4.2 Key Terms for Political Geography

 Political Geography

The study of how political boundaries and systems interact with physical landscapes and human populations.

Nation-state

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

Colonialism

When one country takes control of another area and its people

Imperialism

The practice of extending a country's power and influence through colonization or other means.

Decolonization

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

Berlin Conference

A meeting in 1884 where European countries divided up Africa without considering local cultures.

Treaty of Versailles

An agreement that ended World War I and changed many country borders in Europe and Southwest Asia.

Partition

The division of a larger area into smaller, separate regions.

Cold War

A period of tension between the United States and Soviet Union after World War II.

Devolution

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

Independence Movement

When a group of people work to separate from another country and form their own nation.

 Boundary

A line that separates one political area from another.