Unit 4 Vocabulary

What is a state?

An area organized into a political unit ruled by a government with a permanent population and defined territory.

What does sovereignty refer to?

The ability of a region to govern itself without external control.

What is a stateless nation?

An ethnic group that does not possess its own state, such as the Kurds.

Define a microstate.

A sovereign state with a very small population and land area, like Monaco.

What is self-determination?

The concept that ethnic groups have the right to govern themselves.

What is the difference between a unitary system and a federal system?

A unitary system has centralized control with no local power, while a federal system shares power between central and regional governments.

What happened during the Berlin Conference of 1884-85?

European nations claimed African territory and created superimposed borders.

Describe what a choke point is.

A geographical feature that significantly reduces the movement of forces through an area, like a narrow valley.

What were the main outcomes sought by the leaders at the Versailles Peace Conference after WW1?

Leaders aimed to redraw the map of Europe and establish new borders.

What does ethnonationalism mean?

The push for sovereignty by a specific ethnic group.