Political Organization of Space

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the political organization of space, focusing on terms and definitions essential for understanding governance, territoriality, and international relations.

Political Power

Expressed geographically as control over people, land, and resources.

Territoriality

A group's or individual's effort to control a specific area for personal, political, or social reasons.

Sovereignty

The recognized authority of a state to govern itself without outside interference.

Autonomy

The ability of a region or group to govern itself within a larger political framework, but without full sovereignty.

City-State

A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

Colonialism

Physical settlement in a new territory.

Imperialism

Control of territory already occupied, without physical settlement.

Mercantilism

Economic system where the mother country obtains raw materials from colonies and sells finished goods back to them.

Nation-State

A political entity where the nation within controls a country that is ethnically homogenous.

Stateless Nation

A nation that has no state that it controls.

Multinational State

A country that contains 2 or more nations that agree to co-exist peacefully.

Microstate

A tiny state, often characterized by limited resources and population.

Supranationalism

Cooperation between countries to achieve common goals or mutual gain leading to some loss of sovereignty.

Decolonization

The process of countries gaining independence from colonial powers.

Ethnonationalism

A strong feeling of pride and loyalty to one's ethnic group, often tied to the belief of the group's right to self-determination.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a state into smaller, often hostile, entities along ethnic or cultural lines.