AP Human Geo Unit 4

Political Geography

a branch of human geography concerned with the spatial analysis of political systems

Political Map

a map that shows the spatial organization of the countries and territories on the entire globe at a given point in time

State or Country

an independent political unit with a centralized authority that makes claim to sole legal, political, and economic jurisdiction over a region with defined boundaries

Independent State

a state that rules itself and is not subject to the authority of another state

Sovereign State

a state that possesses the sole authority over the land and people within its boundaries

Nation

a community of people bound to a homeland and possessing a common identity based on shared cultural trait such as language, ethnicity, and religion

Nation-State

the ideal political geographical unit; one in which the nation’s geographic boundaries (a people and its culture) exactly match the state’s territorial boundaries (governance and authority)

Japan, Finland has a matched state to their territorial borders

Nation-State Ideal

the idea that political authorities govern in the name of all a country’s citizens, modern mass communications link all residents, and state-based citizenship rights reinforce the idea of a national identity

Nationalism

sense of belonging to and self-identifying with a national culture; people with a strong sense of nationalism derive a significant part of their social identity from a sense of belonging to a nation

Stateless Nation

an ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state and is not the majority population in any nation-state

-The Kurdistan are an ethnic group with unique culture but are spread out throughout multiple nations in the Middle East.

Multinational State

a country containing multiple national, ethnic, and religious groups within its boundaries

Multistate Nations

ethnic groups territorially divided by one or more international boundaries

- Kurdistan is territorially divided multiple international boundaries.

Autonomous Region

a subdivision or dependent territory of a country that has a degree of self-government, or autonomy, in its decision making

- Xinjiang in China has legislative rights but currently there is human right violations against the Uyghurs. - Hong Kong is a special administrivia region that has its own economic freedom and democratic government. The administration expires in 2047 - Scotland has its own parliament to make their own decisions but the UK parliament can overturn decisions.

Semiautonomous Region

a subdivision of dependent territory of a country that has some degree of, but not complete, self-government

- The Kurds have their own military, parliament and economy of oil and gas.

-Scotland has their own parliament from the UK but the UK can override any decisions made.

-American Indian Reservations in the US have ability to make decisions about their tribe on their own account.

Self-Determination

a nation’s ability to determine its own statehood and form its own allegiances and government; the freedom of culturally distinct groups to govern themselves in their own territories and form their own state

- The Kurds, originally part of the Ottoman Empire, were promised their own land after WWII but the Ottoman Empire was part of the losing side. After WWII when the new borders were being drawn, they were not even considered. They have claimed their independence from Iraq since they have already parliament and a military and an economy of oil and gas.

- Catalonia has declared independence from Spain because they see it as unfair that Spain's gets most income from Catalonia, but Catalonia doesn't receive as much as they believe they deserve. It's based on unequal distributions of resources for amount giving.

Core Areas

a small territorial nucleus from which a country grows in are and over time

Escarpments

abrupt slopes that break up the general continuity of the terrain

- France is centered of the Ardennes, Alps, Pyrenees and Jura Mountains along its border.

Effective Sovereignty

the idea that a state’s power to enforce its sovereignty may extend beyond its territory and varies over time and from country to country

- The US began holding international prisoners in detention center on Cuba. They enforced sole authority within the boundaries of the naval based even though the government argued the center is outside of federal court jurisdiction.

Devolution

the movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state

- Yugoslavia creation after World War I was based just on the Slavic language but had multiple different ethnic groups within. Yugoslavia changed from central government to multiple regional governments known as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia today. Each country now had their own space for individual ethnicity.

- Catalonia has declared independence from Spain because they see it as unfair that Spain's gets most income from Catalonia, but Catalonia doesn't receive as much as they believe they deserve. It's based on unequal distributions of resources for amount giving.

- The devolution between Scotland and the United Kingdom. After death of Elizabeth I, the closest relative was Janes the monarch of Scotland. Janes ruled both Scotland and the UK, but in 1970 devolution ideas rose. Scotland in 1998 gained its own parliament but the Britian parliament can overturn any decisions made.

Ethnonationalism

a form of nationalism in which the nation is defined in terms of ethnic identity

- Former Czechoslovakia was primary composed of two ethnic groups, Czechs and Slovaks. On January 1, 1993, it was divided peacefully into Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Neocolonialism

the set of economic and political strategies by which wealthy and powerful countries indirectly maintain or extend their influence over less wealthy areas

- Multiple countries in Africa have private investors and foreign government leased farmland for large-scale commercial farming. The food produced is for wealthier nations where they take advantage of the land for their benefit.

-The Democratic Republic of Congo first experienced colonialism where wealth nations would exploit them for their resources. Specifically, King Leopold of Belgium exploited them from rubber while denying them of their human rights. After being annexed, China established their control seen as neocolonialism. China states they help the Congo with their infrastructure and other investments but in return they are given minerals or mineral rights that Chines companies have invested.

Peripheral States

states that have relatively little industrial development, simple production systems focused mostly on agriculture and raw materials, and low levels of consumption of manufacturing goods

Core States

states that have the most advanced industrial and military technologies, complex manufacturing systems, external political power, and the highest levels of wealth and mass consumptions

Shatterbelt

region of continuing and persistent fragmentation due to devolution and centrifugal forces

- During the Cold War, Korea and Vietnam experienced conflict due to disputes between global power. Korea and Vietnam were split into the North and South where the US and USSR would support one side. They would fight one another because of the larger dispute.

Choke Point

a narrow passage that restricts traffic to another region

- Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Guilf and Arabian Sea. The strait is 21 miles wide at its narrowest. It's the most effective route for oil-producing Gulf to ship their oil to East Asia. It borders Iran, Oman and United Arab Emirates.

- Strait of Malacca is from Persian Gulf to Asian Markets running past Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Narrowest point is 1.5 miles.

- Suez Canal is only sea route between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Shortest route between Europe and countries on the Indian and Pacific oceans. Constructed by the French in 1869 located entirely within Egypt.

Strait

a narrow body of war connecting two larger bodies of water

- Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Guilf and Arabian Sea. The strait is 21 miles wide at its narrowest. It's the most effective route for oil-producing countries to ship their oil to East Asia. It borders Iran, Oman and United Arab Emirates. - Strait of Malacca is from Persian Gulf to Asian Markets running past Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Narrowest point is 1.5 miles.

Boundary

a clearly demarcated line those marks both the limits of a territory and divisions between territories; often called a border at the global scale

Median Line Principle

an approach to dividing and creating boundaries at the midpoint between two places

- Hudson River dividing New York City from New Jersey

Borderland

a region straddling both sides of an international boundary where national cultures overlap and blend to varying degree

- The U.S-Mexican border in Texas where culture mixes that the term "Tex-Mex" is often used.

Frontier

a region at the margins of state control and settlement

Enclave

a territory surrounded by a country but not ruled by it

- Lesotho is an enclave within the borders of South Africa

Exclave

part of national territory separated from the main body of the country to which it belongs

- Pakistan created as two separate bodies in 1947 with a distance of almost 1000 miles. Ethnic and religious differences between the people formed so in 1971 they broke apart. West Pakistan is moder-day Pakistan and East Pakistan is modern day Bangladesh.

Delimited

describing how boundaries are fixed or defined to identify their limits

Demarcated

describing how boundaries are set apart to distinguish their limits

Superimposed Boundary

a boundary that is placed on an area without regard to existing boundaries

- In Africa during the Berlin Conference, new borders were drawn without consideration of the present ethnic groups.

- The geometric boundary between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

- The creation of the Indian and Pakistan borders was separated by Great Britian when becoming independent countries.

Subsequent Boundary

a political boundary that developed with the cultural landscape

Vietnam after gaining independence, send a letter to China requesting to accept the historical border established by the Sino-French Conventions. China accepted so after negotiated they came to an agreement.

Relic Boundary

a boundary that no longer functions as an international border

- The Berlin Wall separated East Germany and West Germany because of opposing government systems. The East had an autocratic government while West Germany had a democratic government.

Antecedent Boundary

a boundary that has identified before an area was settled

- The US and Canada border was established on the 49th parallel. It was negotiated in 1846 between Great Britain and the United States

Geometric Boundary

a boundary that has regular, often perfectly straight, lines drawn without regard for an area’s physical or cultural features

- The border between Canada and US from the Lake of Woods to Puget Sound - A majority of the borders drawn in African during the Berlin Conference

Consequent Boundary

a boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing cultural differences

- Canada created the province of Nunavut, traditional land of the Inuit, to provide greater autonomy for the First Nations

- Northern and Southern Ireland borders were drawn based on religion. While the North is mainly Protestants, the South is majority Catholic.

- The splitting of Yugoslavia into the different countries known today.

Buffer State

a political and economically weak independent country that lies between the borders of two powers

- Thailand, formerly known as Siam, was established by France and England. The independent state was a buffer between the two rival empires of France and England. Siam bordered eastern extend of England's South Asian empire of Burma, India an Pakistan and the western extend of France's Southeast Asian Empire of Indochina (Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos).

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military power, or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel; usually lies along as established frontier or boundary between two or more military powers or alliances

- North and South Korea have a demilitarized zone drawn after the end of WWII. It was a ceasefire line to the existing Korea War that was going on.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

conference organized to define territorial boundaries and rights to the sea

- The Philippines and Malaysia lay claim to the resources of the Spratley Islands since it's within 200 nautical miles. However, China is also trying to claim ownership over the South China Sea to the resources by building artificial islands. The benefits of the South China Sea are oil and natural gas reserves, fisheries and shipping and trade.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

zone that extends 200 nautical miles from shoreline in which coastal states have the sole right to exploit, develop, manage, and conserve all water resources lying beyond the land

The Philippines and Malaysia lay claim to the resources of the Spratley Islands since it's within 200 nautical miles. However, China is also trying to claim ownership over the South China Sea to the resources by building artificial islands. The benefits of the South China Sea are oil and natural gas reserves, fisheries and shipping and trade.

Satellite State

a nominally independent country that is politically, militarily, and economically controlled by a more powerful state

- Poland is buffer state between Austria, Prussia (Germany) and Russia until the 18th century it become a Soviet satellite state after WWII.

Artic Circle

area defined by the 66 degrees, 34 minutes north latitude line

Electoral Geography

a subfield of political geography that analyzes the geography of political preferences and how geography can shape voting outcomes

Voting District

a territorial division for casting votes in public elections; generally, only those who lie in the voting district are permitted to cast their votes there

Electoral College

a body of 538 electors in the United States; a majority of 270 electoral voters is required to elect the present; a state’s number of electors equals the number of members in its congressional delegation (One for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for its senators)

Gerrymandering

the manipulation of voting district boundaries to favor a particular political party, group or election outcome

Packing

gerrymandering a voting district by concentrating all of the opposition party into one district, thereby creating a large majority of that party in the district while ensuring that it cannot win any election

Cracking

gerrymandering a voting district by dividing opposition votes into many districts, thus diluting the opposition’s vote to ensure it does not form a majority in any district

Reapportionment

the process by which the 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are divided proportionately by population among the 50 states following every US census

Redistricting

the process of drawing new boundaries for US congressional districts to reflect the population changes since the previous US census

Subnational Units

the smaller areas into which a larger state is divided (for example, states in the United States, provinces in Canada)

Unitary State

an independent state that concentrates power in the central government and grants little or no authority to its subnational units

- Common in Europe and Africa

Federal States

an independent country that disperses significant authority among subnational units

- The US, Canada, Germany, Australia, Switzerland

irredentism

the political claim to territory in another country based on ethnic affiliations and historic borders

Terrorism

the calculated use of violent acts against civilians and symbolic targets to publicize a cause, intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or affect the conduct of the government

International Terrorism

terrorism that transcends national boundaries and is intended to intimidate people in other countries

- 9/11 attacked by Muslim extremists on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Domestic Terrorism

acts by individuals or groups against the citizen or government of their own country

- 1995 Oklahoma City bombed perpetrated by two white supremacists, who bombed a federal building to protest against the U.s government’s handling of a tense situation in Waco, Texas.

State Terrorism

terrorism committed by government agents whose leaders have ordered them to murder, imprison, or force into exile perceived enemies of the state

- Nazi Germany ordered soldiers to murder Jews, Roman Catholics, Slavs, Poles, Ukrainians, and Roma (gypsies).

Subnational Terrorism

terrorism committed by nongovernment groups that feel wronged by their government

- The ETA, extreme Basque separatists in Spain, target and killed Spanish military and police personnel, judges, journalists, and university professors that spoke against their ideas.

ETA

Basque separatist organization in Spain that used terrorism in its campaign for an independent Basque state

Democratization

occurs when a sovereign state moves from a non-democracy to a democracy

Supernationalism

occurs when a collection of nation-states and their citizens relinquish some sovereign rights to a larger-scale body that exercises authority over its member states

United Nations (UN)

international organization that is responsible for maintain international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and harmonizing the actions of nations

- The UN is sending aid to Gaza due to the Palestine-Israel war ongoing. - The US left the world health organization, taking a large majority of the funding

European Union(EU)

a political, economic, and social union of 28 independent European countries that promotes the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital among its members

- Ukraine attempts to join the EU but are still under consideration

African Union (AU)

a continental organization of African states that seeks to drive Africa’s growth and economic development through cooperation and integration of member states

-September 2023: the AU joined the G2O which gives them a bigger voice in global economic affairs. G20 organization focus on the global economic stability

Artic Council

an international government forum that promotes interaction among the Artic states and indigenous communities on common Artic issues, particularly sustainable development and environmental protection

- December, they met to manage the Artic marine ecosystem

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

an intergovernmental military alliance among 29 North American and European countries with the purpose of guaranteeing the freedom and security of its members

- On the 2024 Washington Summit they pledge to provide Ukraine with five air defenses

Religional Trading Bloc

a multi-country agreement that reduces or eliminates taxes to promote the free flow of goods, and services across international borders

Economies of Scale

cost advantages that can come with a larger scale of operations

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA-USMCA)

a 1994 trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico; revised as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020

- Tariffs were eliminated

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 countries in Southeast Asia to promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region

- Regional security with US since Beijing has caused conflict in the South China Sea

Failed State

a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control

- Yemen is the most fragile because of the ongoing civil war. - Venezuela because of the 2019 election resulting in two leaders did not concede the election so it remains unresolved. There is escalated violence, a instability, mass emigration, economic collapse and increase in criminality

Uneven Development

occurs when core states have advanced economies and a high standard of living while peripheral states have relatively little industrial development, simple production systems based mostly on raw materials, and low levels of consumption of manufactured goods

- Due to neocolonialism, West Africa cocoa production and Latin America raw material extraction are examples. - India clear difference between wealthy areas having access to better transportation, safer housing, and safer public spaces

Supernational Organization

international political body that nation-state establish in cooperation with their neighbors for mutual political, military, economic or cultural gain

- African Union, Artic Council, European Union, NATO, United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Allegiance

loyalty or commitment to a country

Equitable Infrastructure

the construction and improvement of foundational services such as access to energy resources throughout the country

Cultural Cohesion

cultural unity; occurs when the members of a society are culturally united

Iconography

a set of traditional symbols or symbolic forms associated with the country and its citizens

- Typically flags or anthems --> American flag for the US

Territorial Sea

Part of the United Nation a convention on the Law of the Sea that extends 12 nautical miles of sovereignty where commercial vessels may pass but no commercials may be challenged.

Contagious Zone

Part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that established coastal states have limited sovereignty yo to 24 nautical miles when they can enforce laws, customs, immigration and sanitation

High Seas

Water beyond any country’s EEZ that is open to all states

Definitional Boundary Dispute

Two or more parties disagree over how to interpret the legal documents or maps that identify the boundary

• Chile and Argentina disagree because the Andes Mountain is natural but the territory it lies in was never discussed creating disputes

Locational (Territorial) Boundary Disputes

Disputes based on the question of who possesses the land

• After WWI there was a dispute between Germany and Poland because Germany controlled the land prior but the new borders left ethnically Germans in Poland.

Operational (Function) Boundary Dispute

Disputes on how border functions

• During Syria Civil War many refugees fled to Europe but interior countries saw the south and east be responsible for stopping migration while other felts they keep them open

Allocation (Resources) Boundary Dispute

Extraction of subterranean resource extending over borders creates disputes

• Iraq in 1990 invaded Kuwait because they were drilling too many wells using direction drilling (drilling from their side to the resources in another country).