The political map of the world is a geographical map that reflects the countries of the world, their form of government and state structure. The political map reflects the main political and geographical changes: the formation of new independent states, the change in their status, the merger and separation of states, the loss or acquisition of sovereignty, the change in the area of states, the replacement of their capitals, the change in the names of states and capitals, the change in forms of government, etc. .
In a broad sense, the political map of the world is not only the state borders of countries plotted on a cartographic basis. It carries information about the history of the formation of political systems and states, about the relationship of states in the modern world, about the originality of regions and countries according to their political structure, about the influence of the location of countries on their political structure and economic development.
At the same time, the political map of the world is a historical category, since it reflects all changes in the political structure and borders of states that occur as a result of various historical events.
Colorful political map of the world in English
All the changes that have arisen on the political map over the long history of its formation are of a different nature. Among them, there are quantitative and qualitative changes. Quantitative ones include: accession of newly discovered lands; territorial gains or losses during wars; unification or disintegration of states; concessions or exchanges between countries of land areas. Other changes are qualitative. They consist in the historical change of socio-economic formations; the country's acquisition of political sovereignty; the introduction of new forms of government; the formation of interstate political unions, the appearance and disappearance of "hot spots" on the planet. Quantitative changes are often accompanied by qualitative ones. Recent events in the world show that quantitative shifts on the political map are increasingly giving way to qualitative ones, and this leads to the understanding that instead of war - the usual means of resolving interstate disputes - the path of dialogues, peaceful settlement of territorial disputes and international conflicts comes to the fore.
Political map of the world before the collapse of the USSR in Russian
Large detailed political map of the world in Russian
Political map of the world 2012
Political map of the world with real proportions of the areas of states
Political map of the world in Ukrainian
Large political map of the world
Political map of the world (Russian)
Map of Dependent Territories of the World
Very large and detailed political map of the world - Wikiwand Very large and detailed political map of the world
Old school, nostalgic political map of the world - Old school, nostalgic political map of the world
Political world map in English - Political World Map English
Political world map (relief) - Wikiwand Political world map (relief)
Political / Physical Map of the World - Political / Physical Map of the World
Political World Map - Political World Map
Political map of the Earth - Political map of the Earth
Political world map in Russian - Political World Map
Political World Map - Political World Map
Political World Map - Political World Map
Experts predict that in the near future the political map of the world will undergo major changes. The trend towards an increase in the number of states based on ethnic principles continues. At the same time, state borders that do not correspond to the nations living within them will lose their significance. On the other hand, international political alliances will play an even more important role.
political map– geographical map of the globe, continent or region, which reflects the territorial and political division. The main elements of the content of the map are the borders of states and dependent territories, capitals, large cities, sometimes routes of communication are displayed on a political map, the boundaries of autonomous entities within states with a federal structure, capitals and centers of units of administrative-territorial division.
In today's world, there are more 250 countries. They are diverse in their place in the international division of labor and in international relations, in terms of economic development, in size of territory, in population, in ethnic and national composition, in geographical location, and in many other indicators. 193 states are members of the United Nations(as of 01.01.2018) and 2 observer states: Holy See (Vatican) and the State of Palestine.
The diversity of the countries of the modern world.
The countries of the world are grouped according to different criteria. For example, stand out sovereign, independent countries (about 193 out of 250) and dependent countries and territories. Dependent countries and territories may have different names: possessions - the term " colonies» not used since 1971 (there are very few left), overseas departments and territories, self-governing territories. So, Gibraltar is a British property; Island reunion in the Indian Ocean Guiana in South America, the overseas departments of France; island country Puerto Rico declared a "state freely affiliated with the United States."
Grouping countries by area:
- very large countries(territory over 3 million sq. km): Russia(17.1 million sq. km), Canada(10 million sq. km), China(9.6 million sq. km), USA(9.4 million sq. km), Brazil(8.5 million sq. km), Australia(7.7 million sq. km), India(3.3 million sq. km);
- major countries(have an area of more than 1 million km2): Algeria, Libya, Iran, Mongolia, Argentina, etc.;
- medium and small countries: these include most of the countries of the world - Italy, Vietnam, Germany, etc.
- micro-states: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican. They also include Singapore and the island states of the Caribbean and Oceania.
According to the population, they are 10 largest countries in the world : China (1318 million people); India (1132 million people); USA (302 million people); Indonesia (232 million people); Brazil (189 million people); Pakistan (169 million people); Bangladesh (149 million people); Nigeria (144 million people); Russia (142 million people); Japan (128 million people). The population of countries is constantly changing, so this "big ten" is also changing. Most of the world's countries are middle-sized states (less than 100 million people): Iran, Ethiopia, Germany, etc. The smallest countries in terms of population are micro-states. For example, 1,000 people live in the Vatican.
State system, forms of government and administrative-territorial structure of the countries of the world.
The countries of the world also differ in forms of government and by forms of territorial-state structure.
There are two main forms of government: republics , where the legislative power usually belongs to the parliament, and the executive power to the government (USA, Germany), and monarchy where power belongs to the monarch and is inherited (Brunei, UK).
Most countries in the world have a republican form of government. There are presidential republics, where the president heads the government and has great powers (USA, Guinea, Argentina, etc.), and parliamentary republics, where the role of the president is smaller, and the head of the executive branch is the prime minister appointed by the president. The monarchy is currently 29 .
Monarchies are constitutional and absolute. At constitutional monarchy the power of the monarch is limited by the constitution and the activities of parliament: the real legislative power usually belongs to the parliament, and the executive - to the government. The monarch at the same time "reigns, but does not rule", although his political influence is quite large. Such monarchies include Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, etc.
At absolute monarchy The power of the ruler is not limited by anything. There are only six states in the world with this form of government: Brunei, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Vatican.
Of particular note are the so-called theocratic monarchies , i.e. countries where the head of state is also its religious head (Vatican and Saudi Arabia).
There are countries that have a specific form of government. These include states that are part of the so-called commonwealth (until 1947 it was called the "British Commonwealth of Nations"). The Commonwealth is an association of countries that includes Great Britain and many of its former colonies, dominions and dependent territories (total 50 states). It was originally created by Great Britain to preserve its economic and military-political positions in previously owned territories and countries. V 16 Commonwealth countries formally considered the head of state british queen. The largest of them include Canada, Australia, New Zealand. In them, the head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General, and the legislature is Parliament.
Modern political map of the world- these are geographical pictures that have collected all the countries of the planet, their government form and state structures. A comprehensive image of countries fully shows important political and geographical changes: the emergence of new countries, their connection and division, changes in status, changes in area, loss or acquisition of sovereignty, changes in capitals, their renaming, modification of the type of government, etc.
The map is displayed differently. In some versions, it may have an addition - a display of the relief of the Earth's surface. This is the most dynamic type of maps, displaying geographic and political changes. Therefore, Voweb invites visitors to read the latest edition, which highlights the latest developments over the past decade.
Political map in Russian on the site
Three stages in the creation of a modern political map
The way the image of the planet opens before us today is the result of long-term changes. The political-geographic map was formed over decades, and its process consisted of three stages:
- The end of World War I, which marked the beginning of the foundation of the RSFSR (later the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics), Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire collapsed
- The end of World War 2: Germany broke up into the GDR and the FRG, the creation of the socialist republic of Cuba, the emergence of other countries in Oceania, Africa, Latin America and Asia
- 1991 - collapse of the USSR
At the third stage, after the split of the Soviet Union, many countries joined the CIS. From the end of 1990, the FDR and the GDR reunited into a single Germany, Czechoslovakia broke up into the Czech and Slovak Republics, and Hong Kong returned to China, which previously belonged to Great Britain.
Free interactive political map of the world online
Internet resources offer to buy a card. The Voweb site provides the opportunity to use the political and geographical map for free. The images are interactive, move or shift them in different directions, inspecting the areas of interest.
Develop your knowledge, learn new and interesting things. Voweb is constantly working to improve the service, offering up-to-date political maps in high resolution in Russian.
1. MODERN POLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLD
1.1. Modern political map of the world
What information does the political map of the world carry?
· A political map of the World - This is a geographical map that shows the territories, borders, largest cities of all countries of the world.
The main objects of the political map of the world are countries, territories and their borders.
· The country - territory, having certain borders, enjoying state sovereignty or being under the rule of another state and deprived of state independence (colonies, trust territories).
Today, there are 193 independent states on the political map of the world: 43 in Europe (including the Russian Federation); 48 in Asia (including the Palestinian state); 53 - in Africa (excluding Western Sahara, the status of which is subject to settlement, in accordance with the relevant decisions of the UN and the Organization of African Unity (OAU); 35 - on the American continent; 14 states - in Australia and Oceania.
· State - political form of organization of society. The main features of the state: 1) the presence of bodies exercising supreme power, extending to the entire population; 2) the presence of a right-a set of generally binding rules of conduct established by the state; 3) the presence of a certain territory, which is subject to power, the jurisdiction of the state.
Each country has its own economic and geographical position (EGP), which is understood as the position of the country in relation to the centers of the world economy, raw materials and sales markets.
The process of formation of states continued for several millennia. Some states (Egypt, China) have about 6 thousand years of history, others - a little over 200 years (USA). Some modern states in their current form lasted less than 15 years (Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc.).
The process of forming the political map of the world also has several millennia. Its beginning is associated with the period of the primary stages of the social division of labor, the emergence of private property, which led to the social stratification of society. Its further deepening led to the intensification of state building and the struggle for the redistribution of spheres of influence. The change in social formations determined the boundaries of the main stages in the formation of the political map of the world. Among them:
1. Ancient - up to 5 in. AD, is characterized by the formation and development of such major centers of civilization as Egypt, China, India, Mesopotamia. Many states of the ancient world arose in the Mediterranean and are associated with the heyday of Greece, Rome and Carthage.
2. Medieval - covers approximately V-XVI centuries. in Europe, a large number of feudal states arise, trade relations between them intensify, territorial claims of feudal states to each other cause numerous military conflicts. At this time, Byzantium, the Holy Roman Empire, Kievan Rus, Muscovy, Portugal, Spain, England appear on the map.
3. New - formation of a modern political map: ( From the 16th century to the end of the First World War) - corresponds to a whole era of the birth, rise and establishment of capitalism, the formation of a colonial empire. So, in 1876, only 10% of the territory of Africa belonged to Western European countries, while in 1900 - already 90%.
4. Newest - from 1914 to the second half of the 90s. The 20th century is associated with two wars, the October Revolution in Russia, the formation of socialist and capitalist camps, with political and economic confrontation between them. The disintegration of the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the USA, Japan and a number of other metropolitan countries also belongs to this stage, as a result of which more than 100 new independent states arise in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
5. Modern - from 1990 to the present day. The most important events of this period, which radically changed the political map of the world, include:
· The collapse of the socialist camp;
· The collapse of the USSR into 15 sovereign states;
· Reunification of Germany with the GDR;
· The collapse of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia and the formation of seven independent states on their territory (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia).
Separation of the independent state of Eritrea from Ethiopia;
· Reunification of Hong Kong with China;
· Breakup of Serbia and Montenegro into two independent states.
1.2. Diversity of the countries of the world. Political system
When studying the political map of the world, various criteria are used to unite states into groups. The most common of these are indicators characterizing the country:
1. by area size:
· The largest(more than 3 million sq. km)- Russia, Canada, USA, China, India;
· Large (1-3 million sq. km) - Argentina, Mexico, Mongolia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia;
· Medium(less than 1 million sq. km)- Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Japan, Turkey;
· Dwarf (less than 0.01 million sq. km)- Vatican, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino.
2. by population- the largest (million people) - China (1280), India (1045), USA (287), Indonesia (217), Brazil (174), Pakistan (148), Russia (145), Bangladesh (134), Nigeria ( 130), Japan (127).
3. by national composition of the population -single and multinational;
4. according to the peculiarities of the geographical location - seaside, inland, island, peninsular, archipelago countries.
Countries are also grouped according to political criteria, such as political system (monarchies and republics), administrative-territorial unit (unitary, federal, confederal).
If the association of states is based on qualitative features, then they speak of typologies countries.
· Economically developed- approximately 60 countries of the world.
1) "Big Seven" - USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada - these countries account for about 50% of the world GDP.
2) Smaller countries- the countries of Western Europe, their economic potential is noticeably lower, but in terms of GDP per capita, these countries are not inferior to the G7.
3) Countries of "settlement capitalism" - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel.
Developing countries- include more than 150 countries in which about 70% of the world's population lives. This group is conditionally divided into:
1) Key countries - India, Brazil, Mexico, which have significant natural, human and economic potential, but in terms of GDP per capita are significantly inferior to developed countries.
2) Less developed countries in Latin America, Asia and North Africa, whose GDP per capita exceeds 1 thousand dollars - Chile, Peru, Egypt, Tunisia.
3) Newly industrialized countries Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, etc., which achieved economic growth at the end of the 20th century.
4) Oil-exporting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, etc., where, thanks to the influx of "petrodollars", per capita GDP reaches the level of developed countries.
5) The lagging countries which are characterized by a multistructural economy with strong feudal remnants and where the per capita GDP does not reach 1 thousand dollars a year - Kenya, El Salvador, etc.
6) The least developed (poorest) countries, where consumer agriculture predominates, there is practically no industry and services, and per capita GDP is $ 100-300 per year - Afghanistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, etc.
In this typology, it is very difficult to determine the place of post-socialist states, which in many respects are not inferior to developed countries, but have a rather low GDP per capita. That is why countries such as Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, etc., are often singled out as a special type of countries with economies in transition .
GDP (gross domestic product) -the total value of domestically produced goods and services at market prices over a given period.
There are only two forms of state government in the world - monarchical and republican.
· Monarchy - a form of government in which the supreme power belongs to the monarch - the king, duke, sultan, emir, prince and is inherited. There are 30 monarchies in the world.
Monarchies are:
1. Absolute - the power of the monarch is not limited by anything.
2. Constitutional - the power of the monarch is limited by the Constitution.
3. Theocratic - such a form of government of the monarch, when he is both the head of state and the head of the church.
· Republic - a form of government in which the supreme legislative power belongs to an elected representative body - the parliament, and the executive power belongs to the government. More than 140 countries in the world are republics. Republics are divided into presidential, in which the president is endowed with great powers, heads the government, and parliamentary, in which the main figure is the head of government, and not the president. The presidential republics are: the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, etc., the parliamentary republics are Germany, Italy, India, Israel, etc. The socialist republics are China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam.
· A rare form of government are states within the Commonwealth. There are only 15 such countries. The formal head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, who is represented by the Governor General. These countries are the former dominions of Great Britain (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc.).
In addition, according to the form of the administrative-territorial structure, there are unitary and federal.
· unitary state - this is a form of administrative-territorial structure of the country, in which the country has a single, indivisible executive and legislative power.
· federal state - has such a form of the administrative-territorial structure of the country, in which, along with uniform (federal) laws and authorities, there are separate self-governing units (republics, lands, states, marks, etc.) that have their own legislative, executive and judicial authorities.
After the Second World War, the political map of the world reflected such important processes as the formation of a number of socialist states, the collapse of the colonial system and the emergence of dozens of liberated countries, and the growth of the non-aligned movement. But the main content of the entire post-war period was the global confrontation between East and West, the "cold war" between them. Numerous military-political alliances emerged, including the two main ones: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact Organization (WTO). Hundreds of military bases were created in different parts of the globe, local wars broke out every now and then. Numerous hotbeds of international tension and regional conflicts have emerged on the political map of the world.
Throughout the post-war period, the main "hot spot" remains the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf region. And not the last role in this is played by the historically established interweaving of cultures and religions. Here the interests of not only the Arab countries and Israel, but also other states collide.
In the second half of the 1980s, international relations saw a transition from confrontation to mutual understanding and cooperation. Good-neighbourliness began to replace mistrust, suspicion and enmity. Now this applies to relations between Russia, the CIS and the United States, between the countries of Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) and other regions. The political map of the world reflects such important processes and phenomena as the unification of Germany, the formation of the CIS, the beginning of real disarmament, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the proclamation by NATO countries of the Partnership for Peace program, in which our country also participates. Political means managed to untie the tight knots of many regional conflicts.
As a result, international tensions have subsided, and the world has become calmer and safer. The role of the United Nations (UN), which includes 185 countries, is of great importance in easing tension.
All the changes taking place on the political map of the world are being studied by a new branch of social and economic geography - political geography (geopolitics). Its sphere of interests includes: features of the social and state system, forms of government and administrative-territorial division, domestic and foreign policy, political and geographical position of countries, assessment of borders and border regions, assessment of borders and border regions, geographical differences in the social class structure population, religious, national composition of the population, etc. the main task – study of the geography of international relations, the alignment of forces between the great powers.
It can be considered in two aspects. The first is a simple publication on paper, which reflects how the world works in terms of the alignment of political forces. The second aspect considers this concept from a broader perspective, as about the formation of states, their structure and split, about the reshuffle of forces in the political world, about the advantage and influence of large and powerful states on the world economy. The past gives us a picture of the future, which is why it is so important to know the stages in the formation of the political map of the world.
general information
Any state has its own life cycle. It is a curve that looks like a hump. At the beginning of its journey, the country is being built and developed. Then comes the peak of development, when everyone is happy and everything seems to be fine. But sooner or later, the state loses its strength and power and begins to gradually fall apart. So it has always been, is and will be. That is why over the centuries we have seen the gradual rise and fall of great empires, superpowers and huge colonial monopolies. Consider the main stages in the formation of the political map of the world. The table is shown in the figure:
As you can see, many historians distinguish exactly five stages of modern history. In various sources, you can find only 4 main ones. Such a dilemma arose a long time ago, since it is possible to interpret the stages of formation of the political map of the world in different ways. The table of main sections proposed by us contains the most reliable information to date.
ancient period
In the ancient world, the first great states enter the arena of major events. You all probably remember them from history. This is the glorious Ancient Egypt, powerful Greece and the invincible Roman Empire. At the same time, there were less significant, but also quite developed states in Central and East Asia. Their historical period ends in the 5th century AD. It is generally accepted that it was at this time that the slave-owning system became a thing of the past.
medieval period
In our minds, during the period from 5 to 15 centuries, there have been a lot of changes that cannot be covered in one sentence. If the historians of that time knew what a political map of the world was, the stages of its formation would have already been divided into separate parts. After all, remember, during this time Christianity was born, Kievan Rus was born and disintegrated, it begins to emerge. In Europe, large feudal states are gaining strength. First of all, these are Spain and Portugal, which vied with one another to make new geographical discoveries.
At the same time, the political map of the world is constantly changing. The stages of formation of that time will change the future fate of many states. The mighty Ottoman Empire will exist for several more centuries, which will capture the states of Europe, Asia and Africa.
new period
From the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th centuries, a new page began on the political arena. It was the time of the beginning of the first capitalist relations. Ages when huge colonial empires that conquered the whole world begin to emerge in the world. The political map of the world is often changed and remade. Stages of formation constantly replace each other.
Gradually Spain and Portugal lose their power. Due to the robbery of other countries, it is no longer possible to survive, because more developed countries are moving to a completely new level of production - manufacturing. This gave impetus to the development of such powers as England, France, the Netherlands, Germany. After the American Civil War, they are joined by a new and very large player - the United States of America.
The political map of the world changed especially often at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The stages of formation in that period depended on the outcome of successful military campaigns. So, if back in 1876 European countries captured only 10% of the territory of Africa, then in just 30 years they managed to conquer 90% of the entire territory of the hot continent. The whole world entered the new 20th century already practically divided between the superpowers. They controlled the economy and ruled alone. Further redistribution was inevitable without a war. Thus ends a new period and begins the latest stage in the formation of the political map of the world.
The newest stage
The redistribution of the world after the First World War made huge adjustments in First of all, four powerful empires disappeared. These are Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire and Germany. In their place, many new states were formed.
At the same time, a new trend appeared - socialism. And a huge state appears on the world map - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. At the same time, such powers as France, Great Britain, Belgium and Japan are becoming stronger. Some of the lands of the former colonies were transferred to them. But such a redistribution does not suit many, and the world is again on the verge of war.
At this stage, some historians continue to write about the newest period, but it is now generally accepted that with the end of World War II, the modern stage of the formation of the political map of the world begins.
Modern stage
The Second World War outlined for us those borders, most of which we see today. First of all, this concerns the states of Europe. The biggest result of the war was that they completely disintegrated and disappeared. New independent states arose in South America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia.
But the largest country in the world, the USSR, still continues to exist. With its collapse in 1991, another important stage appears. Many historians distinguish it as a subsection of the modern period. Indeed, in Eurasia after 1991, 17 new independent states were formed. Many of them decided to continue their existence within the borders of the Russian Federation. For example, Chechnya defended its interests for a long time, until the power of a powerful country won as a result of hostilities.
At the same time, changes continue in the Middle East. There is a unification of some Arab states. In Europe, a united Germany is emerging and the Union of the FRY is disintegrating, as a result of which Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro appear.
Continuation of a story
We have presented only the main stages in the formation of the political map of the world. But the story doesn't end there. As the events of recent years show, it will soon be necessary to allocate a new period or redraw maps. After all, judge for yourself: two years ago, Crimea belonged to the territory of Ukraine, and now all atlases need to be completely redone in order to change its citizenship. And also problematic Israel, drowning in battles, Egypt on the verge of war and the redistribution of power, incessant Syria, which mighty superpowers can wipe out from the face of the Earth. All this is our modern history.