APHG Unit 4 terms

state

a politically defined area with a recognized government, clear borders, and a permanent population

nation

A group of people bound together by some sense of a common culture, ethnicity, language, shared history, and attachment to a homeland.

nation-state

a country where the political boundaries of a state closely align with the cultural boundaries of a single nation

stateless nation

a group of people with a shared culture and identity who do not have their own ruling state

multinational state

a country that contains multiple distinct nations within its borders

multistate nation

a group of people sharing a common cultural identity, language, and history, but living across the borders of multiple countries

sovereignty

The political authority of a state to govern itself

self determination

the process by which a country establishes its own government and separates from others

colonialism

the process by which one nation exercises near complete control over another country which they have settled and taken over

devolution

the transfer of power from a central government to subnational (e.g., state, regional, or local) authorities

ethnic cleansing

systematic removal or extermination of an ethnic group from a particular territory, often through violent means.

terrorism

the deliberate use of violence against civilians by individuals or groups to achieve political goals, often by creating fear and intimidation to influence government policies or public opinion

irredentism

the process by which a part of an existing state breaks away and merges with another

ethnic separatism

the political process of an ethnic nation breaking away or attempting to break away from a state, to gain grater autonomy, form its own state, or join a neighboring state

democratization

the process of a country transitioning from a government controlled by a few to a democratic system where citizens have more power to participate in political decision-making through elections

supranationalism

a form of governance or organization that goes beyond national boundaries, where countries work together to achieve shared objectives, often ceding some degree of sovereignty to a higher authority.

supranational organization

a group of multiple countries that come together to cooperate on shared goals, like economics, politics, or security, where they give up some of their individual power to follow rules set by the organization

geopolitics

study of how a country's geographic features, like its location, terrain, and natural resources, influence its political relationships with other countries and impact international politics at large

territoriality

the act of a group or individual claiming and actively controlling a specific geographic area, often by marking out boundaries and stating their right to that space

neocolonialism

practice of using economic, political, and cultural pressures to control or influence countries, especially those that were formerly colonized, without direct military or political intervention.

shatterbelt

regions of cultural diversity and political instability with weak states, local rivalries, geostrategic importance, vital natural resources, and international interference

choke point

a narrow geographical feature, like a strait or a valley, where a large volume of movement (people, goods, or military forces) must pass through

Boundary

defined lines or limits that demarcate the territorial extent of a political entity

relic boundary

Boundaries that no longer serve as a political division but remain visible on the landscape.

superimposed boundary

boundaries drawn by outside power

antecedent boundary

Boundaries that are drawn before wide settlement of a region

geometric boundary

Boundaries contain straight(ish) lines drawn by people; these boundaries do not closely follow physical features.

subsequent/consequent boundary

Boundaries that are drawn as a result of cultural or ethnic differences.

natural boundary

Boundaries that are based on physical features

defined boundary

a political boundary that has been legally established through a treaty or other official document, clearly outlining its location and separating one state from another

delimited boundary

a political boundary that is drawn on a map, signifying the official legal line separating two countries or regions

demarcated boundary

a political border that has been physically marked on the landscape using visible features like fences, walls, posts, or other markers

administered boundary

Boundaries that are heavily guarded and movement of people and goods is prohibited or discouraged.

demilitarized zone

a geographically defined area where military activity is prohibited by agreement

borderland

a region getting on both sides of an international boundary where national cultures overlap and blend to varying stages.

frontier

a region at the verge of state control and settlement

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

an international treaty that outlines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, covering areas such as territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves.

international waters

the areas of the ocean that are not under the power of any single country

territorial waters

the area of the ocean extending up to 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline, where that country has full sovereignty and control over all activities, essentially acting as an extension of their land territory

Exclusive Economic Zone

a maritime area extending 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline where that country has special rights to explore, exploit, and manage natural resources like fish and minerals, even though other countries can still freely navigate through the area

voting districts

a geographical area which is represented by a seat or numerous seats in a legislative body (435 congressional districts)

reapportionment

435 seats in the House of Representatives are redistributed based on a state’s population gain or loss. (census/national scale)

redistricting

Redrawing the boundaries of a state’s voting districts, usually after a census

gerrymandering

Process of re-drawing political voting districts to favor one political party

packing

the political strategy of concentrating as many voters of one type into a single electoral district to weaken their overall voting power.

cracking

the practice of drawing electoral districts that divide the population of a community or constituency across several districts.

unitary government

a system where all political power is concentrated in a single central government, with any regional or local units having very limited autonomy and essentially following the laws and policies set by the central authority

federal government

a political structure where power and authority are divided between a central governing body and smaller political units

globalization

the increasing interconnectedness of different parts of the world through trade, culture, technology, and people movement

centripetal force

a factor that unites people within a state, bringing them together and strengthening national identity