Studied by 19 people
superimposed boundaries
boundaries that are forced upon existing cultural landscapes, country, or people by a conquering or colonizing power
relic boundaries
no longer function as a boundary but as a reminder of once was
sovereignty challenges
Government lacks power bc they're understaffed
redistricting
each state has its own system, but the most important criteria is for each district to have approximately the same number of people
genocide
the systematic extermination of an ethnic, religious, or national group
subsequent boundaries
boundaries drawn after the development of a cultural landscape, as the result of long term processes
majority-minority districts
packed districts in which a majority of the population is from the minority
antecedent boundaries
boundary established before an area is well populated or a cultural landscape developed
confederation
type of state structure allows each member to govern itself, but each member agrees to work together on issues of common concern
physical boundary
mountains, water, etc. marking boundary
ethnic boundary
(chinatown in NY, cyprus)- division where one particular ethnicity give one sort of pace in a location; ethnic enclaves
EXclave
a portion of a country geographically separated from the main part by surrounding alien territory EX: Alaska
electoral geography
The spatial organization of voting districts is a fundamentally geographic phenomenon, and it can have profound impact on who is represented and who is not-as well as people's notion of fairness
challenges to gerrymandering
Equal distribution of people in each district
reapportionment
the process by which districts are moved according to population shifts
ENclave
country for outlying portion of a country, entirely surrounded by the territory of another country EX: Vatican City
territorial representation
In the senate, each major territorial unit gets 2 representatives
autonomous region
an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy (freedom from an external authority)
checks and balances (democracy)
guarantee of civil liberties to all citizens in their daily lives and in act of political participation
linguistic boundary
Germany and italy emerged in 19th century as states unified by language
multistate nation
nation that transcends the border of 2 or more states
geometric boundary
(south pole with different claims)- straight line border btw one country and another
nation
homogeneous population
unitary state
places most power in the hands of central government officials
stateless nation
does not contain a state but is a nation
centripetal forces
force or attitude that tends to UNIFY people and enhance support for a state
fragmented state
discontinuous pieces of territory
commonwealth
an international association consisting of the UK together with states that were previously part of the British Empire, and dependencies
ethnocentrism
evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture
federal state
allocates strong power to units of local government within the country
perforated state
state the completely surrounds another one
prorupted state
state with a large projecting extension
citizen participation (democracy)
institutionalized constraints on the exercise of power by the executive
wasted vote gerrymandering
Opposition supporters are spread across many districts but in the minority
nationalism
spirit or aspirations common to the whole of a nation
autocracy
country that is run according to the interest of the ruler rather than the people
landlocked state
lacks a direct outlet to sea bc it is completely surrounded by several other countries
independent commissions
widely used in other countries to determine legislative boundaries
democracy
country in which citizens elect leader and can run for office
centrifugal forces
pushes people from a region APART
why do conflicts over boundaries arise between states
Resources (water, oil, arable land, etc.)
balkanization
The process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities Example is Balkan Peninsula
excess vote gerrymandering
Opposition supporters are concentrated into a few districts
steps in ethnic cleansing
move a large amount of military equipment and personnel into a village that has no strategic value
gerrymandering
Redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power
european union (EU)
28 members throughout europe
organization on security and cooperation in europe (OSCE)
57 members- US, canada, russia, all european states, states part of soviet union
challenges establishing borders
Uneven distribution of resources in the landscape
microstate
states with very small land areas
contiguous zone
State may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration
balance of power
A condition of roughly equal strength between opposing alliances
the Warsaw pact
Agreement among communist eastern european countries (disbanded)
african union (AU)
54 countries in africa
boundary
invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory
self determination
The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves
exclusive economic zone
State has the sole right to exploit natural resources, such as fishing
geometric boundaries
Based on human constructs, such as straight lines
nation-state
state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity
north atlantic treaty organization (NATO)
16 democratic states including the US, canada plus 14 european states
balkanized
A small geographic area that could not successfully be organized into stable countries bc it was inhabited by many ethnicities with complex, long standing antagonism toward each other
ethnic cleansing
Purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas
stacked vote gerrymandering
Distant areas of like minded voter are linked through oddly shaped boundaries
multi-ethnic state
a state that contains more than one ethnicity
cultural boundaries
Follow the distribution of cultural features
multinational state
state that contains more than one ethnicity with traditions of self determination and self government
elongated state
has long, narrow shape
compact state
state shaped like circle with capital at the central
physical boundaries
Coincide with significant features of the natural landscape
sovereignty
state with independence from control of its internal affairs by other states
territorial waters
A state may set laws regulating passage by ships registered in other states
law of the sea
Signed by 165 countries
state
Area organized into a political community and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs
city-state
sovereign state that comprises a town and the surrounding countryside
Note 
Flashcard (25)