Studied by 12 peoplestate
political unit with a permanent population and boundaries that are recognized by other states that allows for the administration of laws, collection of taxes, and provision of defense. “Political Unit
nation
people who think of themselves as one based on a shared sense of culture and history and who desire political autonomy “Cultural Unit”
nation states
a state with a single nation (very few of these exist, here are “imperfect” examples) “country that has one culture” Now there aren’t many since there is more mixing of cultures
stateless nations
a nation who do not have their own independent state
multinational states
a state with two or more nations (most states) “US is a prime example because there are so many different cultures”
multistate nations
a nation living across states “multiple cultures being prominent in multiple states (countries)”
autonomous
an area which governs itself but is not an independent country
semi-autonomous regions
an area which can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern “less power than autonomous region”
sovereignty
ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.
self-determination
the concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.
colonialism
an attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory
imperialism
a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
devolution
The movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state or breakup of a large state (balkanization) into several independent ones
neocolonialism
the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies
shatterbelts
a region where states from, join, and break up because ongoing, sometimes violent, conflicts among parties and because they are caught between the interests of more powerful outside states
choke points
a narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass. Because there is a great competition for their used choke points can be a source of power, influence, and wealth for countries who control them
relic boundaries
No longer an official boundary, but still evident on the landscape
superimposed boundaries
boundary that is enforced by an outside force. Does not usually line up with existing cultural boundaries
subsequent boundaries
set after the settlements of different groups meet (most common)
antecedent boundaries
boundary identified before area was settled, commonly corresponds to physical features, lakes, rivers, etc)
geometric boundaries
boundary formed by arcs or straight lines, not as concerned with natural geographic or cultural geographic features.
consequent boundaries
a boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing cultural differences
landlocked state
state not having direct access to an ocean (can be surrounded by one of many different countries)
demilitarized zones
an area from which weapons and military forces have been removed
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in the use of international waters, established territorial seas, and exclusive economic zones.
International waters
the areas of the sea that are not under the jurisdiction of any country
Voting districts
wide variety of small polling areas (election districts, precincts, or wards) State and local governments create for purpose of administering elections.
redistricting
rearranging voting districts after a census
gerrymandering
manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class
unitary states
a system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government
federal states
a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government
ethnic separatism
Occurs when people of a particular ethnicity in a multinational state identify more strongly as members of their ethnic group than as citizens of the state.
ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is when a state government attacks a specific ethnic group and tries to eliminate it through expulsion, imprisonment, or killing.
terrorism
the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
irredentism
Occurs when the majority ethnicity on one side of a boundary wants to claim territory from a neighboring state in order to bring a minority group of the same ethnicity or other commonality who reside across the border.
supranationalism
the state or condition of transcending national boundaries, authority, or interests
Centrifugal forces
Tends to pull people apart. May lead to failed states, uneven development, Stateless nations, Ethnic nationalist movements
Centripetal forces
Tends to unify people. May lead to Ethnonationalism, More equitable infrastructure development, Increased cultural cohesion
fragmented state
state split into many pieces (US would be considered a Fragmented state because of Alaska and Hawaii)
compact state
the distance from the geographic center of the area to any point on the boundary does not vary greatly (tend to be smaller, and most circular, easier travel)
elongated state
entire state that is geographically long and narrow
prorupted state
state having a portion of territory that is elongated (compact BUT has a ONE elongated area to, usually, access a important geographic place such as coastlines or a buffer zone) Many are from colonial powers
perforated state
state that totally surrounds another state
(the state that surrounds a landlocked state)
microstate state
state that is extremely small
Exclusive economic zones
an area of coastal water and seabed within a certain distance of a country's coastline, to which the country claims exclusive rights for fishing, drilling, and other economic activities
Gerrymandering (cracked)
spreads opposition supporters across many districts but in minority
Gerrymandering (packed)
concentrates opposition supported into a few districts
Gerrymandering (stacked)
links distract areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries
Note 
Flashcard (46)