4.1 Introduction to Political Geography

What are the primary building blocks of the world political map?

Independent States

Nation

A group of people with a similar background, culture, and/or ethnicity with an attachment to their homeland and seeking sovereignty.

State

A political entity with a government, defined borders, and a permanent population.

Nation-State

When the borders of a state coincide with the borders of a nation.

Stateless Nation

When a nation does not have a their own sovereign state, and is the minority in any state they occupy.

Multinational State

A state that is home to multiple nations, usually with one dominant group.

Multi-State Nation

A nation that has it’s own sovereign state, but the nation spreads past the borders into other states.

Autonomous Region

A region inside a state that has full power to govern itself, outside of the national government.

Semi-Autonomous Region

A region inside a state that has some power to govern itself outside of the national government.

Iceland, Slovenia, Israel and Japan are examples of a…

nation-state.

The Kurds and Palestinians are examples of…

stateless nations.

Canada, the UK, and Russia are examples of a…

multinational state.

Germans, Koreans, and Hungarians are an example of a…

multi-state nation.

Hong Kong is an example of a…

semi-autonomous region.

Native American reservations are an example of an…

autonomous region.

The Catalonians and the Kurds are an example of a…

nation.

Italy, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen are examples of a…

state.