AP HUG Unit 4 Terms

Nation

A group of people with shared cultural characteristics, such as language, religion, or traditions.

State

An area with defined boundaries and a government that has control over its internal and external affairs.

Sovereignty

The supreme power or authority of a state to govern itself without outside interference.

Nation-State

A country where the majority of people share the same culture and identity.

Decolonization

The process of a colony becoming independent from its colonizing country.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional or local authorities.

Territoriality

The connection between a group of people and their physical space.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power through colonization or other means.

Shatterbelt

A region caught between stronger competing powers, prone to conflict.

Antecedent Boundaries

Boundaries established before the current population settled an area.

Consequent Boundaries

Boundaries that follow natural features of the landscape.

Relic Boundaries

Boundaries that no longer function but are still visible on the landscape.

Defined

The first step in creating a boundary, where countries agree on a verbal description.

Delimited

The process of marking a boundary on a map.

Demarcated

The physical marking of a boundary on the ground.

Administered

The ongoing management and enforcement of a boundary.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one political party or group.

Reapportionment

The redistribution of representatives to states based on population changes.

Federal State

A system where power is divided between a central government and regional governments.

Unitary State

A system where the central government holds most or all power.

Annexation

The act of taking control of a territory, often by force.

Distance Decay

The decrease in interaction between places as the distance between them increases.

Irredentism

The desire to unite all members of a nation under one state, including territories controlled by other countries.

Autonomy

The right of a region or group to self-govern or have substantial independence.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations.

Supranational Organization

An entity formed by three or more nations to promote shared interests.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a region into smaller, often hostile states.

Digital Divide

The gap between those who have access to modern information technology and those who don't.

Time-Space Compression

The reduction in the time it takes to travel or communicate across space due to technological advancements.

Democratization

The transition from an authoritarian system to a democratic one.