Unit 4 Political Geography vocab

Political Geography

The study of the ways in which the world is organized as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over a territory

Nation

A group of people bound to a homeland and possessing a common identity based on shared cultural traits

Nation-state

Country made up of one nationality/culture

Stateless Nation

Nationalities without a recognized home, it does not have its own state is not the majority population in any nation-state

Multinational states

A country made up of many nationalities

Autnomous region

A dependent territory of a country that has a somewhat independence to self-government, but they are not their own state.

Semi-autonomous region

A part of a country that is self governed to a degree, but it is not yet complete.

Sovereignty

The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders

Self-Determination

The freedoms of culturally distinct groups to self-govern in their own territories and form their own states to protect their culture.

Colonialism

When a powerful country establishes settlements in a less powerful country for economic or political gain

Imperialism

Exerting dominance or influence over another country through diplomacy or force

Devolution

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

Neocolonialism

A political and culutral strategy used by powerful countries to extend their influence over less wealthy areas

Shatterbelt

The region of constant fragmentation due to devolution and force that break it apart (centrifugal forces)

Chokepoint

A narrow passage that bans traffic to another region

Territoriality

A political and cultural strategy that is used to claim power over an area of land and its people and resources

Demilitarized Zone

An area, usually along an established frontier or boundary between two or more military alliance, in which treaties or agreements between nations, military alliances, or contending groups forbid military installations, activities or personnel

Maritime Boundary

The division of water over countries and nations

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

A conference thats purpose is to define territorial boundaries and rights to the sea

Exclusive Economic Zone

Zone that extends 200 national miles from shoreline in which coastal states that have the main right to use all resources lying beyond the land.

Voting Districts

A territorial division for voting in public elections. Only those who live in that division are aloud to vote there

Redistricting

Creating new boundaries for U.S. congressional districts to reflect how the population has changed since the last U.S. census

Gerrymandering

Manipulating voting boundaries in favor of a specific political party, group, or outcome

Federal States

Independent countries that disperse significant authority among subnational units.

Unitary States

Independent states that concentrate power in their central government and grant little to no authority to its subnational units.

Ethnic Separatism

An ethnic group wishes to separate from their larger group to seek or form their own individual nation-state due to cultural, historical, or territorial differences.

Ethnic Cleansing

The forced removal of one ethnic group by another ethnic group to create an ethnically uniform territory

Terrorism

Intended violent acts against civilians and targets to promote a cause or to intimidate a civilian population/government

Irredentism

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

political principle or policy directed toward the incorporation of irredentas (territories historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under some other jurisdiction) within the boundaries of their historically or ethnically related political unit.

Supranationalism

Happens when a group of nation-states and their citizens give up some of their sovereign rights to a larger-scale body that extends authority over its member states.

Centripetal forces

a force that brings people together

Centrifugal force

A force that breaks a society apart.