1995-10-01a- CIA Conference Report: THE CHALLENGE OF ETHNIC CONFLICT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE 1990S GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES 01-Oct-95

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Turning to the importance of relative location for eth- times of armed conflict. Assessing the strategies that
nic mobilization; groups living within areas that are are likely to be employed in such conflicts requires an
disadvantaged from a socioeconomic standpoint can understanding of a group's location in relation to
use that disadvantage to foster a sense of discrimina- places of strategic or perceptual importance, the diffi-
tion. This does not mean that ethnicity is simply a culties of exerting control over those places, and the
product of socioeconomic differences, but comparative advantages that can follow if control is successfully
standards of living often become points of contention asserted. In the case of recent Serbian initiatives, for
in ethnic conflicts (see, for instance, many of the example, Ronald Wixman has argued that it is impos-
essays in Chisholm and Smith 1990). In former Yugo- sible to understand the military objectives of the Serbs
slavia, for example, Serbian resentment of Croats and without considering the geopolitical and strategic
Slovenes was heightened by the disproportionate share advantages that will follow from a successful Serbian
of tourism-related revenue that flowed into Croatia and attempt both to control the Krajina region of Croatia
Slovenia. The Croats and Slovenes, in turn, resented and to connect it to Serbia (editorial, The Register
the central government's efforts to redistribute some of Guard,Eugene, Oregon, 6 June 1993, section B, pp. 1
that revenue to other parts of Yugoslavia. and 4).
The capacity of a group to mobilize is also tied to its A final important dimension of "relative location" is
location in relation to demographic and settlement the situation of a group in relation to similar or sympa-
patterns. There is considerable evidence to suggest thetic groups in other states. Social scientists and poli-
that culturally distinct groups without a significant cymakers are so much in the habit of looking at issues
urban base are unlikely to develop and sustain a seri- on a state-by-state basis that they often ignore cul-
ous ethnic movement (Murphy 1992). Most ethnic tural/ethnic continuities across international bound-
movements begin among an intelligentsia with some aries. Yet Azerbaijanis live in Iran as well as
access to established lines of power and communica- Azerbaijan, and Armenians are found in Turkey as
tion (Smith 1982). Such movements develop and grow well as in Armenia. Focusing on the relationships
through the successful mobilization of people and among the peoples living on either side of these
resources, which in turn requires the establishment of boundaries is of critical importance if we are to under-
an institutional base that is convenient to a significant stand the forces that will affect political stability in
number of group members and that offers access to Western and Central Asia in the years ahead. Indeed,
channels of communication. Since these elements are given the increasing permeability of international
found primarily in cities, an urban base is almost a boundaries, an awareness of cross-border cultural con-
prerequisite for ethnic mobilization. Thus, in Western tinuities and interaction patterns in many parts of the
Europe most successful ethnic challenges have come world is going to be necessary if we are to compre-
from groups such as the Catalans and the Flemings hend the ways in which conflicts develop and their
that have major cities within their territories. By con- likely ramifications.
trast, efforts to challenge existing arrangements
among Saami activists in Norway or their Basque
counterparts in France have been frustrated by the Territory: At The Heart of Ethnicity and
lack of a central place that could become the focus of Ethnic Conflict
identity and nationalist activism.
A territory is generally understood to be a bounded
Turning to the significance of relative location for the area that has some political character or meaning. As
strategies employed by ethnic groups in situations of the embodiment of a particular way of understanding
overt conflict, it has long been understood that a and using the earth's surface, territory is at the heart of
group's position in relation to physical features, trans- geographical thinking about ethnicity and nationalism.
portation routes, and settlement patterns affects the Geographers are concerned with the functional and
tactics of conflict. As is discussed in more detail
below, ethnic conflicts often revolve around territorial
issues, and control over territory is a primary goal in
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