Unit #4: Human Geo 4.1-4.5 Vocab

State (Country)

State (Country)

An area with a defined boundary, government, permanent population, maintained sovereignty, and is recognized my other states. Example 193 states recognized by UN.

Nation

An area with people that share culture, beliefs, traditions, and self-determination

Nation-state

A singular nation of people who fulfill the qualifications of a state; they often have a homogenous population. (Ex. Japan or Iceland)

Stateless nation

A nationality or ethnic group that is not represented by a state. (Ex. Kurds)

Multinational state

A country that has more than one nation within its borders. (Example: Nigeria)

Multi-state nation

A nation has a state of its own but stretches across borders of other states. (Ex. Korea)

Autonomous Region

An area within a state that has a high degree of self-government, freedom, and autonomy. (Ex. Scotland)

Semi-autonomous Region

An area where a group has some degree of political autonomy. (Indian/Native American reservation)

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself or a self-governing state. (Independent)

Self-determination

The process by which a country determines or chooses its own statehood, allegiances, and government. (Grows out of WWI)

Imperialism

When a country takes over an area for expansion or resources. (similar to colonialism)

Colonialism

When a country takes over an area to create a colony. (1500s-late 1800s Europe takes colonies in N. America, Africa, and Asia)

Government

An organization that controls and enforces rules for the people living in the area.

Authoritarian government

A type of government that is very strict and aims to keep everything the same; usually ruled by a dictator.

Democratization

This is the process of a government becoming a democratic nation.

Territoriality

This is when people claim an area as their own.

Neocolonialism

This refers to the control of another state's economic, political, and cultural power. While the "mother" state may no longer occupy or directly control the country, the "mother" country still has power there, usually through corporations. (Ex. British Petroleum in Nigeria)

Shatterbelt

An hotspot between two fighting countries, usually a buffer zone. (Ex. Eastern Europe during Cold War)

Chokepoint

An area that you have to travel through in order to go somewhere else; it is an area important to trade or commerce. (Ex. Strait of Hormuz)

Boundary

It is a border that divides your land from another nation's land.

Boundary definition (Defined boundary)

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

Boundary delimitation (Delimited boundary)

A line drawn on a map to show limits of space.

Boundary demarcation (Demarcated boundary)

A boundary identified with physical objects such as signs, fences, and walls.

Boundary administration

This is how a boundary is managed and operated; boundary is militarized, open, etc.

Boundary Dispute

This is when countries disagree about where the boundary is located. (Ex. Western Sahara and Morocco)

Irredentism

A political movement advocating the restoration of a country or territory formerly belonging to a nation with intend of reunification. (Ex. Russian invasion of Crimea or Hitler's invasion of Austria/Czechoslovakia)

Relict boundary

A boundary that no longer exists, but evidence remains on the landscape. (Ex. Berlin Wall)

Superimposed boundary

A boundary drawn by outside powers (e.g. many borders in Africa)

Subsequent boundary (Ethnographic)

A boundary drawn to accomodate a religious, etnic, linguistic or economic differences. (Green line in Cyprus)

Antecedent boundary

A boundary which is naturally created and was drawn before a large population was present. (Ex. US/Canada border)

Geometric boundary

A boundary drawn on a map using latitude and longitude as the division. (Most African borders)

Consequent boundary

A boundary that coincides with some cultural divide such as religion or language. (Ex. Quebec and US border)

Berlin Conference

This is when European countries met in 1884-1885 to map out their Imperial colonies in Africa. They imposed geometric and superimposed boundaries regardless of ethnic composition.

Colonization of Africa

This is when European countries took over different portions of Africa which resulted in conflict; goal was to obtain natural resources and markets for goods.

Decolonization of Africa

This mostly occurred after World War II when African countries won their independence from European rule.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

A strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea; it is highly militarized.

International sanctions

Punishments including economic and/or diplomatic limits or even isolation

Law of the Seas (UNCLOS)

A series of measurements that show how much of the sea a country controls and is able to utilize resources.

The Law of the Sea: Territorial Sea and Contiguous zone

Up to 12 nautical miles and commercial vessels can pass, but non-commercial may be challenged.

Landlocked state

A state that lacks access to the coast or ocean. (Ex. Mongolia)

Microstate

A state that is small in size and population. (Ex. Vatican City)

Cold War

This began after WWII and was a conflict between the US and the Soviet Union over the spread of communism. It never resulted in war but influenced proxy wars around the world such as the Korean War and Vietnam War.

Frontier

A territory with no government authority. (Ex. Antarctica)

Satellite states

A type of state that is taken over politically and economically by another; during the Cold War that nations of Eastern Europe were satellite states of the U.S.S.R. or Soviet Union.

Annexation

The formal adding territory to a nation. (Ex. US took over Hawaii)

Balkanization

This is the process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities. (Ex. Former Yugoslavia)

Domino Theory

The belief that if one nation falls to communism, more nations will follow. (Ex. China, Vietnam, Cambodia)

EEZ

Under the law of the sea, an nation has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. (Ex. China in South China Sea)

City-State

Prior to nation-states, these existed in the ancient world through the Middle Ages (Ex. Sparta)

MDC

This term means more developed country. (Ex. France)

LDC

Less developed country. (Ex. Papua New Guinea)