AMSCO U4

State

a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government; formal term for country; defined boundary, permanent population, has sovereignty, recognized by other states

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity; common heritage, set of beliefs, traditional claim to homeland, desire for own state. EX. The Kurds

Nation-state

a nation of people who fulfill the qualifications of a state. EX Japan(Japanese)

multinational state

state with more than one nation within its borders(UK)

Autonomous region

a defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state(Åland Island in the Baltic Sea)

Semiautonomous region

A state that has a degree of, but not complete self-rule. Scotland

stateless nation

an ethnic group or nation that does not possess its own state and is not the majority population in any nation state. EX The Kurds

multistate nation

nation that stretches across borders and across states. EX The Kurds

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country; or pride in one's nation/ethnic group

centripetal force

An attitude that tends to unify people such as a shared religion

centrifugal force

a force that divides people and countries

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Colonialism

a type of imperialism in which people move into and settle on the land of another country

Berlin Conference

Meeting at which Europeans agreed on rules for colonizing Africa; also called Congo Conference Superimposed boundary primary example

Self-determination

the right of a group to decide its own form of government without external influence

Decolonization

The acquisition, by colonized/indigenous peoples, of control over their own territory.

Genocide

systematic killing of a racial or cultural group

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years; countries extending spheres of influence in proxy wars; 1945-1991

Satellite State

A political term that refers to a country which is formally independent, but under heavy influence (political and economic) or control by another country

Devolution

The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

Geopolitics

study of government and its policies as affected by physical geography

Territoriality

A willingness by a person or a group of people to defend space they claim

Neocolonialism

A new form of global power relationships that involves not direct political control but economic exploitation

Choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water; usually over water with movement/interaction on both sides

physical geographic boundaries

natural barriers between areas such as oceans, deserts, and mountains

cultural boundaries

borders based on culture traits, like language and religion

antecedent boundary

a boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in place while people moved in to occupy the surrounding area; hinder interaction; unpopulated zone; significant physical objects

subsequent (ethnographic) boundary

a boundary that developed with the evolution of the cultural landscape and is adjusted as the cultural landscape changes

Ethnographic

relating to cultural phenomena

superimposed boundary

a boundary that is imposed on the cultural landscape which ignores pre-existing cultural patterns (typically a colonial boundary)

Landlocked states

state surrounded by other land with no direct outlet to the sea

relic boundary

a former boundary line that is still discernible and marked by some cultural landscape features (ex. Great Wall of China)

geometric boundary

a boundary that follows a geometric pattern; typically doesn't follow a physical feature

consequent boundary

A type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the existing cultural/physical landscapes

cultural consequent boundary

A boundary set by ethnic differences.

physical consequent boundary

Borders that division using already-existing natural features that divide a territory such as rivers, deserts, or mountains

open boundary

a boundary where crossing is unimpeded

Militarized Boundary

A boundary that is heavily guarded and discourages crossing and movement.

Defined Boundary

one established by a legal document, such as a treaty.

Delimited Boundary

is a line drawn on a map to show the limits of a space.

Demarcated Boundary

identified by physical objects place on the landscape, such as a sign, wall, or fence.

Irredentism

The policy of a state wishing to incorporate within itself territory inhabited by people who have ethnic or linguistic links with the country but that lies within a neighboring state. uniting a nation that spans multiple states. Nagorno-Karabakh Region of Armenia/Azerbaijan

administered boundary

The enforcement and maintaining of a boundary by a government

controlled boundary

boundaries that have checkpoints where a passport or visa are required to enter the country

Exclaves

A segment of land that is apart from the mainland of its country and separated by another country (Alaska)

(political) enclave

A state, or part of a state, that is completely surrounded by another state (Lesotho) (surrounded by only one country) (landlocked countries are surrounded by one or many countries)

Shatterbelt

an area of instability between regions with opposing political and cultural values

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

world treaty governing use of the oceans; established rules on territorial waters

Territorial sea

Up to 12 nautical miles of sovereignty; commercial vessels may pass, but non-commercial vessels may be challenged.

Contiguous Zone

Between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore, a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, sanitation, customs, and immigration

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

the seazone extending 200 nautical miles from the coast over which a state has special rights as to the exploration and use of marine resources

high seas

water beyond the EEZ is open to all states

blue economy

the new economic opportunities based on the ocean for SIDS (small island developing states)

internal boundaries

boundaries that divide the interiors of a country into sections/units

Federalism

sharing power between the federal and local governments

electoral geography

the study of the geographical elements of the organization and results of elections

voting districts

Internal boundaries that divide a country's electorate into subnational regions

Electorate

the citizens eligible to vote

Census

population count every 10 years

Reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power. Increased partisanship in Congress, and unequal minority representation. Also, it leads to less competitive elections. Because the seats are safely won, members of Congress are less willing to compromise. Some states use bipartisan or nonpartisan committees to prevent. Discrimination of minorities.

Federal State

An internal organization of a state that allocates strong power to units of local government and gives local entities some from of sovereignty (US and Germany); generally larger countries; hierarchy of government; many ethnic groups and significant minorities; local needs represented; power spread; slower and can have contrasting laws

Unitary State

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central/national government and all local governments are subject to the authority of the national government (France and Japan): generally smaller countries; few cultural differences; cheaper and high clarity of laws; political benefits concentrated and local issues ignored

Annexation

Legally adding land area/territory to a city

ethnic separatism

The advocacy of full political separation (or secession) from the larger group along cultural, ethnic, tribal, or governmental lines is Basque region of Spain

Ethnic clensing

the process of removing a group from a particular area through terror, expulsion, and mass murder designed to create a homogeneous region

Terrorism

organized violence aimed at government and civilian targets that is intended to create fear in furtherance of political aims

subnationalism

describes people who have a primary allegiance to a traditional group or ethnicity; different from autonomous region

Balkinization

the division of a region or state into smaller regions along ethnolinguistic lines that are often hostile with each other

globalization

the integration of markets, states, communication, and trade on a worldwide scale

Supranationalism

Multiple states coming together to form alliances in an effort to meet common cultural, economic, or military goals

UN

Made up of 193 member states and 2 observer states; mission is to promote peace, security, and human rights. Located in NYC, US; Established 1945

World Trade Organization (WTO)

a permanent global institution to promote international trade and to settle international trade disputes

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

An organization that seeks to unify all petroleum producing countries and create uniform policies to stabilize markets

Arctic Council

Established 1996; consisting of 8 countries with territory in Arctic; Mission is to foster cooperation, coordination, and interaction among Arctic states with participation of Arctic Indigenous communities. Located in Trømso Norway

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

group of ten Southeast Asian nations working to promote regional cooperation, economic growth, and trade

European Union (EU)

a free trade zone encompassing 27 European countries; created the euro

USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement)

This is a regional trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico that is designed to replace NAFTA. The agreement has been signed by the leaders of all three countries, and is designed to stimulate economic growth

Transnational Corporation

companies that conduct business on a global scale, has dramatically weakened state sovereignty; take advantage of weaker laws and less taxes

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Military alliance created in 1949 made up of 12 non-Communist countries including the United States that support each other if attacked.

Democratization

A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one.

African Council

Mini UN for Africa; consisting of 55 countries in Africa; trying to advocate peace, security, and stability on the continent through greater cooperation, economic development, and global integration. Established 2002

Impact of Technology

Connection

subnational groups

reform movements

government limits information

digital divide

time-space compression

Ethnonationalism

Support for the political interest of a particular ethnic group within a state, especially its national independence or self-determination

Median-line principle

according to the UNCLOS, the EEZ for maritime countries located closer to each other than 200 miles is located halfway in between.

Antecedent Boundary Example

Pyrenees Mountains

Subsequent Boundary Example

The boundary between Northern Ireland(part of UK) and the Republic of Ireland

Superimposed Boundary Example

The boundary between Mali and Mauritania(common throughout Africa and Southwest Asia). Another good one, is the Berlin Conference imposing boundaries in Africa

Geometric Boundary Examples

The boundary between US and Canada along the 49th parallel

Consequent boundary example

The boundary between India and Pakistan created for religious reasons