AP Geo Unit 4: Political Processes and Power

State

• a political unit with:

  • A) Defined boundary

  • B) Permanent population

  • C) Some form of governmental powers

    • Either full power (see below) or shared power

Sovereignty

The power of a political unit to rule over its own affairs

self-determination

•  the ability for a group of people to form their own independent state

• E.g. Kurds

Nation

• a group of people who have common:

  • Culture

  • Homeland/Territory

  • History

  • Political society

  • Example: Jewish people 

Nation-state

• an organized area in which a nation and an independent state occupy the same space

  • Basically a combination of a nation and a state

  • Example: Iceland

multinational state

an independent state with more than one nation living inside its borders

multistate nation

a nation has an independent state of its own, but exists in other independent states as well

stateless nation

• a nation that does not have an independent state of their own

  • They exist, but are the minority in each state

autuonomous region

• a region of an independent state that has a reasonably high degree of governmental power separate from it

  • Operates basically separate from the independent state, but is still considered part of the country

semiautonomous region

•  a region of an independent state that has a somewhat high degree of governmental power separate from it 

Peace of Westphalia

End of 30 years war

Key principle established in this treaty = independent states should have right to govern themselves (1) without fear of interference from other countries (2.

Berlin Conference

European leaders divide up Africa without regard for tribal or ethnic differences

decolonization

• process of achieving independence from a colonial power

Cold War

period of indirect rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union

geopolitics

the study of the effects of geography on international politics and relations,

neocolonialism

• New” form of colonialism and imperialism

  • More similar to imperialism than colonialism 

• Indirect control over other countries, usually through:

  • Cultural means

  • Political means

  • Economic means

  • Not really military control in neocolonialism

territoriality

• The connection of people, their culture, and economic systems to the land 

  • Result: increased willingness by people to defend that land