Political Geography, Geographical Education, and Citizenship

Abstract

There are several important ways that geopolitics are related to geographical education and how they are linked to the development of political geography as a specialized topic within the discipline. First, political geography is the means for students to analyze and make reasoned decisions about how the earth’s surface, both land and water, is divided into territories. Those territories may be political, economic, social, or perceptual. In many instances they are demarcated on the map, and may have clear lines of demarcation on the earth, such as a sign saying “Welcome to the State of Michigan” at the political border with Indiana. Fences between farm fields and natural boundaries such as rivers also are demarcations on the land. In other cases, territories may be represented in a person’s mind, such as the commuting zone surrounding an urban place, or the recognition of human rights across the earth’s surface as a measure of political freedom. Secondly, the transition zones between political territories may be abrupt, such as the fence along much of the border between the United States and Mexico, or gradual, such as the movement of people and goods within the European Union. Such examples give rise to the major concepts of cooperation and conflict between political territories, and provide important examples of international dynamics. Governments and citizens in many countries in the 21^st century have increased roles in deciding the public policies that will determine the degree of conflict-cooperation along the political borders between countries. Thirdly, political geography is an important element in the attachment one has to land or country. It may be reflected in nationalism or in the attachment to a family, a community, a home, and a specific territory on the earth’s surface.