APHG: Unit 4 (Political Patterns and Processes)

antecedent boundary

a political boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in a place while people moved into occupy the surroundings

autocracy

a government that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people

autonomous region

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

balance of power

when competing forces (or countries) come to a level where no single one is strong enough to dominate the others

Berlin Conference

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

boundary

an invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory

choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water that provides passage through or to another region

Cold War

the state of political hostility that existed between the communist Soviet bloc countries and the US-led Western powers from 1945 to 1990

colonialism

a particular type of imperialism in which people move into and settle on the land of another country

communism

a system of social organization based on the elimination of private property; government controls means of production

consequent boundary

a subsequent boundary that accommodates existing cultural differences. A boundary line that is drawn to coincide with some cultural divide, such as religion, culture or race.

demilitarized zone

an area previously in conflict from which weapons and military forces have been removed

democracy

a government in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office

democratization

transition to a more democratic political regime

devolution

the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration

ethnic separatism

a group advocating for independence for a nation inside a state

Exclusive Economic Zone

area in which resources found up to 200 nautical miles offshore belong exclusively to the geographically bordering country

failed state

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

federal state

a country whose government distributes power between the central government and state/local governments; more locally based, dispersed power centers

geometric boundary

a border that is a straight line and drawn without taking into account the physical and cultural features of the land

gerrymandering

the process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

imperialism

a broad concept that includes a variety of ways of influencing another country or group of people through direct conquest, economic control, or by cultural dominance

internal boundary

a boundary within a state indicating the presence of a sub-division or province.

international boundary

a line that separates one state from another

irredentism

when one country seeks to annex a territory in another because it has ties to the population that lives there

landlocked state

a state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea; economic disadvantage

Law of the Sea

standardized the territorial sovereignty limits for most countries at 12 nautical miles and rights to marine life/minerals within 200 miles

maritime boundary

the extensions of a country's territory that extend into the oceans around them

military alliance

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

multiethnic state

a state that contains more than one ethnicity

multinational state

a state that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination

multistate nation

a group of people who share a common characteristic and live in multiple states

nation

a culturally defined group of people bound together by a common cultural heritage

nationalism/ethnonationalism

the desire of an ethnic community to have absolute authority over its own political, economic, and social affairs

nation-state

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

neocolonialism

a new form of global power relationships that involves not direct political control but economic exploitation by other countries

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.

relic boundary

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

self-determination

the concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

semi-autonomous region

an area inside of a country that has some power to control itself more than other areas in a country

shatterbelt

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

sovereignty

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

state

A geographic area with a permeant population. defined borders, a sovereign government, and recognized by other state.

stateless nation

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

superimposed boundary

a subsequent boundary that is imposed on the cultural landscape by powerful outsiders which ignores pre-existing cultural patterns

subsequent boundary

a boundary drawn after the development of the cultural landscape; two types: consequent and superimposed

supranationalism

when multiple countries form an organization to collectively achieve greater benefits for all members

Territorial Sea

12 mile zone of seawater adjacent to a country's coast; national territory and treated as a component of the sovereign state.

territoriality

the perceived connection of people, their culture and their economic systems to the land shown by a willingness to defend space they claim

uneven development

the increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions as a result of the globalization of the economy.

trade agreement

agreement by a group of countries to promote trade among them

terrorism

the systematic use of violence by a group in order to intimidate a population or coerce a government into granting its demands

unitary state

an internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials; top down centralized governance

voting district

a territorial subdivision for electing members to a legislative body