AP Human Geography Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions essential to the understanding of political patterns and processes in human geography.

Nation

Cultural unit with common ancestry occupying a particular territory.

Nation-State

A state in which the cultural borders of a nation correspond with the state borders.

Stateless Nation

A nation of people that does not have a recognized state.

Multinational State

A state that contains more than one nation and no single ethnic group dominates.

Multistate Nation

A nation that stretches across borders and across states.

Sovereignty

The political authority of a state to govern itself.

Self-Determination

The process by which a group of people form their own state and choose their own government.

Colonialism

The policy of acquiring full/partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers.

Imperialism

Extending a country's rule over foreign nations, often by military force.

Devolution

The process of transferring some power from central government to regional governments.

Territoriality

The connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land.

Choke Point

A geographical feature that narrows military movement or trade routes.

Demarcation

The marking of boundaries on the ground.

Gerrymandering

Drawing political boundaries to give your party a numeric advantage over another.

Supranationalism

The process of nation-states organizing politically and economically into one organization or alliance.

Ethnic Separatism

Advocacy for the separation of ethnic groups from a larger group.

Nation

A cultural unit consisting of people with a common ancestry who occupy a particular territory.

Nation-State

A state in which the cultural borders of a nation correspond closely with the political borders of the state.

Stateless Nation

A nation of people that does not have a legally recognized state or sovereign territory of its own.

Multinational State

A state that contains more than one nation where no single ethnic group dominates the political system.

Multistate Nation

A nation that stretches across the borders of multiple states.

Sovereignty

The supreme political authority of a state to govern itself and manage its own internal and external affairs.

Self-Determination

The process by which a group of people, usually possessing a distinct national identity, form their own state and choose their own government.

Colonialism

The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power and influence over foreign nations through diplomacy or military force.

Devolution

The transfer of certain powers and responsibilities from a central government to regional or local governments.

Territoriality

The connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to a specific piece of land.

Choke Point

A strategic geographical feature, such as a narrow strait, that narrows military movement or restricts trade routes.

Demarcation

The physical marking of boundaries on the ground using signs, fences, or walls.

Gerrymandering

The process of redrawing political district boundaries to give one party a numeric advantage over its opposition.

Supranationalism

The process of three or more nation-states organizing into a single political or economic alliance to achieve shared goals.

Ethnic Separatism

The advocacy for the separation of an ethnic group from a larger political entity or state.

Neocolonialism

The use of economic, political, or cultural pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies.

Shatterbelt

A region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces and fragmented by aggressive rivals.

Relic Boundary

A former boundary line that is no longer used but is still visible on the cultural landscape.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary line placed over an existing cultural pattern by an outside power, often ignoring local ethnic or cultural distributions.

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary line established before an area is significantly populated or before the cultural landscape was developed.

Subsequent Boundary

A boundary line established after an area is populated that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the people living there.

Geometric Boundary

A boundary line based on straight lines or arcs, such as lines of latitude or longitude.

UNCLOS

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which established a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country's coast within which the state has exclusive rights to resource extraction.

Federal State

An internal organization of a state that allocates significant powers to units of local government.

Unitary State

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing census and legislative district boundaries to ensure equal population representation.

Centripetal Force

An attitude, force, or factor that tends to unify people and strengthen support for a state.

Centrifugal Force

A force or factor that tends to divide a state and destabilize its government.

Defined Boundary

A boundary established by a legal document, such as a treaty or law.

Delimited Boundary

A boundary that has been drawn on a map by cartographers as part of a legal agreement.