colonialism
when a more powerful country acquires full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically
imperialism
when one country dominates colonies far from their home country and often imposes their culture on them
independence movement
people that are trying to gain political independence for some area that they think should be its own country
self determination
the idea that nations should rule themselves instead of being controlled by others
chokepoint
a strategic narrow route providing passage through or to another region
neocolonialism
gaining indirect control of another country through economic or cultural pressures
shatterbelt
a region caught between stronger colliding external forces, under persistent stress, often fragment by aggressive rivals