Unit 4 Political Geography Vocab

FROM STUDY MATE

antecedent boundary

a political boundary that existed before the present settlement occurred and the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in a place while people moved in to occupy the surroundings

Apartheid

This was the legal segregation of races in South Africa from the 1940s-1990. The laws were passed by the whites-only government of the country (descendants of settlers from Britain and Holland, together called Afrikaners) and were designed to keep the other races in the country subservient. These laws were removed in 1990 after immense political and economic pressure from Western countries when activist Nelson Mandela was freed (and later became the first black president of the country).

Autonomous region

an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority.

Ex: Kurds control this type of region in northern Iraq

Balkanization

A process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities (Yugoslavia - Once Brothers)

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations met to lay out claims on Africa

borderland

a region straddling both sides of an international boundary where national cultures overlap and blend to varying degrees

buffer state

a politically and economically weak independent country that lies between the borders of two powers

centrifugal forces

An attitude or factor that tends to divide people and make people become opposed to something; encourages a country to fall apart/divide

centripetal forces

An attitude or factor that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state

choke points

the strategic setting where narrow waterways or other narrow passages are vulnerable to military blockade disruption

city-state

a city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside

Cold War

Period of diplomatic, political, and military rivalry between the US & Soviet Union, 1945-1991

Colonialism

An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

consequent boundary

a boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing cultural differences (for example the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)

cultural boundary

boundary based on human traits or behavior

Ex. Pakistan and India

Decolonization

the action of changing from colonial territories to independent status

defined boundary

A boundary is established by a legal document such as a treaty that divides one entity from another (invisible line)

delimited boundary

a boundary is drawn on a map to show the limits of space

demarcated boundary

a boundary identified with physical objects on the landscape; it could be a simple sign or complex wall

demilitarized zone

A zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited (North & South Korea)

devolution

the movement of power from central government to lower levels of government, ex: In the UK - the parliament transferred powers to regional assemblies in Wales, Scotland, & Northern Island - all of which make up the UK with England

enclaves

a country or part of a country mostly surrounded by the territory of another country or completely lying within the boundaries of another country

Ex: Lesotho

ethnic cleansing

the systematic killing or extermination of an entire people or nation

ethnic separatism

desired regional autonomy expressed by a culturally distinctive group within a larger, politically dominant culture

Ethnonationalism

a form of nationalism in which the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity

European Union

An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

exclaves

a part of a country that is separated from the rest of the country and surrounded by foreign territory.

Example: Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is _________ of Azerbaijan.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

as established in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a zone of exploitation extending 200 nautical miles seaward from the coastal state that has exclusive mineral and fishing rights over it

Federal State

the formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs.

geometric boundary

A boundary is a straight line drawn by people that do not follow any physical feature closely; Example on large scale is a boundary dividing Egypt & Libya, and on a smaller scale boundary dividing two suburbs of a city

Geopolitics

the study of the interplay between international political relations and the environmental context in which they occur

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Heartland Theory

A geopolitical hypothesis, proposed by British geographer Halford Mackinder during the first two decades of the twentieth century, that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain sufficient strength to eventually dominate the world. Mackinder further proposed that since Eastern Europe controlled access to the Eurasian interior, its ruler would command the vast "heartland" to the east

imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, socially, and economically. Ex: the European colonization of Asia and Africa

irredentism

One country tries to annex territory in another because it has ties to part of the population that lives there.

Example: Efforts by the Third Reich to expand Germany's borders so as to encompass all German-speaking people in Europe

Landlocked

completely surrounded by land with no direct access to the ocean

Median-line principle

an approach to dividing and creating boundaries at the mid-point between two places.

multinational state

A state which includes more than one nation. Ex: The Soviet Union because it was once divided into "soviet republics" based on nationality.

multi state nation

the nation that stretches across borders and across states; For Example - North and South Korea

Nation

a group of people with a common cultural heritage, have beliefs and values that unify them, claim a particular space based on traditions in their homeland

Nation-State

a state that has 1 main ethnic group or shared culture and history

Example: Japan & Iceland

Natural boundary

based on physical features to separate entities

Neocolonialism

The economic dominance of a (weaker) developing country by a more powerful one, while maintaining the legal independence of the weaker state. In the late nineteenth century, sometimes referred to as economic imperialism

open boundary

A boundary, but people are openly allowed to cross it without any obstacles, ex: Countries in the EU allow citizens of another country in the EU to immigrate freely

relic boundary

A historic boundary that is no longer observed or is nonfunctional but still affects the area's cultural landscape. **example - the Berlin Wall no longer exists but you can still see where the divide was in Berlin based on city and electricity patterns**

Rimland Theory

Nicholas Spykman's theory that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasia would provide the base for world conquest.

self-determinism

the ability of a group of people or ethnicity to determine their own fate or rule/govern themselves

semi-autonomous region

an area that can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern

shatter belts

a region under constant stress due to cultural or ethnic conflict; usually fragmented by their rival

sovereignty

The ability of a state to govern its territory free from the control of its internal affairs by other states

state

the formal name for country-defined borders, sovereign government, internationally recognized, & permanent population

stateless nation

a group with the same culture and shared history that is not represented by a state: The Kurds are one of the largest nationalities without a state and are located in the middle east.

subsequent boundary

a boundary that developed with the evolution of the cultural changes or differences - religion Example: Irish Catholic and Protestant Northern Ireland or Velvet divorce and separation of Czechoslovakia

superimposed boundary

a boundary line created by outsiders and ignores pre-existing cultural boundaries

supranational organization

An organization in which member states go beyond national boundaries or interests to share the decision-making and vote on issues pertaining to a wider group. The European Union and the World Trade Organization are both examples.

Terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

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

A code of maritime law approved by the United Nations in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles (22km) from shore and 200-nautical-mile-wide; coastal states have limited sovereignty for up to 24 nautical miles to enforce laws; exclusive economic zones - explore and extract minerals up to 200 nautical miles; defines High Seas as water beyond EEZ is open to all states

Unitary State

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

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

USMCA

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A 2018 update to NAFTA, this proposed agreement will open up the possibilities of more American dairy exports and bringing back manufacturing jobs