Choose one of the following two topics for your primary post. Your primary post is due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, and your 2 required replies to other students posts and response(s) to replies to your post must be completed by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Sunday.
Topic 1. Austral and Pacific Geography in the News
For this discussion, find a recent news article (within the past 12 months) that describes the latest developments in a conflict, issue, or other major event in this the Austral or Pacific realm. Provide a brief summary of the conflict/issue/event that your article describes, and your own analysis of how this issue might affect the realm, and might be resolved. Be sure that the topic of the news article has some connection with the geographical issues and concepts we’ve been discussing, and be sure to highlight these connections in your discussion.
Remember that your article summary must be in your own words to avoid plagiarism.
-OR-
Topic 2. Water World
Maritime boundaries are extremely important in many places in the world, and of course they take on extraordinary importance in the Pacific Realm. Because of the way we define maritime territories, island based nations can have much more maritime territory than land-based territory. For this discussion, first explain the difference between territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, and the high seas (you’ll need to a bit of internet research for this). Then, find a place where there is conflict over who these zones belong to (this conflict can be in any realm, not just those areas we discussed this week), and describe the conflict. What do you think is a fair resolution to the conflict you’ve chosen?