AP Human Geography - Unit 4 Political Geography (2019 CED)

state

the largest political unit, the formal term for a country

nation

group of people who have a common cultural heritage, claim a particular space based on tradition as their homeland, beliefs and values that help unify them, and a desire to establish their own state or express self-determination in another way

nation-state

singular nation of people who fulfill the qualifications for a state

stateless nation

nations that have no independent political entity

multinational state

country that contains more than one nation

multistate nation

occurs when a nation has a state of its own but stretches across borders of other states

autonomous regions

defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state

gerrymandering

the drawing of boundaries for political districts by the party or group in power to extend or cement their advantage

redistricting

redrawing district boundaries so that each district contains roughly the same number of people

territoriality

a willingness by one person or group of people to defend space they claim

defined boundaries

established by a legal document such as a treaty that divides one entity from another (invisible line)

delimited boundaries

line drawn on a map to show the limits of a space

demarcated boundaries

identified by physical objects placed on the landscape

administered boundaries

determination of how boundaries will be maintained and crossed

sovereignty

the power of a political unit to rule over its own affairs

U.N. Law of the Sea

brought about by the United Nations, this convention was signed by over 150 countries and consists of four zones: territorial seas, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and high seas.

unitary states

governmental power is held primarily by the central government with very little power given to local governments

federal states

governmental power is shared between the central and local governments; displays a hierarchy of power

supranationalism

an alliance involving multiple countries for their mutual benefit such as economic, cultural or political/ military

devolution

transfer of political power from the central government to subnational levels of government

Balkanization

the fragmentation of a state or region into smaller, often hostile, units along ethno-linguistic lines

centrifugal forces

forces that "pull away from the center," or ones that tend to break apart states or keep one from forming

centripetal forces

forces that pull people together, such as religion, language, threats, nationalism, etc.

self-determination

concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

colonialism

The attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

cultural cohesion

The capacity of different national and ethnic groups to make a mutual commitment to live together as citizens of the same state.

neocolonialism

A new form of global power relationships that involves not direct political control but economic exploitation by multinational corporations

shatterbelt

a region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals (e.g., Israel or Kashmir today; Eastern Europe during the Cold War,...).

choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water

demilitarized zone

A zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited

failed state

A state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

the seazone extending 200 nautical miles from the coast over which a state has special rights as to the exploration and use of marine resources

ethnic separatism

desired regional autonomy expressed by a culturally distinctive group within a larger, politically dominant culture

ethnic cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society.

terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

irredentism

a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country

semi-autonomous region

an area which can govern itself in certain areas , but does not have complete power to govern (e.g. Nunavut in Canada, Puerto Rico and Native American reservation in the U.S.)

independence movements

a movement that is trying to gain political independence for some area that it thinks should be its own country

international sanctions

Actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.

census

the official count of a population

reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

annexation

The adding of a region to the territory of an existing political unit.

satellite state

A political term that refers to a country which is formally independent, but under heavy influence or control by another country.

genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.