Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Categories of States

  • Chapter
Our Fragmented World

  • 43 Accesses

Abstract

Understanding is better than classification, yet beyond doubt an analysis that also includes an attempt to categorise assists understanding of our present states system. This can be done in a variety of ways on the basis of selected criteria. Criteria are provided by international law, by degrees of political power which reflect a combination of economic, military and diplomatic strength, by types of political structure, by geographical content and character, by systems of government, by national composition of the population and, not least in importance, by the levels of maturity attained. Other categories are indicated by the use of such terms, applied to states, as ‘residual’,’ successor’, ‘neutral’, ‘unaligned’ and ‘buffer’, each of which throws one ray of light on their diversity. It need hardly be added that these various classifications are not mutually exclusive and that each embraces variant forms.

‘A nation’, said Kossuth (in 1848), ‘must have its own Government’.

‘We do not go so far’, said the head of the deputation (sc. of Hungarian Serbs). ‘One nation can live under several different Governments, and again several nations can form a single State.’

[Cited by Temperley 1919]

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Auty, Phyllis [1970]: Tito: A Biography, Longmans, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedict, B., ed. [1967]: Problems of Smaller Territories, Athlone Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, B. J. L. [1969]: ‘Review of Russett’s International Regions and the Industrial System’, Geographical Review (New York), LIX, 450–1

    Google Scholar 

  • Blij, H. J. de [1967]: Systematic Political Geography, Wiley, New York, p. 104

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonjour, E. and Offler, H. S. [1952]: A Short History of Switzerland, University Press, Cambridge, pp. 270–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, Isaiah [1922]: The New World: Problems in Political Geography, Harrap, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Cviic, K. F. [1972]: ‘Yugoslavia: The missing dimension’, International Affairs, XLVIII, 414–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Dale, E. H. [1962]: ‘The state-idea: Missing prop of the West Indies Federation’, Scottish Geographical Magazine, LXXVIII, 166–76

    Google Scholar 

  • East, W. G. and Moodie, A. E., eds [1956]: The Changing World: Studies in Political Geography, Harrap, London and World Book Co., Yonkers-on-Hudson

    Google Scholar 

  • East, W. G., Spate, O. H. K. and Fisher, C. A., eds [1971]: The Changing Map of Asia, Methuen, London, paperback 1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairgrieve, J. [1941]: Geography and World Power, 8th edn, University of London Press, London, chapter 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, Richard [1846]: Gatherings from Spain, Everyman edn, 1970, Dent, London, p. 9

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, A. B. [1959]: The Power of Small States, University of Chicago Press, p. 186

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, T. M., ed. [1968]: Why Federations Fail, University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fucks, W. [1965]: Formeln zur Macht (Formula for Power), Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • German, F. C. [1960]: ‘A tentative evaluation of world power’, Journal of Conflict Resolution, IV, 138–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Goblet, Y. M. [1955]: Political Geography and the World Map, Philip, London, pp. 187–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartshorne, R. [1954]: ‘Political geography’, in Preston E. James and Clarence F. Jones, eds, American Geography: Inventory and Prospect, Syracuse University Press, Ithaca, p. 185

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartshorne, R. [1968]: ‘Morphology of the state area: Significance for the state’, in C. A. Fisher, ed., Essays in Political Geography, Methuen, London, pp. 27–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendelson, W. H. [1972]: ‘The two Germanies’, The Times, 14 November

    Google Scholar 

  • Prescott, J. R. V. [1972]: Political Geography, Methuen, London, pp. 40–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Russett, B. M. [1967]: International Regions and the International System, Rand McNally, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Temperley, H. W. V. [1919]: History of Serbia, Bell, London, p. 230

    Google Scholar 

  • Valkenburg, S. van [1939]: Elements of Political Geography, Pitman, London, chapter 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Weigert, H. W. et al. [1957]: Principles of Political Geography, Appleton Century Crofts, New York, chapter 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittlesey, Derwent [1956]: ‘The United States: The origin of a federal state’, in W. G. East and A. E. Moodie, eds, The Changing World: Studies in Political Geography, Harrap, London, p. 239

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasperson, R. E. and Minghi, J. V. [1969]: The Structure of Political Geography, Aldine, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Koropeckyj, I. S. [1972]: ‘Equalisation of regional development in socialist countries: An empirical study’, Economic Development and Cultural Change, XXI, 68–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Maina, C. [1974]: ‘What future for the Community?’, African Development, VIII, EA7-EA9

    Google Scholar 

  • Malefakis, E. E. [1970]: Agrarian Reform and Peasant Revolution in Spain: Origins of the Civil War, Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn., p. 6

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrill, R. L. and Wohlenberg, E. H. [1972]: The Geography of Poverty in the United States, McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, A. S. [1972]: ‘The regional problem in Argentina’s economic development’, Geography, LVII, 289–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Odell, P. R. [1973]: ‘The future of oil: A rejoinder’, Geographical Journal, CXXXIX, 436–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Ojala, E. M. [1967]: ‘Some current aspects of international commodity policy’, J. of Agricultural Economics, XVIII, 27–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Pounds, N. J. G. [1972]: Political Geography, 2nd edn, McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Prescott, J. R. V. [1968]: The Geography of State Policies, Hutchinson, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Renaud, B. M. [1972]: ‘Conflicts between national growth and regional income equality in a rapidly growing economy: The case of Korea’, Economic Development and Cultural Change, XXI, 429–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheel, W. [1963]: ‘Die Politische und Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Entwicklungshilfe für die Länder Afrikas’, Die Erde, XCIV, 182–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Symons, L. [1967]: ‘Russia and the Third World’, paper presented to The Thirty-Ninth Congress, at Melbourne, of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, Section P

    Google Scholar 

  • Towle, L. W. [1956]: International Trade and Commercial Policy, Harper, New York, pp. 439–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Warman, H. R. [1972]: ‘The future of oil’, Geographical Journal, LXXXVIII, 287–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Warriner, D. [1969]: Land Reform in Principle and Practice, Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Weigert, H. W., et. al. [1957]: Principles of Political Geography, Appleton Century Crofts, New York, pp. 451–2

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of London, UK

    W. Gordon East (Professor Emeritus of Geography)

  2. University of Melbourne, Australia

    J. R. V. Prescott (Reader in Geography)

Authors
  1. W. Gordon East
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. R. V. Prescott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Copyright information

© 1975 W. Gordon East and J. R. V. Prescott

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

East, W.G., Prescott, J.R.V. (1975). The Categories of States. In: Our Fragmented World. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15561-3_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation