Political Geography Vocabulary Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms in Political Geography.

Political Geography

A branch of human geography concerned with the spatial analysis of political systems.

Political Map

A map that shows the spatial organization of countries and territories on the entire globe.

State or Country

An independent political unit with a centralized authority that claims legal, political, and economic jurisdiction over a defined region.

Independent State

A state that rules itself and is not subject to the authority of another state.

Sovereign State

A state that possesses the sole authority over the land and people within its boundaries.

Nation

A community of people bound to a homeland and sharing a common identity based on cultural traits.

Nation State

The ideal political unit; where the nation's boundaries match the state's territorial boundaries.

Nation-State Ideal

The idea that political authorities govern in the name of all citizens, connecting them through communication and reinforcing national identity.

Nationalism

A sense of belonging and identity with a national culture; social identity is derived from national belonging.

Stateless Nation

An ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state and is not the majority in any nation-state.

Multi-national State

A country containing multiple national, ethnic, and religious groups within its boundaries.

Multi-State Nations

Ethnic groups territorially divided by one or more international boundaries.

Autonomous Region

A subdivision or dependent territory of a country with a degree of self-government.

Semi-autonomous Region

A subdivision or dependent territory of a country with some degree of self-government.

Self-determination

A nation's ability to determine its own statehood and form its own government.

Core Area

A small territorial nucleus from which a country grows over time.

Ethnonationalism

Nationalism in which the nation is defined in terms of ethnic identity.

Satellite State

An economically independent country that is controlled politically, militarily, and economically by a more powerful state.

Enclave

A territory surrounded by a country but not ruled by it.

Exclave

Part of a national territory separated from the main body of the country.

Delimited

Describing how boundaries are fixed to identify their limits.

Demarcated

Describing how boundaries are set apart to distinguish their limits.

Felician Boundary

A boundary that functions as an international border.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary placed on an area without regard to existing boundaries.

Subsequent Boundary

A political boundary that developed with the cultural landscape.

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary that was identified before an area was settled.

Geometric Boundaries

Boundaries that have regular, often straight lines, drawn without regard to physical or cultural features.

Consequent Boundaries

A boundary drawn to accommodate existing cultural differences.

DMZ

An area where treaties forbid military installations, usually along a frontier between military powers.

Buffer State

A politically and economically weak independent country that lies between two powers.

Neocolonialism

Economic and political strategies used by wealthy countries to maintain influence over less wealthy areas.

Peripheral States

States with little industrial development, focused on agriculture and raw materials.

Core States

States with advanced industrial and military technologies and high levels of wealth and consumption.

Shatter Belt

A region of persistent fragmentation due to devolution and centrifugal forces.

Choke Point

A narrow passage that restricts traffic to another region.

Strait

A narrow body of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

Boundary

A clearly demarcated line that marks the limits of a territory.

Median Line Principle

An approach to dividing boundaries at the midpoint between two locations.

Borderland

A region straddling both sides of an international boundary where cultures blend.

Frontier

A region at the margins of state control and settlement.