Modern Political Map

What is a State?

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs.

What are the four characteristics of a state?

Defined territory, permanent population, recognition by the international community, and sovereignty.

What is a Nation?

A group of people with similar characteristics that may or may not occupy its own state.

What is the status of Taiwan in international relations?

Most countries consider Taiwan a separate and sovereign state, while China's government claims it as part of China.

What is the Western Sahara also known as?

Sahrawi Republic.

What significant action did Morocco take regarding Western Sahara?

Built a 1,700 mile wall around it to keep rebels out.

What is a Multiethnic State?

A state with multiple ethnicities.

What is a Multinational State?

A state that contains more than one ethnicity with traditions of self-determination.

What percentage of Western Europe was made up of Nation-States by the early 1900s?

Most of Western Europe.

What does the term 'Stateless Nation' refer to?

A group of people without a state.

What defines a Boundary?

A line that divides a state from its neighbor.

What is an Autonomous Region?

Limited self-rule within a larger state.

What type of boundary is hard to cross and sparsely inhabited?

Desert Boundary.

What type of boundary is useful due to its permanent quality?

Mountain Boundary.

How do Water Boundaries tend to change?

They tend to move over time and for water levels to change.

What concept allows ethnicities to govern themselves?

Self-determination.

What is the significance of frontiers in historical context?

Historically, frontiers separated states where no state exercised complete political control.