Mapping political regions

Where do you draw the line?What natural and human factors must

be considered?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jE_9LpnbmHU/R-nPQKGTU_I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/JR_cRcyNYX0/S1600-R/hand%2Bdrawn%2Bmaps.jpg

Sometimes only a frontier exists, an undefined boundary

http://www.gdargaud.net/Antarctica/MapSatellite/AntarcticStationsMap.gif

g7530 ct001529 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g7530.ct001529

1979

physical boundaries

http://www3.airlinesanddestinations.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/080116-cerrotronador-01.jpg

Mountains – Argentina and Chile

The Sahara Desert was an effective boundary between Libya and Chad until possible uranium deposits were discovered. Libya invaded in 1973 and the border was finally resolved in 1994.

water boundaries

geometric boundaries

http://geology.com/world/the-united-states-of-america-map.gif

Human Boundaries

ethnic/tribal boundaries

language boundaries

religious boundaries

http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Many-Religions.jpg

http://users.elite.net/runner/jennifers/jenshello2.gif

http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~frans/BackGrounds/multiEthnicCrowdBG.gif

Sometimes boundaries are created physically on the land.

This doesn’t always mean it will last!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Berlinermauer.jpg/220px-Berlinermauer.jpg

The Berlin Wall

The U.S./Mexican border

Also consider…

The Dutch mine a coal seam that runs under the boundary with Germany. An underground oil field extends between Iraq and Kuwait.

Polluted air travels from one political space into another. Above ground boundaries also were important in 1983. A S. Korean plane was shot down and 269 lives lost because it strayed into Soviet airspace.

Peter Haggett, Geography: a Modern Synthesis, 3rd ed., 1983, p.477, Harper & Row

Your turn…1. You and your partner will receive 1 set of maps from those

listed:a. climate/vegetation and annual precipitationb. population density and major religionsc. major languages and ethnic core areasd. rivers and landforms

2. Your job is to divide your hypothetical land into political units, based on the information you have.3. When you are satisfied with your results you will collaborate with another group that had different maps.4. Again, create political boundaries that you can agree on.5. Now you will join another group to reach consensus on a final

map. Now you will have considered all known factors.6. Select a representative to present your map to the class with

your justification for the boundaries.7. Using old transparencies or http://scribblemaps.com/ to

create your maps.

Congratulations!You have completed a very difficult task by dividing a

mythical country into political units.

Except that…it is a real country, Nigeria

http://pmi.gov/assets/images/nigeria_map.gif

Nigeria has 36 states and 1 capital Federal Territory (Abuja)Nigeria has a population of 170,123,740 (July 2012 est.)Nigeria is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential ethnic groups: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, Traditional African Religion 10% (many Muslims and Christians may also follow Traditional African Religion along side their main faith)along side their main faith.

http://dilemmaxdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/nigeria-states.jpg?w=540

A lot of states for a country of this size!

Map overlay created at www.overlapmaps.com

http://barenakedislam.com/2012/04/30/muslims-slaughtering-christians-in-nigeria-and-kenya-again/

Religious map of Nigeria

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/files/2012/01/773px-Population_density_map_of_Nigerian_states_-_English.png

Population density of Nigeria

An Introduction to Human Geography by James M. Rubenstein, p.250

So how were the borders within Africa created, and for Nigeria in particular?

http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct001445/ 1725

Note: Library of Congress maps are scalable. Click on the link on each slide for more detail.

http://www.africafederation.net/Berlin_1885.htm

The Conference of Berlin 1884-85 to divide Africa

Africa, 1885John Clark Ridpath LL. D., Cyclopedia of Universal History (Cincinnati, Ohio: Jones Brothers

Publishing Co., 1885)Downloaded from Maps ETC, on the web at http://etc.usf.edu/maps [map #07820]

1885

http://www.loc.gov/item/99446110 1909 – Africa by treaty

the “Scramble for Africa”

http://emeagwali.com/photos/biafra/nigerian-school-children-celebrating-national-independence-october-1-1960.jpg

http://zulusofola.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Adeyemi-Zulu-Sofola-Nigerian-Independence-Day-1960.jpg

http://www.stamps-for-sale.com/ekmps/shops/stewcoin/images/nigeria-1960-independence-sg-86-fine-mint-20680-p.jpg

http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8841f.ct003018/seq-1 1962 – Nigeria

administrative divisions

http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8201e.ct001273/seq-1

1972 – The Times map of

the tribes, peoples, & nations of modern

Africa

This map is particularly useful as it shows tribal groupings and current

national boundaries. The complexity of Africa includes

over 3000 tribes and 700 languages. Note: There is no

agreed upon criteria for tribe, as a particular “tribe”

may be ethnologically, linguistically, & culturally in

different tribal groups.

Border Lesson extensions using Library of Congress resources

India, Pakistan, and Kashmirhttp://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010651238/ photohttp://www.loc.gov/item/2003625170 Kashmir map 2003

Israel and Palestinehttp://www.loc.gov/search/?q=Israel+and+Palestine over 1400 results

Saudi Arabia and its bordering countries http://www.loc.gov/item/2011585054 1986 with Oman, Yemen, UAEhttp://www.loc.gov/item/2005631749 1979 with Oman, Yemen, UAEhttp://www.loc.gov/resource/g7601a.ct001335/ with Kuwaithttp://www.loc.gov/resource/g7531f.ct000894/ with Iraq and Kuwait 1991

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/09/weekinreview/09sudan-map.html

Sudan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12115013 Includes multiple maps – excellent resource

Library of Congress maps used in this lessonethno linguistic Africa 1996 http://www.loc.gov/item/96680239relief 2005 http://www.loc.gov/item/2005631137political 2003 http://www.loc.gov/item/20036298041976 bound./1952 affiliation 1952/76 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002639/seq-1colonies and independents 1908 http://www.loc.gov/item/876922821952 affiliations/67 boundaries 1952/67 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002526/seq-1admin divisions 1966 http://www.loc.gov/item/97687611population density 1979 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8201e.ct002483/seq-1administrative divisions 1950 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002839/seq-1administrative divisions 1957 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002499/seq-1administrative divisions 1965 http://www.loc.gov/item/97687612language map 1883 http://www.loc.gov/item/2005625334administrative divisions 1960 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002494/seq-1administrative divisions 1959 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct002492/seq-1admin with date of indep 1962 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8200.ct003003/seq-1administrative 1725 http://www.loc.gov/item/2005625330map of Africa by treaty 1909 http://www.loc.gov/item/99446110Times map people, etc. 1972 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8201e.ct001273/seq-1Nigeria 1993 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8840.ct001170/seq-1Nigeria - ethnic groups 1961 http://www.loc.gov/item/95682553Nigeria -linguistic 1967 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8841e.ct003187/seq-1Nigeria - administrative 1965 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8841f.ct003186/seq-1Nigeria 1932 http://www.loc.gov/item/2010592720Nigeria administrative 1962 http://www.loc.gov/resource/g8841f.ct003018/seq-1

other maps and references used in this lesson

cultural regions http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/APHG/projects/MUN-BC/maps/culture-2000.jpg

scroll down to maps http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/APHG/proje

cts/MUN-BC/maps/mapindex.htmmany pre & post colonial http://etc.usf.edu/maps/galleries/africa/complete/index.

phpAfr map 1885

1885 http://www.africafederation.net/Africa_Map_1885.pdf

story of Berlin Congress 1885 http://www.africafederation.net/Berlin_1885.htm

incl Biafra map http://www.africafederation.net/Biafra.htmmap Biafra and story http://www.answers.com/topic/biafra