German geographers describe the 'state/country' as a 'living organism'. Networks of road, railways and water ways have often been described as “arteries of circulation”.

German geographers describe the country as a:

(4) Living Organism

This concept is known as "Organic Theory" or "Organismic Theory" of the state, where the state is considered as a living organism with various parts functioning together for the well-being of the whole. This perspective was particularly influential in the early 20th century.