matthew legge and sid nonato

state

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

sovereignty

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

nation

 A stable community of people bound together by a shared sense of unity derived from common religion, language, ethnicity, or historical experience.

nation-state

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity.

stateless nation

A cultural or ethnic group that possesses a strong collective identity and desire for self-rule but does not have a sovereign territory to call its own.

antecedent boundary

 A boundary established before an area is heavily populated.

subsequent boundary

A border drawn after a region is already inhabited that changes to accommodate the existing religious, linguistic, or ethnic characteristics of the people.

superimposed boundary

A boundary forcibly drawn by an outside power or conquering force that ignores the existing cultural distribution of the local population.

natural boundary

 A political border that matches prominent geographic features of the Earth's surface.

geometric boundary

 A border created using straight lines, arcs, or specific coordinates of latitude and longitude regardless of physical or cultural features.

consequent boundary

 A specific type of subsequent boundary drawn specifically to separate different cultural groups, such as speakers of different languages.

political boundary

 An invisible line marking the outer limits of a state’s territory and the extent of its government's legal authority.

maritime boundary

A conceptual boundary in the ocean that defines a state's right to resources and passage as outlined by the Law of the Sea.

relic boundary

A former boundary line that no longer functions politically but is still visible in the cultural or physical landscape.

federal state

An internal organization of a state that allocates strong power to units of local government.

unitary state

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

gerrymandering

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

devolution

The movement of power "downward" from the central government to regional levels, often to appease ethnic groups and prevent conflict.