Ap Human Geo Unit 4

**relict (relic) boundary**

boundary that no longer exists as an international border, but remnants of its existence remain

**nation**

people who think of themselves as one based on a sense of shared culture and history and who desire political autonomy

**nation-state**

a state with a single nation (very few exist)

**stateless nation**

a nation who do not have their own independent state

**multi-national state**

a state with two or more nations (includes *most* states)

**multi-state nation**

a nation living across states

**autonomous region**

an area which governs itself, but is not an independent country

**semi-autonomous region**

an area that can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern. Ex: Native American reservations

**sovereignty**

final authority over a territory and the right to defend territorial integrity against incursion

**colonialism**

rule by an autonomous power over a subordinate people and place that creates unequal cultural and economic relations

**imperialism**

the drive toward creation and expansion of an empire and then once established, its perpetuation

**self-determination**

the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and government

**independence movements**

an area that believes that it should be its own country

**political power**

expressed geographically as control over people, land, and resources

**government**

political system with governing authority

**authoritarian government**

gov’t with a strong central power, no constitutional accountability, no individual freedoms e.g.absolute monarchy(Saudi Arabia), dictatorship (North Korea), fascism (Germany)

**democracy**

government where power resides with the majority (Ancient Greece)

**republic**

government where power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (U.S., Germany, France)

**democratization**

the process of moving from a non-democracy (authoritarian rule, colonial rule) to a democratic system

**neocolonialism**

form of indirect control through the use of economic/political pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former colonies in which they continue to be exploited

**shatterbelt**

region endangered by local conflicts within the state or between countries in the area, as well as the involvement of opposing great powers outside the region

**choke points**

geographical feature (sea OR land) that has significant strategic importance. Ex: Panama Canal

**human territoriality**

the connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land creating a desire for ownership over a defined space

**boundary**

line that determines the limit of state jurisdiction that is a vertical plane that cuts through the subsoil and extends into the airspace above and often coincides with cultural, national or economic divisions

**boundary definition**

phase in which the boundary is negotiated and legally described

**boundary** **delimitation**

 phase in which the boundary is drawn on the map

 **boundary** **demarcation**

phase in which markers are placed on the ground (signs, walls, fences)

**boundary** **administration**

phase in which the boundary is maintained

**boundary dispute**

disagreement over the location of a boundary/movement across the boundary (migration/smuggling) and can cause conflict

**irredentism**

when a state wants to annex territory whose population is ethnically similar

**antecedent boundary**

 boundary in the natural landscape that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in place as people moved in

**subsequent boundary**

boundary that evolves as the cultural landscape of an area takes shape and changes as cultural landscape changes

**superimposed boundary**

 boundary that is drawn by powerful outsiders (e.g. colonizers) and ignores existing cultural groups

**geometric boundary**

boundary that follows a straight line or arc

**Berlin Conference**

a meeting (1884-1885) between European nations to divide Africa among them for colonization with the intent of preventing conflict over the process

**colonization in Africa**

from the 17th to 19th centuries, large parts of Africa were divided according to which pieces of land belonged to which European colonizer and *not* by the existing patterns of different tribal people/ethnicities living on the land

**de-colonization in Africa**

the superimposed boundaries of Africa remained in place after independence, which has led to much of the current conflict and lack of ability to establish effective leadership

**demilitarized zone (DMZ)**

a buffer zone created by treaties/agreements between two or more military powers that falls on either side of the actual boundary

**international agreements**

establishment of formal commitments between countries on world related issues that can either encourage interactions (trade) or discourage disputes (resources)

**international sanctions**

policies or actions designed to induce states to change their behavior

**Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)**

established rights and responsibilities of states concerning ownership/use of oceans/seas and their resources as developed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

**Territorial Sea**

zone of water adjacent to a state’s coast (12 miles) in which a state has sovereignty

**Contiguous Zone**

zone of water adjacent to Territorial Sea (24 miles) in which state can enforce customs, immigration, and sanitation laws

**Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)**

zone of water adjacent to Contiguous Zone (200 miles) in which a state has the Right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage resources

**international waters (High Seas)**

ocean beyond the EEZ, in which all states have equal access

**median-line principle**

method used to divide the waters between states that do not have 400 miles between them

**voting district**

subdivision for electing members to a legislative body

**redistricting**

when voting districts are redrawn due to changes in population

**gerrymander**

redistricting that is unfair and gives an advantage to a particular political party by concentrating voting strength

**unitary state**

state that is governed as a single unit with a central top down form of form of governance where local territories only have power that is granted by the central government e.g. U.K., France, Spain, China, Italy

**subnational political territorial unit**

region that is given greater autonomy from the central government

**devolution**

the transfer of decision-making power from a central government to a lower level

**CAUSES of devolution**

* ethnic separatism (religion, language, ethnicity)
* economic and social issues
* irredentism
* physical geography
* centrifugal forces
* terrorism
* ethnic cleansing

**devolution occurs when…**

states fragment into subnational political territorial units

**supra-nationalism**

political and/or economic alliance of three or more states that is formed for mutual benefit to promote shared goals and resolve disputes, but can limit the economic or political actions of member states creating a challenge to state sovereignty

**United Nations**

union formed to promote international world peace and security after WWII, comprised of 6 principal organs that meet to decide on common issues and policies

**European Union**

economic alliance between European countries (1992) that established free trade and open borders and a common currency (Eurozone)

**North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)**

economic alliance to gradually eliminate tariffs and trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, Mexico

**African Union (AU)**

political, economic and social alliance aimed at promoting greater unity, cohesion, and efficiency of African states and reducing the strains of their colonial roots

**NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization**)

military alliance formed after WWII between the U.S., Canada and 26 European states to ensure mutual assistance in times of aggression

**ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)**

economic alliance aimed at improving development in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei

**Arctic Council**

 alliance aimed at promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states, Arctic  indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on issues of sustainable development and Environmental protection in the Arctic members: U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia

**military alliance**

alliance between two or more states who agree on mutual protection and support in case of a crisis e.g. NATO formed to defend against threats by communist countries after WWII (**Cold War**: period of political and military tension between the USSR and Western states after WWII)

**trade agreement**

treaty between two or more states who agree on trade, tariffs, taxes, and often includes investment guarantees e.g. NAFTA formed to eliminate tariffs on trade between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

**economies of scale**

cost advantages gained by an increased level of production

**The Paris Agreement**

establishment of protocols dealing with greenhouse gas emissions by the United Nations

**political change**

advances in communication technology have facilitated devolution, supranationalism, and democratization

**centripetal forces**

forces within a state that promote unity and national stability (nationalism)

**centrifugal forces**

Forces within a state that destabilize or weaken it