AP Human Geography - Unit 4 Political Geography (2019 CED)

state

the largest political unit, the formal term for a country

nation

group of people who have a common cultural heritage, claim a particular space based on tradition as their homeland, beliefs and values that help unify them, and a desire to establish their own state or express self-determination in another way

nation-state

singular nation of people who fulfill the qualifications for a state

stateless nation

nations that have no independent political entity

multinational state

country that contains more than one nation

multistate nation

occurs when a nation has a state of its own but stretches across borders of other states

autonomous regions

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

gerrymandering

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

redistricting

redrawing district boundaries so that each district contains roughly the same number of people

territoriality

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

defined boundaries

established by a legal document such as a treaty that divides one entity from another (invisible line)

delimited boundaries

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

demarcated boundaries

identified by physical objects placed on the landscape

sovereignty

the power of a political unit to rule over its own affairs

U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

brought about by the United Nations, this convention was signed by over 150 countries and consists of four zones: territorial seas, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and high seas.

unitary states

governmental power is held primarily by the central government with very little power given to local governments

federal states

governmental power is shared between the central and local governments; displays a hierarchy of power

supranationalism

an alliance involving multiple countries for their mutual benefit such as economic, cultural or political/ military

devolution

transfer of political power from the central government to subnational levels of government

Balkanization

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

centrifugal forces

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

centripetal forces

forces that pull people together, such as religion, language, threats, nationalism, etc.

self-determination

concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

colonialism

The attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

imperialism

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

cultural cohesion

The capacity of different national and ethnic groups to make a mutual commitment to live together as citizens of the same state.

neocolonialism

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

shatterbelt

a region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals (e.g., Israel or Kashmir today; Eastern Europe during the Cold War,...).

choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water

demilitarized zone

A zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited

failed state

A state so weak that its political structures collapse, leading to anarchy and violence

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

ethnic separatism

desired regional autonomy expressed by a culturally distinctive group within a larger, politically dominant culture

ethnic cleansing

the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society.

terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

irredentism

a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country

semi-autonomous region

an area which can govern itself in certain areas , but does not have complete power to govern (e.g. Nunavut in Canada, Puerto Rico and Native American reservation in the U.S.)

independence movements

a movement that is trying to gain political independence for some area that it thinks should be its own country

census

the official count of a population

reapportionment

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

annexation

The adding of a region to the territory of an existing political unit.

satellite state

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

genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

voting district

a distinct territorial subdivision for holding an election for seats in a legislative body

ethnonationalism

The tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence. A fundamental centrifugal force.

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules colonization of Africa

land boundary

A line of demarcation between adjoining parcels of land.

maritime boundary

An international boundary that lies in the ocean. Like all boundaries, it is a vertical plane, extending from the seafloor to the upper limit of the air space in the atmosphere above the water.

international waters

The areas of the sea that are not under the jurisdiction of any country

territorial sea

A belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state

democratization

A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a government elected by the people.

economies of scale

Factors that cause a producer's average cost per unit to fall as output rises

trade agreement

Agreement by a group of countries to promote trade among them

military alliance

Close association of nations formed to provide mutual help if any one of them was attacked

relic boundary

A boundary no longer observed but that still affects the present-day area

superimposed boundary

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

subsequent boundary

A boundary line that is established after the area in question has been settled and that considers the cultural characteristics of the bounded area

antecedent boundary

A boundary line established before the area in question is well populated

geometric boundary

Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.

consequent boundary

A type of subsequent boundary that is drawn to accommodate existing linguistic, cultural, or religious boundaries