AP Human Geo Unit 4 FINALS

Autocracy

One person has all the power

Monarchy

Ruled by a king or queen

Absolute monarchy

Monarch has total power

Constitutional monarchy

Monarch has limited power; laws/constitution matter

Theocracy

Government based on religious rules

Oligarchy

Power is held by a small group of people

Democracy

Rule by the people

Direct democracy (Athens)

Citizens vote on laws directly

Republic (Rome)

Citizens vote for representatives

Roman Republic

Citizens elected representatives

Roman Empire

One ruler (emperor) had most power

Fall of the Roman Empire

Led to the rise of feudalism

Feudalism

Small, local systems of government based on authority of nobility (lords)

Early Renaissance - 17th Century

Rediscovery of ancient texts about government

Colonization

European countries colonized the Americas

Nation-States

Countries with a shared identity and strong central government

Enlightenment

New political ideas about rights and limiting government power

American Revolution

Colonies fought for independence and self-rule

French Revolution

People overthrew the monarchy

Rise of Nationalism

Strong pride in one's nation

Revolutions of 1848

Revolutions across Europe sought more rights and limits on government power

Industrialization

Shift from farming to factories

Wallerstein's World Systems Theory

Core: wealthy, industrialized countries; Periphery: poorer, less developed countries; Semi-periphery: in between

Marxism

Idea by Karl Marx about class struggle between workers and owners

Communism

Political system based on Marxism where government controls economy and property

Russian Revolution

First major implementation of Marxist ideas leading to the creation of the USSR

World War I

Allies: Great Britain, France, Russia (later Italy & US); Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire

World War II

Axis: Germany, Japan, Italy (later USSR switched sides); Allies: Most of the rest of the world

Cold War

US and allies vs USSR and allies with no direct fighting between the two superpowers

Decolonization

Colonies gained independence after WWII

Vietnam - Domino Theory

Fear that if one country became communist, others would follow

Stalin

Leader of the USSR with a totalitarian government and command economy

Cold War Effects on Developing Countries

Proxy wars in places like India and Afghanistan

Rise of China

Communist government gained power and became a major global power

State

A politically organized area with a government

Centripetal Forces

Unify a State such as nationalism and strong government organization

Centrifugal Forces

Weaken or destabilize a country, more common in countries with multiple nationalities

Stateless Nations

A group of people with no country of their own

Territory

Size and shape can affect political stability

Macrostates vs Microstates

Large: Russia; Smaller: USA

Territory Shapes

Types include compact, fragmented, elongated, prorupt, and perforated

Exclaves

Separated piece of a country

Enclaves

Country surrounded by another

Buffer States

Located between powerful countries to reduce conflict

Boundaries

Vertical plane that determines ownership of land and airspace

Boundary Process

Defined: written in legal documents; Delimitation: drawn on maps; Demarcation: marked with fences, walls, or posts

Types of Boundaries

Geometric: straight lines; Physical: follow rivers, mountains; Genetic: antecedent, subsequent, superimposed, relict

Boundary Disputes

Types include territorial/definitional, positional/locational, functional/operational, resource/allocational

Supranational Organizations

Groups of countries working together, example: European Union (EU)