The political map and the classification of countries
Lessons 1–2 · 2 lessons · A. Qayumov, I. Safarov, M. Tillaboyeva, V. Fedorko. Geografiya (World economic and social geography), Grade 9, revised and expanded 5th edition. “O‘zbekiston” Publishing House, Tashkent, 2019
1
The political map of the world
Textbook: pp. 4–6
GoalGroup states by area and geographical position, and explain how the political map changed in the 20th and 21st centuries.
New words
political map · siyosiy xaritasovereign state · suveren davlatlandlocked (inland continental) state · ichki kontinental davlatUnited Nations (UN) · BMT
Explanation
A political map shows states, their borders and capitals. Today 193 states are members of the UN and two more (the Vatican and Palestine) have observer status; counting all countries and territories gives more than 200. States differ sharply in area: Russia, Canada, China, the USA, Brazil, Australia and India are the largest, while the Vatican, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu and San Marino are “micro” states. By geographical position states are island (Japan, Indonesia), peninsular (Italy, the Republic of Korea), coastal continental and landlocked. Landlocked states have no access to the world ocean; there are about 44 of them. Uzbekistan is doubly landlocked: neither it nor any of its neighbours reaches the sea (the only other such state is Liechtenstein).
Worked examples
Comparing areas: Russia is about 17 million km², the Vatican about 0.44 km². The gap is so large that Russia is tens of millions of times bigger.
Grouping: Cuba is an island state; Spain a peninsular state; Poland a coastal continental state; Mongolia a landlocked state.
Class activity
“Map history” game: the class splits into 4 groups for 1900, 1945, 1990 and today; each group explains in one sentence why the number of states in Europe or Africa changed in its year.
Practice
1
Which two states have observer status at the UN?
The Vatican and Palestine.
2
How many new independent states appeared when the USSR broke up in 1991? Name four.
15: for example Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
3
Why is Uzbekistan called “doubly landlocked”? Name two neighbours.
Because neither it nor any neighbour (for example Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan) has a sea coast; reaching the sea means crossing at least two borders.
4
Why did the number of independent states grow sharply in the 20th century? Give two reasons.
The collapse of the colonial system (especially in Africa and Asia) and, in the 1990s, the break-up of the socialist bloc, the USSR and Yugoslavia.