Unit 4: The Political Organization of Space

Country

an identifiable land area often connected to an independent state

State

a population under an autonomous government

Nation

group of people who share a common genetic or cultural heritage

Stateless nations

Nations without political/government recognition

Nationalism

intense pride of one’s nation, people, and history

Physical boundaries

distance, mountain ranges, deserts, rivers, and forests

Confederations

larger countries made up of smaller political entities

Microstates

tiny countries sharing a border with other countries

Sovereign government

government controlling land and possessing authority over its people

Citizenship

legal identification of belonging to a particular country

Naturalization

the process of becoming a citizen

Diplomatic/consular missions

buildings providing services for citizens abroad

Enclave

an area that is home to an ethnic minority; a territory completely surrounded by the territory of one other state

Exclave

part of a state geographically separate from the main part

UNCLOS

UN law creating standard ocean boundaries

International Whaling Moratorium

prohibits harpooning of whales

EEZ

Exclusive Economic Zones

1652 Act of Union

produced border between England and Scotland

Superimposed borders

arbitrarily decided borders that are often disputed

Kuril Islands

contested by Japan and the Soviet Union after World War II

Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

changes in physical landscapes can create border confusion like the borders of India and Bangladesh

Operational Dispute

opposing countries/groups each attempt to stall/interfere with borders

Allocational dispute

factions competing to control natural resources along a border

Conference of Berlin (1884-1885)

established colonial borders based on the desires of European rulers

“Tyranny of the Map”

describes European tyranny over the map of Africa and its borders

Kashmir

officially controlled by India while being claimed by Pakistan (and China)

Algerian War of Independence

changed France’s “borders” to be only on the European continent

Morphology

physical shape of a territory

Annex

forcefully incorporating lands under their control

Incorporation

the process where residents of an annexed territory are given citizenship by the country they are becoming a part of

Supranational organization

two or more sovereign nations in a formal alliance

Hanseatic League

medieval commercial and defense group

League of Nations

formed after World War I by Woodrow Wilson

United Nations

the world’s primary multinational organization

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Warsaw Pact

agreement formed by the Soviet Union in response to NATO

European Coal and Steel Community

united France, Italy, West Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium for limited free trade

Tariffs

taxes imposed on foreign goods

European Union

the largest supranational organization with 27 members

Schengen Agreement

opened borders to new EU members

European Court of Justice

appeals court in Luxembourg taking up commercial and civil rights issues from EU members

Brexit

referendum vote where Britain would leave the EU

NAFTA

North American Free Agreement ended tariffs between the US, Canada, and Mexico

Zapatista Uprising

protests against the enactment of NAFTA policies based on cheaper, government-subsidized US products

Atlantic Charter

document which stated the intent to make the world safe for democracy

Athens

known as the birthplace of democracy

Democracy

derived from Greek meaning “commoner’s rule.” People make decisions in politics and government.

Representative democracy

citizens do not serve directly but elect representatives

Direct democracy

male property owners over 20 could vote and be involved

Age of Enlightenment

intellectual movement throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe

Subject (vs. citizen)

a member of a state under a monarch, controlled by the monarch’s power and didn’t have any political representation

Glorious Revolution

occurred in Britain in 1688 and added to the Magna Carta. It limited the throne’s power and granted more to Parliament.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

French constitution formed from the French Revolution

Apartheid

legal racial segregation in South Africa. Black citizens couldn’t vote, but mixed race and Indian citizens had limited voting rights.

Seneca Falls Convention

the first women's rights convention in 1848

Suffragette

a women’s suffrage activists

Bicameral legislature

two-body legislature

Electoral College

system involving electoral delegates from each state, ultimately deciding the presidential outcome

Gerrymandering

redrawing districts to better suit a party, candidate, or outcome

Political economy

the study of economics in the context of a political entity’s government

Feudalism

a medieval European system where nobles/lords owned land, which was worked on by serfs and peasants.

Guilds

associations of craftsmen in specific trades; oversaw rules, regulations, and practices regarding their trades and services.

Mercantilism

idea that European countries should gain as much wealth (gold) as possible while restricting foreign trade

Adam Smith

economist who published The Wealth of Nations regarding an economic system based on supply and demand.

Capitalism

economic system where trade and industry are under private control with minimal government involvement

Joint stock company

includes multiple investors putting in funds, risk and reward are more evenly distributed

Laissez-faire capitalism

French term “leave alone” referring to an economy with little government involvement

Karl Marx

believed private ownership of the means of production led to the exploitation of workers

Communism

theory involving property and means of production equally shared

Planned/command economy

state controls production rather than a supply and demand system by consumers

Socialism

theory involving state control of major industries and public services available to all citizens

Market socialism (like Yugoslavia)

large industries were publicly owned and workers had some control over how industries were run

Civil conflict

occurs within a sovereign nation-state

American Civil War

fought between the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) over the issue of slavery

Reconstruction

process of rebuilding the nation in the period after the Civil War

Centripetal forces

points of unity and agreement

Centrifugal forces

create division and conflict within a country

Balkanization

process where an area divides into smaller units based on differences like culture, ethnicity, and religion

Josip Broz Tito

centripetal political force in Yugoslavia

Chechnya

region controlled by Russia but became a semi-independent territory after the fall of the USSR

The Velvet Divorce

peaceful split of Czechoslovakia into 2 separate nations as a result of a referendum vote

Manifest Destiny

idea that God wanted America to expand its territories across North America

Irredentism

a nation or nationality wanting to expand its current territory.

Reunification

restoration of political unity, especially in a formerly divided territory