to change to democratic governments and capitalist economies

§         Small countries- created as a buffer between German and Russian empires

§         Populations- static to declining

§         Moslem populations (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia): rising

§         Long a point of conflict between Christian Austro-Hungarian and Moslem Ottoman Empires which continues to this day.

§         Moslem Albania is the poorest state in Europe.

§         Balkan states- little history of self-government, democracy, or multiparty rule.

§         Region is a mixture of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox and Muslim religions

§         Eastern Orthodox Slavs are linked to Russian culture, Roman Catholics, Western Europe

§         Split between use of Roman and Cyrillic alphabets Alphabets, language and religion indicate an "east" or "west" cultural lean among ethnic groups and cultures

§         East Central Europeans- mostly Slavs

§         Major ethnic tensions in East Central Europe- Combination of religious, historical, political and economic geography. 

 

Yugoslavia (Land of the South Slavs)

 

§         Example of zealous nationalism that turned into genocide (ethnic cleansing)

§         Changed international human rights laws

§         Milosevic- Rises to power using ethnic hatreds to retain control (2001- he is arrested and tried at the ICJ in the Hague for genocide and crimes and against humanities

§         1991- Slovenia and Croatia declare independence from Yugoslavia (Slovenia maintains independence.)  Serbian Croats establish Krajina and splinter Croatia.

§         Yugoslav army, country and culture- dominated by Serbs

§         Bosnia-Herzegovina- Muslim (44%), Serb (31%) & Croat (17%) w/ urban Muslims and rural Croats/Serbs.  Now divided into 2 regions (Serb north/east and Croat/Muslim central/west)  Bloody example of ethnic cleansing

§         Macedonia- landlocked (Albania and Greece) with 23% Albanian minority which began an insurgency in 2001.  Greece and Bulgaria fear Macedonian expansion into their ethnic Macedonian areas.

§         Bosnia- funnels eastern/central Europeans prostitutes and illegal immigrants west

§         Kosovo- Milosevic used Serb army for ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians (95 % of population) (UN used military force to stop this.) 

§         Slovenes and Croats- Roman Catholics

§         Serbs, Macedonians and Bulgarians- Eastern Orthodox

§         Bosnians- Muslim and Roman Catholic

§         Ethnic Cleansing- eradicating a people from a territory due to ethnic differences through assimilation, expulsion and extermination.

§         Genocide- extermination of entire ethnic group. 

§         Genocidal rape- extermination of an ethnic group by rape an impregnation of woman of the ethnic group under attack. Woman are rejected from their group and forced to live in the rapists society

 

Poland

1.      One of the top ten emerging markets of the world.

2.      Large coal fields and comprehensive heavy industrial base.

3.      Strong economic ties to U.S.

 

The Czech and Slovakia republics

1.      Creation of victorious allies at end of World War I.

2.      Czech economy based on high-value manufacturing and skilled labor force.

3.      Czech Republic has highest urban population (75%) 

4.      Slovakia poor province of former Czechoslovakia.

5.      Separation known as the "Velvet Divorce"

 

Chapter 4: Russian Federation and Central Asia

 

Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia (Slavic,) Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan (Southern Caucasus,) Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (Central Asian Republics)

 

Commonwealth of Independent States: Russia (Russian Federation) and 11 former Soviet Republics.  After USSR breakup (1991), the 12 CIS countries were unable to integrate into the world economic system.  Due to:

§         Incomplete economic systems (each was part of the Soviet system)

§         Incomplete political systems (no institutions involving democratic traditions and international cooperation)

§         Lack of market-based economy

§         No international financial and legal institutions.

§         Aging infrastructure that was oriented towards Moscow

§         Lack of international infrastructure (airports, ports, rail and pipelines that connect to the West)

 

Russia (world’s largest country): Russia is European in demography; Asian in geography. Majority of population lives in Russian Europe. Majority of Russian land area is in Asia (East of the Urals-traditional dividing lines of Europe and Asia)

§         Represents a very large empire made up of adjoining lands

§         Major invading influences: Christianity, Islam and Mongol culture

§         Silk Road went through Central Asia

§         Caucasus Mountains- region were Europe and Asia meet

§         988, Prince Vladimir brings Eastern Orthodox Christianity to Rus

§         1200 Mongols invade and rule- the Khanate of the Golden Horde

§         Moscow becomes the third "Rome" (after Constantinople)

 

Gorbachov (architect of the Soviet Union’s breakup): Introduced perestroika (economic restructuring) and glasnost (information openness.) 

 

Russian physical geography: Almost all coastline freezes in winter. The longest stretch of Russian coast in Arctic (mostly useless.)  Continentality- effect by great land mass: creates extreme hot and cold climate  Water- Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea and Lake Baikal.  Black Sea- most important coastline- key to the industrial heartland of Russia.

Plains and plateaus dominate landscape

Longest rivers (Ob, Yenisey and Lena) flow northward into Artic Circle

Over half of Russia is covered by Boreal forest (subarctic ecosystem).

Steppe Grasslands (black earth soils) are similar to US prairies- one of the world’s most arable regions

Taiga- Northern coniferous forest- world’s largest forest area

Environmental Problems: Soviet Legacy- massive exploitation of resources with little environmental regard; Heavy industry, aging infrastructure, Norilsk (Western Siberia), Nuclear contamination (1986 Chernobyl reactor explosion) and Aral Sea- over use of the water into this basin has caused major environmental damage

 

Economy

§         Russia produced only .08% of world GDP.

§         GDP had a 60% drop in the 1990s.

§         Global connections: few, as a result of communist legacy

§         Cost and trial of converting to a market economy has been very costly

§         Agriculture- productive area are in west Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.  Ukraine has vast black soil prairies like the Midwest and central Texas.

§         Problems- corruption, poor infrastructure and large bureaucracy prevent foreign private investment

§         United States and Germany are Russias biggest trading partners

Human Rights: Soviet legacy is terrible (Stalin’s legacy)

Gulag- corrective labor camp (part of Stalin’s Great Terror)

Kolyma gold mining region (Eastern Siberia): location of many gulags

Chechnya- Russia has been accused of many human rights abuses during ongoing war

 

Heartland- west of Urals (Rus and Muscovy)- greatest concentration of Russian people

Hinterland- Area outside of heartland.  Siberia (3/4 of land area) contains most of Russia’s resources.

 

Slavic Countries (Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova (all 3 have known little independence)

§         Population density: highest in Western Russia

§         People- greatest demographic concern is population decline.

§         Fertility rates are 1.2 with 2.1 needed to maintain the population

§         Emigration to West Russia is high (from other republics)

§         Main cause for population decline is economic decline

 

Ukraine

§         Port of Kiev is chief access to Moscow's central industrial region (Russia's largest).

§         largely an agricultural nation. the bread basket of the USSR.

§         Close relationship with the West.

§         Soviets left large inventory of military hardware and nuclear weapons.

§         Major election in 2004 with pro-Western win- still in conflict

 

Moldova

§         Close ties to Romania- could have joined - Russian troops in Moldova prevented it.

§         Russians and Ukrainians in Moldova declared independence from Moldova

§         More related to Romanians than Slavs

§         Moldova has good agricultural lands

 

The Southern Caucasus (The Most Linguistically Complex Area in the World)

 

§         Moslem Abkazia (Cherkess) has deported most Georgians (Christians) and has retained strong ties with Russia.

§         Moslems in Georgia are looked down upon and persecuted.

§         Armenians- 8,000 years of history (claim to be the first Christian country)

§         Azerbaijan- Shia Moslem country (like Iran)- stands to become a major world exporter (on the Caspian Sea)- increasingly turns to Iran for assistance.

§         A region evidencing even today strong ethnic, religious and linguistic links to Ottoman (Turkey), Persian (Iran), and Russian conquest and occupation.

§         The Caucasus and nearby Caspian are rich in oil and metallic mineral resources.

§         The Caspian Basin is thought to have oil reserves as large as Persian Gulf.

§         New pipeline construction is planned to bypass the troubled Caucasus region.

 

Moslem Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

A mostly Moslem region where important economic activities center around mineral fuels and water distribution or allocation.

 

Soviet policies split these countries into factions and keep them tied to the Russian economic infrastructure.  These is a general anti-Russian attitude here.

 

1.      Area once powerful, influential and contributed to early Islamic culture and science

2.      Strategic geopolitical positions between East/West, North/South, Christian/Moslem

3.      Uzbekistan- dominant country in the region (also one of the worst human rights records in the world – suppresses freedom of expression, media and opposition)

4.      Strong imperial Russian-Chinese rivalry going back to the seventeenth century.

5.      An isolated region where Moslem factions continue to struggle for power.

 

Kazakstan: the largest of the former Central Asian republics.

§         A large USSR space and rocket research center is located here.

§         Now officially recognized by the United States.

§         Cooperating in destroying ICBM and nuclear weapon facilities left behind by Soviets.

§         Largest in area of former Soviet inner Asian republics.

 

Main Concepts (For Essay Questions)

  • Understand W. Europe's role as the center of the modern role. 
  • Explain this relationship in terms of colonialism, economics and culture.
  • Describe and analyze the breakup of Yugoslavia and its ethnic conflicts
  • List difficulties of former Soviet countries to integrate into the modern system
  • What strategies and partnerships are they using to respond to these challenges?
  • Understand and describe Russian demographic change
  • Why does Central Asia have a central geopolitical position?