Ap human geography U4 Vocab

State

the largest political unit, the formal term for a country

nation

a group of people who have certain

things in common:

• a common cultural heritage

• a set of beliefs and values that unify them

• a traditional claim to a particular space as their homeland

• a desire to establish their own state or express self-rule in another way

nation-state

A nation of people who fulfill the qualifications of a state

multinational state

a country that contains more than one nation.

nation-state examples

No real examples, but the closest examples include Japan, Iceland, and Denmark

multinational state examples

most countries fall under this category, best examples include US and Canada

autonomous region

A defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state

autonomous region examples

Aland is a group of islands in the Baltic Sea. It is part of Finland but lies near Sweden. Most residents are ethnically Swedish and speak that language. The people of Aland submitted a request to the League of Nations, a body similar to today's United Nations, to join Sweden after World War I ended in 1918. The League ruled that Aland should remain part of Finland, but as a nonmilitarized, largely self-governing entity, which it still is today.

semiautonomous region

A state that has a degree of, but not complete self-rule,

semiautonomous region examples

the Navajo, one of the largest American Indian nationsWith

more than 300,000 tribal members, they claim exclusive rights to over 27,000 square miles for their reservation, which is a federally recognized territory for Native Americans. Reservations, like the one controlled by the Navajo, possess tribal sovereignty, providing them exclusive rights, such as local self-government, and exemption from some state and federal taxes. However, the United States does not recognize complete sovereignty or independence of the Navajo or other Native American reservations.

stateless nation

a cultural group that has no independent political entity.

stateles nation examples

palestinians in Israel, and the Basques near the spanish french border

multi state nation

occurs when a nation has a state of its own but stretches across borders of other states.

multi state nation examples

the korean nation is divided between two primary states, north and south korea.

Sovereignty

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

berlin conference

In 1884 and 1885, representatives from the major empires of Europe met in the German capital of Berlin to lay out claims made on the continent of Africa.

self-determination

the right to choose their own sovereign government without external influence.

decolonization

the undoing of colonization, in which indigenous people reclaim sovereignty over their territory.

devolution

This process in which one or more regions are given increased autonomy by the central political unit

territoriality

a willingness by a person or a group of people to defend space they claim. People express their territoriality when they influence others or shape events by asserting control over a space.

territoriality examples

a state that administer and defend their borders

neo colonization

In this system, economic, political, or even cultural control was indirectly exerted over developing countries.

neo colonization examples

transnational corporation based in European countries continued to control the extraction of natural resources through mining and the export of coffee, cacao, bananas, and other crops on plantations in developing countries.

shatterbelts

a place that suffers instability because it is located between two very different and contentious regions.

shatterbelts examples

yugoslavia in 1991

balkanization

means the fragmentation of a state or region into smaller, often hostile, units along ethno-linguistic lines. areas that suffer from this are also known as shatterbelts

choke point

a place of physical congestion between wider regions of movement and interaction. Land-based choke points can be natural valleys or bridges. However, the most vital choke points in the world today are predominantly water-based, such as straits and canals.

choke point examples

bab el-mandeb strait, strait of hormuz, suez canal

antecedent

This type of boundary preceded the development of the cultural landscape.

antecedent examples

49th parallel in between Canada and the US

subsequent

This boundary is typically created while the cultural landscape is evolving and is subject to change over time. These boundaries are characteristically ethnographic in nature, meaning they are usually related to cultural phenomena. They may be drawn to accommodate ethnic, religious, linguistic, or economic differences among groups.

subsequent examples

boundaries in Europe

consequent

A type of subsequent border that takes into account already-existing cultural or physical landscapes

Consequent examples

the partition of the British colony of India in 1947, creating a hindu majority India and a muslim majority Pakistan

superimposed

This type of boundary is drawn by outside powers and may have ignored existing cultural patterns. These boundaries often lack conformity to natural features and, therefore, were superimposed on the landscape.

superimposed examples

Berlin Conference dividing Africa into states

geometric

is a straight line or arc drawn by people that does not closely follow any physical feature.

Geometric examples

49th parallel between US and Canada, and the 38th parallel between North and South Korea (follows a strait line across to easily divide the states)

relic

This is a boundary that has been abandoned for political purposes, but evidence of it still exists on the landscape. These boundaries are nonfunctional in the political sense but are sometimes preserved for historic purposes.

relic examples

Berlin Wall

Defined

is established by a legal document, such as a treaty, that divides one entity from another (invisible line). The entity could range from a country-in which points of latitude and longitude are specified-to a single plot of real estate-in which points in the landscape are described.

delimited

is drawn on a map by a cartographer to show the limits of a space.

demarcated

is one identified by physical objects placed on the landscape. The demarcation may be as simple as a sign or as complex as a set of fences and walls.

administered

How a boundary will be maintained, how it will function, and what goods and people will be allowed to cross are important aspects

definitional boundary dispute

occurs when two or more parties disagree over how to interpret the legal documents or maps that identify the boundary. These types of disputes often occur with antecedent boundaries.

definitional boundary dispute examples

the boundary between chile and argentina

locational boundary dispute

Boundary disputes that center on where a boundary should be, how it is delimited (mapped), or demarcated

locational boundary dispute examples

post-World War I boundary between Germany and Poland. Germans disputed the location because it controlled the land prior to the war, but the border drawn after the war left many ethnically German people on the Polish side.

operational boundary dispute

centers not where a boundary is but how it functions. Disagreements can arise related to trade, transportation, or migration.

operational boundary dispute examples

also known as functional dispute; as refugees fled Syria and attempted to enter Europe during the 2011 civil war, Europeans viewed their national boundaries differently. Interior countries in Europe often viewed the countries to the south and east as responsible for stopping migrants, while others felt the boundaries should stay open in order to help the refugees; can also happen when rivers and choke points serve as boundaries.

allocational boundary dispute

When a boundary separates natural resources that may be used by both countries,

allocational boundary dispute examples

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait because it claimed that the Kuwaitis were drilling too many wells using directional drilling, thus breaking the vertical plane and extracting oil on the Iraqi side of the boundary. Other resources that are often at the center of disputes include

fresh water, minerals, and fishing rights.

united nations convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS)

Between 1973 and 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed by more than150 countries. It defined four zones: 1. Territorial sea: This area extends up to 12 nautical miles of sovereignty where commercial vessels may pass, but noncommercial vessels may be challenged. A nautical mile is equal to 1.15 land-measured miles. 2. Contiguous zone: Coastal states have limited sovereignty for up to 24 nautical miles where they can enforce laws on customs, immigration, and sanitation. 3. Exclusive economic zone (EEZ): Coastal states can explore, extract minerals, and manage natural resources up to 200 nautical miles. 4. High seas: Water beyond any country's EEZ that is open to all states.

Territorial sea

This area extends up to 12 nautical miles of sovereignty where commercial vessels may pass, but noncommercial vessels may be challenged. A nautical mile is equal to 1.15 land-measured miles.

exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

Coastal states can explore, extract minerals, and manage natural resources up to 200 nautical miles.

census

a count of the population, every 10 years, to ensure the national congressional districts have approximately the same number of people; required by the United States constitution

reapportionment

changing the number of representatives granted to each state so it reflects the state's population.

electoral college

redistricting

rearranging and altering voting districts to ensure an equal population for each; can also lead to gerrymandering

voting district

Internal boundaries that divide a country's electorate into subnational regions and exist at multiple scales; people of a country who are eligible to vote, known as the electorate, vote for leaders in each district to govern on their behalf.

gerrymandering

is the drawing of boundaries for political districts by the party in power to protect or increase its power.

gerrymandering examples

cracking - dispersing a group into several districts to prevent a majority; packing - combining like-minded voters into one district to prevent them from affecting elections in other districts; stacking - diluting a minority-populated district with majority populations; hijacking - redrawing two districts in order to force two elected representatives of the same party to run against each other; kidnapping - moving an area where an elected representative has support to an area where he or she does not have support

packing

Combining like-minded voters into one district to prevent them from affecting elections in other districts

cracking

Dispersing a group into several districts to prevent a majority

representative districts

federal

unites separate political entities into an overarching system that allows each entity to maintain some degree of sovereignty. This power sharing is vertical with the different functions and responsibilities of government found at the national, provincial/ state, and local level.

federal examples

Germany, US, Nigeria (tend to be larger states)

unitary

most or all of the governing power is held by the national government. All local governments in a unitary system are subject to the authority of the national government.

unitary examples

France, Japan, and Kenya

ethnic separatism

the advocacy of full political separation (or secession) from the larger group along cultural, ethnic, tribal, or governmental lines. Ethnic groups and minorities are often concentrated in specific regions, which can lead to independence movements. In order to maintain unity, the central government will often grant more authority to these ethnic regions via devolution.

ethnic separatism examples

Spain has two culturally and linguistically distinct groups within its border, the Basques and Catalans, in addition to the Spanish. The Basque Country was grant semi autonomy in 1979 by the Spanish government. However, the intensity of their separatism is tied to actions by the central government of Spain. For example, if the national government imposes more restrictions throughout the country, then the Basques and Catalans may intensify their desire for independence. If the national government allows more local autonomy, it hopes that the desire for independence will decrease.

Ethnic cleansing

"a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent or terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas:'

ethnic cleansing examples

the holocaust

terrorism

organized violence aimed at government and civilian targets to create fear for the advancement of political goals. It is most commonly used by non-governmental groups that do not have an army.

terrorism examples

Al Qaeda attacks in the United States to protest US support of Saudi Arabia and Israel; 9/11

Irridentism

a movement to unite people who share a language or other cultural elements but are divided by a national boundary.

irridentism examples

Caucasus mountains region. Under the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh was an Armenian-majority region within Azerbaijan. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh demanded that they be allowed to join the country of Armenia, which supported their demands. Azerbaijan refused, and war broke out. It is estimated that 30,000 people died before a cease-fire in 1994. In theory, a new state was created, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. In practice, the new state became part of the country of Armenia. In the fall of 2020, the conflict reignited, and as a result, Armenia will return the territories to Azerbaijan that it occupied after the 1994 cease-fire.

Supranational organization

The practice of multiple countries forming an organization for the benefit of all members

supranational organization examples

United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), United States - Mexico - Canada Agreement (USMCA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Arctic council, African Union

United Nations (UN)

has 193 members, most countries of the world and two others as non-member observer states; mission is to promotes peace, security, and human rights.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

30 members, US, Canada, Iceland, and most countries in Western and Central Europe, and Turkey; mission is to provide mutual defense of member states

European Union (EU)

27 members, mostly in central and western Europe; mission is to integrate member states politically and economically

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

10 members from SE Asia; mission is to advance economic growth, peace, social progress, and cultural and economic development in the region

World Trade Organization (WTO)

The practice of multiple countries forming an organization for the benefit of all members. The goal of the WTO is to have countries agree to a set of fair and non-discriminatory guidelines for international trade. A secondary goal of the WTO is to ensure that trade flows smoothly, freely, and predictably.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

focuses on the production of oil, or petroleum. Its mission is to coordinate and unify its members' petroleum policies in order to stabilize oil markets. Membership spans three continents, including countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Iran. Ensuring a steady income for its members influences the quantity of oil supplied to the global market. Sometimes conflicts arise between the members. For example, one country may want to curtail production in order to drive prices up, while another member may want to increase production to generate more jobs.

Regionalism

when loyalty to a distinct portion of a country is more important than loyalty to the entire country; can create centrifugal forces

regionalism examples

Canada; the country’s French-speaking population, concentrated in southern Quebec, has pursued more power over local issues, such as education and administrative governance, including its judicial system. However, for some French-speaking Canadians in Quebec, this is not enough; therefore, political centrifugal forces still exist.

ethnonationalism

support for the political interests of a particular ethnic group within a state, especially its national independence or self-determination.

ethnonationalism examples

fragmentation within Syria and Iraq gave rise to Kurdish independence movements in those countries