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Scooped by Seth Dixon onto Geography Education |
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Google Maps is a fantastic free tool, but we’re guessing you don’t have much spare time to play around with the service. Let us help.
Even if you use Google Maps just for personal use, these are basic enough of tips that all users should be able to use.
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"Geographer Reece Jones discusses his recent book Border Walls, examining the history of how and why societies have chosen to literally wall themselves apart. He gives a brief history of political maps, how international lines reshape landscapes, and how the trend towards increased border wall construction contrasts with the view of a “borderless” world under globalization."
Seth Dixon's insight:
This 30-minute audio podcast is a great preview of Reece Jones' book Border Walls; and discusses many concepts important to political geography. The physical construction of barriers is an old practice (Great Wall of China, Hadrian's Wall), but those borders were the exceptions. The recent proliferatrion of walls to separate countries is dramatically reshaping our borders and impacting economics, politics, migration and other geographic patterns (How recent? Over half of the borders with walls and fences we see today have been constructed since 2000). Although walls are often justified as a means to prevent terrorism, most of the world's walls can best be explained as dividing wealthy and relatively poorer countries to prevent migration (download podcast episode here). You can also read his New York Times article on the same topic. Tags: book reviews, podcast, borders, political, landscape, states, territoriality, sovereignty. 
Mary Patrick Schoettinger's curator insight,
April 25, 9:16 AM
Looking forward to reading this. Seth Dixon's insight mentions the current practice of building walls that separates the haves from the have nots is telling. Is it possible to include natural resources in the whole wealth question? Is damming water a form of building a border wall? 
chris tobin's comment,
April 27, 9:31 AM
good point mary . natural resources is wealth that many can take advantage of for their benefit and strategy
chris tobin's curator insight,
April 27, 9:48 AM
This broadcast states how advances in cartography over time maps borders of territory that became public in europe since the 180's, before that places to travel to were only by memory. After WWII orders were recognized and redrawn. Maps and borders organizes land around us as fixed territories to control. It allows territories control over their land and authority. Less than 5 borders or fences shortly after WWII existed and now there are at least 50 ,75% which are within the last 70 years. Physical walls being built slows human travel, borders wealthy from poor--US/Mexico has one of the largest gaps where US GDP is greater by 4 to 1 compared to Mexico (US$40,0000 Mexico $10,000 us dollars) India/Bangladesh border also illustrates this. They share the same Bengali languge, with 15 million Bangladeshis living and working in India. This border is 4000 km long with 200,000 border agents employed. The border fence is about 10 ft high doubled barbed with many gates and flood lights (no camerastation in space because of the flood lights). Bangladesh cross into India to visit relatives living there, and work. Bangladesh has poor standards of living and India has increased standards of living. Bangladesh has over 160 million people , 1238 people per sq km (dense population) in the comparable size of US state of Iowa, is a low lying area with floods, (Ganges River empties into Bay of Bengal) and as sea levels rise one meter flooding occurs. The future of borders between $$wealthy and poor and world trade capital movement ,investments of US in other countries and trade of other countries into the US, and the poor becomes a threat to the territories (states, countries) sine they cannot move around in the world. Morre walls and fence borders are to com. In the last 15 years walls and fences has increased between countries to protect resources and control their area and even used strategically to their own advantage for resource control, political control and military advantages while affecting the environment, economics and peoples way of life. This is a must read book which has won Geography awards and very insightful. Delete the scoop?
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In the search for Middle East peace, the most fundamental problem is the problem of disbelief.
Seth Dixon's insight:
Wouldn't you like to read the bullet points that accompany this graphic? This article written by a peace negotiator is a good "bi-partisan" approach to understanding what would be needed to actually achieve peace in the Middle East. The first step, is for both sides to believe that it can actually be achieved. Filling in a blank diagram such as this would be a great way to get students seeing the same dispute from multiple perspectives. Tags: Israel, borders, Palestine, territoriality, political. 
Jessica Martel's curator insight,
April 4, 6:05 PM
This article explains the conflicts that are such a problem within the country of Israel, the conflict of religion and space. The Palestinians believe that they belong in the area, where the land was given to the Jewish people. These people are at war each day because they are fighting to hold on to a certain piece of land to claim for their own religion, yet they still incorrectly get blended together as one large group of people who are all the same due to the area they live. Delete the scoop?
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The filmmakers present a 12-step program to establish the world’s newest country: South Sudan.
Seth Dixon's insight:
What does a state need to have to be politically viable? If you were to start your own country, what would you need to do? This isn't just a hypothetical question since South Sudan is currently undergoing this process and having to answer these questions. Tags: South Sudan, political, sovereignty, Africa, territoriality, states, unit 4 political. Delete the scoop?
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A new interactive tool allows you to decide how many Israeli settlers to annex and what constitutes a viable Palestinian state. This article from the Atlantic is a great introduction to a mapping tool that puts the user at the virtual negotiation table. Peace talk proposals often center around the amount of land that Palestinians want and the Jewish settlements in the West Bank that the Israelis want as a part of the state of Israel. This interactive, titled Is Peace Possible?, allows the user to propose potential land swaps, see the demographic breakdown of West Bank settlements and videos to introduce users to on 4 major issues: borders, security, refugees and Jerusalem. Tags: Israel, borders, Palestine, territoriality, political, mapping. Delete the scoop?
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Today, a country’s marine economic area is defined by its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a 200-nautical mile-wide (370 km) strip of sea along the country’s national coast line (hi-res image). This regulation, which was installed by the ‘UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’ in 1982, grants a state special rights to exploit natural (such as oil) and marine (for instance fish) resources, including scientific research and energy production (wind-parks, for example). Questions to ponder: how does this series of buffer zones around the Earth's land masses impact politics, the environment and local economies? Where might the EEZs be more important to the success of a country/territory than other regions? Tags: economic, environment, political, resources, water, sovereignty, coastal, environment depend, territoriality, states, conflict, unit 4 political. Delete the scoop?
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the knottiest border problem of all.
The historical events of 1948 and 1967 loom large in the formation of the borders in the region of Israel/Palestine. This is the most contentious border in the world with competing political/cultural factions with distinct territorial visions for the place. To complicate matters, other countries (most notably the United States and European countries siding with Israel and Arab states with other Muslim-majority countries supporting Palestine) are involved in the region, making this the most contentious border in the world. As Frank Jacobs said, “considering how deep those divisions are, it’s remarkable how relatively new the current set of borders is.” This is an intriguing analysis of an incredibly important set of borders that have larger geographic repercussions despite the short distances and relatively small populations involved. Delete the scoop?
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London and the City of London are the same political and territorial entity right? Of course not. Why have something simple when we can have a rich archaic legacy with a fascinating (albeit convoluted) history. Here’s a great political geography lesson just in time for the Olympic Ceremonies. 
Maddy Van Fossen's comment,
September 3, 2012 2:28 PM
This video is short but gives lots of information. I found this video very interesting and I never knew there was a difference between the two cities. It's also very interesting that the two cities were formed at different times. Also, the way that Westminister grew around the city of london is cool, but the way the name Westminister changed to London is still confusing to me.
David Sanchez's comment,
September 5, 2012 8:17 PM
I think that it's amazing that the City of London is still rich and powerful even after having been founded a few thousand years ago.
Valentia Pollard's comment,
September 8, 2012 11:02 AM
I always thought that London was the same thing as the City of London. The only thing that they really have to do due with each other is the City of London is surrounded by London. Its cool that the City of London is still rich and powerful, they have their own flag, and even their own mayor. I think the City of London should be more important than it seems.
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The weird, violent history of the Indo-Pakistani border.
Geography rarely makes sense without the added lens of history. This fantastic article chonicles the history of the geopolitical conflict between India and Pakistan, centering on the disputed Kashmir region. This border is tied into colonial, cultural, political and religious layers of identity. As one of the great unresolved issues of the colonial era, this standoff may loom large as India becomes increasingly significant on the global scale. Delete the scoop?
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architectural conjecture :: urban speculation :: landscape futures...
In the 1960s when the island of Surtsey (literally) erupted onto the scene off the coast of Iceland, it's national sovereignty was not really called into question. The seamount, or near island named Ferdinandea in the Mediterranean is not even an island yet and countries are already positioning themselves to claim it. Only 6 feet below sea level, this seamount is incredibly valuable real estate because is a country can successfully came this territory, they could also lay claim to an Exclusive Economic Zone, extending up to 200 nautical miles beyond the coast. Delete the scoop?
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The Palestinian territory is in the midst of a construction boom, more than three years after a major Israeli assault that left much of the territory in ruins.
There has been a formal ban on building materials entering Gaza since 2007 (when Hamas took over the territory) since the Israeli government fears they could be weaponized or aid the military efforts. Still, if the demand is high enough, some of the supply will still enter as we goods entering Gaza through smuggling tunnels from the Egyptian city of Rafah. 
Matt Mallinson's comment,
October 22, 2012 12:22 PM
I understand the Israeli government fears Gaza could be weaponized or aid military efforts, but these people need to rebuild after the major assault that left it in ruins. If there's been a ban for 5 years though, I doubt much will change.
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Seth Dixon's insight:
This infographic is a great introduction to the historical genesis of South Sudan and the political uncertainty and difficulties that it now faces as an independent country. Tags: South Sudan, political, sovereignty, Africa, territoriality, states, unit 4 political. 
Heather Ramsey's curator insight,
March 11, 5:03 PM
Since World War II, African nations have gained independence after many, many years of being ruled by other countries. For many of these newly independent countries, there have been struggles over how to set up the government which results in some conflict. South Sudan is in that transitional stage now, and it is an example of how complicated it is to establish a new government.
BONUS: See Mrs. Ramsey for an article about a particular issue that people in South Sudan are experiencing, and an opportunity to write a paragraph for credit toward your class. 
Kloo C. Hansen's curator insight,
March 28, 9:51 AM
WOW! such interesting visuals to help understand the formation of this new political state. 
Danyal Zakria's comment,
April 9, 8:43 PM
i didnt know that much about it. its pretty nice to know about how a country heals after a revolution in the modern era.
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A website that examines the geographical enclaves of the world
Seth Dixon's insight:
This website is an exhaustive list with information on the world's enclaves that are so often entangled in geopolitical issues. Tags: borders, political, unit 4 political. 
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
February 14, 7:32 AM
Mondialisation et frontières... et sur cette carte mon imminente destination de vacances: l'enclave omanaise de Musandam.
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While city lights at night serve as a good proxy for population density, North Korea provides a dark exception.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This image is appears to be a regional inset of the classic Earth at Night composite image however this nighttime remote sensing image was taken from Sept. 2012. The Earth at Night image is typically used in classrooms to discuss what this actually means for human geography (Population density? Development? Consumption? Where? How come?). However, this particular portion of the global image focused on the Korean Peninsula highlights two other specific issues:
Tags: economic, political, resources, water, sovereignty, coastal, territoriality, states, unit 4 political, remote sensing. 
Ju Hui Judy Han's curator insight,
January 7, 12:22 AM
This cliché image of "North Korea in the dark" reinforces preconceived ideas about the "totalitarian" state and how terrible life must be without electricity. Well, one aspect of this political geography is the effect of US-backed sanctions against North Korea and the severe ecological and energy crisis under which it has struggled for the last two decades. Just as electricity is not simply a "natural" resource, neither is energe consumption nor shortage.
Ju Hui Judy Han's comment,
January 7, 12:26 AM
It also regurgitates troubling metaphors of darkness as backwardness.
Dawn Haas Tache's curator insight,
January 8, 1:14 PM
This image is appears to be a regional inset of the classic Earth at Night composite image however this nighttime remote sensing image was taken from Sept. 2012. The Earth at Night image is typically used in classrooms to discuss what this actually means for human geography (Population density? Development? Consumption? Where? How come?). However, this particular portion of the global image focused on the Korean Peninsula highlights two other specific issues: the impact of a totalitarian state can actually be seen from space as South Korea has a per captia income level 17 times higher than that of North Korea. the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) can be seen in the Yellow Sea as fishing vessels form a line approximately 200 nautical miles off the coast of South Korea.Tags: economic, political, resources, water, sovereignty, coastal, territoriality, states, unit 4 political, remote sensing. Delete the scoop?
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The shape of a state can greatly impact the political cohesion of a country as well as it's economic viability. While this is obviously a fictitious map, it draws our attention to the logistic difficulties that confront Palestine with the Israelis controlling crucial transportation access points and corridors. Questions to Ponder: How is this a 'persuasive map?' What are some of the geographic impacts of this fragmentation on Palestine? For Israel?
Tags: cartography, MiddleEast, political, states, territoriality, unit 4 political. 
Melissa Burr's comment,
October 10, 2012 10:13 AM
This map is persuasive because it does not show the usual Palestine. This map is fragmented and the geographic impacts it shows are the routes taken in at leisure for maritime activity and also shows the urban and popluated areas in the past and how how the sraelites impact those areas.
's comment, October 10, 2012 10:16 AM
The reason this is a persuasive map in my opinion is that this map does a very good job of allowing the reader to understand the focus in which it intends to present. information key which it offers is crucial to the map b/ it help the reader better understand and analyze this map in its entirety. as far As the second question unfortunately I am not very knowledgeable as far as the impact his map as on palestiine or isreal.
Jesse Gauthier's comment,
October 10, 2012 11:24 AM
This map is unique and not typical. The way that Palestine's land is severed and each transportation access point is clearly shown and highlighted, makes this map's data very persuasive and impactful. This map examines the Israelis' control of the land.
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Competing territorial claims have led to maritime disputes off the coast of Asia. See a map of the islands at issue. This is an nice interactive map that allows the reader to explore current geopolitical conflicts that are about controlling islands. This is an good source to use when introducing Exclusive Economic Zones, which is often the key strategic importance of small, lightly populated islands. Tags: EastAsia, SouthEastAsia, political, unit 4 political, territoriality, autonomy, conflict, economic. Delete the scoop?
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link to part 2 http://youtu.be/I5t9wpEzKRc or http://youtu.be/myNxTaW5z3w link to part 3 http://youtu.be/7mJK4Sgxrbw...
This video clip shows the historical background of the political and economic factors that have lead to competing claims in the South China Sea. The Exclusive conomic Zone (EEZ) with projected oil fields is the main prize and China has been flexing it's regional muscles. 
Roland Trudeau Jr.'s comment,
August 9, 2012 10:28 AM
An interesting project, that may cause a great deal of problems in the future I would hope that the resolution can come peacfully and quickly
Kim Vignale's comment,
August 12, 2012 2:09 PM
I didn't realize there was a conflict in the South China Sea between these Asian countries until this project was presented. I learned a great deal from the points and information relayed through this project. It is a great issue between these countries because the ocean provides a huge source of income for these countries and fighting for it is important for these countries.
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Questions are growing about the fate of President Bashar Assad's regime. One possibility is the creation of a breakaway region in the northwest coastal mountains dominated by the president's Alawite minority.
This podcast explores the geopolitical possibilities that are facing the minority Alawites of Syria. If the major cities of Syria fall to the rebels, would a smaller Alawite breakaway state even be economically or politically viable? This podcast argues that it would not, and therefore many Alawites see this as a zero sum game. While this is all speculative, it uses spatial and geographic prinicples to assess the viability of possible outcomes. Delete the scoop?
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Where you find a border, you usually find somebody pissed off about it.
Disclaimer: This article is more glib and crude in its language than I typically post. However there is some great insight in this article about the curiosities that can occur on the borders that merits inclusion here. Enclaves, walls, roads, glaciers, and tables all play prominent roles in these 5 quirky borders. 
Kara H's comment,
July 24, 2012 6:48 PM
Wow, I never knew border issues like this existed! Some are strange, but they live with the issue, like Canusa and the Netherlands/Belgium. Some are high tension, like Pakistan and India. I guess some of these issues are inevitable, the border has to go somewhere, and people over hundreds of years have moved outward.
Don Brown Jr's comment,
July 25, 2012 7:09 PM
Although some of these boarders were established for security reasons, many more like the one along the American boarder seem to be constructed for more symbolic purposes as a physiological rather than a physical barrier.
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Divided islands, like Market in the Baltic Sea, conform to a version of Sayre's law: the smaller the territory, the more confusing the border.
In the latest chapter of the Borderlines series in the New York Times, explores the smallest divided island with characteristic insight, humor and intellectual eclecticism. "Borders allow humankind to separate what nature has united. But an island is a naturally closed entity. Its shoreline is the boundary of the bubble separating it from the rest of the world. And then impose a human-made barrier on an island? What is the meaning of isolation — a word derived, in fact, from the Latin for island — if you have to share it with someone else?" Delete the scoop?
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A look inside the controversial underground tunnels that link Egypt and the Gaza Strip, where smugglers funnel fuel, food, and potentially weapons into the isolated territory.
This video is a look inside the some of the hundreds of tunnels that are used to smuggle goods into Gaza that have become more intensely used since the blockade on goods that went into effect in 2007 when Hamas came to power. Also, members of the Israeli military demonstrate the evidence they have that these tunnels are being used to bring weapons. Delete the scoop?
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