Unit 4 Study Guide

State

An independent political entity with defined territories, a permanent population, a government, and sovereignty.

Sovereignty

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

Nation

A group of people with a common identity through shared cultural traits such as language, religion, ethnicity, and heritage.

Stateless Nation

Nations of people without a state to occupy, such as the Kurds or Palestinians.

Nation-State

A state that ideally contains only one nation within its borders.

Multistate Nation

A nation of people that stretches across multiple states without a single state to occupy.

Multinational State

A country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders.

Autonomous Region

A location within a state that is given authority to govern independently from the national government.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to regional authorities, often due to centrifugal forces.

Ethnic Separatism

A situation where people identify more with their ethnicity than with the state.

Ethnic Cleansing

The attempt by state governments to eliminate an ethnic group through expulsion, imprisonment, or mass murder.

Terrorism

Organized violence at government and civilian targets intended to create fear for political aims.

Irredentism

The desire of a majority ethnic group to claim territory from a neighboring state due to shared culture.

Shatter Belt

An area of instability located between states with overlapping territorial and political power.

Choke Point

A narrow, strategic strait or canal that is critical for maritime shipping and can be used to show political power.

Territoriality

The control and influence over a specific geographic space.

Centripetal Forces

Characteristics that unify a country and create stability.

Centrifugal Forces

Characteristics that divide a country and create instability and conflict.

Balkanization

The fracturing of states along ethno-linguistic lines leading to hostile, violent states.

Antecedent Boundary

Borders established before the settlement of people in the territory.

Subsequent Boundary

Borders drawn in settled areas due to changes over time.

Superimposed Boundary

A border drawn over existing boundaries by an external force.

Geometric Boundary

Borders established on straight lines of latitude and longitude.

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)

Marine areas where a country can use its resources, extending 200 nautical miles from its coast.

Reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the US House of Representatives based on population changes.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries to reflect population changes.

Gerrymandering

Redistricting that aims to give a political advantage to a party.

Federal Government

A government structure that shares power between central, regional, and local authorities.

Unitary Government

A government structure where power is centralized and local units are extensions of the central government.

Supranational Organization

An alliance of three or more states working together for common goals.

European Union (EU)

A political and economic union of European countries that allows for open borders and a single market.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization focused on peace, security, and human rights.