Unit 4 APHG Review for AP Exam

State

A political unit with defined borders, sovereignty, and a permanent population.

Nation

A group of people with a shared cultural identity.

Nation-State

A state made up of one nation (e.g., Japan, Iceland).

Stateless Nation

A nation without a state (e.g., Kurds, Palestinians).

Multinational State

A state with multiple nations (e.g., Canada, Russia).

Multistate Nation

A nation living in multiple states (e.g., Koreans in North & South Korea).

Boundary

A line that marks the limits of a state's territory.

Geometric Boundary

Straight lines, often latitude/longitude (e.g., US–Canada).

Physical Boundary

Natural features (e.g., rivers, mountains).

Cultural Boundary

Based on language, religion, or ethnicity.

Boundary Disputes

refer to disagreements between states (or regions) over the location, function, or use of a boundary.

Definitional

Legal language disagreement.

Locational

Dispute over the location.

Operational

Dispute over function (e.g., immigration).

Allocational

Dispute over resources (e.g., oil, water).

Boundary Origins

these describe how and when boundaries were established relative to human settlement and cultural development

Antecedent

Before human settlement (e.g., US–Canada).

Subsequent

After human settlement.

Superimposed

Imposed by outsiders (e.g., colonial Africa).

Relic

No longer functional, but still visible (e.g., Berlin Wall).

Delimitation

Drawing the boundary on a map.

Demarcation

Marking the boundary with fences, signs, etc.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district lines for political gain.

Packing

Concentrating opposition in one district.

Cracking

Splitting opposition across districts.

Stacking

Linking distant areas of similar voters.

Reapportionment

Redistributing House seats after the census.

Redistricting

Redrawing districts due to population changes.

Majority-Minority District

Designed to allow minority representation.

Centripetal Forces

Unite (e.g., shared language, national pride).

Centrifugal Forces

Divide (e.g., ethnic conflict, economic inequality).

Devolution

Power moving from central government to regional levels (e.g., Scotland, Catalonia).

Balkanization

A state breaking into smaller, hostile units.

Unitary State

Power centralized in one government (e.g., France).

Federal State

Power shared between national and regional governments (e.g., USA).

Autonomous Region

Has some self-rule (e.g., Hong Kong).

Semi-Autonomous Region

Limited self-rule (e.g., Native American reservations).

Heartland Theory (Mackinder)

Whoever controls Eurasia controls the world.

Rimland Theory (Spykman)

Power is on the Eurasian coast.

Organic Theory (Ratzel)

States grow like organisms.

World-Systems Theory (Wallerstein)

Core, semi-periphery, periphery explain global inequality.

Supranational Organization

3+ states cooperating for political/economic goals.

EU

Economic and political union.

UN

Peacekeeping and cooperation.

NATO

Military alliance.

ASEAN, OPEC

Regional cooperation.

Sovereignty

Political independence and control over internal affairs.

Colonialism

One country settling and ruling another territory.

Imperialism

Control without full settlement.

Neocolonialism

Economic dominance of former colonies.

Trade Agreements

deals between countries to trade more easily.

Irredentism

is when a country says land should be theirs because the people there are similar

Annexation

is when they actually take the land.

Shatterbelt

Region caught between stronger external forces (e.g., Eastern Europe during the Cold War).

Choke Point

Narrow passage (e.g., Strait of Hormuz) crucial for strategic control.

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – defines maritime boundaries like territorial waters (12 nautical miles) and EEZ (200 nautical miles).

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary that was established before a large population was present or before the cultural landscape was fully developed. (Ex: The U.S.–Canada border (49th parallel) in the West)

Subsequent Boundary

A boundary drawn after people have settled in an area, often reflecting cultural, ethnic, or linguistic divisions. (

Consequent Boundary

A type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to accommodate cultural differences, such as religion or language. (Ex: The boundary between India and Pakistan (Hindus vs. Muslims).)

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary drawn by external powers, often ignoring existing cultural, ethnic, or tribal boundaries.(Ex: Boundaries in Africa drawn during the Berlin Conference by European colonizers.)

Relic Boundary

A boundary that no longer exists as a functional political border but still influences the cultural or physical landscape. (Ex: The former boundary of East and West Germany (Berlin Wall).)

Definitional Boundary Dispute

Dispute over the legal language or definition of the boundary. (Ex: Chile and Argentina disagreeing over wording in a treaty related to mountain ranges.)

Locational Boundary Dispute

Dispute over the actual placement of a boundary on the ground. (Ex: India and Pakistan over the location of the Kashmir boundary.)

Operational Boundary Dispute

Dispute over how a boundary should function, including immigration, trade, or security. (Ex: The U.S. and Mexico disagreeing on how to manage cross-border movement.)

Allocational Boundary Dispute

Dispute over the use or distribution of resources that lie across or are shared by a boundary. (Ex: Iraq and Kuwait's dispute over oil fields that lie near the border.)

Territoriality

The attempt by individuals or groups to control a geographic area and the behavior of others within it.

Natural Boundaries

Boundaries based on physical features such as rivers, mountains, or coastlines.

Frontier

A region where no state has complete political control, often a zone of separation

Geopolitics

The study of political power as influenced by geographic factors such as location, resources, and climate.