AP human geo unit 4

ap human geography

Administered boundaries

Borders managed by an external power or international body, not fully self-governed.

Independance movments

Efforts by a group or region to gain political independence and sovereignty.

African union

A regional organization promoting political and economic cooperation among African states

Independant state

A sovereign political entity with defined territory, population, and government.

Antecedent boundaries

Borders established before major human settlement.

Irredentism

A movement to reclaim territory believed to belong to a cultural or ethnic group.

Arctic Council

An intergovernmental forum for cooperation among Arctic states.

Land boundaries

Borders that separate states on land.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

A regional organization promoting cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Maritime boundaries

Borders that separate states’ rights over oceans and seas

Autonomous region

An area with self-government under a larger state

Military alliances

Agreements between states for mutual defense

Choke points

Narrow strategic passages critical to global trade or military movement.

Multinational state

A country with multiple ethnic or cultural nations within its borders.

Colonialism

Control of territory and people by a foreign power.

Multi State nation

A nation that spreads across more than one state

Consequent boundaries

Borders drawn after settlement to reflect cultural patterns.

Nation

A group of people with shared culture, language, history, or identity

Cultural cohesion

The degree to which people share common cultural traits.

Nation-state

A state whose population largely shares a common national identity

Defined boundaries

Borders clearly described in legal documents

Neocolonialism

Indirect control of a country through economic or political pressure

Delimited boundaries

Borders drawn on maps or legal documents

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO

A military alliance between North American and European states.

Demarcated boundaries

Borders physically marked on the landscape

Redistricting

Redrawing voting district boundaries.

Demilitarized zones (DMZs)

Areas where military presence is prohibited.

Relic boundaries

Former borders that no longer function but still affect culture or politics.

Democratization

The process of transitioning to a democratic government

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own political status

Devolution

Transfer of power from a central government to regional government

Semi-autonomous region

A region with limited self-rule under a central government.

Economies of scale

Cost advantages gained from large-scale production or governance.

Shatterbelts

Regions prone to conflict due to cultural divisions and outside interference.

Equitable infrastructure development

Fair distribution of infrastructure across regions.

Sovereignty

A state’s ability to govern itself without outside interference.

Established territorial seas

Coastal waters over which a state has sovereignty (up to 12 nautical miles).

Stateless nation

A nation without its own sovereign state

Ethnic cleansing

Forced removal of an ethnic group from a territory

Subsequent boundaries

Borders drawn after settlement that may or may not follow cultural lines.

Ethnic nationalist

Someone who believes a state should be based on ethnicity

Superimposed boundaries

Borders imposed by external powers with little regard for local cultures.

Ethnic separatism

Movement by an ethnic group to break away and form its own state.

Supranationalism

Multiple states working together by surrendering some sovereignty.

Ethnonationalism

Nationalism based on shared ethnicity and culture

Territoriality

A group’s effort to control land and resources

European Union (EU)

A supranational organization promoting economic and political cooperation in Europe

Terrorism

Use of violence to achieve political or ideological goals

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)

Areas up to 200 nautical miles offshore where a state controls resources.

Trade agreements

Agreements that regulate trade between countries

Failed states

States unable to maintain control, security, or governance

Uneven development

Differences in economic development across regions

Federal states

States where power is shared between national and regional governments.

Unitary states

States where power is concentrated in a central government

Geometric boundaries

Borders drawn using straight lines or latitude/longitude

United Nations (UN)

An international organization promoting peace and cooperation.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing voting districts to benefit a political party.

United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

International agreement governing maritime boundaries and ocean use.

Imperialism

Extending a state’s power through domination of other territories

Voting districts

Geographic areas used to organize elections.