• Vietnam is 1200 miles long by 150 miles wide.
• Its size makes it very difficult for one government to rule.
• Its long coast line makes it an easy target for outside forces to invade.
• The location of Ho Chi Minh City gives easy access to ocean going vessels.
• The location of Hanoi made outside contact more difficult.
• The north end of Vietnam’s location made it much more open to influence Communist China, making the Vietnam War inevitable.

• Compact states have territories shaped somewhere between round and rectangular, without major indentations. They enclose a maximum amount of territory within a minimum length of boundary. because they have minimum boundary areas, it’s easier to defend

• the people of Cambodia are more alike because they are grouped together. This
  is called cultural homogeneity.
• Cambodia has a central capital, Phnom Penn, which makes access easier for the
  people of the country
• if an outside force gains control of your capital, as when the Khmer Rouge took
  over Phnom Penn, they can take over the whole country.
• it is harder for Cambodia to recover from trauma because whatever happens will
  probably effect everybody
• the fear of a rice shortage due to a drought prompted the Prime Minister to
  appeal to the countrymen to join and work together to help supply water
  to the farmers. Only a compact state or country, like Cambodia, can do
  this. China View. (2004). Cambodia fears of rice shortage due to drought.

Protruded (example-Thailand)

Potential problem areas for Indonesia. They are as follows:

• Where do you locate the capitol?
• You can’t show favoritism to the province on which the capitol is located.
• Laws—provincial or national
• Common currency
• National Language

• Indonesia is a member of OPEC. The state owns all mineral and oil rights.
• The Army is used primarily for internal rather than external security.Each province has its own commanders.
• Indonesia is the 5th largest country in population; however, it has a common language and a common philosophy.
• The five pillars of governmental philosophy support unity rather than individuality.

Current Problems:

• Immigrants
• Tension over water rights
• Friction with China
• Religious groups within the country are non-supportive of the government. One reason is that the Indonesian government supports the US and its policies and the religion is Muslim…duh.
  

We did not really find that fragmentation of the land had a huge impact on the country – certainly not as we thought…except for the religious conflicts and water disputes.

Protruded State – Territorial shape of a state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension, leading away from the main body of territory.Thailand is a classic example because:

• Compact heartland with core area, capital and major areas of productive capacity
• A 600 mile corridor of land less than 20 miles wide in places, extends southward to the border with Malaysia
• The core area is anchored by Bangkok, the capital

Problems:

• Territorial communication over distance
• Influx of refugees from neighboring countries
• Control of contraband (opium) production and trade in the golden triangle (where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos

Opportunities:

• Significant regional development is possible because of Thailand’s remote Kra Isthmus’s proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia