Unit 4 Gradesavers

State

largest political unit; formal term for a country

Nation

group of people who have certain things in common such as religion, language, and ethnicity

Nation-State

when the borders of a nation match the border of a state (ideally has only one nation)

Stateless Nation

nations of people without a state to occupy

Multinational State

a country that contains more that one nation

Multi State Nation

a nation that lives in more than one state

Autonomous Region

defined area within a state that has a high degree of self government and freedom from its parent state

Semi Autonomous Region

an area that has a degree of, but not complete self rule

Sovereignty

the power of a political unit or government to rule over its own affairs

Self-Determination

The right for a country to choose their own sovereign government without external influence

Decolonization

the undoing of colonization, in which people reclaim sovereignty over their territory

Genocide

an organized mass killing, in which people are targeted because of their religion, ethnicity, or nationality

Devolution

process in which one or more regions are given increased autonomy by the central political unit

Neocolonialism

a system in which economic, political, or even cultural control was indirectly exerted over developing countries

Shatterbelt

a place located between two very different and contentious regions

Choke Points

place of physical congestion between wider regions of movement and interactions

Territoriality

the willingness by a person or a group of people to defend space they claim

Relic Boundary

a boundary that no longer exists but is still present on the cultural landscape

Superimposed Boundary

a boundary drawn by outside powers

Subsequent Boundary

a boundary that is typically created while the cultural landscape is evolving and subject to change over time.

Antecedent Boundary

a boundary that existed before a cultural landscape emerged

Geometric Boundary

a straight line or arc that’s drawn by people and doesn’t closely follow any physical feature

Consequent Boundary

a type of subsequent boundary that takes into account existing cultural or physical landscapes

Defined Boundary

established by a legal document, such as a treaty, the divides one entity from another

Delimited Boundary

drawn on a map by a cartographer to show the limits of space

Demarcated Boundary

a boundary that’s identified by physical objects placed on the landscape

Demilitarized Zone

area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers, or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel.

Berlin Conference

meeting from 1884-1885 where representatives of European unions had the intention of dividing up Africa among each union.

Maritime Boundary

the division of the Earth’s water surface into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or human geography.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

code of maritime law approved by the UN in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from shore and 200 nautical miles wide EEZ.

International Waters

areas of the sea that aren’t under the jurisdiction of any country

Territorial Sea

area extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)

areas where coastal states can explore, extract minerals, and manage natural resources up to 200 nautical miles.

Voting District

divides a country’s electorate into subnational regions

Redistricting

drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes

Gerrymandering

drawing of boundaries for political districts by the party in power to protect or increase its power

Unitary State

a state where most or all governing power is held by the government

Federal State

unites separate political entities into an overarching system the allows each entity to maintain some degree of sovereignty

Ethnic Separitism

the advocacy of full political separation (or succession) from the larger group along cultural, ethnic, tribal, or government lines.

Ethnic Cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted religious or ethnic group in a society

Terrorism

organized violence aimed at government and civilian targets to create fear for the advancement of political goals

Irrendentism

a movement to unite people who share a language or other cultural elements but are divided by a national boundary

Supranationalism

the practice of multiple countries forming an organization for the benefit of all members

Democratization

the process in which a political regime becomes more democratic.

Economies of Scale

the reduction in the per unit cost of production as the volume of production increases

Trade Agreements

any contractual agreement between states concerning their trade relationships

Military Alliances

organizations of countries who agree to help each other militarily if attacked by another country.

Supranational Organizations

an international organization or union whereby member states transcend national boundaries or interests to share in the decision making and vote on issues pertaining to the wider grouping

United Nations (UN)

supranational organization created in 1945 that has 193 member states whose mission is to promote peace, security, and human rights

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

supranational organization created in 1949 that has 30 member states with a mission to provide mutual defense of member states

European Union (EU)

supranational organization created in 1993 that has 27 member states with a mission to integrate member states politically and economically

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

supranational organization created in 1967 that has 10 member states with a mission to advance economic growth, peace, social progress, and cultural and economic development in the region

Arctic Council

supranational organization created in 1996 that has 8 member states with a mission to foster cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic states with participation of Arctic indigenous communities

African Union

supranational organization created in 2002 that has 55 member states (all of Africa) with a mission to advocate peace, security, and stability on the continent through greater cooperation, economic development, and global integration

Failed State

a state that is unable to perform the two fundamental functions of the sovereign nation-state in the modern world system

Ethnic Nationalist Movement

the collective ideas and actions of an ethnic nation designed to promote the identity and rights of an ethnicity in cultural. economic, and political spheres

Centripetal Force

unities a country’s population

Ethnonationalism

support for political interests of a particular ethnic group within a state, especially its national independence or self-determination

Infrastructure Development

the basic structures or services, installations, and facilities needed to support industrial, agricultural, and other economic development

Cultural Cohesion

the capacity of different national and ethnic groups to make a mutual commitment to live together as citizens of the same state