The following are some basic terms, and their definitions, used within political geography.

State - an independent political unit, with a defined territory, that has dominion over the space and the people.

Sovereign State - an independent political unit, with a defined territory, that has dominion over the space and the people, and is free from all external control. What many would simply refer to as a country.

Republic - A government that is made up of elected officials.

Democracy - A government in which a substantial portion of the citizenry directly or indirectly participates in the ruling of the state.

Monarchy - Hereditary rule by a person of royal ancestry.

Constitutional Monarchy - A state headed by a monarch yet limited by a written constitution.

Dictatorship - Rule by one person, who is not responsible to the people or elected officials.

Coalition Government - The formation of a cabinet or council where no political party has a majority.

One Party System - A state that holds elections yet does not provide voters with alternative parties, this may be done by military or legislative means.

Multiparty System - A democratic system where more than two parties compete for power.

Secular - Separation of church and state.

Non-Secular - Church and state as one.

Nation - A people with a common language, culture, and history that bind them together. A nation does not denote allotted space or a form of government. Examples of nations without space or government; Kurds in Iraq and Turkey, Palestinians on the West Bank, and Sikhs in South Asia. Often violence is the result because these groups often lack governmental addressment.

What characteristics are necessary for a sovereign state or country?

1. It must have space or territory, which must be useful.
2. It must have a somewhat stationary population. This population should have common cultural, lingual, and historical traits.
3. It must have a government, administrative system, and political organization.
4. It must have an organized economy, which is supervised or policied by the government.
5. It must have a distribution system. This refers to infrastructural development that allows the population to communicate, move from what point to another, and exchange money or credit.
6. It must be able to exert power over space and people and protect and defend that space and system.

Lesson 1

Ways In Which A Government's Sovereignty Is Threatened - Latin America

Guerilla Groups

Many states within Latin America have failed to create a two party political system. A two party system would enable a state to accommodate change and represent the majority of the population's interests. In an atmosphere where change seems difficult or impossible, armed groups seek to address what the government does not, the will of the people. Often these groups thrive in a rural atmosphere where an impoverished population exists that feels forgotten or ignored by a remote government centered in the capital city. If change seems impossible many believe that armed revolution is the only means for real change. The existence of pockets of armed resistance to governmental authority daily poses a severe threat to governmental authority and legitimacy. The following links will give you information on guerilla groups in Latin America.

Go to the U.S. State Dept. Section on Global Terrorism. Read the US State Department's assessment of guerilla group activity in South America.

Drug Traffickers

Another example of a way in which governmental authority is damaged from within is via the presence of drug traffickers. Drug production in developing states has developed to meet a large demand predominately centered in the United States and Western Europe. Many developing states still depend on agriculture as a major portion of their economic base. While still depending on agriculture, many states do not posses a framework in which a majority of the population have access to land ownership. This results in a large number of tenant farmers or landowners with very small pieces of land. In some developing states 5% of the population may own 80% of the land. With very small plots of land, or no land ownership at all, the attraction to drug production is great. Impoverished rural populations are naturally drawn to a crop that has a guaranteed market, and commands the highest price. These populations do not know the full ramifications of drug trafficking. They only know that they are able to better provide for their families by growing or picking this crop. On the refinement and production end, vast wealth is garnered by a limited few. These few develop large armies for protection, and do not take part directly in the legitimate economic system of the state. Like guerilla groups they create pockets of the state that are not under the control of the government. The following links should give you more information on drug trafficking and the impact in Latin America.

Go to the U.S. State Dept Background Notes and click on Columbia and Peru. Scroll through country information to assess impact of drug trafficking in these two states.