The word territory corresponds to the defined area of an individual or an organization, institution, state or country.
The territory concept is broad and diverse. In Geography, this word is widely used and if in some cases its use has a political conception, in others it is linked to the variation of landscapes, region, space and climate. In physics, for example, territory refers to the earth’s surface and relief , which is why it is linked to the notion of lithosphere, atmosphere and others.
In ecology, the territory is synonymous with the natural environment and the human being’s environment in relation to nature. In astronomy and spatial tradition, territory is not just a political or legal issue, but has to do with systems of places interconnected by networks and flux. In the study of landscaping, to cite another example, the territory is synonymous with a natural or cultural landscape related to the use that society makes of the soil.
Of all these areas and disciplines, the one that studies the concept of territory with the greatest interest is Political Geography.
It researches the use of a territory as a physical space dominated by a person or social group in relation to others. Territory is often synonymous with State and national power, in close relationship with the concepts of territorial organization and administrative division that are inherent to the development of a nation as it should be.
However, the concept of territory is complex and does not always have a connotation of legality. In certain cases the territory, land or land may be usurped or enjoyed by individuals or social groups that do not own it, given the conditions, these individuals may eventually become legal owners of the territory in question.
This situation is quite common throughout the world, that is, lands that do not have an owner present and for this reason are occupied by families that sometimes manage to obtain ownership of it. This happens when there is no evacuation by the real owners or if after a reasonable time there is no complaint the law makes these invaders as formal owners, even if they do not pay any money, this is the natural way for any individual to have the right to acquire land.
National territory
It is customary to speak of national territory to refer to a surface of land that belongs to a particular nation and over which a state exercises sovereignty. It does not just refer to a land space, but also to an air and sea space; that is, if the territory in question has an edge.
Normally, national territories are divided into sectors (cities, provinces, municipalities, among others) and governed by a local administration, although this may be subject to provisions dictated by the national administration.
the animals and the territory
Finally, the notion of territory is commonly used to refer to areas controlled or dominated by certain groups of animals. Marking territory is a practice that many animals – including domestic ones – carry out to delimit the physical space that belongs to them and others of the same species.
Cats, for example, are a type of animal that represent this practice, that is, that defend their territory.
Adult tigers, to cite one of the best known cases of this type of situation, are those animals that most ferociously defend their territory.
Female tigers are capable of having a territory of up to 20 square kilometers, not to mention the males who can control an even larger area, reaching up to 80 kilometers. It should be noted that tigers usually accept the entry of females into their territory, but never males, they do not tolerate this fact and that is where they increasingly show their violence .
Fights between male tigers over territorial issues are often very violent and end in the death of one.
Among the typical actions of felines when marking their territorial property, the act of urinating on trees stands out.
Although we refer exclusively to tigers, as indicated in the paragraphs above, territoriality is a common feature of many cats. Domestic cats are also great defenders and watchers of their homes. They are also used to marking territory by urinating to determine certain boundaries and rubbing their whiskers on some parts of the property.
