skibidi

Political Geography

The spatial analysis of political systems and processes.

Political Map

a map that shows the names and borders of countries

State/Country

An independent political unit with a centralized authority that makes claim to sole legal, political, and economic jurisdiction over a region with defined boundaries

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Nation

A community of people who share a common sense of identity, which may be derived from language, culture, or ethnicity; this community may be a minority within a single country or live in more than one country.

Nation-State

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality

Nationalism

the sense of belonging and identity that distinguishes one nation from another

Stateless Nation

an ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state and is not the majority population in any nation state

Multinational State

state with more than one national, ethnic, and religious groups within its borders

Multistate Nations

Ethnic groups territorially divided by one or more international boundaries

Autonomous Region

A subdivision or dependent territory of a country that has a degree of self-government, or autonomy, in its decision making

Semiautonomous Region

A subdivision or dependent territory of a country that has some degree of, but not complete, self-government

Self-Determination

A nation's ability to determine its own statehood and form its own allegiances and government; the freedom of culturally distinct groups to govern themselves in their own territories and form their own states

Core Area

A small territorial nucleus from which a country grows in area and over time

Escarpments

abrupt slopes that break up the general continuity of the terrain

Effective Sovereignty

The idea that a state's power to enforce its sovereignty may extend beyond its territory and varies over time and from country to country

Devolution

the movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state

Ethnonationalism

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

Neocolonialism

The set of economic and political strategies by which wealthy and powerful countries indirectly maintain or extend their influence over less wealthy areas

Peripheral States

States that have relatively little industrial development, simple production systems focused mostly on agriculture and raw materials, and low levels of consumption of manufactured goods

Core States

States that have the most advanced industrial and military technologies, complex manufacturing systems, external political power, and the highest levels of wealth and mass consumption

Shatterbelt

Region of continuing and persistent fragmentation due to devolution and centrifugal forces

Choke Point

A narrow passage that restricts traffic to another region

Strait

A narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water

Boundary

A clearly demarcated line that marks both the limits of a territory and divisions between territories; often called a border at the global scale

Median-line principle

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

Borderland

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

Frontier

a region at the margins of state control and settlement

Enclave

A territory surrounded by a country but not ruled by it

Exclave

Part of a national territory separated from the main body of the country to which it belongs

Delimited

Describing how boundaries are fixed or defined to identify their limits

Demarcated

Describing how boundaries are set apart to distinguish their limits

Relic boundary

A boundary no longer observed but that still affects the present-day area (e.g. border between West and East Germany in Berlin)

Superimposed Boundary

a political boundary placed by powerful outsiders on a developed human landscape often without regard to existing ethnic or cultural boundaries

Subsequent Boundary

a boundary line that is established after the area in question has been settled and that considers the cultural characteristics of the bounded area

Antecedent Boundary

a boundary line established before the area in question is well populated

Geometric Boundary

A boundary that has regular, often perfectly straight, lines drawn without regard for an area's physical or cultural features

Consequent Boundary

A type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing linguistic, cultural, or religious boundaries

DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone)

an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities or personnel

Buffer State

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

Satellite State

A nominally independent country that is politically, militarily, and economically controlled by a more powerful state

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

Conference organized to define territorial boundaries and rights to the sea

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)

A zone that extends 200 nautical miles from the coast of the country. It allows that country exclusive rights over exploration and resources in the waters of the zone

Arctic Circle

Area defined by the 66 degrees, 34 minutes north latitude line

Electoral Geography

A subfield of political geography that analyzes the geography of political preferences and how geography can shape voting outcomes

Voting District

a territorial subdivision for electing members to a legislative body

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Reapportionment

the process by which districts are moved according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same number of people

Gerrymandering

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

Unitary State

an independent state that concentrates power in the central government and grants little authority to the provinces

Federal State

an independent country that disperses significant authority among subnational units

Irredentism

The political claim to territory in another country based on ethnic affiliations and historic borders

Terrorism

The calculated use or threatening of violence against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature.

Democratization

Occurs when a sovereign state moves from a non-democracy to a democracy

Supranationalism

Occurs when a collection of nation-states and their citizens relinquish some sovereign rights to a larger-scale body that exercises authority over its member states

supranational organization

International political body that nation-states establish in cooperation with their neighbors for mutual political, military, economic, or cultural gain

United Nations (UN)

international organization established after World War II with the goal of maintaining peace and cooperation in the international community

European Union (EU)

a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe

African Union (AU)

A continental organization of African states that seeks to drive Africa's growth and economic development through cooperation and integration of member states

Arctic Council

An international governmental forum that promotes interaction among the Arctic states and indigenous communities on common Arctic issues, particularly sustainable development and environmental protection

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries with the purpose of guaranteeing the freedom and security of its members