APHUG Unit 4 Geo-politics

State

A country that shares common borders

Nation

A unified group of people who share a common culture and has no borders (an example is the Kurdish people or Palestinian people)

Nation-State

A sovereign state where 90% of the population share a common culture with defined borders (examples are Japan, Iceland, or Ireland)

Sovereignty

The right to rule

Multi State Nation

A nation of people across several states (countries) (an example is the Korean nation made up of North and South Korea)

Multinational State

A state with many nations INSIDE it’s borders (an example is the U.S. because they have many different cultures/nations)

Autonomous Region

Regions that have the right to govern themselves (an example is the Basque region in Spain because they have a different culture and want self-determination)

Semi Autonomous Region

A region with a certain degree of control (an example are the American Indian Reservations)

Stateless Nation

A cultural group that lacks its own sovereign state

Nationalism

Having a great sense of pride and loyalty to your nation

Colonialism

Establishing colonies in another state for political or economic gain

Imperialism

Expanding a country’s power through policies or military force

Berlin Conference

A meeting where Africa was partitioned by European nations

Self-Determination

The desire to have sovereignty

Centrifugal Forces

Cultural, Linguistic, or religious factors that drive people away or apart

Centripetal Forces

Forces that pull people together

Decolonization

Colonies gain their independence back from colonial powers

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to a local government

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a state into smaller units

Territoriality

An attempt to influence people by controlling a geographic area

Neocolonialism

Developed countries try to influence less developed countries through economic, political, or cultural pressure

Irredentism

A movement that seeks to reclaim territory they believe is rightfully theirs

Choke Point

A narrow geographical feature (strait or canal) that restricts passage

Shatterbelt

A fragmented region that is often subject to external pressures and conflicts

Physical Boundaries

Naturally occurring features such as mountain, rivers, or deserts that act as barriers

Opened Boundaries

A border where the movement of people and goods is easy because it is weakly regulated

Cultural Boundaries

A political border that separates different cultural groups

Militarized Boundaries

A border that is heavily guarded by military to prevent the movement of people and goods

Delimited Boundaries

Conceptual lines drawn to represent the limits of a territory

Demarcated Boundaries

A physically marked border that shows the limits of a territory. These borders can include walls, fences, or signs.

Administerd Boundaries

An actively managed border by the government

Maritime Boundaries

Divisions of ocean spaces

Ethnic Separatism

The advocacy for a specific ethnic group to separate from a larger group to gain autonomy

Ethnic Cleansing

The intent to create a homogeneous region by removing an ethnic or religious group

Supranationalism

An alliance between countries that want sovereignty to achieve common goals

Democratization

The transition of a government from authoritarian to democratic

Failed State

A state where their government has lost control because their political system has weaken

Uneven Development

The unequal distribution of resources and wealth across regions

Ethnonationalism

A form of nationalism where the nation is defined by a shared heritage

Cultural Cohesion

The shared values that unite a cultural group

Compact State

• a roughly shaped circle

• distance from the center

• easier communication and transport because everyone is not so far apart (stronger communication leads to more nationalism)

• Examples: Poland, Rwanda, Uruguay

Elongated State

• long and narrow shape

• poor internal communication

• regional isolation

• Examples: Chile, Norway, and Malawi

Prorupted State

• a state with a protrusion in order to gain access to resources like the ocean or to separate two states

• Examples: Congo, Namibia, Thailand

Perforated State

• a state that surrounds a smaller sovereign state (enclave)

• Examples: South Africa, Italy

Fragmented by Water & States

• fragmentation by water can hinder communication

• both consist of several pieces of territory

• Examples: Indonesia, the Philippines

Landlocked State

• a sovereign state completely surrounded by land to it lacks access to water

• Example: Serbia, Switzerland

Law of the Sea

A law for ocean usage

• 200 miles deep