AP Human Geography Unit 4 Flashcards

Flashcards to review key vocabulary from the lecture notes.

State

A geographic area with permanent defined borders, a sovereign government, and recognition by other states.

Sovereign Government

A government that has control over its domestic and international affairs.

Nation

A group of people with a shared culture, history, homeland, and a desire to govern themselves.

Self-determination

A crucial aspect of a nation's identity, referring to their right or desire to self-govern.

Nation-State

A self-governing state with a relatively uniform population, typically sharing a common language, culture, and history.

Multinational State

A state consisting of multiple nations within its borders, with various ethnic, linguistic, or cultural groups.

Multistate Nation

A nation that exists across multiple states.

Stateless Nation

A nation with a history of self-determination, but no officially recognized state.

Autonomous Region

A region located within a state that enjoys a certain level of independence from the state, with its own government and a high degree of self-rule.

Semi-Autonomous Region

A region controlled by another state, but granted a moderate degree of self-governance.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring territories and settling there to exert political, economic, and social control over the area.

Imperialism

The idea of growing a state or empire by exerting force over other nations to gain economic and political power without establishing settlement.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gain independence from their colonizers.

Devolution

The transfer of political power from a central government to a regional government.

Territoriality

The tendency to establish and defend a specific geographic area.

Neocolonialism

The indirect use of political, cultural, or economic power to influence or control another country.

Shatter Belt

A region where countries or people are subject to political, cultural, and economic pressures from external powers in conflict.

Choke Points

Geographic areas that have to be passed in order to reach a destination.

Geometric Boundary

A boundary that uses straight lines and follows lines of latitude and longitude.

Antecedent Boundaries

Boundaries that existed before human settlement or the creation of the cultural landscape.

Relic Boundary

A boundary that is no longer officially recognized, but still affects the cultural landscape.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary created by an external power or state without consideration for the local communities.

Subsequent Boundaries

Boundaries that develop along with the development of the cultural landscape.

Consequent Boundary

A boundary created to separate various ethnic, religious, or linguistic groups.

Frontier

A geographic area where no state has direct power or control over.

Definitional Boundary Dispute

Disputes that occur over the interpretation of the original documents that defined the boundary.

Locational Boundary Disputes

Disputes that occur over the location of the boundary and the ownership of the land.

Operational Boundary Disputes

Disputes that occur when countries have different ideas on how to manage a boundary.

Allocational Boundary Disputes

Disputes that occur when countries have a dispute over the use of what is on or in the boundary.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A zone between 24 to 200 nautical miles where states have the sole right to natural resources.

Redistricting

The redrawing of districts after the census to reflect population changes.

Gerrymandering

The process of redistricting a voting district to favor one political party over another.

Cracking

A gerrymandering method where like-minded voters are spread across many districts to dilute their impact.

Packing

A gerrymandering method where like-minded voters are stacked into just a few districts.

Unitary State

A state where power is concentrated with the national government.

Federal States

States where power is distributed between the national government and regional governments.

Ethnic Separatism

The desire of an ethnic group for more autonomy from the national government.

Irredentism

A movement by a nation to unite other parts of its nation located in another state's boundary.

Supernational organization

An alliance of three or more countries working together to achieve common goals or address specific issues.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that divide people, a state, or a group.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that unite people, a state, or a group.

Failed State

A state that no longer has a functioning government and has lost authority over its land.