ap hg module 26-30

self determination

A nation's ability to determine its own statehood and form its own allegiances and government; the freedom of culturally distinct groups to govern themselves in their own territories and form their own states

core area

A small territorial nucleus from which a country grows in area and over time

escarpments

Abrupt slopes that break up the general continuity of the terrain

effective sovereignty

The idea that a state's power to enforce its sovereignty may extend beyond its territory and varies over time and from country to country

devolution

The movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state

ethnonationalism

A form of nationalism in which the nation is defined in terms of ethnic identity

neocolonialism

The set of economic and political strategies by which wealthy and powerful countries indirectly maintain or extend their influence over less wealthy areas

peripheral states

States that have relatively little industrial development, simple production systems focused mostly on agriculture and raw materials, and low levels of consumption of manufactured goods

core states

States that have the most advanced industrial and military technologies, complex manufacturing systems, external political power, and the highest levels of wealth and mass consumption

shatterbelt

Region of continuing and 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 both the limits of a territory and divisions between territories; often called a border at the global scale

median line principle

An approach to dividing and creating boundaries at the midpoint between two places

borderland

A region straddling both sides of an international boundary where national cultures overlap and blend to varying degrees

frontier

A region at the margins of state control and settlement

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 to which it belongs

delimited

Describing how boundaries are fixed or defined to identify their limits

demarcated

Describing how boundaries are set apart to distinguish their limits

relic boundary

A boundary that no longer functions as an international border

superimposed boundary

A boundary that is 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 boundary

A boundary that has regular, often perfectly straight, lines drawn without regard for an area's physical or cultural features

consequent boundary

A boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing cultural differences

demilitarized zone (DMZ)

An area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers, or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel; usually lies along an established frontier or boundary between two or more military powers or alliances

buffer state

A politically and economically weak independent country that lies between the borders of two powers

satellite state

A nominally independent country that is politically, militarily, and economically controlled by a more powerful state

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Conference organized to define territorial boundaries and rights to the sea

exclusive economic zone (EEZ)

Zone that extends 200 nautical miles from shoreline in which coastal states have the sole right to exploit, develop, manage, and conserve all water resources lying beyond the land

arctic circle

Area defined by the 66 degrees, 34 minutes north latitude line

electoral geography

A subfield of political geography that analyzes the geography of political preferences and how geography can shape voting outcomes

voting district

A territorial division for casting votes in public elections; generally, only those who live in the voting district are permitted to cast their votes there

electoral college

A body of 538 electors in the United States; a majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president; a state's number of electors equals the number of members in its congressional delegation (one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for its senators)

reappointment

The process by which the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are divided proportionately by population among the 50 states following every U.S. census

redistricting

The process of drawing new boundaries for U.S. congressional districts to reflect the population changes since the previous U.S. census

gerrymandering

The manipulation of voting district boundaries to favor a particular political party, group, or election outcome

packing

Gerrymandering a voting district by concentrating all of the opposition party into one district, thereby creating a large majority of that party in the district while ensuring that it cannot win any election

cracking

Gerrymandering a voting district by dividing opposition votes into many districts, thus diluting the opposition's vote to ensure it does not form a majority in any district

subnational units

The smaller areas into which a larger state is divided (for example, states in the United States, provinces in Canada)

unitary state

An independent state that concentrates power in the central government and grants little or no authority to its subnational units

federal state

An independent country that disperses significant authority among subnational units