AP Human Geo - Unit 4

Political Geography

The study of political activity in a spatial context (the ways in which the world is organized as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over a territory)

State

Country, political entity

Nation

Groups of people with shared language, religion, ethnicity, and/or heritage, cultural entity

Sovereignty

The right of a government to control/ defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders.

Feudalism

The dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands for the Crown in exchange for military service

Mercantilism

A form of economic nationalism that sought to increase the prosperity and power of a nation through restrictive trade practices

Nation-State

The whole state is one nation

Stateless Nation

When a nation doesn’t have sovereignty

Multistate Nation

A nation spanning more than one country

Irredentism

Attempting to annex territories that are home to people in the same nation

Multinational State

A country with various ethnicities/ cultures living inside

Autonomous

Given ultimate authority to govern it’s own territories independently from the national government

Semiautonomous

Given some authority to govern over their own territories from the national government

Sovereignty

Having the last say over a territory legally

Territorial Integrity

A government has the right to keep the borders and territory of a state intact and free from attack

Self-Determination

The right of all people to choose their own political status

Imperialism

Trying to create an empire by exercising force/ influence to control other nations or people ~POLITICAL~

Colonialism

Physical action in which one state takes control of another, taking over the government and ruling the territory as its own ~ACTION~

Independence movements

When nations within states decide they want to break off and form their own state

Devolution

Movement of power from central gov. to regional gov.s within state

Political Power

Control over people, land, and resources

Territoriality

Forming borders, forming national identity (names, flags, anthems, citizenship requirements)

Neocolonialism

The economic control that more developed countries have over less developed countries.

Choke-point

A narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass

Shatter-belts

Instability regions, usually violent conflicts

Cultural Shatter-belts

Regions where different cultures meet and come in conflict

Delimit boundaries

A boundary that has officially been drawn on a map

Demarcated boundaries

Set boundaries with physical objects (stones, pillars, walls, fences)

Relic Boundary

Former boundary that no longer functions, but differences on each side of the border are still evident

Antecedent Boundaries

Borders drawn before it was well populated ~Opposite of Subsequent Borders~

Subsequent Boundaries

Borders drawn after the areas are already well settled ~Opposite of Antecedent Boundaries

Consequent Boundaries

Type of Subsequent boundary, Borders drawn based on cultural landscapes

Superimposed Boundary

Borders drawn over existing accepted borders by an outside force (Africa, Berlin Conference)

Geometric boundaries

Mathematical boundaries, typically follow lines of latitude of longitude.

Definition (Creating boundary)

Document is created that indicated exact landmarks

Delineation (Creating boundary)

Cartographers place the boundary on a map

Demarcation (Creating boundary)

Marking the boundary by some method on the ground

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Exclusive economic zone

The country has exclusive rights over the materials from their coast to 200 nautical miles

UNCLOS states…

A country’s territorial seas extend 12 nautical miles off its coast and it’s exclusive economic zone extends 200 nautical miles from it’s coast

Allocation Dispute

Neighboring states argue over distribution of resources

Definitional Dispute

The legal language of a boundary agreement no longer applies or can get twisted

Locational Dispute

The delineation and possible demarcation of the border is in dispute