AP vocab -Unit 4

Annexation

The formal act of acquiring territory by conquest or occupation.

Autonomous Regions

A defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state.

Balkanization

The process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities.

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 where European nations agreed on rules for the colonization of Africa.

Antecedent Boundary

A boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged.

Consequent Boundary

A boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language.

Geometric Boundary

Political boundaries defined by straight lines or arcs, regardless of physical or cultural features.

Relic Boundary

A former boundary line that is no longer used but still visible on the cultural landscape.

Subsequent Boundary

A boundary line established after the area has been settled, considering the area's cultural characteristics.

Superimposed Boundary

A boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural pattern.

Defined

A boundary established by a legal document, such as a treaty.

Delimited

A boundary drawn on a map by cartographers.

Demarcated

A boundary that is physically marked on the ground by objects like fences or walls.

Administered

The phase where a boundary is maintained and enforced by a government.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that tend to divide a country or push people apart.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that tend to unite or bind a country together.

Choke Points

A strategic, narrow waterway or passage that can be easily closed or blocked.

Cold War

A state of political hostility characterized by threats and propaganda short of open warfare.

Colonialism

An attempt by one country to establish settlements and impose its principles in another territory.

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state.

Communism

A political theory advocating for a society where all property is publicly owned.

Compact State

A state where the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

An area where military installations or activities are forbidden by treaties.

Democracy

A system of government where eligible members elect representatives.

Democratization

The process of transition to a more democratic political regime.

Devolution

The transfer of power from a central government to local or regional administrations.

Elongated State

A state with a long, narrow shape.

Ethnic Separatism

The advocacy of cultural, ethnic, or governmental separation from the larger group.

Ethnonationalism

A form of nationalism defined in terms of ethnicity.

Federal State

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to local government units.

Fragmented State

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.

Frontier

A zone separating two states with no political control.

Geopolitical Theories

Theories explaining the roles of geography in international politics.

Gerrymandering

The process of redrawing boundaries to benefit the party in power.

Imperialism

Control of a territory already occupied by an indigenous society.

Independent State

A sovereign state not subject to control of any other state.

Irredentism

A policy advocating for restoring territory formerly belonging to a country.

Landlocked State

A state without a direct outlet to the sea.

Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Laws establishing states' rights concerning oceans and resources.

Microstates

A state that encompasses a very small land area.

Multi-state Nations

A nation stretching across the borders of multiple states.

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.

Nation

A group of people with a common culture, history, or language inhabiting a territory.

Nation-State

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

Nationalism

Loyalty and devotion to a particular nationality.

Perforated State

A state that completely surrounds another state.

Political Boundaries

Invisible lines marking the extent of a state's territory.

Prorupted State

A compact state with a large projecting extension.

Redistricting

The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines.

Self-Determination

The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.

Shatterbelt

A region caught between stronger colliding cultural-political forces.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from external control.

State

An area organized into a political unit ruled by an established government.

Stateless Nations

A nation of people without a state of their own.

Subnational Political-Territorial Units

Small entities within a country.

Supranationalism

An alliance involving three or more countries for mutual benefit.

Supranational Organizations

International organizations of three or more states.

Territoriality

A community's sense of property and attachment toward its territory.

Terrorism

The systematic use of violence to intimidate a population.

Unitary State

An organization of a state placing most power in central government officials.

Voting District

A territorial subdivision for electing members to a legislative body.