Unit 4 Vocab

state

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.

nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

nation-state

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality

stateless nation

a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially defined, sovereign country of their own

multinational state

a state with more than one nation inside its borders that coexist peacefully

multistate nation

nation that exists in more than one state

autonomous region

an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority

sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

self-determination

Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

colonialism

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

imperialism

domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region

independence movement

an attempt by one group to become independent from another

devolution

The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

neocolonialism

Economic dominance of a weaker country by a more powerful one, while maintaining the legal independence of the weaker state

shatterbelt

an area of instability between regions with opposing political and cultural values

choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water

territoriality

a country's or more local community's sense of property and attachment toward its territory, as expressed by its determination to keep it and strongly defend it

relic boundary

a former boundary line that is still discernible and marked by some cultural landscape features

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 drawn after a cultural landscape is already in place

antecedent boundary

A boundary line established before an area is populated

geometric boundary

a boundary that follows a geometric pattern, often a straight line

consequent boundary

a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language

defined boundary

boundary is created in agreement between two parties in a treaty or other legal document

delimited boundary

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

demarcated boundary

actual placing of a political boundary on the physical landscape by means of fences, barriers, signs, etc.

demilitarized zone

A region where no military forces or weapons are permitted.

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

United Nations Convention on Law and the Sea

Law establishing states rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources.

international waters

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

territorial sea

Zone of seawater adjacent to a country's coast, held to be part of the national territory and treated as a component of the sovereign state, extends up to 12 nautical miles from the coast

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 such as fish, oil and minerals

voting district

a territorial subdivision for electing members to a legislative body

redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

unitary state

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials

federal state

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.

ethnic separatism

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

ethnic cleansing

Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region

terrorism

the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

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

democratization

A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one.

economies of scale

a proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production.

trade agreement

agreement by a group of countries to promote trade among them

military alliance

international agreement concerning the national security of the states involved

supranationalism

three or more countries agree to give up a degree of autonomy in order to pursue common goals

supranational organization

A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries

European Union (EU)

an economic association established in 1957 by a number of Western European countries to promote free trade among its members

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

a trade alliance that promotes trade and economic integration among member nations in Southeast Asia

Arctic Council

provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States

African Union

organization formed in 2002 to promote unity among African states and to foster development and end poverty

centrifugal force

a force that divides people and countries

failed state

a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control.

ethnonationalism

the tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence

centripetal force

An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state

infrastructure development

the construction of transport and communication networks, electrical frameworks, and systems for water and waste disposal

cultural cohesion

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

Balkanization

Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

Cold War

the power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II

Communism

A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

cracking

spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections

ethnic exclave

a portion of an ethnic group that is separated from the main group and surrounded by other ethnicities

Heartland Theory (Mackinder)

Theory that states that whoever ruled modern-day Russian rule all of Asia and whoever ruled out of Asia ruled the entire world.

Rimland Theory (Spykman)

Theory that states controlling the coastal regions around Europe leads to world domination

Geopolitics

study of government and its policies as affected by physical geography

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

packing

concentrating partisan voters in a single district in order to maximize the number of representatives that can be elected by the opposition in other districts

Regionalism

loyalty to the interests of a particular region

stacking

diluting a minority populated district with majority populations

state morphology

study of states' shapes and their effects

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

An agreement for free trade between the United States and Canada and Mexico