French language and culture act as a centripetal force throughout Canada as the majority of Canadians have English as a first language and the government uses both languages in official communications.

As an expression of political power, the Canadian federal government restricts the French language and culture from media and government proceedings.

French language and culture act as centripetal forces and unify all of Canada’s people and government into a single nation.

French language and culture act as a centrifugal force in Canada because independence movements in Quebec have attempted to secede the province from Canada.

Because French Canadians are spread across the country’s provinces, the Canadian government implemented federal laws to create a common culture and language for all Canadians.

Functional regions

Urban regions

Physical regions

Vernacular regions

Semiautonomous regions

The state of Turkey, seeking to connect areas with a substantial Kurdish population into an independent state, might take action against neighboring states.

The Kurdish people, seeking a state of their own with a majority Kurdish population, might secede from or rebel against the states labeled on the map.

The Kurdish people would have to migrate into a single country to gain a population majority and would struggle for control of the government.

In areas with a Kurdish majority population, Kurdish people are politically active among Turks, Iranians, Iraqis, and Syrians and would be able to win an election on a national vote to secede.

The countries shown on the map will cooperate and work together to address the political situation and needs of people in areas with a substantial Kurdish population. 

federal states

autonomous republics

multistate nations

nation-states

colonial territories

The devolution of Yugoslavia occurred primarily along national lines, resulting in countries with a defined ethnic majority.

The breakup of Yugoslavia was the result of a civil war in which ethnic groups fought for control of the capital of Belgrade in Serbia.

The Balkanization of Yugoslavia resulted in the formation of new ethnic nationalities divided by differences in religion and language.

The dissolution of Yugoslavia resulted in some ethnic groups being aligned with capitalist Western Europe and others being aligned with communist Eastern Europe.

The downfall of Yugoslavia was a case of ethnic differences becoming a centripetal force in the formation of a multistate nation.

Antecedent, based on tribal cultural boundaries that existed before European colonization

Subsequent, with smaller buffer states placed between larger states to prevent political conflicts

Consequent, accounting for local differences in language and religion during European colonization

Natural, with irregular lines, accounting for regional physical features such as mountains or water bodies

Geometric, with straight lines, disregarding physical features or tribal cultural differences of the areas

an open border

a demilitarized zone

a relict boundary

an antecedent boundary

a geometric boundary

The claims to the Spratly Islands by both the Philippines and Malaysia overlap due to exclusive economic zones up to 200 nautical miles from their coasts.

The Philippines and Malaysia both claim the islands lie within their territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles from their coasts.

The claims to the islands by the Philippines and Malaysia overlap due to the median line principle.

The Philippines and Malaysia both claim ownership to the resources based on a historic possession of the islands.

The Philippines and Malaysia both claim the islands lie within their contiguous zones between 12 and 24 nautical miles from their coasts.

Global

Supranational

National

State

Local

The Berlin Wall between East and West Germany no longer exists, but the location is still evident.

European powers divided Africa at the Berlin Conference and drew boundaries across the continent.

The United States–Canadian boundary was set at the 49th parallel by a treaty before the area was settled.

Canada created the province of Nunavut to provide greater autonomy for the First Nations.

The Andes Mountains are used as a political boundary to divide Chile and Argentina.

These areas are established as nation-states for indigenous peoples at the local scale.

These areas show territory occupied by indigenous peoples as stateless nations at a local scale.

These areas show territory controlled by indigenous peoples as a single multistate nation.

These areas show where indigenous peoples have a limited amount of self-government at a national scale.

These areas are lands of indigenous peoples that are sovereign independent states at an international scale.

City

Country

State

Regional

National

Member state representation in a supranational legislature

Local representation in the state legislature

State representation in the regional legislature

Local representation in the national legislature

Local representation in the regional legislature

The geometric boundary between the United States and Canada

The border of the European Union

The Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain

The geometric boundary between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

The Great Wall of China

Centripetal forces may cause uneven development at the local scale but not at the national scale.

Centripetal forces at both the local scale and the national scale may lead to increased cultural cohesion.

Centripetal forces may lead to stateless nations at the national scale but not the local scale.

Centripetal forces may result in nationalism at the local scale but not at the national scale.

Centripetal forces at both the local scale and the national scale may lead to failed states.

A centralized government and strong centripetal forces

A fragmented land area and a single ethnic group

A small land area and high population density

A compact shape and a primate city

A large land area and multiple ethnic groups

A centralized government creates a barrier to local participation in the political process.

Autonomous regions act outside the authority of a central government.

Federal states encourage devolutionary movements and break apart quickly.

Laws are enacted in a single language to promote cultural unity.

Multiple substrates have local control and are unified to pursue common goals at the national level.

Stronger states and transnational corporations indirectly control weaker states.

A state has a strong central government with no power given to regions.

A collection of independent communities shares government services.

A state’s more powerful central government shares power with its regions.

A sense of unity, often derived from ethnic or cultural traits, binds a country together.

There is an economic aspect to the Quebecois independence movement, while the Catalans focus mainly on culture.

Both independence movements utilize cultural distinctiveness as their only reason for seeking independence.

Both independence movements focus on religious differences with the nations they currently belong to.

There is an economic aspect to the Catalan independence movement, while the Quebecois focus mainly on cultural differences.

Both independence movements utilize economic power as their main reason for seeking independence.

Ethnicity and religion act as centripetal forces in the country by creating a common Iraqi identity among the population.

Ethnicity and religion facilitate democratization in the country by motivating participation in elections.

Ethnicity and religion promote economic development in the country by generating national pride in the country’s accomplishments.

Ethnicity and religion lead to devolutionary pressures in the country by politically dividing regions.

Ethnicity and religion increase cultural cohesion in the country by promoting shared political ideology.

Both global communication technology and state-controlled media act as centripetal forces that present a common message, which is utilized by the government to bind citizens together.

Neither global communications technology nor state-controlled media have any impact on the viability of a state when it comes to centripetal or centrifugal forces.

Global communications technology is utilized as a centripetal force to present a common message, whereas state-controlled media may bring in new ideas that act as centrifugal forces.

Both global communications technology and state-controlled media act as centrifugal forces because they give citizens access to concepts or ideas that may inspire dissent.

Global communications technology may bring in new ideas that act as centrifugal forces, whereas state-controlled media is utilized as a centripetal force to present a common message.

It created centrifugal forces at both local and national scales.

It created centrifugal forces at the local scale but not the national scale.

It created centrifugal forces locally and centripetal forces nationally.

It created centripetal forces at the national scale but not the local scale.

It created centripetal forces at both local and national scales.

Russia is a global power with concentrated power in East Asia.

Russia is a multistate nation made up of numerous sovereign independent entities.

Russia’s autonomous regions illustrate a strategy to counter the difficulty in governing such a large area from a single centralized location.

Russia is an ethnically diverse region with many subnational units.

Russia used to control fifteen additional republics that regained its independence in 1990.

Israel, Turkey, and Russia have voiced their support for an independent Kurdistan in areas with a majority Kurdish population, showing potential validation for Kurdistan.

In September 2017 a public referendum was carried out that demonstrated that a majority of Kurds overwhelmingly support independence.

Most areas with a Kurdish majority population are landlocked and therefore dependent on good relationships with their neighbors in order to access trade and prosper economically.

Even in areas with a Kurdish minority population, Kurdish people have their own unique culture and identity separately from the states in which their nation is located.

Unstable oil prices have created economic problems both in parts of the region with a Kurdish majority population and in parts with a Kurdish minority, leaving the Kurdistan Regional Government weakened and struggling to pay off debt. 

The country’s high level of economic development acts as a centripetal force holding the state together.

The high level of economic difference between the regions in Italy acts as a devolutionary force.

The low level of economic difference between regions in Italy acts as a centripetal force holding the state together.

The low level of economic difference between regions in Italy promotes devolutionary movements in some parts of Italy.

The country’s low level of economic development promotes centrifugal forces tearing the state apart.

A natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami occurring within the country

A member of the state’s minority political party being elected to lead the country

Admittance into a supranational organization such as the European Union

Decommitment to environmental resolutions established by the United Nations

A shift from a federal system to a unitary system of governance within the state