Power and Borders
OCR AS/A Level Geography Example Case Studies
Table of Contents
Country in which Sovereignty has been challenged ..................................................... 2
Ukraine ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Global Governance .................................................................................................... 4
Ukraine ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Impact of Global Governance of Sovereignty or Territorial Integrity in an LIDC .............. 5
South Sudan .............................................................................................................................................. 5
1
,Ukraine
BACKGROUND
Population 37 million (2025)
1954 Crimea given to Ukraine from Russia
1991 (2) Soviet Union collapses; Ukraine collapses
90% of Ukrainians support independence
2004 (3) Election takes place - PM Viktor Yanukovych (pro-Russia)
declared winner
Opposition Viktor Yushchenko (pro-West) challenged
outcome with huge public support – ‘Orange Revolution’
Two further elections held, and Yushchenko declared
president
2010 ‘Normal’ election occurs - Yanukovych re-elected
2013 Eastern Partnership Summit - signing of an association
agreement with Ukraine supposed to occur, but under
pressure from Russia, Yanukovych walked away from the
deal with the EU
Sparked Euromaidan protests
2014 (4) Revolution of Dignity (Ukrainian Revolution) occurred at
the end of the Euromaidan protests
Yanukovych flees country to head to Russia
Annexation of Crimea triggered
Another election - Poroshenko (pro-West) wins
CAUSES
History (4) Former Soviet Union broke up into 15 countries in 1991
Emerging countries had split loyalties (Russia vs. Europe)
Some new states retained close links with Russia, others
looked elsewhere for leadership (NATO/EU)
Russia’s fall from superpower status has left it feeling
less secure about its position in the world
‘Quintessential Ukraine borders 3 former USSR states and 3 EU states
borderland state’ (2) Loyalties in Ukraine split between Russia vs. Europe
Presence of natural Oil and gas resources and pipelines make Ukraine a
resources valuable geopolitical asset to Russia
Ethnicity and Two-thirds of population speak Ukrainian as first
Language (2) language, other third speak Russian as first language
Distribution of people who speak Russian natively
correlate with results of 2004 election – linguistic and
cultural split directly correlates with political split
National politics 2004 Ukrainian presidential election and Orange
Revolution deepened political divisions between pro-
Western and pro-Russian regions of Ukraine
2
, CHALLENGES TO
THE GOVERNMENT
Orange Revolution (2) Series of mass protests triggered by electoral fraud
Nov 2004-Jan 2005
Euromaidan Protests Wave of demonstrations and civil unrest protests in Kyiv
(3) Nov 2013-Feb 2014
Sparked by government decision to not sign Ukraine-EU
Association Agreement
Annexation of Crimea Armed soldiers occupied Crimea in 2014
(5) Russia held military bases on Crimea but also gave
Russia access to naval bases (Sevastopol), sea routes,
and oil and gas reserves
Referendum held - 95.5% support joining Russia
Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk (Donbas
region) seized buildings and fought Ukrainian forces
IMPACTS ON
PEOPLE
People in Russia (5) Western sanctions cost Russian corporations >$100bn
Russian GDP declined by approx. 4.2%
Money spent in Crimea could’ve been spent on mainland
Only 39% of citizens believed that the annexation caused
Russia more good than harm in 2019 (67% in 2014)
Rising Russian death tolls (>120,000)
People in Crimea (4) Crimeans subject to Russian not Ukrainian laws
Residents offered Russian citizenship; those keeping
Ukrainian citizenship faced discrimination & legal hurdles
Moscow gave $10bn in support of the region
Russians built $4bn Kerch Strait Bridge
People in rest of Approx. 1.5 million of inhabitants from Donetsk/Luhansk
Ukraine (4) regions have been displaced
Bombing caused damage to housing, services etc.
8 million fled Ukraine as refugees after Russia’s 2022
invasion (largest displacement in Europe since WW2)
Rise in mental health cases e.g. PTSD, depression etc.
IMPACTS ON PLACE
Within Russia (3) Barred from sporting & cultural events, e.g. Eurovision
Under sanctions from a number of countries
Increased state control /repression of freedom of speech
Within Crimea (3) Culturally and economically aligned with Russia
Paying tax to Moscow, not Kyiv
$4bn Kerch Strait Bridge constructed
Within rest of Ukraine Destruction of cultural sites – UNESCO notes damage of
(4) 350 sites including 30 museums
Increase in forest fires; Heavy vehicles & Russian troops
digging trenches damage nature reserves
Ukraine lost 30% of GDP in 2022
Industrial plants & transport infrastructure damaged
Other countries (3) Growth of Ukrainian diaspora in other countries
NATO increased strength in potentially vulnerable former
Soviet states; re-evaluating commitments to defence
Impacts on global economies; rising food prices and cost
of living
3
OCR AS/A Level Geography Example Case Studies
Table of Contents
Country in which Sovereignty has been challenged ..................................................... 2
Ukraine ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Global Governance .................................................................................................... 4
Ukraine ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Impact of Global Governance of Sovereignty or Territorial Integrity in an LIDC .............. 5
South Sudan .............................................................................................................................................. 5
1
,Ukraine
BACKGROUND
Population 37 million (2025)
1954 Crimea given to Ukraine from Russia
1991 (2) Soviet Union collapses; Ukraine collapses
90% of Ukrainians support independence
2004 (3) Election takes place - PM Viktor Yanukovych (pro-Russia)
declared winner
Opposition Viktor Yushchenko (pro-West) challenged
outcome with huge public support – ‘Orange Revolution’
Two further elections held, and Yushchenko declared
president
2010 ‘Normal’ election occurs - Yanukovych re-elected
2013 Eastern Partnership Summit - signing of an association
agreement with Ukraine supposed to occur, but under
pressure from Russia, Yanukovych walked away from the
deal with the EU
Sparked Euromaidan protests
2014 (4) Revolution of Dignity (Ukrainian Revolution) occurred at
the end of the Euromaidan protests
Yanukovych flees country to head to Russia
Annexation of Crimea triggered
Another election - Poroshenko (pro-West) wins
CAUSES
History (4) Former Soviet Union broke up into 15 countries in 1991
Emerging countries had split loyalties (Russia vs. Europe)
Some new states retained close links with Russia, others
looked elsewhere for leadership (NATO/EU)
Russia’s fall from superpower status has left it feeling
less secure about its position in the world
‘Quintessential Ukraine borders 3 former USSR states and 3 EU states
borderland state’ (2) Loyalties in Ukraine split between Russia vs. Europe
Presence of natural Oil and gas resources and pipelines make Ukraine a
resources valuable geopolitical asset to Russia
Ethnicity and Two-thirds of population speak Ukrainian as first
Language (2) language, other third speak Russian as first language
Distribution of people who speak Russian natively
correlate with results of 2004 election – linguistic and
cultural split directly correlates with political split
National politics 2004 Ukrainian presidential election and Orange
Revolution deepened political divisions between pro-
Western and pro-Russian regions of Ukraine
2
, CHALLENGES TO
THE GOVERNMENT
Orange Revolution (2) Series of mass protests triggered by electoral fraud
Nov 2004-Jan 2005
Euromaidan Protests Wave of demonstrations and civil unrest protests in Kyiv
(3) Nov 2013-Feb 2014
Sparked by government decision to not sign Ukraine-EU
Association Agreement
Annexation of Crimea Armed soldiers occupied Crimea in 2014
(5) Russia held military bases on Crimea but also gave
Russia access to naval bases (Sevastopol), sea routes,
and oil and gas reserves
Referendum held - 95.5% support joining Russia
Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk (Donbas
region) seized buildings and fought Ukrainian forces
IMPACTS ON
PEOPLE
People in Russia (5) Western sanctions cost Russian corporations >$100bn
Russian GDP declined by approx. 4.2%
Money spent in Crimea could’ve been spent on mainland
Only 39% of citizens believed that the annexation caused
Russia more good than harm in 2019 (67% in 2014)
Rising Russian death tolls (>120,000)
People in Crimea (4) Crimeans subject to Russian not Ukrainian laws
Residents offered Russian citizenship; those keeping
Ukrainian citizenship faced discrimination & legal hurdles
Moscow gave $10bn in support of the region
Russians built $4bn Kerch Strait Bridge
People in rest of Approx. 1.5 million of inhabitants from Donetsk/Luhansk
Ukraine (4) regions have been displaced
Bombing caused damage to housing, services etc.
8 million fled Ukraine as refugees after Russia’s 2022
invasion (largest displacement in Europe since WW2)
Rise in mental health cases e.g. PTSD, depression etc.
IMPACTS ON PLACE
Within Russia (3) Barred from sporting & cultural events, e.g. Eurovision
Under sanctions from a number of countries
Increased state control /repression of freedom of speech
Within Crimea (3) Culturally and economically aligned with Russia
Paying tax to Moscow, not Kyiv
$4bn Kerch Strait Bridge constructed
Within rest of Ukraine Destruction of cultural sites – UNESCO notes damage of
(4) 350 sites including 30 museums
Increase in forest fires; Heavy vehicles & Russian troops
digging trenches damage nature reserves
Ukraine lost 30% of GDP in 2022
Industrial plants & transport infrastructure damaged
Other countries (3) Growth of Ukrainian diaspora in other countries
NATO increased strength in potentially vulnerable former
Soviet states; re-evaluating commitments to defence
Impacts on global economies; rising food prices and cost
of living
3
