Unit 4 APHG Vocab first half

African Union (AU)

A continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa

Antecedent Boundary

a boundary drawn upon an area before it was heavily population

Balkanization

when a state breaks apart due to conflict

Berlin Conference

conference when major European superpowers superimposed boundaries in Africa (1880’s)

Buffer State

smaller state that is in between larger states and acts as a barrier between them

Centripetal Force

positive forces within country that pulls states together

Centrifugal Force

negative forces within the country that pulls states apart

City-State

a city that acts as a sovereign independent state (small country with one city in it)

Cold War

term referencing tension after WW2 between the USA vs. the Soviet Union

Colonialism

the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically

Compact State

a state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly

Commonwealth

a territory that has established a mutual agreement with another state for the benefit of each

Communism

an economic and political system in which the government controls all aspects

Demarcation

a physical marking of a boundary

Democracy

a country in which the citizens elect their leaders

Devolution

the transfer or delegation of power to a lover level, especially, by central government to local or regional administration

Domino Theory

theory during the Cold War in which it was thought that if one country falls to communism, then the neighboring countries will fall as well

Elongated State

a state with a narrow shape

Enclave

a country that is surrounded by another country

Ethnic Cleansing (Genocide)

the sustematic and deliberate attempt to kill off a speciiic group of people

European Union (EU)

an organization in europe that eliminated tariffs and travel barriers

Exclave

a country that is separated from the mainland by another country

Federal State

when powers are shared between the central government and the regional government

Forward Capital

a symbolically relocated capital city, moved for economic or strategic reasons

Fragmented State

a state made up of multiple islands or discontinuous land

Frontier

a zone separating two states in which neither of the states exercises political control

Gerrymandering

the redrawing of legislative boundaries entirely for electoral purposes, thereby benefiting the part in power

Imperialism

when a country extends its power by acquiring territories and uses them for exploitation

Irredentism

any political or popular movement intended to reclaim and reoccupy an area considered lost or unredeemed