ap human geo: unit 4 political processes

Boundary

invisible line that marks outer limits of a state’s territory

Boundary definition

boundaries are established by a legal document (often reference natural features like rivers or mountains or lines of latitude/longitude) and establish limits of a state’s sovereignty

Boundary delimitation

boundaries are drawn on a map

Boundary demarcation

boundaries are identified by physical objects, like walls, signs, fences, and pillars

Boundary administration

describes all measures states use to enforce that boundary

Boundary dispute

definitional boundary dispute

when two countries disagree over the interpretation of legal documents that establish boundaries

locational boundary dispute

occurs when established border moves and competing claims to the land arise

operational boundary dispute

occurs when the borders are clear but the function of the border causes conflict

allocational boundary dispute

occurs when valuable natural resources lie on both sides of a boundary

Irredentism

belief that territory outside a given state should be made part of the state due to a large amount of people living there of the same ethnicity as the state in question or due to the state having historically been in possession of the territory

(ex: Russia's claim that the eastern Ukrainian territories that border Russia are actually ethnically Russian)

Antecedent boundary

political borders established before the area in question is well populated or developed, often based on natural features like rivers, mountains, or lines of latitude and longitude

(ex: Andes Mountain, Sahara desert and Himalayan mountains)

Consequent boundary

political boundaries that are drawn to accommodate the cultural, ethnic, or social characteristics of a particular area

(ex: Korean demilitarized zone, the Northern Ireland border, and the Greenline separating Israel and Palestine)

Superimposed boundary

political boundary that has been imposed on a region by an external authority, often without regard for the existing cultural or ethnic divisions among the local populations

(ex: berlin conference)

Relic boundary

political boundary that no longer functions as an official border but still holds historical significance and may influence present-day cultural or social practices

Geometric boundary

straight lines that are drawn on maps without regard to physical or cultural features (follow lines of latitude/longitude)

Law of the Sea

an international treaty that decided that for all state that border the sea, their political boundaries would extend 12 nautical miles into what’s known as their territorial sea

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

zone extends 200 nautical miles from the coast and within that zone each country has exclusive rights to natural resource extraction

State

a country

Nation

group of people who share a common culture, history, language, and ethnicity. often have a desire for self-governance

Nation-state

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

(ex: japan, iceland, and denmark)

Stateless nation

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

(ex: the kurds, basques, palestinians, the hmong)

Multi-national state

state that is comprised of more than one nationality

(ex: indonesia, afghanistan, nigeria, belgium)

Multi-state nation

a nation that extends across borders of multiple states

ex: (the kurds)

Sovereignty

concept that a state has the supreme authority to govern itself and make decisions within its own borders without interference from other states or international organizations

Colonialism

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

(ex: british colonization of india)

Imperialism

policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means

(roman empire)

Self-determinism

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

Independence movement

efforts by groups or regions within a country to gain political autonomy and establish sovereignty from a governing authority

Neocolonialism

practice of using economic, political, and cultural pressures to control or influence countries

Devolution

movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state or breakup of a large state into several independent ones

(ex: united kingdom)

Shatterbelt

regions that are politically fragmented and often subject to external pressures and conflicts

(ex: eastern europe due to its numerous impoverished, underdeveloped and weak states sandwiched betwen powerful global rivals of russia and the west)

Choke points

geographic locations where flow of people and goods can be constricted and choked off in the vent of a conflict

(ex: turkish strait, suez canal, panama canal, thermopylae pass)

Territoriality

connection and sense of ownership individuals or groups have over a defined geographic area

Unitary State

State where laws are administered uniformly by one central government.

(ex: the UK)

Federal State

System of government where power is shared between a centralized government and various regional authorities.

(ex: the US)