AP Human Geography Unit 4 Flashcards

Flashcards for AP Human Geography Unit 4 Review

State

A geographic area with a permanent population, defined borders, a sovereign government, and recognition by other states.

Sovereign Government

A government that has control over its domestic and international affairs.

Nation

A group of people with a shared culture, history, homeland, and a desire to govern themselves.

Self Determination

A nation's right or desire to self-govern.

Nation State

A self-governing state with a relatively uniform population, typically sharing a common language, culture, and history.

Multinational State

A state that consists of multiple nations within its borders.

Multistate Nation

A nation that exists across multiple states.

Stateless Nation

A nation with a history of self-determination but no officially recognized state.

Autonomous Region

A region within a state that enjoys a certain level of independence from the state.

Semi Autonomous Region

A region controlled by another state, but granted a moderate degree of self-governance.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring territories and settling there to exert political, economic, and social control over the area.

Imperialism

The idea of growing a state or empire by exerting force over other nations to gain economic and political power without establishing any settlement.

Berlin Conference

A historical event where European powers colonized Africa and created boundaries based on longitude and latitude, instead of recognizing the different ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups in the region.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies gain independence from their colonizer.

Devolution

The transfer of political power from a central government to a regional government.

Territoriality

The tendency to establish and defend a specific geographic area.

Neocolonialism

The indirect use of political, cultural, or economic power to influence or control another country.

Shatter Belt

A region where countries or people are subject to the political, cultural, and economic pressures from external powers that are in conflict with each other.

Choke Points

Geographic areas that have to be passed in order to reach a destination.

Geometric Boundary

A boundary that uses straight lines and follows lines of latitude and longitude.

Antecedent Boundaries

Boundaries that existed before human settlement or the creation of the cultural landscape.

Relic Boundary

A boundary that is no longer officially recognized, but still affects the cultural landscape.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary created by external power or state without consideration for the needs and wants of the local communities, ethnic groups, or linguistic characteristics of an area.

Subsequent Boundaries

Boundaries that develop along with the development of the cultural landscape.

Consequent Boundary

Boundaries that are created to separate the various ethnic, religious, or linguistic groups.

Frontier

A geographic area where no state has direct power or control over.

International Boundaries

Boundaries that separate one sovereign state from another.

Internal Boundaries

Boundaries that separate different regions within a single state.

Definitional boundary disputes

Occur over the interpretation of the original documents that define the boundary.

Locational boundary disputes

Occur over the location of the boundary and the ownership of the land.

Operational boundary disputes

Occur when countries have different ideas on how to manage a boundary and handle different issues or situations that occur on the boundary itself.

Allocation of boundary disputes

Occur when countries have a dispute over the use of what is on or in the boundary. Most of the time these disputes are over natural resources.

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Helps countries better understand how to deal with allocational boundary disputes in the sea.

Territorial Waters

Extends 12 nautical miles from the shore; states may set laws regulating passage by ships registered in other states.

Contiguous Zone

Between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore; a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Between 24 to 200 nautical miles; states have the sole right to the natural resources in the area, such as oil and fish.

Voting districts

A geographic area organized together for the purpose of administering elections.

Redistricting

The redrawing of districts in order to better reflect the area's population.

Gerrymandering

The process of redistricting a voting district to favor one political party over another.

Cracking

When like-minded voters are spread across many districts to dilute their voting power.

Packing

When like-minded voters are stacked into just a few districts.

Unitary state

States that have their power concentrated with the national government.

Federal states

When power is distributed between the national government and regional government.

Ethnic Separatism

If a person or group starts to identify more as their own ethnic group than as a citizen of the state and wants more political power or wants to separate from the state.

Irredentism

A movement by a nation to unite other parts of its nation that are located in another state's boundary.

Supernational Organization

An alliance which consists of multiple countries, traditionally three or more, that work together to achieve common goals or address specific issues or challenges that impact the state.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that divide people, a state, or a group.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that unite people, a state, or a group.

Failed State

A state that no longer has a functioning government, which means the state can no longer perform its basic duty and loses its authority over the land.