Political geography - a kind of economic and social geography, which borders on political science.As an independent scientific direction, it appeared relatively recently, in the late 19th - early 20th century.Its founder is considered the German geographer Friedrich Ratzel, who in 1897 published a book under the same title.His book was initially criticized, because it sounded the conclusion that the capture of a strong state and a weak neighbor is warranted.The most badly she was persecuted, when she took advantage of the provisions of the Nazis Reich for practical purposes.It is the ideas of Ratzel was formed geopolitics, which in the Soviet Union was seen as an instrument for the conquest of the territories.
As for the term, it was first introduced by the Swedish scientist R. Kjellén.In the Soviet Union the movement of geopolitical thought was under the strict control of the state, because this area of knowledge hardly evolved.
Today, this concept is interpreted as the science of the territorial differences of political phenomena and processes.
Thus, the political geography studies:
- Creating global and regional political map.
- territorial changes political boundaries.
- The specific nature of government.
- political blocs, groups and parties.
- election campaign in terms of their territorial plans.
All of these categories can be studied at both the global and local levels.
wide interest to researchers is the assessment of the geopolitical position of individual states, ietheir specific provisions for allies and neighbors.Political geography tends to change over time, because it is considered a historical category.
Note that this science has several main areas:
- Geopolitics, which manages a global system.
- Geographical gosudarstvovedenie.
- Regional Politics.
- regional elites.
Political geography and geopolitics as it is a structural element are always under the scrutiny of researchers who are engaged in the analysis of domestic and foreign policy.The fact that the geopolitics of the country expresses its strategy in relation to national boundaries.It examines the interaction of the country with the rest of the powers, in particular with its neighbors.
If we consider the Second World War and the period of "cold war", all the concepts in this direction sought to analyze the reasons for territorial conquest, the establishment of military bases and occupation, as well as military and government intervention into the other countries.In a sense, modern geopolitics also has a similar thrust, but its specificity consists in the fact that more attention is already paid to the principles of international security.
Political geography is now actively developing as a science.In particular, if we consider its geopolitical characteristics, their manifestation in the world today is globalization.When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was destruction of existing balance.Begin to dominate trends in order to establish with the help of the military forces, and the opinion of the world community and its representative body - the United Nations - is not considered.In response to these actions appear anti-globalization movement, which quickly become aggressive.
Currently, the political geography is developing along with the social.However, this entails the appearance of criminal organizations, extremism, feminism and religion.Also very interesting industry in terms of nature is the emergence of culture and geography of the service sector.
note that the political map of the world, and fully reflects the era of changes occurring in it.However, the biggest changes it has undergone it in the 20th century, as the researchers note.
