Political Geography Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts in political geography, including definitions of states, theories of expansion, types of governments, and the impact of terrorism.

State

politcal and geogrpahy term for a country

Economic movement, boundaries, set population, recognition, , soverinty gov

Multi-nation state

A state that contains more than one nation or cultural group.

Stateless nation

A cultural group that does not have a sovereign state of its own.

Failed state

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

Nation-State

A state where the political boundaries and the cultural/ethnic boundaries of a nation coincide.

City-State

A sovereign state that consists of a city and its surrounding territory.

Law of the Sea

International law governing the rights and responsibilities of states in maritime environments.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A sea zone where a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.

Colonization

The act of establishing control over a foreign territory.

Self-determination

The right of people to determine their own political status.

Decolonization

The process of transitioning from colonial rule to independence.

Heartland Theory

the idea was that whoever gained control of Eastern Europe, controlled the Heartland –also known as the Pivot Area—and whoever controlled the Heartland, could easily gain control of the World Island

The theory that states the power lies in controlling the central area of the land.

Rimland Theory

outer edge of heartland

The theory that emphasizes the importance of controlling coastal fringes for power.

Lebensraum

The concept of territorial expansion to provide living space for a nation's people.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also fall.

Containment

The strategy to prevent the expansion of an enemy or ideology.

Irredentism

The political principle or policy of reclaiming territory that one has lost. -Ethnicity, they owned it before, etc

Morphology of the State

The study of the shape and spatial structure of states.

Compact State

A state with a relatively small and circular shape.

Perforated State

A state that completely surrounds another state.

Fragmented State

A state that consists of multiple separated pieces of territory.

Political Enclave

A portion of territory surrounded by the territory of another state.

Geometric Boundaries

Boundaries defined by straight lines or arcs.

Physical Boundaries

Boundaries defined by natural features of the landscape.

Superimposed Boundaries

Boundaries drawn over existing cultural patterns.

Berlin Conference

A meeting where European powers divided Africa into colonies.

Gerrymandering

The process of drawing district boundaries to advantage a political party.

Centripetal Force

Factors that unite and bind a state together.

Centrifugal Force

Factors that divide or destabilize a state.

National iconography

Symbols representing a nation.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a state into smaller, often hostile units.

Devolution

The transfer of authority from a central government to regional governments.

Supranationalism

The idea of transcending national boundaries to form a collective governance.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance of member states from North America and Europe.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization aimed at promoting peace and cooperation among countries.

European Union (EU)

A political and economic union of European countries.

Domestic Terrorism

Acts of terrorism committed by individuals or groups within their own country.