APHG Unit 4 Vocab

State

A political unit with borders, a population, a government, and sovereignty. Examples: France, Japan. (a country)

Sovereignty

A state’s right to determine what happens inside its borders. Example: U.S. controls its own laws, borders, and military

Nation

A group of people with shared culture, language, or heritage. Example: The Maasai of Kenya/Tanzania

Nation-State

A state whose borders are very similar to the area the nation occupies. Ex. Japan, Denmark, Iceland

Stateless-Nation

A nation without a state but they want a state

Multinational State

A country containing multiple ethnic groups. Ex. U.S.

Multistate Nation

A nation located in more than one state. Ex. Ethnic Russians in Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine

Autonomous Region

Area within a state with some self-rule. Ex. Scotland, Hong Kong

Semi-Autonomous Region

Partial self-governance. Ex. Native American reservations

Self-Determination

The belief that ethnic groups should govern themselves. Ex. Kurds seeking independence

Sovereignty Dispute

Conflict over who controls territory. Ex. Taiwan vs. China

Imperialism

Extending power into territory through political or military force. Ex. European colonization of Africa

Treaty of Versailles (1920)

Redrew WW1 borders

Decolonization (1945-1990)

Former colonies gained independence. Ex. India, Ghana

Fall of the Soviet Union (1991)

15 new independent states formed. Ex. Ukraine, Latvia

Establishment of Israel (1948)

Partition of Palestine. Ex. Palestinian stateless nation

Fergana Valley

Soviet superimposed borders created enclaves. Ex. Uzbekistan-Tajikistan disputes.

Geopolitics

how geography shapes political power

Territoriality

a groups connection to land and their desire to control the land

Political Power

Control over land, people, and resources

Neocolonialism

indirect control via economics

Choke Points

Narrow waterways crucial to trade

Shatterbelt

region better rival powers

Defined

written description

Delimited

drawn on a map

Dermarcated

marked physically

Administered

Managed and enforced

Antecedent

existed before settlement ex. U.S.-canada borders

Subsequent

drawn after settlement ex. changing european borders

Consequent

drawn to reflect cultural groups

Superimposed

drawn by outside powers

Geometric

straight lines drawn following latitude or longitudinal lines

Relict

no longer used but still visible on the physical landscape

Land Boundaries

political division on land

Maritime Boundaries

UNCLOS Rules: 12 nautical miles territorial sea, 200 nautical miles EEZ ex. gulf of mexico rights

Why do maritime boundaries matter?

oil, fishing, shipping, and defense

Median Line Principle

used where states are close

Redistricting

redrawing voting districts post-census

Reapportionment

reallocating house seats ex. texas gaining seats

Gerrymandering

drawing voting districts for advantage to one party

Gerrymandering - Packing

Concentrating one group

Gerrymandering - Cracking

spreading people across groups

Voting district requirements

equal population, contiguous, compact

Electoral College

presidential votes based on the house ex. ca has 54 electoral votes

Federal

shared power ex. canada, germany, india

Unitary

centralized power

Centripetal Forces ex.

Japan’s cultural unity

Centrifugal Forces ex.

yugoslavia, nigeria

Devolution

smaller regions gain autonomy from central government ex. scotland, quebec

Physical Geography causes autonomy by

isolation

Ethnic separatism

groups want independence

Ethnic cleansing

killing/removal of a specific ethnicity

Terrorism

violent acts for political motives

Economic problems

uneven development

Irredentism

claiming land due to shared ethnicity

Devolution Process

might cause fragmented states

Communication Technology

spread of ideas

Supranational Organizations

International groups of states with the goal of trade, stability, and collective defense