The State
4 Characteristics that define the state:
Sovereignty, Territory, Population, and Resources
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Sovereignty:
Includes diplomatic
recognition and internal organization
Following WWII, sovereignty granted, not earned
Huge increase in
UN membership as a result
of decolonization, self-determination,
and microstates
Failed states--sovereign states that lack an internal functioning government; Failed states ranking, map
Territory:
Population:
Nation--Group of culturally and historically
similar people who feel a communal bond and who may or may not feel they
should govern themselves, but want to be recognized
Nations in Africa 107 nations; 54 countries
Problems:
Very few states are homogenous or perfectly match nation with state
A state can contain one or more nations: Afghanistan
One nation across multiple states: Somalis
Nation without a state: Kurds
Resources:
| Global North | Global South |
| Industrialized | Emerging economies*
more industrialized, most GS agrarian |
| Donors of foreign
assistance |
Rely
on foreign assistance |
|
Well-developed infrastructure |
Lack
infrastructure |
| Exporters of technology |
Exporters of primary resources |
| Cutting edge of
technology |
Importers of technology |
| Technology to extract resources | Rely on GN to extract, refine resources |
*Emerging economies include China, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Malaysia, Philippines
