AP Human Geography (all units; not in order)

Autonomous region

A geographic area within a state that has a high degree of self governance

Semi-autonomous Region

A geographic area that is controlled by another state but only has a moderate degree of self governance

Nation-state

One main ethnic group, one government and defined territory

Sovereignty

Authority of a state to self govern, including domestic and international affairs

Stateless nation

Nation without a sovereign state. Ex: Kurds

Colonialism

Practice of acquiring control over another country

Imperialism

Extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Ex: US acquiring more territory

Multi-nation state

Multiple ethnic groups, one sovereign state

Relic boundary

A boundary that no longer is used but still impacts cultural landscape. Ex: Berlin wall

Superimposed boundary

A boundary that was created by a foreign state or group. Ex: Berlin Conference splitting up Africa

Antecedent boundary

A natural boundary that was formed before human settlement

Geometric boundary

A boundary that follows lines of longitude and latitude

Subsequent boundary

A boundary that develops along with the development of the cultural landscape

Consequent boundary

A boundary that was created to divide different ethnic or cultural groups.

Territoriality

The connection people form with their land through their culture and economic systems

Shatterbelt

A region caught in between stronger cultural, political or economic forces. Ex: Germany during Cold war

Neocolonialism

The use of political, cultural or economic power to influence or control another country

Choke points

A geographical area that has to be passed to reach a destination. Ex: Strait of Hormuz

Unitary government

Power is located at the national level of government

Federal government

Power is divided between central and local governments.

Devolution

Transfer of power from national to central government

Ethnic separatism

When a person or group begins to identify more with their ethnic group than their state (can lead to seeking more autonomy or independence from the state)

Ethnic cleansing

A systematic attack on ethnic group by the government of the state with the goal of forcing the group out

Irredentism

A movement by a nation to unite other parts of its nation that are located in another state

Causes of Devolution

Phys geo, ethnic separatism, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, economic and social problems, and irredentism

Disintegrate

When a state breaks up into smaller parts

Democratization

When a political regime becomes more democratic, allowing for more participation and representation in government.

Supranational organization

An alliance consisting of multiple states work together to achieve common goals

Best boundaries are…

the ones that everyone accepts!

Exclaves

Territories separated from the main part of a country and surrounded by foreign territory.

Enclaves

Territories entirely surrounded by the territory of another country.

Landlocked states

Countries surrounded by land causing them to have little access to international trade, forcing them to rely on their neighbors. Ex: Lesotho

Border

A political boundary

Geometric borders

Straight lines that ignore cultural or physical features.

Fragmented states

States divided into many pieces, usually by water. Ex: Japan

Perforated states

A state that surrounds an enclave or exclave. Ex: South Africa

Elongated states

States that appear to be physically stretched out on a map. Ex: Chile

Compact states

States that are close to circular. Ex: Poland

Prorupt states

States that have a significant panhandle. Ex: Thailand

Part-nation state

A nation whose territory may encompass several states

Clustering of ethnic groups in the US

African-Americans in Southeast, Hispanics in Southwest, Asians in the West, and Native-Americans in Southwest and plains

Redlining

Discriminatory practice in which financial institutions refuse services to ethnic minorities.

Blockbusting

When real estate agents convince people to sell them their houses at a cheap price because of a fear of an influx of minority residents. They then resell these houses at inflated prices to the minority groups.

3 major flows of African-American migration in the US

The three major flows include the forced migration from Africa to the South in the 17th to 19th centuries, migration from the rural South to urban areas in the North during the Great Migration(1900-1950), and movement from inner city ghettos to other urban neighborhoods in 1950-2000.

Four steps in creating borders

Step 1: Negotiation between countries

Step 2: Determining defined location

Step 3: Demarcating, or physically marking the landscape

Step 4: Legally managing the border through laws and regulation

UNCLOS

United Nation Convention of the Law of the Seas

Territorial Sea: 12nm, coastal states have sovereignty including fishing rights

Contiguous Zone: 24 nm, coastal states can enforce laws relating to customs, immigration, and sanitation

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): 200 nm, states have special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources

High Seas: beyond EEZ is common heritage of humankind

Gerrymandering

The practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular group.

Antartica Treaty of 1959

Antartica is not controlled by any state, but multiple states have claims to it. This treaty was signed 47 states to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes, primarily scientific research. No state can have ownership, but claims can stay in place.

Effects of Imperialism

Cultural: Diffusion of language and religion

Economic: Commodity dependence on MDCs

Social: Ethnic divisions, conflict, cleansing and genocide

Political: Changing borders, diffusion of government systems

Centripetal Forces

Pull societies together

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that push societies apart

Ethnonationalism

When people of a state identify as having one common ethnicity, language or religion. Ex: The nazis wanted all of Germany to be German

Key examples of disputed sovereignty

Antarctica, Hong Kong, Kosovo

Supranational Organizations

UN: United Nations

OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Arctic Council

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (military alliance)

EU: European Union

NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement

Genocide

Acts against a specific group of people to eradicate them. Ex: Nazis committed genocide against Jews

Motives of European colonization

God, Glory, and Gold

Apartheid

A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s, which denied the majority of the population basic rights and freedoms.

Self-determination

The ability of government to determine own political status

5 requirements to be a state

Sovereignty, permanent population, defined border, economy, recognition from other states

Terrorism

The unlawful use of violence and intimidation against civilians in pursuit of political aims.

Nationality

Identifying with your country of residence

Sex Ratio

Number of males per 100 females in a population. (sex ratio over 100 means fewer males than females; a ratio under 100 indicates more males than females, and 100 means same amount of each)

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of dependents (people younger than 15 or older than 64) to the working-age population (ages 15-64) in a given population.

Aging Society Effects

More of population becomes elderly (stage 5 of DTM) leading to decreasing population, shifts in government funding, and decrease of workforce.

No countries are in what stage of the DTM?

In stage 1. Only nomadic groups are in this stage.

Stage 1 of DTM

CBR: High

CDR: High

Population size: Stable or slowly increasing

Stage 2 of DTM

CBR: High

CDR: Rapidly decreasing

Population size: Rapidly increasing

Stage 3 of DTM

CBR: Decreasing

CDR: Decreasing slowly

Population size: Increase slows down

Stage 4 of DTM

CBR: Low
CDR: Low
Population size: Falling then stable

Stage 5 of DTM

CBR: Yet to be seen
CDR: Low
Population size: Little change

Stage 1 of ETM

Death by any cause (No modern medicine)

Lots of disease (Black plague)

Lots of war

Famine

Stage 2 of ETM

Decrease in death as medicine advances

Improved sanitation

More nutritious foods

Stage 3 of ETM

Decline in infectious diseases

More chronic or self-inflicted diseases (often because of diet)

Stage 4 of ETM

Medical advancements delay degenerative diseases

Increased life expectancy

Lifestyle changes: some healthier, some more sedentary

Stage 5 of ETM

Reemergence of infectious diseases

Antibiotic resistance

Disease mutations

Increased poverty and urbanization

Travel leads to relocation diffusion of diseases

Arithmetic density

The number of people per unit area of land, used to measure population distribution.

Physiologic density

The number of people per unit area of arable land, reflecting the capacity of the land to support a given population.

Malthusian theory

Environmental determinism- agricultural methods determine population

Population will outrun food supply leading to famine

Geometric (population) vs arithmetic (agricultural) growth

Pro-natalist policies

Policies that encourage higher birth rates by providing incentives for families to have more children, such as financial support, parental leave, and child care services. Ex: Do it for Denmark

Anti-natalist policies

Policies aimed at reducing birth rates by discouraging pregnancies through methods such as contraception access, family planning education, and economic incentives. Ex: China's One-Child Policy or sterilization camps in India

Ravenstein’s laws of migration

1. Distance decay

2. Long-distance migrants usually settle in urban areas

3. Most migration occurs in steps

4. Most migration is rural to urban (within a country)

5. Most migration is for economic reasons

6. Most migrants are adults

7. Most international migrants are male while more internal migrants are female

Economic push factors vs pull factors

1. Job loss/Job opportunities

2. Low wages/Higher wages

Social push factors vs pull factors

1. Discrimination/Freedom or lack of discrimination

2. Gender roles (traditional/modern)

3. Family reunification (pull)

Gravity model

The larger the city the more people from other cities want to move there; created by Reilly

Emigration

Leaving a country

Immigration

Entering a country

Intervening Obstacles

Barriers that hold migrants back from traveling. Ex: legal restrictions or economic challenges

Intervening Opportunity

A positive factor that causes migrants to stop traveling voluntarily. Ex: job offers or better living conditions.

Internal migration

Within one country

Interregional migration

Migration from one region of a country to another

Intraregional migration

Migration that occurs within one region

Refugee

An individual who has been forced to flee their home country due to persecution, conflict, or violence.

Asylum-seeker

A person who seeks international protection from persecution in their home country

Transnational migration

A migrant emigrates across national borders to a different country

Internally displaced person

An individual who has been forced to flee their home but remains within the borders of their own country.

Transhumance

Migration that revolves around seasonal movement of livestock (part of pastoral nomadism)

Chain Migration

When a legal immigrant who has been naturalized sponsors a family member to immigrate to the same country

Step Migration

Migration that occurs in stages

Guest Workers and the name of the money they send to their family

Individuals given temporary legal status to work in a different country; remittances

Site

The physical and cultural characteristics of a location