AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY UNIT 4

Political Geography

The study of the spatial aspects of political affairs

Territoriality

Strong attachment to or defensive control of a place or an area

Sovereignty

Supreme authority of a state over its own affairs and freedom fr control by outside forces

State

Same thing as country

1. Has specific territory, set boundaries

2. Permanent population

3. Recognized as a state by other states

4. Government with authority over international affairs

Nation

Group of people with shared beliefs/identity

Multinational state

Population consists of two or more nations ex: brazil

Nation-state

Boundaries of a nation coincide with the boundaries of the state and the people share a sense of political unity

EX: Japan

Stateless nation

Group of people with shared identity but without a country

Boundary

Vertical plane that fixes the territory of a state

Territorial seas

The boundaries of coastal states that extend offshore

*rarely exceed 19kg (12mi)

EEZS (exclusive economic zones)

Allows for a country to manage the resources in the waters and ocean floor within the area of their EEZ

Physiographic boundary

Follows an natural feature such as a river or mountain

Geometric boundary

Are drawn as straight lines and sometimes follow lines of latitude or longitude

Ethnographic boundary

May be based on one or more cultural traits such as religion, language l, or ethnicity

Relic boundary

No longer exists! A result from changes in the ways that geographic space is administrated overtime

EX: the Great Wall of China

Exclave

Area completely separated from its state by another state

EX: alaska

Enclave

A state that is completely surrounded by another state

EX: lesotho

Antecedent boundary

Boundaries made before and area is settled by humans

Subsequent boundary

Boundaries that are formed with the development of the culture

EX: Ireland/northern ireland

Superimposed boundary

Boundaries formed that ignore the culture of an area

EX: africa

Centripetal force

Unifies the social and political fabric of a state

Centrifugal force

Weakens the social and political fabric of a state

Raisin d'etre

The idea, belief, or purpose that justifies the existence of a state

Separatism

The desire of a nation to break apart from its state aka Balkanization

Devolution

Movement of power from central gov. to regional gov. within the state

Autonomous region

Self-governed state

Unitary system

Central government that rules over the entire government

Federal system

Overall government that rules but there are small individual ones within the regions

Buffer zones

Stay neutral

Shatterbelt

Caught up in conflicts between larger power states

Ethnic forces

When a nation demands more autonomy (self-government)

Spatial forces

Most are on borders and separated from the center of power

EX: Hawaii

Imperialism

One states exercise of direct or indirect control over the affairs of another political society

Colonialism

A form of imperialism in which a state takes possession of a foreign territory, occupies it, and governs it

The Berlin conference

Held in 1884-1885 was the separation of africa

Self-determination

The ability to choose their own political status

Internationalism

The development of close political and economic relations among states

Supranational organization

Consists of multiple states that agree to work together for a common economic, military, cultural, or political purpose, or a combo of these

The United nations

Is a supranational organization promoting globally peace and security (founded in 1945)

European union

Is regional in scale and came into existence in order to enhance economic cooperation in western Europe

Geopolitics

The study of the relations among geography, states, and world power

Cold war

Describes hostility and rivalry that existed between the u.s and the Soviet Union from the mid-1940s to the late 1980s

Containment

The effort go limit the spread/ influence of a hostile power or idealogy

Faultline

A place where civilizations meet either within a country or along international borders

Deteritorialization

A loosening of ties between people and a place

Terrorism

The threat or use of violence against civilians in order to inculcate fear, gain influence, and/or advance a specific cause

Reapportionment

The process of allocating legislative seats among voting districts so that each legislator represents approximately the same # of people

Redistricting

Redrawing the boundaries of voting districts usually as a result of population change

Gerrymandering

The process of manipulating voting district boundaries to give an advantage to a particular political group or party

Security landscape

A specific type of potential landscape created to protect the territory, people, facilities, and infastructure of a state

Political iconography

An image, object, or symbol that conveys a political message

Packing

Placing as many voters of one type in a single district to minimize the number of elections they can influence

Cracking

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

Hijacking

Separating and incumbent candidate from his constituents and placing him or her in a district where he or she has no recognition

Kidnapping

Drawing two incumbent candidates in the same district, so the must run against each other