AP HUG Unit 4 Vocab

State

State

Political unit with recognized boundaries and administration of laws.

Nation

Group of people with shared culture and desire for political autonomy.

Nation-state

State with a single nation.

Stateless nation

Nation without its own independent state.

Multinational state

State with two or more nations.

Multi-state nation

Nation living across multiple states.

Autonomous region

Self-governing area that is not an independent country.

Semi-autonomous region

Area with limited self-governing powers.

Microstate

Small state in both area and population.

Sovereignty

Final authority over a territory and the right to defend it.

Self-determination

Process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own government.

Authoritarian government

Government with strong central power and no individual freedoms.

Democracy

Government where power resides with the majority.

Republic

Government where power resides with citizens and is exercised by elected representatives.

Democratization

Process of transitioning to a democratic system.

Domino theory

Idea that the influence of communism in one land leads to more following.

Forward capital

Symbolically relocated capital city for economic or political reasons.

Neocolonialism

Indirect control of other countries through economic and political pressures.

Shatterbelt

Region endangered by conflicts within or between countries.

Choke points

Geographical features of strategic importance.

Boundary definition

Negotiation and legal description of a boundary.

Boundary delimitation

Drawing of a boundary on a map.

Boundary demarcation

Placement of markers on the ground to indicate a boundary.

Boundary administration

Maintenance of a boundary.

Irredentism

Desire of a state to annex ethnically similar territory.

Antecedent boundary

Boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged.

Consequent boundary

Boundary that coincides with cultural groups.

Subsequent boundary

Boundary that evolves as the cultural landscape changes.

Superimposed boundary

Boundary drawn by powerful outsiders that ignores existing cultural groups.

Relict boundary

Boundary that no longer exists as an international border.

Geometric boundary

Boundary that follows a straight line or arc.

Enclave

Small region surrounded by a larger and different region or within another country.

Exclave

Part of a state separated by the territory of another state.

Frontier zone

Area where borders are weak and shifting, with multiple claims.

Demilitarized zone (DMZ)

Buffer zone created by treaties between military powers.

Apartheid

Racial discrimination policy.

Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Established rights and responsibilities of states concerning oceans and seas.

Territorial Sea

Zone of water adjacent to a state's coast with sovereignty.

Contiguous Zone

Zone of water adjacent to the Territorial Sea with enforcement powers.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Zone of water where a state has rights to explore and manage resources.

International waters (High Seas)

Ocean beyond the EEZ with equal access for all states.

Median-line principle

Method used to divide waters between states without 400 miles between them.

Voting district

Subdivision for electing members to a legislative body.

Redistricting

Redrawing of voting districts due to population changes.

Gerrymander

Unfair redistricting that gives advantage to a political party.

Unitary state

State governed as a single unit with central power.

Federal state

State with division of power between central government and local territories.

Devolution

Transfer of decision-making power from central government to lower levels.

Supranationalism

Alliance of states for mutual benefit, limiting economic or political actions of member states.

Military alliance

Alliance between states for mutual protection and support.

Trade agreement

Treaty between states for trade and economic cooperation.

Economies of scale

Cost advantages gained by increased production.