state (country)
political unit with a permanent population and boundaries that are recognized by other states that allows for the administration of laws, collection of taxes, and provision of defense
nation
people who think of themselves as one based on a sense of shared culture and history and who desire political autonomy
nation-state
a state with a single nation (very few exist), e.g. Japan, Iceland, Armenia, Lesotho
stateless nation
a nation who do not have their own independent state, e.g. Palestinians, Basque, Kurds, Hmong
multinational state
a state with two or more nations (includes most states), e.g. Germany, France, Mexico, China, U.S., Russia
multi-state nation
a nation living across states, e.g. Koreans, Kurds, Basque, Russians
autonomous region
an area which governs itself, but is not an independent country, e.g. Greenland, The Azores, Hong Kong, Catalonia and Basque region (Spain)
semi-autonomous region
an area which can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern, e.g. Nunavut (Canada), Native American reservations (U.S.)
sovereignty
final authority over a territory and the right to defend territorial integrity against incursion
colonialism
rule by an autonomous power over a subordinate people and place that creates unequal cultural and economic relations
imperialism
the drive toward creation and expansion of an empire and then once established, its perpetuation, e.g. Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Japan, China, Russia
self-determination
the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and government
independence movements
an area that believes that it should be its own country
political power
expressed geographically as control over people, land, and resources
government
political system with governing authority
authoritarian government
gov't with a strong central power, no constitutional accountability, no individual freedoms, e.g. absolute monarchy (Saudi Arabia), dictatorship (North Korea), fascism (Germany)
democracy
government where power resides with the majority (Ancient Greece)
republic
government where power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (U.S., Germany, France)
democratization
the process of moving from a non-democracy (authoritarian rule, colonial rule) to a democratic system
neocolonialism
form of indirect control through the use of economic/political pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former colonies in which they continue to be exploited
shatterbelt
region endangered by local conflicts within the state or between countries in the area, as well as the involvement of opposing great powers outside the region, e.g. Eastern Europe, Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia)
choke points
geographical feature (sea OR land) that has significant strategic importance, e.g. Straits of Gibraltar, English Channel, Panama Canal, Suez Canal
human territoriality
the connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land creating a desire for ownership over a defined space
boundary
line that determines the limit of state jurisdiction that is a vertical plane that cuts through the subsoil and extends into the airspace above and often coincides with cultural, national or economic divisions
boundary dispute
disagreement over the location of a boundary/movement across the boundary (migration/smuggling) and can cause conflict
irredentism
when a state wants to annex territory whose population is ethnically similar, e.g. Russia annexation of Crimea
antecedent boundary
boundary in the natural landscape that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in place as people moved in
consequent boundary
boundary that coincides with cultural groups (religion, language)
subsequent boundary
boundary that evolves as the cultural landscape of an area takes shape and changes as cultural landscape changes, i.e. Northern Ireland and Ireland, i.e. Pakistan and India, i.e. Sudan and South Sudan
superimposed boundary
boundary that is drawn by powerful outsiders (e.g. colonizers) and ignores existing cultural groups, i.e. Israel and Palestine, i.e. Yugoslavia, i.e. Africa
relict (relic) boundary
boundary that no longer exists as an international border, but remnants of its existence remain, i.e. North and South Vietnam, i.e. Berlin Wall
geometric boundary
boundary that follows a straight line or arc, i.e. U.S. and Canada, western U.S., i.e. North and South Korea, i.e. colonial boundaries in Africa (Berlin Conference)
Berlin Conference
a meeting (1884-1885) between European nations to divide Africa among them for colonization with the intent of preventing conflict over the process
demilitarized zone (DMZ)
a buffer zone created by treaties/agreements between two or more military powers that falls on either side of the actual boundary
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
established rights and responsibilities of states concerning ownership/use of oceans/seas and their resources as developed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (includes 4 zones - Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, EEZ, High Seas)
median-line principle
method used to divide the waters between states that do not have 400 miles between them
voting district
subdivision for electing members to a legislative body
redistricting
when voting districts are redrawn due to changes in population
gerrymander
redistricting that is unfair and gives an advantage to a particular political party by concentrating voting strength
unitary state
state that is governed as a single unit with a central top down form of governance where local territories only have power that is granted by the central government, e.g. U.K., France, Spain, China, Italy
federal state
state where there is a division in power between a central government and local territories/provinces/States/oblasts, e.g. Canada, U.S., Russia
subnational political territorial unit
region that is given greater autonomy from the central government
devolution
the transfer of decision-making power from a central government to a lower level
supra-nationalism
political and/or economic alliance of three or more states that is formed for mutual benefit to promote shared goals and resolve disputes, but can limit the economic or political actions of member states creating a challenge to state sovereignty
United Nations (UN)
union formed to promote international world peace and security after WWII, comprised of 6 principal organs that meet to decide on common issues and policies
European Union (EU)
economic alliance between European countries (1992) that established free trade and open borders and a common currency (Eurozone)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
economic alliance to gradually eliminate tariffs and trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, Mexico
African Union (AU)
political, economic and social alliance aimed at promoting greater unity, cohesion, and efficiency of African states and reducing the strains of their colonial roots
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
military alliance formed after WWII between the U.S., Canada and 26 European states to ensure mutual assistance in times of aggression
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
economic alliance aimed at improving development in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei
Arctic Council
alliance aimed at promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on issues of sustainable development and Environmental protection in the Arctic members: U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia
military alliance
alliance between two or more states who agree on mutual protection and support in case of a crisis, e.g. NATO formed to defend against threats by communist countries after WWII
trade agreement
treaty between two or more states who agree on trade, tariffs, taxes, and often includes investment guarantees, e.g. NAFTA formed to eliminate tariffs on trade between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
economies of scale
cost advantages gained by an increased level of production
The Paris Agreement
establishment of protocols dealing with greenhouse gas emissions by the United Nations
centripetal forces
forces within a state that promote unity and national stability (nationalism)
centrifugal forces
forces within a state that destabilize or weaken it