Ap human geo unit 4

Political geography

the study of the interaction between geographic space and political processes. It explores the ways in which the worldis organized politically as a reflection of the power the different groups hold.

States

A politically organized independent territory with a government, defined borders, and a permanent population

Nations

Cultural identities so they have a common identity through shared religion, language, ethnicity, or heritage.

Nation state

Area that is a state, but since everyone there shares the same culture they are also nations. (ie Japan)

Multistate nation

Consists of people who share a cultural or ethnic background but live in more than one country.

Irridentism

Attempting to acquire territory in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation.

Multinational state 

A state with people of multiple different ethnicities and cultures.

Autonomous/semiautonomous

Authority to govern their own territories indepedent from the national government.

Stateless nation

People united by culture, language, history, and tradition but not possesing a state

Territorality

Attempt by an individual/group to affect, influence, or control people, phenomena, or relationships by delimiting and asserting control over a geographical area

Coloniasm

The practice of claiming political, social, economic, and cultural domination over another country

choke point

An narrow strategic passageway to another place which it is difficult to pass.

Shatterbelts

When states form, join, and break up because of ongoing, sometimes violent conflicts among parties and because they are caught between the interests of more powerful outside states,

imperialism

the push to create an empire by exercising force or influence to control other nations or peoples

devolution

occurs when central power in a state is broken up among regional authorities within its borders

international boundaries

outcome of geopolitcal relationships and expression of territorality, peoples sense of connection to a place, and their drive to control it

Defining boundary

When countries explicitly state where they borders are in a legally binding document using reference points like natural features or longitude and latitude

Definitonal boundaries

Straightforward, all parties agree on them, but there are sometimes excpetions

Delimit

Drawing their boundaries on a map in accordance with a legal agreement

Demarcated

Boundaries defined with stones, pillars, walls, or fences

Administer

To manage the way boundaries are maintained and how goods and people will cross them

Antecedent boundaries

Estaished before many people settle into an area

Subsequent boundaries

Drawn in areas that have already been settled by people and where cultural landscapes already exist or are in the process of being established

Consequent boundaries

A type of subsequent boundary, takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, seperating groups with different languages, religions, etc.

Superimposed boundaries

Drawn over exisiting borders by an outside force

relics

former boundaries that once existed but no longer have an official function