APHG Unit 4

State

A political entity with defined borders, a permanent population, government, and sovereignty.

Nation

A group of people with shared culture, history, language, etc.

Nation-state

A state where nearly everyone shares the same culture.

Stateless nation

A nation without a sovereign state.

Multinational state

A state with multiple nations.

Multistate nation

A nation that exists across multiple states.

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself.

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own government.

Autonomous region

A region with a degree of self-rule.

Semi-autonomous region

A region with limited self-governance.

Colony

A territory controlled by another country.

Boundary

A line that marks the limits of an area; a border.

Defined boundary

Established by a legal document.

Delimited boundary

Drawn on a map.

Demarcated boundary

Marked by physical objects like walls or fences.

Natural boundary

Based on physical features like mountains or rivers.

Geometric boundary

Follows straight lines.

Cultural boundary

Based on language, religion, or ethnicity.

Definitional boundary dispute

Disagreement over the wording of a boundary agreement.

Locational boundary dispute

Disagreement on the actual location.

Operational boundary dispute

Dispute on how a boundary functions.

Allocational boundary dispute

Dispute over resources.

Compact state

An efficient, centered shape.

Elongated state

A state that is long and narrow.

Prorupted state

A compact state with a protruding extension.

Perforated state

A state that completely surrounds another state.

Fragmented state

A state composed of scattered pieces.

Landlocked state

A state with no direct access to the ocean.

Heartland Theory (Mackinder)

The idea that controlling Eastern Europe allows control of the world.

Rimland Theory (Spykman)

The belief that power lies in the coastal areas.

Organic Theory

The theory that states grow and need territory to survive.

Shatterbelt

A region caught between stronger conflicting forces.

Choke point

A strategic, narrow waterway.

Unitary state

A state with a centralized government.

Federal state

A state where power is shared between national and regional governments.

Devolution

The transfer of power from central to regional governments.

Balkanization

The breaking up of a state due to conflicts.

Centripetal force

An element that unifies a people.

Centrifugal force

An element that divides a people.

Supranational organization

An alliance formed by 3 or more countries.

Economies of scale

Benefits derived from working together.

Trade agreements

Agreements to reduce trade barriers between countries.

Military alliances

Agreements for mutual defense between countries.

Supranationalism

Political/economic cooperation among states for mutual benefit.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing boundaries to favor a political party.

Reapportionment

Redistributing legislative seats based on census data.

Majority-minority districts

Districts where a majority of the population is from a minority group.

Colonialism

The practice of establishing settlements and control over another country.

Imperialism

Political or economic dominance over territories.

Neocolonialism

Continued economic dependence on former colonial powers.

Dependency theory

The theory that poor countries depend on rich countries due to colonialism.