AP Human Geo Unit 4 Vocab

FUCK

Antecedent Boundary

a boundary drawn before an area is populated; example: U.S.-Canada border in the West

Autonomous/Semi-Autonomous Region

a region with some self-rule; example: Hong Kong

Berlin Conference

1884-85 meeting where Europe divided Africa; resulted in straight-line borders

Boundary Disputes

conflicts over borders; example: India-China Aksai Chin dispute

Choke Point

a narrow passage easily blocked; example: Strait of Hormuz

Cold War

1945-91 political tension between U.S. and USSR; example: Space Race

Colonialism

control and settlement of foreign territory; example: Britain in India

Compact State

a round or circular-shaped country; example: Poland

Consequent Boundary

a boundary drawn to match cultural groups; example: India-Pakistan

Contiguous Zone

maritime zone up to 24 nm where a state enforces laws; example: U.S. customs enforcement

Decolonization

colonies gaining independence; example: African independence in the 1950s-60s

De Facto Boundary

boundary that exists in practice but not legally; example: China-Taiwan

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

an area where no military forces are allowed; example: Korea DMZ

Devolution

when central power is given to regional governments; example: Scotland's Parliament

Elongated State

a long, narrow-shaped country; example: Chile

Ethnic Cleansing

forced removal of an ethnic group; example: Bosnian War

Ethnonationalism

nationalism tied to ethnicity; example: Kurdish nationalism

Exclave

territory separated from its main state; example: Alaska

Enclave

territory completely surrounded by another state; example: Lesotho

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

200 nm zone where a state controls resources; example: U.S. Pacific EEZ

Failed State (Fragile State)

a state where the government cannot control territory or provide services; example: Somalia

Federal State

power is shared between national and regional governments; example: U.S.

First-Order Civil Division

the main internal subdivisions of a country; example: U.S. states

Forward-Thrust Capital

a capital moved to promote development; example: Brasília

Fragmented State

a state made of separate pieces; example: Indonesia

Frontier

a zone where no state has full control; example: Arabian Desert (historic)

Genocide

the intentional killing of a large group; example: Holocaust

Geometric Boundary

boundary based on straight lines or coordinates; example: 49th parallel

Geopolitics

how geography influences political power; example: Russia seeking warm-water ports

Gerrymandering

redrawing voting districts to favor a party; example: North Carolina districts

Imperialism

control of territories for power or resources; example: European rule in Africa

Internal Boundaries

divisions within a country; example: U.S. state borders

International Waters

ocean areas not controlled by any state; example: high seas

Irredentism

claiming territory in another state due to shared identity; example: Russia claiming Crimea

Landlocked

a country with no coastline; example: Switzerland

Maritime Boundary

political boundary in the ocean; example: U.S.-Mexico Gulf boundary

Multinational State

a state with multiple ethnic groups; example: Russia

Multi-State Nation

a nation spread across multiple states; example: Kurds

Nation

a group of people with shared culture/history; example: Japanese people

Nationalism

strong loyalty to a nation; example: Indian independence movement

Nation-State

a state whose borders match a nation; example: Japan

Neocolonialism

indirect control of weaker countries through economics; example: Western companies in Africa

NGO

a non-governmental organization; example: Red Cross

Perforated State

a state that completely surrounds another; example: South Africa around Lesotho

Prorupted State

a compact state with a long extension; example: Thailand

Reapportionment

reassignment of legislative seats by population; example: U.S. House seats after census

Redistricting

redrawing political district boundaries; example: new maps after population shifts

Relict Boundary

an old boundary that still affects the area; example: Berlin Wall

Satellite States

states heavily influenced by another powerful state; example: Soviet-era Poland

Self-Determination

the right of a group to choose its own government; example: South Sudan

Separatism

desire to break away from a country; example: Catalonia

Shatterbelt

a region caught between strong powers; example: Eastern Europe during Cold War

Sovereignty

a state's ability to govern itself; example: France making its own laws

State

a political unit with territory, population, and sovereignty; example: Canada

Stateless Nation

a nation without a state; example: Kurds

Subsequent Boundary

boundary drawn after settlement; example: China-Vietnam

Superimposed Boundary

boundary drawn by outsiders ignoring cultures; example: African borders

Supranational Organization

group of states cooperating for shared goals; example: EU

Territorial Sea

12 nm zone where a state has full control; example: U.S. waters off California

Territoriality

a group's connection to land; example: Palestinian ties to the West Bank

Terrorism

violence against civilians for political purposes; example: 9/11

UNCLOS

UN treaty defining maritime laws like EEZs and territorial seas

Unitary State

a state where central government holds most power; example: France