Studied by 8 people
Autonomous region
an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority. Ex: Autonomous regions of China
Balance of Power
The condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries. Ex: U.S. matched its power to the USSR during the cold war
Berlin Conference
Dividing Africa so resources so resources could go to Western countries at the expense of Africans.
Border/boundary
Political boundary: An invisible line that marks the outer limits of a state's territory. Frontier: A zone of territory where no state has governing authority. Geometric boundary: A boundary created by using lines of latitude and longitude and their associated arcs.
Capital City
Principle city in a state or country. The best place to locate a capital is at the center of a country, so it is a somewhat equal distance from all parts of the country.
Centripetal/Centrifugal forces
Things that unite/ divide a country
colonialism
Colonialism refers to the process by which one nation exercises near complete control over another country which they have settled and taken over. Ex: Western countries to Africa
Colony
A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent.
Compact State
Compact states have relatively equal distances from their center to any boundary much like a circle. They are often regarded as efficient states. An example of a compact state would be Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi.
Democratization
the action of making something democratic. Ex: democratic transitions in Spain
Devolution
large government giving power back to small government. Ex:A classic example of devolution is a group demanding more autonomy from the central government. That is the case of the Scots in Great Britain. Ironically the adoption of the Euro as part of the European Union (EU) created centrifugal forces in Europe.
Elongated State
A long state. Ex:Norway and Chile are examples of elongated states. Defense and transportation can be more difficult in an elongated state.
EEZ
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) comprises an area which extends either from the coast, or in federal systems from the seaward boundaries of the constituent states (3 to 12 nautical miles, in most cases) to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast. Ex: Law of seas
Enclave/Exclave
Enclave: Lesotho Exclave: Hawaii
Fragmented State
A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory. Ex: Indonesia
Federalism
a system of government where power is shared (in various arrangements) between a centralized government and various regional authorities. Ex: United States is a federal country because power is shared between the national government and the governments of the various states.
Frontier
A zone of territory where no state has governing authority. Ex: the ocean
High Seas
Not controlled by anyone Ex: territory outside of EEZ
Gerrymander
Process of re-drawing political voting districts to favor one political party. Ex: Massachusetts being divided like a salamander
Imperialism
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Control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous group. Ex:European colonization of Africa and Asia.
Irredentism
a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country. Ex: Nazi Germany's claims on the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia
Landlocked state
A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea. Ex: Lesotho
Microstate
a state that encompasses a very small land area. Ex: Monaco
Multinational State
State that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities. Ex: Belgium
Perforated State
a state that completely surrounds another one. Ex: South Africa
Prorupted State
an otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension. Ex: Thailand
Sovereignty
ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states. Ex: U.S. government
Soviet Union.
Other superpower during wwii. U.S. can’t get along
State
an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs. Ex: Canada
Stateless Nation
a nation of people that does not have a territory to legally occupy, like the Palestinians, Kurds, and Basques
Territorial Seas
The area of sea around a country's coast recognized as being under that country's jurisdiction. Ex:Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States all regard parts of the Arctic as their respective 'national waters'
Territorialaity
the concept of territory, which refers to a defined area of land or water that is claimed by a group or individual as their own and is protected from external interference. Ex: way for animals, including humans, to mark their territory and defend it from intruders.
Terrorism
the use of violence by non-governmental groups against civilians to achieve a political goal by instilling fear and frightening governments into changing policies.
Supranational organization
A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives. The European Union is one such organization
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
a code of maritime law approved by the UN in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from shore and 200 nautical mile wide exclusive economic zones.
United Nations
International organization founded in 1945 to promote world peace and cooperation. It replaced the League of Nations.
Qualifications for a state
-Have to have defined boundaries
-Permanent population
-maintain sovereignty over its domestic and international affairs
-be recognized by other states
Examples of states
South Africa
Quasi state
Have established the structure of a state, but don't have international recognition. Ex:
Describe the problems of multinational states (Russia) and stateless nations (the Kurds).
Multinational states: Challenges in coexisting nationalities. Ex: Russia, Nigeria, USA, ... \n Stateless nations: War or violence over territory. Ex: The kurds, Palestinians,
list advantages and disadvantages of different types of boundaries and provide examples.
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries.
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is another regional supranational organization that unifies trade among Canada, US, and Mexico.
United Nations Convention on the Laws Of the Seas
It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
European Union
Heal western europe’s scars from wwii
United Nation
An international organization formed in 1945 to increase political and economic cooperation among member countries. The organization works on economic and social development programs, improving human rights and reducing global conflicts.
explain the role of the following in the internal structure of states:
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civil divisions
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federalism vs unitary structure
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irredentism, separatism, autonomy, and self-determination
-civilism:Governmental divisions that divide citizens
-federalism vs unitary structure: A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments.
Centralized government system, generally has a central capital as the focus of power.
-irredentism:Belief that a nation must reclaim and is justified former land/territory
Ex: Germany has to pay for reprimands after WWI, Treaty of Versailles
Separatism:Political movement of part of a political unit towards independence.
Autonomy: independence from state
Political movement of part of a political unit towards independence.
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