Key Terms Unit 4 AP HuGeo

State

Politically organized independent territory with a government, defined borders, and a permanent population (a country)

Sovereignty

The right of a country to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders

Nation

Groups of people who have forged a common identity through a shared language, religion, ethnicity, or heritage (often all four)

Nation-state

State (land) with politically recognized boundaries that is occupied by a group who view themselves as a nation, call it their own

Multinational state

A country that contains more than one nation (multiple ethnicities and cultures in its borders)

Autonomous region

A defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state

Stateless nation

Cultural groups (united by culture, language, history, and tradition) that have no independent political entity (state)

Multistate nation

Consists of people who share a cultural or ethnic background but live in more than one country

Semiautonomous Region

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

Nationalism

A nation's desire to create and maintain a state of its own

Centripetal forces

Forces that unify people and pull them together

Centrifugal forces

Forces that pull away from the center, or tend to break apart states, or keep one from forming

Imperialism

The variety of ways of influencing another country or group of people, by direct conquest, economic control, or by cultural dominance.

Colonialism

Particular type of imperialism in which people claim, move into and settle on the land of another country overseas.

Berlin Conference

(AKA Congo Conference) representatives from major empires of Europe met in the German capital of Berlin to lay out claims made on the continent of Africa in 1884-1885.

self-determination

The right of all people to choose their own political status

Decolonization

When colonial territories win or become independent

Genocide

Mass, organized killing, in which people are targeted because of their race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality

Cold War

Period of diplomatic, political, and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, from 1945-1989, ending with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Satellite State

State dominated by another state politically and economically

devolution

Occurs when the central power in a state is broken up among regional authorities within its own borders

Geopolitics

The study of the effects of geography on politics and relations among states

Territoriality

The connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land.

neocolonialism

A new system of colonialism where economic, political, or cultural control or influence is exerted over developing countries.

Choke point

Narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass.

Physical geographic boundaries

Natural barriers between areas such as oceans, deserts, and mountains.

Antecedent boundary

A boundary drawn before a large population was present

Subsequent boundary

Boundary drawn to accommodate religious, ethnic, linguistic, or economic differences that already exist or are being established (most common boundary type)

ethnonationalism

When the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity

Superimposed boundary

Boundary drawn over existing accepted borders, by an outside or conquering force.

Landlocked states

State without territory connected to an ocean.

Relic boundary

Boundary that no longer exists, but evidence of it still exists on the landscape

Geometric boundary

political border defined by straight lines or geometric shapes (like latitude/longitude lines or arcs) that disregard physical or cultural landscape features

Consequent boundary

Type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, separating groups that have distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, or other traits.

Failed state

a country where the government has lost control, becoming unable to provide basic public services, maintain law and order, or protect its people, leading to instability, conflict, and often humanitarian crises

Open boundary

boundary where crossing in unimpeded

Demilitarized Zone

treaty-defined buffer area between conflicting states where military forces, installations, and activities are forbidden

Defined boundary

Established by a legal document such as a treaty, that divides one entity from another (with an invisible line.)

Delimited boundary

Boundary line(s) drawn on a map by a cartographer to show the limits of space

Demarcated boundary

boundary identified by physical objects placed on the landscape

irredentism

Occurs when one country attempts to acquire territories in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation

Allocational boundary dispute (resource)

A boundary separates natural resources that may be used by both countries

Administered boundary

How a boundary is maintained, functions, and what goods and people will be allowed to cross

Subnationalism

the strong loyalty to a region or group within a larger nation, often leading to demands for greater autonomy or independence, challenging national unity and potentially causing devolution

shatterbelt

A place located between two very different and contentious states or regions.

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

Law signed by over 150 countries in 1982 that defined water (maritime) boundaries into four zones.

Territorial sea

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

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Coastal states can explore, extract minerals, and manage up to 200 nautical miles

International waters

Water beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone is open to all states

Voting districts

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

Electoral College

A set of people, called electors, who are chosen to elect the President in the United States.

census

A count of the population, completed every 10 years

reapportionment

Changing the number of representatives (House of Representatives) granted each state so it reflects that state's population

redistricting

State legislatures redraw district boundaries so that each district accurately reflects new census data

gerrymandering

The drawing of boundaries for political districts by the party or group in power to extend or cement their advantage

cracking

Dispersing a group into several districts to prevent a majority

packing

Combining like-minded voters into one district to prevent them from affecting elections in other districts

Majority-minority districts

Gerrymandered districts in which minorities made up the majority of voters, created in response to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that worked to enfranchise African Americans in the United States.

concurrent

Shared powers within a federal system between the central government and the state governments.

Unitary state

Authority held primarily by the central government with very little power given to local governments; has no hierarchy of sovereign powers, and few cultural differences and small minorities live there

Federal state

Authority shared between the central government and provincial, state, and local government; includes multiple levels of power that is diffused throughout the hierarchy, often in places where multiple ethnic groups with significant minorities live

annexation

The process of legally adding territory to a city

Ethnic separatism

Occurs when people of a particular ethnicity in a multinational state identify more strongly as members of their ethnic group than as citizens of the state. (separates based on historical, cultural, or language differences)

Ethnic cleansing

"A purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent or terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group form certain geographic areas." -The United Nations commission of Experts

terrorism

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

Ethnic nationalism

Commonality in ethnicity, religion, and language that creates an intense sense of pride and identity tied to a territory

balkanization

The fragmentation of a state or region into smaller, often hostile, units along ethno-linguistic lines

Economies of scale

More goods and services can be produced for less money on average through use of this in supranational organizations. Countries can increase trade and bargaining power.

Supranational organization

An alliance of three or more states that work together in pursuit of common goals or to address an issue or challenge that these countries share.

United Nations (UN)

193 countries (most in the world) that promote peace, security, and human rights in the world.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

30 states that joined to provide mutual military defense of member states.

European Union (EU)

A political and economic union of 27 democratic European states that has a single market free-trade zone and movement toward a standardized system of laws. Borders between member states were opened and movement of people and goods increased.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Group of southeast Asian states seeking mutually beneficial trade agreements to foster economic growth and peace in the region.

Arctic Council

Countries with territories in the Arctic that foster cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic states with participation of Arctic indigenous communities.

African Union

All countries in Africa, advocating for peace, security, and stability on the continent through greater cooperation, economic development, and global integration.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

One of the largest and most influential supranational organizations that has countries agree to a set of fair and non-discriminatory guidelines for international trade and to ensure trade flows smoothly, freely, and predictably.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Coordinates and unifies its members' petroleum politics in order to stabilize oil markets.

Transnational corporation

Companies that conduct business on a global scale

democratization

The transition from autocratic to more representative forms of politics