Unit 4 AP Human Geo

Independent States

primary building blocks of the world political ma

A state has:

• defined territory with borders

• permanent population

• government

• sovereignty

• recognition from other states

Nation

a group of people with a common identity through shared cultural traits such as language, religion, ethnicity, and heritage

Ex. Kenya and Northern Tanzania, semi-nomadic ethnic group with a traditional culture and language

Nation-State

when the borders of the nation match the borders of the state (a state with (ideally) only one nation within it)

Ex.

• no “true” examples

• Japan - 98% japanese, 70% shinto, and buddhist

• Denmark - 86.3% danish, 75% lutheran

• Iceland - 81% norse/celtic heritage, 67% lutheran

Stateless Nations

nations of people with out a state to occupy

Ex. Palestinians in Israel

Multi-State Nation

consists of a nation of people that live in more than one state

Ex. Kurdish people who don’t have their own state but live across states like Turkey, Iraq, and Syria

Multinational State

a country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders

Ex. United Kingdom, Russia, Iraq

Autonomous or Semi Autonomous Region

a location within a state that is given authority to govern independently from the national government

Ex. Hong Kong and Tibet

Sovereignty

a state’s authority to control its territory and govern itself

Nation-State

the territory occupied by a nation of people is the same as the recognized political boundary of the state

Self-Determination

the right of all people to govern themselves. Usually a nation, ethnicity, or former colony wants to govern themselves and establish sovereignty over their own state

-often may result in independence movements of devolution

Devolution

the process by which a central government transfers power and authority to regional or local governments

• due to centrifugal forces

• usually reflective of nations

What events have happened to influence the modern map?

• Berlin Conference (1884) - Euro powers gathered to divide up Africa and establish borders (drew borders w/out regard for tribal cultures which lead to conflict)

• The Treaty of Versailles (1920) - signed to end WW2. redrew boundaries in Euro and southwest Asia. worked in some places and resulted in further divisions in other (middle east)

• Establishment of Israel (1948) - Palestine was established as the state of Israel after the Holocaust. self-determination for Arabs (rose conflict). Palestine if recognized as a stateless nation

• Decolonization and Independence Movements (1945-1990) - movement of decolonization. resistance to colonial powers and new countries were formed

• Fall of the Soviet Union (1991) - fall of communism and soviet union = end of cold war, creation of newly independent states, and change world balance of powers

Territoriality

the control and influence over a specific geographic space.

Often include:

• historical and cultural links

• governments

• economics

• boundaries

• sovereignty

• defense/military

• sometimes leads to conflict

Political Power

defined as control over people, land, and resources

• doesn’t necessarily correspond to a specific geographic area

Neocolonialism

the use of economic, political, or influence or other pressures in order to control or influence other countries

• semi-periphery and periphery countries

• former African colonies - reliant on outside development (Kenya- 3.8 bil $ railroad - Chinese debt)

• political influence - US wars in middle east

Shatterbelts

instability within a region that is geographically located between states with overlapping territoriality and political power

• Germany during cold war

• Bolkan Peninsula - former Yugoslavia

Choke Points

a strategic starit or canal which is narrow, hard to pass through, and has competition for use

• could be blocked to stop sea traffic and show political power or territoriality

• essential to shipping worldwide

Types of Political Boundaries

• Antecendent

• Subsequent

• Consequent

• Superimposed

• Geometric

• Relic

Antecedent

borders that are establish before major settlement by people in a territory

Ex. 49th parallel that separates Canada and the USA

Subsequent

borders that are drawn in areas that have been settled by people, typically due to changes that have occurred

Ex. boundaries in Europe that has changed frequently in history usually cause of new empires, wars, or political agreements

Consequent

type of subsequent boundary - takes into account the existing cultural distribution of people already living there and redevelops boundary lines to better align with cultural boundaries

Ex. Nunauut and rest of Canada - drawn in 1999, established a province that coincided with indigenous groups

Superimposed

border that is drawn over existing and accepted borders by an outside force

Ex. Berlin conference imposed arbitrary boundaries throughout Africa

Geometric

borders that are established on straight lines of latitude and longitude instead of physical or cultural boundaries

Ex. Skyes-Picot agreement. Europeans split up the Arab Provinces of the ottoman empire after WW1

Relic (Relict)

border that no longer exists, but has left some imprint on the local culture or environment geography

Ex.

• boundary between East and West Germany during Cold War

• the Iron Curtain

• the confederacy in the US

Defined

countries legally define boundaries through an agreement or treaty

Delimited

identifying the location of the defined boundaries on a map. Usually at the same time as the agreement

Demarcated

visible marking of the border

Ex. fences or signs

Administered

legal management of the border through laws, immigration regulation, documentation, and persecution

Territorial Sea

• 12 nautical miles from coastline

• complete sovereignty over water + airspace

• permission of “innocent passage” of foreign ships

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

• 200 nautical miles

• a state has rights over exploration and use of marine and natural resources (fishing, oil, etc)

Contiguous Zone

• 12-24 nautical miles from coastline

• gray area

• does not have full sovereignty

Median Line Principle

drawing a boundary that is midway between 2 or more state’s coasts

The Census

1. determine federal + state funding for planning/providing services and building/maintaining infrastructure

2. Reapportioning the Congressional Map - process of reapportionment and redistricting to assure that each congressional district is roughly the same population

DONE EVERY 10 YEARS and is an OFFICIAL POPULATION COUNT wit data on AGE, RACE, and SEX

Reapportionment

process in which US House of Reps seats are re-allocated to diff states, based off pop. change

• 435 reps

Electoral College

organization that utilizes the popular vote to then vote for president. loss of congressional seat = loss of electoral seat

• 538 - 435 US Reps, 100 senators, 3 representing DC

Resdistricting

state’s internal political boundaries that determine voting districts for US reps and state legislature

• Voting District: term used by state and local govs to organize elections

• Requirements for Voting Districts: similar pop size, contiguous (single, unbroken shape), compact (smooth rather than contorted/dispersed)

Gerrymandering

redistricting for a political advantage, when the political party that controls a majority of seats in the state legislature draws political district boundaries to maintain/extend political power

Packing

clustering like-minded votes in a single district, helping the party win

Cracking

dispersing like-minded voters among districts to minimize their impact from gaining a majority

Representative Districts

impacts election results at different scales: national, state, local

Forms of Government

• Unitary

• Federal

Federal Government

power is shared between central, regional, and local government

Unitary Government

power is located centrally and the purpose of regional or local units is to carry out policy

Federal Government Positives

• reduction of conflict about specific issues because each substate can legislate differently

• local issues resolved faster by regional/local govs

Unitary Government Positives

• sense of unity

• efficiency in creation and implementation of laws

• change happens quickly - only has to go through central gov

Federal Government Negatives

• slow to enact change

• conflicts between national, state, and local level gov units - can cause confusion and stall progress

Unitary Government Negatives

• more vulnerable to corruption or authoritarianism

• central gov may not be in touch with local issues