Created in 2022 for P. Hammond's AP Human Geography course.
Nation
a group of people who have certain traits in common
EX: the French, Canadians, Mexicans, etc. (4.1)
Nation-State
a singular nation that fulfills the requirements of a state
EX: Japan, Iceland, Denmark (4.1)
Stateless Nation
a cultural group with no political entity
EX: Kurds, Basques, Palestinians (4.1)
Multinational State
a country that contains more than one nation
EX: The United Kingdom, Indonesia, Afghanistan (4.1)
Multistate Nation
a nation with a state that stretches across borders of other states; a cultural region with a smaller political entity within
EX: Russian, Korean, Arab (4.1)
Autonomous Region
a defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from parent country
EX: Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia (4.1)
Semiautonomous Region
an area that has some type of partial political autonomy
EX: Native reservations in America, Puerto Rico (4.1)
Neocolonialism
control over developing countries exerted through indirect means (economic, political, or cultural power)
EX: Banana Republics, modern-day Africa (4.1)
Geopolitics
the study of effects of geography on politics and relations among states (4.1)
Sovereignty
the power a political unit has to rule over its own affairs (4.1)
Self-Determination
the concept that nations have the right to govern themselves (4.1)
Sykes-Picot Agreement
the European division of the Ottoman Empire into the middle eastern countries; created superimposed boundaries (4.1)
Berlin Conference
the European division of Africa without consideration of the demography within Africa; created superimposed, geometric boundaries (4.1)
Terra Nullius
“empty land” or “land belonging to no one” (4.1)
Native Title
recognizes natives’ rights for areas occupied historically and currently in specific areas (4.1)
Steps of Boundary Creation
DDDA – Define (establish), Delimit (draw on map), Demarcate (signs/fences on the ground), Administer (enforce and maintain) (4.2)
Militarized Border
physical barrier constructed by the state to either keep people in or out of their territory; the strictest border
EX: North/South Korea boundary (4.2)
Administered Border
enforcement and maintaining of a boundary by government; strictness of border varies
EX: Mexico/United States boundary (4.2)
Open Border
boundary in which there are no establishments and one is free to move from one side to another; most relaxed border
EX: countries in the European Union (4.2)
Shatterbelt
a region that is deeply divided along cultural, ethnic, or religious lines that compete for influence
EX: the Balkans (4.2)
Choke Point
a strategic narrow route providing passage through or to another region
EX: Strait of Hormuz (4.2)
Morphology
a study of structure or form (4.2)
Territoriality
a willingness by one person/group to defend the space they claim (4.2)
Natural Boundary
boundary set by physical features
EX: Missouri and Illinois separated by the Mississippi river (4.2)
Relic Boundary
boundary that no longer exists, but evidence of it still exists on the landscape
EX: Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall (4.2)
Superimposed Boundary
boundary drawn by outside powers
EX: Berlin Conference and Sykes-Picot impacted countries (4.2)
Subsequent Boundary
border drawn in an area after the population is present; opposite of antecedent
EX: China/Vietnam border (4.2)
Antecedent Boundary
boundary set before a large population was present, often set on a natural boundary; opposite of subsequent
EX: United States/Canada border (4.2)
Geometric Boundary
a straight line drawn by people that does not follow a physical feature; could be considered the opposite of natural
EX: Africa (Berlin Conference) (4.2)
Consequent Boundary
a type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, separating groups that have distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, or other traits
EX: Mormon region within Utah (4.2)
Irredentist Contested Boundary
conflict sprouted when one country wants another territory because part of their ethnic population lives there (4.2)
Operational Contested Boundary
conflict sprouted when there are differing opinions on how the border functions or should function (4.2)
Allocational Contested Boundary
conflict sprouted when there are natural resources on the border that may be used by both countries (sky, sea, and ground) (4.2)
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNCLOS; establishes rights and laws for the sea that assist with the division of maritime boundaries and resources (4.2)
Voting Districts
defined boundaries that elect officials and create laws (4.3)
Redistricting
when the government redraws boundaries to reflect reapportionment after the census (4.3)
Gerrymandering
when boundaries are drawn to establish political advantages (4.3)
Unitary States vs. Federal States
unitary states – top-down, centralized national power; homogenous, small states
EX: Japan
federal states – locally based with dispersed power through national and state governments; ethnically diverse, big states
EX: United States (4.3)
Transnational Corporation
company that conducts business on a global scale
EX: McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Amazon (4.4)
Supranational Organization
international organizations where multiple states transcend national boundaries or interests to share in decision-making and vote on issues pertaining to the wider grouping
EX: World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), NATO (4.4)
Vertical vs. Horizontal Integration
vertical – controls each step from the ground to capital good (the entire process of one final good is owned)
horizontal – controls all of one step (the entire step of one component is owned) (4.4)
Devolution
the transfer of political power from the central government to subnational levels of government; mostly on regional lines and tend to respond to conflict (4.4)
6 Causes of Devolution
physical geography, ethnic and linguistic separation, terrorism, economics, subnationalism, irredentism (4.4)
Balkanism
named after early 1900s ethnic conflict between balkan states; nowadays refers to the split of a country into smaller, often hostile states (4.4)
Forward Capital
a capital city that is relocated for economic, political, or strategic symbolism attempting to create unity
EX: Abuja, Nigeria (4.4)
Centripetal Forces
factors that pull people together
EX: ethnonationalism, equitable infrastructure development, cultural cohesion (4.4)
Centrifugal Forces
factors that force people apart
EX: failed states, uneven development, stateless nations, ethnic nationalist movements, ethnic cleansing (4.4)