Nation
a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.
Nation-state
a sovereign state whose citizens or subjects are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.
Democratization
the process of creating a government elected by the people
Multi State Nation
nation that transcends the borders of two or more states
Stateless Nation
A nation that does not have a state. Example: Palestinians, Kurds, Basque, Rohingya
Colonialism
Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
Capitalism
an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
Centripetal forces
An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state
Centrifugal forces
things that cause division within the state (ex: political, religious, or economic conflict)
Unitary State
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials
Federal State
An internal organization of a state that allocates strong power to units of local government
Devolution
The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government
Reapportionment
the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census
Boundary
vertical plane between states that cuts through the rocks below, and the airspace above the surface
Heartland Theory
Hypothesis proposed by Halford Mackinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world.
autonomous region (semi autonomous)
self ruled region within another country - examples: Xinjiang, China or Native American reservations
supranational organization
A venture involving three or more states ceding SOME sovereignty for political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives. (EU)
UN (United Nations)
A supranational organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.
League of Nations
Supranational organization established after World War I; Failed precursor to the United Nations.
EU(European Union)
A supranational organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.
ASEAN
an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism
NAFTA (now USMCA)
A trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico that encourages free trade between these North American countries.
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries