Unit four political patterns and processes

State

State

Political units with a permanent population and boundaries that are recognized by other states that allow for administration of laws, collection of taxes and provision of defense examples United States, Gonda, Australia

Nation

People who think of themselves as one group, based on a shared sense of culture language, religion, national origin and history, and who desire political autonomy example French German Algerian

Nation states

A state with a single nation in the dominant majority

example Japan, and Iceland

Stateless nation

A nation who do not have their own independent state,

example Palestinians Cherokee

Multinational states

A state with two or more nations

Example, France, Canada, Mexico, China, and Russia

Multistate nation

A nation living across states that divides them into two or they could be stateless and spread across multiple states

Autonomous region

An area which governs itself but is not an independent country

Ex. Hong Kong, Basques

Semi-autonomous

An area which can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern

Ex. India, Pakistan

Sovereignty

Final authority over a territory and the right to defend territorial integrity against incursion.

Self determination

the power of a people to determine their own politics through voting or speaking to government.

Independence Movements

an area believes it should be its own country

EX. Catalonia in Spain

Delimitation

the boundary is drawn on a map

Administered Boundaries

a political border that is actively managed and enforced by a governing authority, essentially the line on a map that defines the territorial limits of a country, state, or other administrative unit, and is actively controlled through legal mechanisms and physical markers on the ground.

African Union

a political organization comprising all 55 African nations, established to promote cooperation, unity, and development across the continent, working towards economic integration and addressing shared challenges on a continental scale; essentially, it's the governing body for the entire African continent.

American Indian Reservations

a designated area of land set aside by the US government for the exclusive use of a Native American tribe, typically established through treaties and often located on marginal lands, where indigenous populations were forcibly relocated to maintain some degree of self-governance and cultural preservation

Antecedent Boundaries

a political border that was established before a significant human population settled in the area, often based on prominent natural features like rivers, mountains, or deserts, essentially meaning the boundary existed before the cultural landscape developed in the region; it is a pre-existing boundary to human settlement.

Arctic Council

a high-level intergovernmental forum that facilitates cooperation and coordination among Arctic nations, including indigenous peoples, to address issues related to sustainable development and environmental protection within the Arctic region

Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)

a political and economic organization comprised of ten countries in Southeast Asia, established to promote regional cooperation, economic growth, and social progress within the region, including countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and Myanmar

Chokepoints

a geographically narrow passageway, like a strait or mountain pass, where the movement of people and goods can be easily restricted or controlled

Consequent Boundaries

a political boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing cultural, ethnic, or linguistic differences within a region, essentially aiming to separate different populations based on their distinct characteristics, like the boundary between India and Pakistan which separates predominantly Hindu and Muslim populations respectively; it is a type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the cultural landscape when being established.

Defined Boundaries

a political boundary that is precisely established and clearly demarcated through legal documents, usually specifying its location on the ground using geographical features or lines of latitude and longitude, essentially outlining the exact limits of a state's territory

Demarcated Boundaries

a political boundary that is physically marked on the landscape using visible objects like walls, fences, signs, or other markers, essentially defining the precise location of the border between two territories or countries.

Demilitarized zone

• Definition: Areas where military forces are prohibited, often established by treaties or agreements.

Democratization

the process through which a political regime becomes more democratic, often involving the expansion of civil rights, political participation, and the establishment of fair elections.

Devolution

the process of transferring power from a central government to regional or local governments within a stat

Ethnic Cleaning

the systematic forced removal of a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group from a given area, often through violence, intimidation, or coercion, with the goal of creating a more ethnically homogeneous population in that region

Ethnic Separatism

when a specific ethnic group within a larger state desires to break away and form its own independent nation-state, often driven by cultural, historical, or territorial differences, essentially seeking self-governance or secession from the existing political entity

Ethnonationalism

a political ideology where a nation-state is defined primarily by a shared ethnicity, culture, or language, essentially believing that a nation should be based on a single dominant ethnic group, often leading to the prioritization of that group's identity and potential exclusion of minority ethnicities within the territory

European Union

a political and economic union of 27 European countries that work together to promote peace, stability, and prosperity.

Exclusive Economic Zones

a maritime area extending 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline, where that nation has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage the natural resources found within the seabed, subsoil, and water column, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); essentially, it grants a coastal state preferential access to marine resources within this zone, while still allowing other countries freedom of navigation on the surface waters. 

Federal States

A country where governmental authority is shared among a central government and various other smaller, regional authorities.

Geometric boundaries

a political boundary that is defined by straight lines or arcs, often following lines of latitude and longitude, without taking into account natural or cultural features on the ground

Gerrymandering

the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries with the intent to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency.

Irredentism

a policy of advocating the restoration to a country of any territory formerly belonging to it.

Legitimacy

the widely accepted right of a government or political authority to rule

Maritime Boundaries

a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography.

Neocolonialism

control by a powerful country of its former colonies (or other less developed countries) by economic pressures. Example: British commonwealth.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO

a military alliance between countries from North America and Europe

Redistricting

the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn.

Relic boundaries

former political or cultural boundary that no longer functions as a dividing line between territories, but still remains visible in the landscape as a reminder of past divisions, often impacting the cultural landscape even though it is not an active border anymore

Shatterbelt region

A region caught between stronger colliding, external forces using persistent stress, often fragmented by aggressive rivals examples, Israel, and Palestine, or the south China, Sea, or Vietnam during the Vietnam war

Subsequent boundaries

A boundary that involves as the cultural landscape of an area takes place and changes as cultural landscape changes examples, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, or Sudan and South Sudan

Superimposed boundaries

A boundary that is drawn by powerful, outsiders or colonizers and ignores existing cultural groups example Africa

Territoriality

The perceiving connection of people, that culture and their economic systems to the land, and often the willingness to defend it

UNCLOS UN convection on the law of the seas

Established rights and responsibilities of the states concerning ownership, or usage of the seas and the resources

Territorial sea

Zone of water adjacent to a state coast 12 miles in which a state has sovereignty

Voting district

Subdivision for electing members to a legislative body

Unitary State

A country where the national government is strong, and the regional government are weak. Examples, UK, North Korea, France.

Terrorism

Violence against typically civilians for political reasons

Supranationalism

Political and or economic outlines of three or more states that formed for mutual benefit to promote shared goals or resolve disputes, but can limit the economic or political actions of member states created a challenge to state sovereignty example United Nations

Supranational organization

groups that involve more than one country and give up some power to a higher organization

UN United Nations

international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.