GEOG 24400 - Political Geography

GER
3/B

Political geography concerns the nature and consequences of human efforts to divide and control Earth. Major topics to be covered by this course include the origin and evolution of countries and their constituent political units; the defining and drawing of political boundaries; territorial conflicts and disputes; the impact of boundaries on personal and cultural identity; centripetal and centrifugal forces that encourage the success or failure of political units; jurisprudence, crime and punishment; electoral geography; war, piracy and terrorism; ownership of ocean floors and outer space; the environmental impacts of political power (zoning, incorporation, height restrictions, land tenure); and symbols of power in the landscape. Lectures and assignments will stress the relevancy of political geography to issues that affect our everyday life.

prereq: GEOG 10100 or GEOG 15000 or perm instr
3 hrs
3 cr.