AP Human Geo 4.1-4.5

Independent state

primary building blocks of the world political map. 

Sovereignty

• The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders. 

nation

a group of people with a common identity through shared cultural traits such as language, religion, ethnicity, and heritage.

nation-state

the borders of the nation match the borders of the state - a state with (ideally) only one nation within it.  

stateless nations

nations of people without a state to occupy. 

multi-state nation

nation of people that live in more than one state. 

multinational state

 country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders. Examples: The United States, Russia, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq 

autonomous or semi autonomous region

location within a state that is given authority to govern independently from the national government. 

Nation - State

The territory occupied by a particular nation of people is the same as the recognized political boundary of that state.

self-determination

The right of all people to govern themselves. Usually a nation, ethnicity, or former colony wants to govern themselves and establish sovereignty over their own state. 

• Oftentimes may result in independence movements or devolution.

Devolution

Due to centrifugal forces, power is shifted from the central government or administration to regional authorities which are usually reflective of nations. 

Berlin Conference

• European powers gathered to divide up the continent of Africa and establish borders. 

• Europeans drew political boundaries for their own benefits without regard to tribal cultures and distributions. Over time this causes conflict and violence and impacted the development of African countries and other colonies. 

• Colonialism & Imperialism 

Territoriality

is the control and influence over a specific geographic space. It often includes aspects such as…

• Historic and cultural links 

• Governments

• Economics  

• Boundaries 

• Sovereignty

• Defense/military

• Sometimes leads to conflict.

Neocolonialism

The use of economic, political, cultural or other pressures in order to control or influence other countries. 

• Semi-Periphery and Periphery Countries

• Former African colonies - reliant on outside investments for economic security. 

  • Kenya - $3.8 billion dollar railroad - Chinese government owned company - crushing debt - Chinese control over the railroad.

• Political influence - US Wars in the Middle East 

Shatterbelts

Instability within a region that is geographically located between states with overlapping territoriality and political power.

Choke points

A strategic strait or canal which is narrow, hard to pass through and has competition for use. 

• This could be closed or blocked to stop sea traffic and strategically show political power or territoriality.

• Essential to shipping oil, food, and consumer products around the world. 

Antecedent

• Borders that are established before there has been major settlement by people in a territory. 

• Examples: 

  • 49th parallel that separates the United States and Canada

Subsequent

• orders that are drawn in areas that have been settled by people, typically due to changes that have occured over time. 

• Example: 

  • Boundaries in Europe have changed frequently throughout history usually in response to a new empire, war, or political agreement.   

Consequent

• Type of subsequent boundary - takes into account the existing cultural distribution of the people living in the territory and redevelops boundary lines to more closely align with cultural boundaries.

• Example: 

  • The boundary between Nunavut and the rest of Canada - drawn in 1999, established a province that coincided with indigenous groups 

Superimposed

• Border that is drawn over existing and accepted borders by an outside force. 

• Example: 

  • The Berlin Conference imposed arbitrary boundaries throughout the continent of Africa. 

Geometric

• Borders that are established on straight lines of latitude and longitude instead of physical or cultural boundaries.  

• Examples: 

  • The Sykes-Picot agreement, Europeans split up the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.

  • Established border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq

  • Also a superimposed boundary.

Relic

• Border that no longer exists, but has left some imprint on the local cultural or environmental geography.  

• Examples: 

  • Boundary between East Germany and West Germany during the Cold War

  • The Iron Curtain

  • The Confederacy in the US