AP Human Geography Political Entities Notes / Vocabulary

State

A politically bound area controlled by an established government that has authority over its internal affairs and foreign policy.

In order to be a states, you must have:

• Sovereignty

• Established government

• Control its foreign and internal affairs

• A permanent population

• Defined territory

Nation-State

A sovereign state whose citizens are relatively homogenous in factors such as language or common descent. Governments tend to be more centralized since they are smaller and less diverse

Nation-State Example:

Germany

Nation

A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory

Multinational States

• A sovereign entity comprised of two or more nations

• No single group is dominant nationally or culturally

Soviet Union

A multinational state composed of 15 different republics

Multistate Nations

Similar to multinational states, but are more homogeneous / have more of a shared culture present

Korea (North and South)

Although Korea is now divided into two states, both countries are still multinational states with the Korean people being the dominant ethnic group.

Catalonia

An autonomous region in northeastern Spain.

Semi-autonomous

A mostly self-governing region within a larger political nation

Hong Kong

A semi-autonomous city within Mainland China.

Autonomous Region

An region of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority

Countries that include autonomous regions often have what type of government?

Countries that include autonomous regions are often federacies

Stateless Nation

A nation with political aspirations but without sovereignty over their own homeland

The Kurds

An Iranian ethnic group native that is one of the world's largest peoples without a stateless nations and make up sizable minorities in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

City-State

A small sovereign state that is made up of a town or city and the surrounding area

Kingdom

A country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen and has clearly defined boundaries that are recognized by others

Empire

Empires formed when several city-states were militarily controlled by a single city-state

Empire Examples-

Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Mongol Empire

Examples of Stateless Nations-

Native Americans in North America, Palestine, Tibet, and Basque