Unit 4 APHG

Administered boundary

The enforcement and maintaining of a boundary by government. Individual countries decide how strict or relaxed border crossings will be

antecedent boundary

a boundary between two states that is created before the area is populated with human society E.g. The boundary between the USA and Canada

autonomous/semi-autonomous region

an area of a country that has degree of autonomy , or has freedom from an external authority E.g. Navajo Nation (semi-autonomous)

Autonomy

the right or condition of self-government.

choke points

geographic locations where the flow of people and goods can be constricted and choked off in the event of conflict or trade E.g. Suez Canal

consequent boundary

boundary between opposing cultural, ethnic, or political groups, that was established to settle disputes, end wars, and establish a clear separation between groups.

cracking (gerrymandering)

when legislatures disperse a group into several districts in order to prevent a majority

decolonization

process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country

Defined boundary

An invisible line that marks the outer limits of a state's territory

Delimited boundary

The process of mapmakers placing the boundary on the map

demarcation

The process of physically representing a boundary on the landscape

devolution

The movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state or breakup of a large state into several independent ones

devolution

The movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state or breakup of a large state into several independent ones E.g. Yugoslavia

electoral college

A certain number of electors from each state proportional to and seemingly representative of that state's population

ethnic cleansing

when a people group commits mass expulsion or mass killing of a particular ethnic group whom they do not want to exist either in a particular region or in the world as a whole

ethnic separatism

the process whereby an ethnic group (nation) dissatisfied with any combination of social, economic, and political conditions in the country in which it is located undertakes moves toward greater autonomy from the central government of a state, or even secession E.g. the Basques in Spain

ethnonationalism

a form of nationalism in which the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity

exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

a sea zone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources

failed states

a state that is unable to perform the two fundamental functions of the sovereign nation-state in the modern world system: it cannot project authority over its territory and peoples, and it cannot protect its national boundaries

federal states

A country where governmental authority is shared among a central government and various other smaller, regional authorities E.g. The United States

geometric boundary

A boundary created by using lines of latitude and longitude and their associated arcs E.g. the 49th parallel between the United States of America and Canada

gerrymandering

the process wherein political officials redraw electoral districts to favor a certain political party, ethnic group, coalition, or social class

independent state

states that exercise self-government, and usually hold Sovereignty

irredentism

a political movement that is strongly tied to nationalism. It is a political movement that intends to reunite a nation or reclaim a lost territory E.g. Nazi Germany's claims on the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia

median line principle

the principle that a nation's maritime boundaries should conform to a median-line equidistant from the shores of neighboring nation-states

multinational state

A country with multiple culture groups or multiple ethnic groups under a single government E.g. The United States

multistate nations

when a nation stretches across borders and across states

nation

a group of people with common cultural characteristics

nation-state

a country whose political boundaries correspond with its cultural boundaries E.g. Japan

packing (gerrymandering)

the practice of concentrating a group of voters into a single district in order to reduce their influence in other districts

periphery country

A less-developed, economically poor country

political power

the ability of a group or individual to influence or control the decisions, actions, and resources of others

reapportionment

the reassignment of representatives proportionally among the states in accordance with changes in population distribution.

redistricting

the process of drawing new electoral district boundaries

relic boundary

boundaries that used to exist and can still be detected on the landscape E.g. Great Wall of China

representative districts

divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional body

self-determination

the process by which a nation or group of people determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and governments

semi-periphery country

countries that have a standard of living lower than those in the "core," but much higher than those in the "periphery."

shatterbelt

a geographical region that is endangered by local conflicts within the states or between countries in the region, as well as the involvement of the opposing great powers outside the region E.g. The Balkans region

sovereignty

The political authority of a state to govern itself

stateless nation

A nation of people without a state that it considers home

subsequent boundary

a political boundary that was created after two groups have already settled there E.g. the boundary between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

superimposed boundary

political barriers drawn in an area with complete disregard for the cultural, religious, and ethnic divisions within the people living there E.g. Berlin Conference's distribution of Africa

supranational organization

represent their members on the world stage and act in the political interests of the member countries E.g. The United Nations

territorial sea

a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state

territoriality

the effort to control pieces of the earth's surface for personal, political, or social ends

terrorism

the systematic use of violence by a group in order to intimidate a population or coerce a government into granting its demands

unitary states

a state where laws are administered uniformly by one central government (as opposed to federal states) E.g. China

voting district

a subdivision of a larger state created to provide its population with representation in the larger state's legislative body.