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The Spanish Constitution of 1978 faced the traditional Spanish territorial problem through the recognition of a political autonomy that could be reached by nationalities and regions. The result has been a political system with a high level of decentralization. At the root cause were the special needs of some territories who were looking for a bilateral relationship with the central administration, but finally decentralization spread and the whole of the country was split into 17 autonomous territories. As an effect, multilateralism became the priority, and the system was leading to a federalizing development. Several federal instruments were adopted, and the political model seemed to turn into a functional federalism. However, this evolution has not prospered, and and in these pages an explanation is sought. The Sectorial Conferences, considered as the main tool for intergovernmental cooperation, are analyzed through the dynamic of their meetings and the evaluation of their tasks. This analysis provide two ideas about the problems the system generates: How a centralized power is going to adapt itself to a new decentralized system forgetting its previous position of superiority, and in parallel to how the Autonomous Communities are going to assume their full responsibility overcoming their political dependence on the central power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, authors focus on the speech of political actors and how these define themselves in order to identify the presence of nationalist political trends. This paper aims to present a wider analytical grid so as to include how nationalism is manifested. In line with this multidimensional proposal, we aim to identify differences as to how nationalisms are made manifest according to their relation with power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Constitution of 1991, result of various political forces, returned to the unitary model; encoding in this again the tense relationship between center State and periphery. The territorial model and the role of the intermediate level were slightly changed with regard to its predecessor, the Constitution of 1886. The National Constitutional Convention, despite the fact that had federal and regional proposals, opted for the unitary model, arguing severe fears of fragmentation and leadership of illegal armed groups in then territories. Undoubtedly, a great moment wasted on account of fears. Five ideas were reiterated in the constitutional debates: autonomy of the territorial organizations, intensification of decentralization, economic strengthening of territorial entities, setting up of the municipality as a fundamental core of the state, and participatory democracy; this of course, in the context and under the limitations of the unitary State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regionalization process in Colombia has several similarities with the process of regionalization in France. Based on a comparative study, the paper presents the development of the process, taking into account the origins from the colonial time, the constitutional reforms up to the LOOT. In each step, I analyze the influence of the revolutionary and Napoleonic model and the current status of the regions in France. It ends with a conclusion which remarks the long path we have yet to go through before we accomplish the real purpose of the regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Indian Ocean, France is both a regional state, at least on behalf of its islands, and an external great power significantly involved in the region. On the one hand, France exercises sovereignty over several small island entities and consequently claims a vast economic exclusive zone and some extended continental shelf in the Southwest and Southern Indian Ocean. Together, these island territories form what is now emerging as ‘France of the Indian Ocean’ (in French: France de l'océan Indien). On the other hand, France's interests and actions in the region extend far beyond those of its island peoples and territories, and therefore France can also be seen as an external great power pursuing its own strategic, economic and cultural goals in the Indian Ocean. In the Southwest Indian Ocean, France strives to maintain a leading political, economic and cultural influence and position. At sea, France is closely involved in maritime regional cooperation, maritime surveillance, and in securing the vital sea lanes of communication. With the other littoral states, France maintains economic relations and is particularly active in the fields of military and cultural cooperation. Thus, France is clearly a player that cannot be ignored in the Indian Ocean, especially given the geopolitical and economic landscapes associated with and products of modern globalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article shows the existing tendencies, ideas and approaches on the subject of Territorial Model for Colombia. A research elaborated from the analysis of legal literature focused on the territorial issue, and some authors from other disciplines which have been influencing the world of law in the matters of forms of state; as well as the rapprochement to politicians, academics and territorial authorities whose imaginaries and ideas allowed the construction of the three big tendencies surviving in Colombia about the relationship between territory and power: the first one that defends the autonomous or regional state for Colombia, the second one entitled - Federal Colombia?; and at last, a third one which identifies an important group defending the Unitary State as a legacy from the Constitution of 1991. In other words, the bets of the National Constituent Assembly remain the same as the centralist concept of the Political Constitution of 1886. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil fertility depletion in smallholder farms is one of the fundamental biophysical causes for declining per capita food production in Ethiopia. In the present study, we assess soil nutrient depletion and its spatial variability for Ethiopia and its regional states, using nutrient balances as a tool. Data on crop production, fertilizer use and land management practices were collected from the Agricultural sample survey, which was carried out by the Central Statistics Authority (CSA) for the production year 1999/2000. We used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to process, and analyze spatially referenced information like soil properties, precipitation and land use types. We calculated nutrient balances for N, P and K from five nutrient fluxes entering and five nutrient fluxes leaving cultivated lands of smallholders. Some of the fluxes (e.g. leaching, denitrification and wet deposition) were estimated using transfer functions. Erosion was estimated by universal soil loss equation (USLE) and landscape process modelling at multi-dimensions and scales (LAPSUS). At the national level, full nutrient balance results indicate a depletion rate of 122kgNha−1 yr−1, 13kgPha−1 yr−1 and 82kgKha−1 yr−1. Soil nutrient stocks in all regional states were decreasing with the exception of areas under permanent and vegetable crops. In the analysis, soil erosion was the major cause for nutrients depletion, but this flux shows significant variability between different estimates and was highly uncertain. We calculated that the contribution of erosion to N losses was 70%, while its contribution to P and K losses were 80% and 63%, respectively. Nutrient losses under permanent and vegetable cropping were caused mainly by residues removal, harvested products and leaching, while losses under cereals and other annuals were dominated by erosion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]