4.1 Political Geography

State

A politically defined territory with sovereignty.

Nation

A group of people with shared cultural or historical traits.

Nation-state

A state where the boundaries of a nation coincide with those of a state, creating a unified political identity.

Stateless

Refers to nations that do not have their own state.

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself without external interference.

Political Processes

Mechanisms and activities through which power is distributed, exercised, and contested within and between places.

Spatial organization

The arrangement of political entities across the Earth's surface.

Political Power

The influence and authority over political entities and processes.

Territoriality

The connection of people, their culture, and their economics to a specific location.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that tend to divide a state.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that unite a state.

Devolutionary Factors

Factors that lead to the transfer of powers from central government to regional governments.

Internal Boundaries

Boundaries that exist within a state, often delineating political or administrative divisions.

Political Boundaries

Invisible lines that mark the extent of a state’s territory and political jurisdiction.

Challenges to Sovereignty

Issues that arise when a state's authority or control is contested by external or internal forces.