We explain what the political division is, what it is for and examples on maps. Also, what would happen if it didn't exist.
What is the political division?
The political division of countries (or also administrative division, territorial subdivision or administrative demarcation) It is the way in which a State organizes, delimits and compartmentalizes its territory thus creating more or less autonomous political-administrative units, and also drawing a series of borders internally and externally of the country.
In other words, the political-administrative division of a country is the way in which it formally organizes its territory, distinguishing between the geographical regions that compose it and the way in which these will be populated, governed, identified, etc.
In the same way, we can talk about the political division of a continent to refer to the way in which the different countries that make it up identify their territory and draw the borders that separate them from each other.
The political-administrative division and the drawing of borders is a way of thinking that has accompanied human beings since the invention of nation-states, that is, of what today we call “countries”: political-administrative units that are They distinguish one from another and serve to administer a portion of the earth's surface (that is, a territory) that historically corresponds to them.
Thus, when we think of Mexico, France, China or Mozambique, we are referring not only to a cultural, religious, linguistic and/or ethnic tradition, but to the social and political organization that reserves supreme authority in said territories, that is, to the State.
Each State politically and administratively divides its territory as it sees fit: in some cases it does so through provinces, cantons and/or governorates, and within them mayoralties, municipalities, etc.
This organization is drawn on the territorial map through borders: imaginary lines that say where one province begins and another ends, for example, or that say how far the territory of the State extends, that is, where the territory of a neighboring State ends and begins.
See also: Geographic limits
What is the purpose of political division?
The political-administrative division of the territories has a very clear function: to identify the extent to which the political and social authority of a State, an institution or a ruler reaches, that is, clearly distinguish between the agreed parcels of power, so that there are no ambiguities or conflicts.
Thus, for example, the drawing of the border between two neighboring countries allows them to manage their populations independently, exploit their resources and make their decisions, without interfering in the territory of the other, knowing what is their own and what is foreign.
The same thing happens internally in a country: it is necessary to know how far the authority and responsibility of the local delegates of the State extend, that is, where the power of one provincial government ends, for example, and that of the other begins.
What would happen if there were no political division?
There are many ways to answer this question. A more optimistic vision, one that places greater confidence in people's ability to govern themselves peacefully and cooperate, would mean that with the end of political division and the disappearance of borders, people could move freely wherever they please and live where they like, without worrying about immigration laws or nationalities.
This, however, has something utopian about it. Borders and political-administrative divisions emerged in history for a reason: to put a formal limit on political powers and social mandates, so that there are no conflicts regarding who governs what territory, or how far the laws of this or that authority.
If these agreements and organizations disappear, perhaps certain disputes, wars and conflicts would reappear that had been overcome thanks to an organization accepted by both parties.
Maps with political division
Continue with: Types of maps
References
- “Administrative demarcation” in Wikipedia.
- “Territorial organization of the State” in ACE Project.
- “The world political division, the dominance of the United States and the European Union” (video) in USMPTV Educational Archives.
