Types of Territorial Morphology

• Compact: The territory is roughly as a similar longitudinal and latitudinal distance, making it relatively easier to administer in theory, at least building a national transport system that would insure a level of cohesion. The practice maybe otherwise. China, Taiwan, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor and Cambodia are in this category.
• Fragmented: The are two main types of fragmentation, the first being geographical and the second being political. Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Japan are geographically fragmented since they are composed of thousands of islands. In the cases of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia geographical fragmentation is further exacerbated by political fragmentation since parts the the countries are inhabited by ethnic and/or religious minorities. This is particularly the case for Indonesia. North and South Korea are the outcome of a pure geopolitical fragmentation as Korea would be a compact country otherwise.
• Elongated: Involves a country with more length than width. Vietnam and Laos are typical examples. May imply unity (differences between the two major parts of the nation) and external influence issues. For instance, in Vietnam and from and historical standpoint the northern part have a stronger Chinese influence while the southern part was on several occasions part of other empires (Khmer and Champa).
• Prorupt: Main territory with a narrow corridor leading from it. Difficulty of administering the extension, mainly because of the presence of minorities. For instance, in Thailand the Muslim minority lives in the southern narrow corridor extending to Malaysia and the central government has been facing difficulties in administering the province.