AP Human Geo. Unit 4 Terms

Autocracy

A country, or state, that is governed based off of the wishes of the government rather than the citizens living there.

Colonialism

An effort by a country to establish colonies within other countries and incorporate its political, economic, and cultural aspects into their areas.

Democracy

A country in which the government is based on the wishes of the people, and citizens are able to vote for their elected officials.

Federal State

A state internationally organized so that most of its powers are given to local governments.

Gerrymandering

The act of moving, or rearranging, legislative boundary lines in order to benefit the political party in power.

Landlocked State

A state that does not have direct access to a body of water.

Multinational State

A state, or country, containing more than one ethnic group with their own nationalities, or traditions of self-determination. The ethnicities must agree to peacefully coexist and accept each other's differences.

Self-Determination

The idea that ethnicities have the right to be independent and possess their own governments.

Sovereignty

The ability for a state to govern itself independently without being controlled by other states.

Terrorism

The violence used by a group that creates fear among citizens of a targeted area and that convinces the area's government to take actions which it would not normally, or want, to take.

Unitary State

A state internationally organized so that power is given to the federal government, rather than local administrative units.

Balkanization

Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

Devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

Irredentism

a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country

state

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.

Nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

Anocracy

A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic, but rather displays a mix of the two types.

relic boundary

a former boundary line that is still discernible and marked by some cultural landscape features

subsequent boundary

a boundary line that is established after the area in question has been settled and that considers the cultural characteristics of the bounded area

superimposed boundary

a boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural pattern

consequent boundary

a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language

antecedent boundary

a boundary line established before the area in question is well populated

supranational orgnaization

International bodies where member states cede some sovereignty to a higher authority to make collective decisions on matters like trade, security, or politics

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

United Nations Convention on the Law of sea

establishes how far into the ocean a state's influence and control extends