maps: broad themes/topics

natural border

a border defined by a physical feature such as a river or mountain range

orientalism

the defining of other places or peoples from one's view as an outsider, not from the perspective of the other places or peoples

nation

a large population with political aspirations that shares the same culture

state

an independent political entity with clear geographic boundaries (what you think of as the 193 countries you have to memorize)

nation-state

a state whose population is made up of a single nation

state-nation

a state created before those within its borders have developed a shared sense of identity as a nation (you could argue this is the most common kind of state)

strategic depth

distance between the front lines or battle sectors and the combatants' industrial core areas, capital cities, heartlands, and other key centers of population or military production

irredentism

territorial claim based on a national, ethnic, or historical basis

centrifugal vs. centripetal forces

centrifugal forces: forces that split apart
centripetal forces: forces that bring things together

modernization theory

free markets maximize productivity + efficient allocation; countries can catch up economically (eventually)

dependency theory

raw material producers do the work, don't share the gains; countries who are behind will never catch up (free markets won't solve problems because there are structural inequalities that manifest into the persistent inequalities we see in states

the Berlin conference

conference held in Berlin (1884-85) in which European powers divided control of Africa between themselves; most contemporary African borders derive directly/indirectly from the conferenceS

Sykes-Picot

1916 agreement between the UK and France to divide a portion of the soon-to-be-defeated Ottoman empire. "Sykes-Picot" is often used as shorthand for the general division of former Ottoman territories by European powers (including Russia) that resulted in many of the current borders in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeastern Europe.

Yalta

conference held in 1945 between the U.K., U.S., and the U.S.S.R., during which they agreed to divide the states of central and eastern Europe into Western and Soviet Spheres of influence (the conference was held in the town of Yalta)

Nine Dash Line

conceptual line demarcating the People's Republic of China's claims on the South China Sea (know where this line is on a map)

Durand Line

(1893) formed border between British Empire and Afghanistan. Created the Wakhan Corridor as a barrier between the Russia and British Empires. Also divided the Pashtun and Baluch populations between Afghanistan and British India (now Pakistan)

McMahon Line

(1914) forms the de facto border between Tibet/China and eastern British India (now India). China maintains that the border is at the inner line (1873). Between the two claims is the Indian state of Arunachal Pradeh, which China refers to as South Tibet. *know where inner line and other line are*

Radcliffe lines

(1947) divided Punjab and Bengal into Muslim and Hindu majority areas, which would separately join newly independent Pakistan (Muslim) or India (Hindu)

Papal Line of Demarcation

line dividing the world into Spanish and Portuguese spheres of control as proclaimed by the Pope. Explains partly why Brazil speaks Portuguese and most of the rest of Latin America speaks Spanish

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. declaration that the Western Hemisphere is off limits to European powers. Made even more exciting by the Platt Amendment.