AP Human Geography - Unit 4 Vocab

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