AP Human Geography Unit 4 Vocabulary

Antecedent boundary

Boundaries which preceded the development of the cultural landscape, established before a large population was present

Cultural consequent boundary

Subsequent boundary that takes into account language, ethnicity, religion and other cultural traits. Created with the cultural landscape as a primary consideration

Physical consequent boundary

Uses already existing natural features that divide a territory such as rivers, deserts, and mountains

Cultural boundary

Boundaries which divide people according to some cultural division such as language, religion, or ethnicity

Defined boundary

Established by a legal document, such as a treaty, that divides one entity from another.

Demarcated boundary

A boundary identified by physical objects placed on the landscape such as a sign, a fence, or a wall

Demilitarized zone (DMZ)

An area where military activity is officially forbidden but almost completely blocks the flow of people

Geometric boundary

A straight line or arc that does not follow any physical feature, drawn by people

Internal boundary

Used at the subnational scale to divide countries into smaller units such as states, counties, cities, and local districts

Militarized boundary

A heavily guarded boundary that discourages crossing

Open boundary

Unguarded boundary that people can cross with little or no political intervention

Physical Geographic boundary

Natural barriers between areas such as oceans, deserts, and mountains

Relic/Relict boundary

A former boundary that has been abandoned for political purposes, but of which evidence is still visible on the landscape

Subsequent boundary

Created while the cultural landscape is evolving

Superimposed boundary

A boundary drawn by outside powers which may have ignored existing cultural patterns

Allocational boundary dispute

Occur where a boundary separates natural resources that may be used by more than one country

Definitional boundary dispute

Occurs when two or more parties disagree over the interpretation of legal documents or maps that identify the boundary

Locational boundary dispute

AKA territorial disputes occur when there is a disagreement about where a boundary should be delimited or demarcated

Operational boundary dispute

AKA functional disputes center on how a boundary functions and not where it is.

Ethnic nationalist movement

AKA Ethnonationalism, support for the political interests of a particular ethnic group within a state

Failed state

A state that cannot project authority over its territory or protect its national boundaries

Uneven development

Results in uneven benefits and the separation and fragmentation of a state

Autonomous region

A defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state

Federal state

A state that unites separate political entities into an overarching system that allows each entity to maintain some degree of sovereignty

Independent state

A state that exercises self-government

Microstate

A sovereign state that has a very small population or a very small land area, and usually both

Nation

A group of people with common cultural heritage, beliefs, values, and historic claim to a space

Nation-state

A nation of people who fulfill the qualification of a state

Multinational state

A country that contains more than one nation

Multistate nation

A nation that has a state of its own which stretches across the border of other state

Semi-autonomous region

A state that has a degree of self-rule, but not complete self-rule

State (country)

Any political entity that is independent from the control of any other entity

Stateless nation

A cultural group that has no independent political identity

Unitary state

Most or all of the governing power is held by the national government

Compact state

A state that is small and centralized, usually resembles a square

Elongated state

Much longer in one direction than the other

Landlocked state

A state completely surrounded on all sides by other countries that has no direct access to the ocean

Perforated State

A state that completely surrounds another state

Prorupted state

A state that has a primary body of territory that comprises most of the state, but also has a long extension that can increase the territorial power

Fragmented state

A state whose territory is physically divided into several segments

Satellite state

A state that is nominally independent but is under the influence and sometimes the control of another much larger nation

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1973-1982)

Exclusive economic zone

(Up to 200 nautical miles) coastal states can explore, extract minerals, and manage resources

Contiguous zone

(Up to 24 nautical miles) Limited authority where a country may enforce laws on customs, immigration, and sanitation

High seas

(Beyond 200 nautical miles) international waters beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Territorial sea

(12 nautical miles) A country has sovereignty, commercial vessels may pass, but non-commercial vessels may be challenged

Small island developing states (SIDS)

A group of developing countries that are small islands

Annexation

The process of legally adding territory to a city

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a state or region into smaller, often hostile, units along ethno-linguistic lines

Berlin Conference

Paved the way for colonization of Africa resulted in effective occupation of Africa by western Europeans

Census (Unit 1)

The method by which a government counts its population

Chokepoints

A place of physical congestion between wider regions of movement and interaction

Cold war

A period of diplomatic, political, and military rivalry between the US and USSR which began after WWII and ended after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent breakup of the USSR

Colonialism

A particular type of imperialism in which people move into and settle on the land of another country

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent

Decolonization

The undoing of colonization in which indigenous people reclaim sovereignty over their territory

Devolution

The process by which one or more regions are given increased autonomy and self-rule

Separatist movement

Advocates cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, or governmental separation

Shatterbelt

A place located between two very different and contentious regions

Democratization

Transition from autocratic to more representative forms of politics

Electorate

The group of people entitled to vote in a district

Enclave

States or territories or parts of a state or territory that are completely surrounded by the territory of another state

Exclave

Territories that are a part of a state but are geographically separated by one mor more countries

Ethnic cleansing

The forced removal of an ethnic group from an area

Ethnic separatism

The advocacy of full political separation (or succession) from the larger group along cultural, tribal, ethnic, or governmental lines

Ethnographic

Related to cultural phenomena such as language, ethnicity, or economic differences

Geopolitics

The study of the effects of geography on politics and relations among states

Genocide

The organized mass killing targeting a people because of race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality

Gerrymandering

The drawing of boundaries for political districts by the party in power to protect or increase its power

Imperialism

Occurs when one state exerts influence over another state or group of people by direct conquest, economic control, or cultural dominance

Irredentism

A type of expansionism in which one country seeks to annex territory where it has cultural ties to part of the population or historical claims to the land

Nationalism

A nation's desire to create and maintain a state of its own

Neocolonialism

Control over developing countries is exerted through indirect means, such as economic, political, or cultural

Reapportionment

The mechanism by which the national government of the US determines the number of members in the US House of Representatives each state will have

Redistricting

Occurs when state legislatures or committees redraw district boundaries so that each district contains roughly the same number of people

Regionalism

Occurs when loyalty to a distinct portion of a country is more important than loyalty to the entire country

Self-determination

The right to choose a sovereign government without external influence

Sovereignty

The power of a political unit or government to rule over their own affairs

Security council

UN body of 5 permanent members US, Russia, France, UK and China, the only body with authority to issue binding resolutions to member states

Supranationalism

The practice of multiple countries forming an organization for the benefit of all members

Territoriality

Willingness by a person or group of people to defend space they claim

Terrorism

Organized violence aimed at government and civilian targets to create fear, for the advancement of political goals

Transnational corporation

A company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where its headquarters or shareholders are located

Voting district

Internal boundaries that divide a country's electorate into substantial regions

Supranational organization

Represent their members on the world stage and act in the political interests of the member countries

African Union

55 member countries all in Africa, headquarters are Addis Ababa and Johannesburg, mission to advocate peace, security, and stability on the continent through greater cooperation, economic development, and global integration

Arctic Council

8 member states, with territory in the Arctic including Canada, Russia, the US, and countries in northern Europe, headquarters Tromso, Norway mission to foster cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the arctic states with participation indigenous Arctic communities

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

10 countries from southeast Asia, headquarters in Jakarta, mission to advance economic growth, peace, social progress and cultural and economic development in the region

European Union (EU)

27 member states mostly in western and central Europe, headquarters in Brussels mission to integrate member states politically and economically

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

30 member states from North America, Iceland and most of western and central Europe, headquarters, Belgium, mission provide mutual defense of member states

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

13 oil exporting countries, headquarters in Vienna, goal is establishing a steady income for its members

United Nations (UN)

193 Member states headquarters NYC, mission to promote peace, security, and human rights

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)

Formerly NAFTA US, Mexico, and Canada, headquarters are in Washington DC, Mexico City, and Ottawa, mission is to stimulate free trade among members

World Trade Organization (WTO)

164 member states from all over the world, headquarters Geneva, goal is to have countries agree to a set of fair and non-discriminatory guidelines for international trade

Mackinder's Heartland Theory

States that whoever controls the Heartland (Eastern Europe) controls the world

Mahan's Sea Power Theory

Argued that British control of the seas, combined with a corresponding decline in the naval strength of its major European rivals paved the way for Great Britain's emergence as the world's dominant military, political, and economic power

Ratzel's Organic Theory

Asserts that political entities, such as countries, behave in a way that is not very dissimilar to that of living organisms

Spykman's Rimland Theory

States that whoever controls the rimland (peripheral areas along the coast of Eurasia) would control the world

Cracking

Dispersing like-minded voters among multiple districts in order to minimize their impact and prevent them from gaining a majority.

Packing

Combining like-minded voters into one district to prevent them from affection elections in other districts