AP Human Unit 4

State

Independent states that are the primary building blocks of the world political map with defined territory, permanent population, government, sovereignty, and recognition from other states.

Sovereignty

The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders.

Nation

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

Nation-state

A state where the borders of the nation match the borders of the state, ideally with only one nation in it.

Stateless Nation

Nations of people without a state to occupy.

Multistate Nation

A nation of people that lives in more than one state.

Multinational State

A country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders.

Autonomous Region

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

Self-determination

The right of all people to govern themselves, often leading to independence movements or devolution.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional authorities, often seen in response to centrifugal forces.

Berlin Conference (1884)

A meeting where European powers divided Africa and established borders without regard for tribal cultures, leading to later conflicts.

Treaty of Versailles (1920)

A treaty that redrew political boundaries in Europe and Southwest Asia post WWI, intending to create nation-states.

Establishment of Israel (1948)

The creation of Israel post-Holocaust which led to self-determination movements for Arabs in Palestine.

Decolonization

The process of a colony gaining independence and establishing sovereignty, prevalent from 1945 to 1990.

Fall of the Soviet Union (1991)

The collapse of the Soviet state, leading to the creation of multiple independent states and changing the global power balance.

Territoriality

The control and influence over a specific geographic space, including historic links, governance, and defense.

Political Power

Control over people, land, and resources, which does not correspond to a specific geographic area.

Neocolonialism

The use of economic and political pressures to control or influence other countries.

Choke Points

Strategic narrow passages essential for global shipping and trade that can be used to assert political power.

Antecedent Boundary

Borders established before major settlement by people in that territory.

Subsequent Boundary

Borders drawn in areas settled by people, often due to historical changes.

Geometric Boundary

Borders established on straight lines of latitude and longitude.

Relic Boundary

A boundary that no longer exists but has left imprints on local geography.

Defined Boundaries

Legally identified borders agreed upon by countries.

Delimitation

The identification and mapping of defined boundaries.

Demarcation

Physically marking the landscape with objects to signify borders.

Administered Boundaries

Legal management and enforcement of border laws and regulations.

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that establishes international maritime laws.

Census

A population count conducted every ten years to collect demographic data.

Gerrymandering

Redistricting for political advantage, manipulating district boundaries to favor a particular party.

Packing

Clustering like-minded voters in a district to maximize party representation.

Cracking

Dispersing voters across multiple districts to dilute their voting power.

Federal Government

A system where power is shared between central and regional governments.

Unitary Government

A system where power is centralized, with regional governments acting as extensions of the central authority.

Ethnic Separatism

The strong identification of ethnicity over national citizenship in a multinational state.

Ethnic Cleansing

State-sponsored attempts to eliminate an ethnic group through various means.

Supranational Organizations

Alliances between three or more states for common goals that can challenge state sovereignty.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that can lead to the disintegration of states and promote balkanization.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that promote unity and cohesion within a state.

Ethnonationalism

A sense of pride among people identifying together as a single ethnic group, united against common adversaries.

Shatterbelt

A region that is unstable and often experiences conflicts due to its location between larger powers, leading to geopolitical tensions and fragmented control.

What are the positives of federal and unitary systems of government?

Federal systems allow local control and tailored policies, while unitary systems create uniformity and consistency across the nation.

What are the negatives of federal and unitary systems of government?

Federal systems can lead to conflicts between state and federal laws; unitary systems may neglect local needs and interests.

Maritime Boundary

A boundary that determines the limits of a state's jurisdiction over the sea and its resources.

Territorial Sea

A zone of the sea extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a state's coast, where the state has sovereignty.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A maritime area up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, where a state has special rights to explore and exploit resources.

UNCLOS III

The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), which established legal frameworks for maritime boundaries and ocean governance.