Studied by 6 peopleState
An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs
Microstate
A state that encompasses a very small land area
Sovereignty
Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states
City-State
A sovereign state encompassing a city and its immediately surrounding countryside
Nation
A large group of people who are united by common cultural characteristics, such as language and ethnicity, or by shared history
Nation-State
A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular nation
Self-Determination
The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves
Multinational State
A state tat contains two or more cultural groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities
Colonialism
An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory
Balance of Power
A condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries
Democracy
A country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office
Autocracy
A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
Anocracy
A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic but rather displays a mix of the two types
Unitary State
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials
Federal State
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government
Weapon of Mass Destruction
A nuclear, biological, chemical, or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
A military alliance among 16 democratic states in North America and Europe
The Warsaw Pact
A military agreement among communist Eastern European countries. The Warsaw Pact disbanded in 1991 following the end of communism in Eastern Europe
Terrorism
The threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation
Boundary
An invisible line that marks the extent of a states territory
Frontier
A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control
Compact State
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does nor vary significantly
Prorupted State
An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension
Perforated State
A state that completely surrounds another one
Elongated State
A state with a long, narrow shape
Fragmented State
A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory
Landlocked State
A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea
Gerrymandering
The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefitting the party in power
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