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A judge in Argentina orders the seizure of assets of firms drilling for oil around the Falklands, but it is unclear how it can be enforced. Via Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks 
Matt Danielson's curator insight,
September 29, 2018 5:28 PM
Ordering the Seizure of foreign oil companies on the Falkland Islands does not seem like a productive move but yet an attempt at a cry for nationalism. The Falkland Islands are British territory which Britain was willing to go to war to keep (when they pushed out the invading Argentine forces from the Falkland Islands in the 1980's. This seizure could not even really be implemented. The foreign companies would never just hand over their assets and if The Argentinians attempt to invade the Falklands and seize them by force they would not only have to deal with England, But also France and the USA who own some of the targeted oil firms on the Falkland Islands. The only way these firms could have any assets seized is if the people of the Falklands decide to join Argentina Which is very unlikely because the last vote was a landslide win for staying part of England's territories.
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More complex international borders in this follow up to part 1. Via Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks
Danielle Lip's curator insight,
April 7, 2015 9:13 PM
Borders seem to be a problem whether you live in one continent or another, everyone wants power and control but not everyone can gain it. This video focuses and goes into depth about enclave and exclave borders, showing the irregularity of the borders in different areas that causes conflicts and problems. An example of a problem that the citizens have to deal with is that some villages can not leave due to the road blocks due to the borders. I can not imagine not being able to leave a certain area for all that time, I would go insane and I imagine those people are as well. International borders power has to be split somehow and not everyone can always come to an easy decision because parts of the land are claimed but the people do not have any control of it. Irregular borders cause more trouble than they are worth in my opinion. The final interesting fact about this video was that you learn that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are the two locations that have the most irregular border, these places must have the most conflict and problems. These borders are in places such as Germany, South Asia, China, Belgian, Sweden and Central Asia. 
Nicholas A. Whitmore's curator insight,
December 17, 2015 5:17 PM
A fascinating look into the complexity of borders. It is always important to keep in mind when looking at maps that the borders are neither permanent or defined as it exists in reality. Borders on world maps are rough estimations of what the borders actually are for they can't depict precise details on such a large scale. Furthermore regional/local maps sometimes do not whether as to conform to the border misconception unfortunately. In Central Asia as defined int he video the border were primarily a result of the Soviet Unions attempts to divided ethnic minorities reducing their power (primarily Stalin). As a result the countries after the collapse proceeded to claim the ethnic groups which created enclaves within each-other. As long as these groups are on peaceful terms this kind of thing isn't an issue. Unfortunately it does make the peoples lives in the enclaves slightly more difficult due to having to cross the border twice to see the rest of your country. This kind of thing was even done to the Jews in the first century AD who like the Russians wanted to eliminate or at least reduce attempts at revolution by the local populace. Hopefully Central Asia has or will make the lives of these enclaves easier. 
David Stiger's curator insight,
October 28, 2018 8:56 PM
I think it's fair to say that people in general take maps for granted. The devotion and reverence for the written word - specifically the published written word - prevents people from realizing that much of the world is a social construct. Geographically, borders are social constructs - sometimes loose agreements between different groups of people to establish territorial boundaries in order to claim resources. This video, which speaks to the complicated reality of territorial enclaves and 'exclaves,' illustrates how borders are social constructs. They can often be illogical, awkward, and highly disputable. Examining the several exclaves and enclaves shared between Armenia and Azerbaijan is evidence of the geopolitical mess that disputed borders create. What is most fascinating about this case is the assessment of how Joseph Stalin tampered with international borders as a geopolitical strategy in order to sow instability and weakness. This strategy allowed the the Soviets to more easily conquer and subjugate foreign peoples - all in the name of proletariat revolution.
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"Weak and failing states pose a challenge to the international community. In today’s world, with its highly globalized economy, information systems and interlaced security, pressures on one fragile state can have serious repercussions not only for that state and its people, but also for its neighbors and other states halfway across the globe. The Fragile States Index (FSI), produced by The Fund for Peace, is a critical tool in highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are pushing a state towards the brink of failure." Via malbert, Mike Busarello's Digital Storybooks
Melissa Marshall's curator insight,
August 28, 2014 12:57 AM
How can political stability and security be measured? The Fragile States Index is a statistical ranking designed to measure the effective political institutions across the globe.
CHS AP Human Geography / Beth Gehle & Amy Rossello's curator insight,
August 17, 2014 5:28 PM
Use in Political Geo unit, or for Canada and US region 
Tanya Townsend's curator insight,
October 12, 2015 11:09 PM
I honestly feel like we are never taught about these areas ever in US schools. We are always drilled about the 50 states and that's it. I would be interested in learning the history behind why this is still the case and what is keeping our government from considering them part of the states. The fact that they wont even consider American Samoa's citizens is a disgrace.
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Is this an opportune moment for Eurasian powers to tackle the festering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
Stephen Zimmett's curator insight,
May 19, 2014 12:26 PM
You can find this on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-Karabakh 
Jason Wilhelm's curator insight,
May 27, 2014 12:44 PM
The Crimea region has been hotly debated and fought over for quite a while now. The collapse of the USSR created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe which led to the contest for power in many of the former Soviet Satellite countries, including Ukraine. The Crimean peninsula, while mostly occupied by Russians, is legally a part of Ukraine, but maybe not for long. The Russian government is seemingly working to annex the peninsula while the Ukrainian government is working to keep it. The region will continue to be under lots of tugging and pulling for a while until a single government wins in to their nation. 
Benjamin Jackson's curator insight,
December 14, 2015 11:36 AM
this is a perfect example of some of the conflicts which have resulted because of the failure of the soviet state. with many of these states trying to gain land that the view as theirs, these wars can only really end in bloodshed or massive investments in peace. |
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History (and sometimes, unfortunately, current events) shows us just how easily national borders can change, but we still like to think that they are permanent fixtures. These photos of different national borders around the world show you how both friendly and hostile nations like to fence off their turf.
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"Though uninhabited and full of melting ice caps, the Arctic is surprisingly an appealing piece of real estate. Many countries have already claimed parts of the region. So who technically owns the North Pole? And why do these nations want it so bad?" Via Dean Haakenson
Rich Schultz's curator insight,
January 2, 2015 5:52 PM
Great question! I think we all know the answer...Santa Claus!! ;) 
Sammy Shershevsky's curator insight,
January 17, 2015 4:57 PM
The video discusses a big topic in discussion today - Who really owns the North Pole? Although the North Pole is uninhabited, many countries have claimed to take ownership of the vast majority of land (or, ice). Canada has already claimed that the North Pole is part of its nation. Russia has put up Russian flags on the North Pole (such as underwater) but does that really make North Pole a Russian territory? The media plays a role in this by offering different opinions on who should and who deserves the right to own the North Pole. You might read a Canadian article that lists all the outright reasons why the North Pole is or deserves to be a Canadian territory. 
Felix Ramos Jr.'s curator insight,
March 6, 2015 7:26 PM
In my opinion, I don't understand how the United nations can be seen as an entity that, essentially, controls who would have rights to a place like the North Pole(technically, not owned by anyone). I, naively, understand the basics of the U.N. In short, it is an organization that was formed, post-WW I or II, as a governing board for world-issues.
With that being said, how can they believe that their "law" is the all-powerful one? If I'm a leader of a country who is not a member of the U.N., do I really care what they say? I just find it odd that this narrator speaks about the issue while holding the U.N. as a supreme authority. I know that this video is just a quick fun type of video but it leaves me with wanting to hear the perspective of a non-U.N. member. But a very interesting topic, none the less.
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Canada has dispatched two icebreakers to map the Arctic seabed beneath the North Pole to support a bid to extend the country's maritime territory deeper into the waterways at the top of the world.
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"Unfortunately, most world political maps aren't telling you the whole story. The idea that the earth's land is cleanly divvied up into nation-states - one country for each of the world's peoples - is more an imaginative ideal than a reality. Read on to learn about five ways your map is lying to you about borders, territories, and even the roster of the world's countries."
Sally Egan's curator insight,
June 23, 2014 6:32 PM
Amazing stories on the World's changing Geopolitical status. Current stories about disputed borders, unrecognised territories and newly declared nations.
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Pro-Russian politicians and activists in Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region have asked the Russian parliament to draft a law that would allow their territory to join Russia.
Coach Frye's curator insight,
March 20, 2014 10:46 AM
The Trans-Dniester region functions as a working state, but is not internationally recognized as such. Members of this region are hoping Russia will annex them for political and economic stability. 
Jacob Crowell's curator insight,
October 15, 2014 1:08 PM
A nation that is not internationally recognized, Trans-Dniester reflect how borders are subject to changed based on cultural differences. The region identifies with Russia more than it does with Moldova. After the USSR broke up, the borders were created without considering demographic and cultural makeup of each region of the new states. With the Ukraine and with Trans-Dniester we see how many eastern European regions still identify with Russia. As Russia seems more willing to expand, many borders are likely to change in the area.
Felix Ramos Jr.'s curator insight,
April 1, 2015 8:10 PM
This situation only further complicates Eastern European dynamics. One thing that stood out to me after reading this aritcle is the reality that anti-Russian Ukraine is sandwiched between pro-Russian eastern Ukraine and pro-Russian eastern Moldova. This situation can only get uglier. |
