Unit 4 AP Human Geography Concepts Flashcards

Centripetal Force

A force that unites a country, giving the population a strong sense of national identity and patriotism.

Centrifugal Force

Something that separates a country, causing tension and separation among a population.

Militarized Boundary

A heavily guarded boundary designed to discourage and prevent people from crossing, often indicating tension between nations.

Open Boundaries

Boundaries with very little restrictions on movement, allowing people to cross more freely.

Median-Line Principle

A principle to avoid conflict over oceanic resources by drawing a line down the middle of the ocean between countries.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

The zone extending 200 nautical miles offshore from a country, granting limited rights over the area.

Sovereignty

The ability of a state to govern itself without outside interference.

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own government.

Maquiladora Factories

Factories in northern Mexico that assemble raw materials for export to the USA using cheap labor.

Relic Boundary

A political boundary that no longer exists but has remnants or signs of its previous existence.

Frontier

An area where no state has direct political power.

Natural Boundaries

Boundaries drawn based on physical landscapes, such as mountains or rivers.

De Jure Area

An area defined by legal boundaries, recognized by law.

De Facto Area

An area where segregation occurs due to cultural factors rather than law.

Primordialism

The belief that ethnic identities are fixed and natural.

Constructivism

The concept that knowledge is actively constructed through actions and experiences.

Gerrymandering

The practice of redrawing voting districts to favor a particular political party.

Voting District

An area for voting that aims to ensure fair representation by electing representatives.

Berlin Conference (1884-1885)

A meeting among European nations to divide Africa without considering ethnicities or cultures.

Maritime Boundary

The line defining a state’s control over ocean resources.

Democracy

A form of government run by the people, allowing them to make political decisions.

Unitary States

A government form where the central government holds most of the power.

Satellite State

A state that is technically independent but heavily influenced by a more powerful state.

Microstate

A very small state with a tiny population and land area.

Multi-Nation State

A state with multiple large ethnic groups within it.

Multi-State Nation

A large group of people with a shared identity that spans multiple states.

Nation-state

A state where political and cultural boundaries closely align.

Stateless nation

A group of people with a shared culture that lacks territorial sovereignty.

Autonomous Region

A part of a country that has some degree of self-governance but remains part of a larger state.

Semi-Autonomous Region

An area with limited self-government that ultimately answers to the national government.

Territorial Sea

The 12 nautical miles from a coastline over which a state has complete sovereignty.

UNCLOS

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which defines state control over ocean areas.

Devolution

The process of transferring powers from the central government to local governments.

Independence Movements

Movements seeking to gain sovereignty and independence from a larger state.

State

An area governed by a political entity with sovereignty over its territory.

Westphalian state system

A political system that emphasizes state sovereignty and non-intervention.

Decolonization

The process through which a colony gains independence from its colonizers.

Demilitarized Zone

An area where military forces are prohibited to prevent conflicts.

Feudal System

A social structure in medieval Europe where landowners provided protection to vassals in exchange for loyalty.

Irredentist Movements

Movements where a nation seeks to reclaim land previously owned or populated by it.

Border

A political line defining the end of a state's territory.

Neocolonialism

The continued economic dependence of a former colony on its colonizer after gaining political independence.

Subsequent boundary

A boundary established after settlement, aligning with cultural groups and patterns.

Superimposed boundary

A boundary drawn without consideration for cultural groups and existing communities.

Geometric Boundaries

Boundaries defined by straight lines based on latitude and longitude.

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary that existed before human settlement.