APHG Unit 4 Notes

Political Geography

The study of the ways in which the world is organized as a reflection of the power that different groups bold over territory.

A state

The politically organized independent territory with a government, defined borders, and a permanent population - in short, a country.

A nation

Cultural entities - They are made up of individuals who have forged a common identity through a shared language, religion, ethnicity, or heritage- often all four of these.

A nation-state

A sovereign territory with one group of individuals who share a common history. The group occupying the space recognizes the politically recognized boundaries.

A multi state nation

People who share a cultural or ethnic background but live in more then one country.

A multination state

A country with various ethnicities and cultures living inside its borders.

A stateless nation

A people united by a culture, language, history, and tradition but not possessing a state.

Autonomous regions

Describes regions within a state that have a great deal of authority to operate independently of their national government.

Semi autonomous regions

Regions within a state that have more limited authority granted by the national government.

Sovereignty

The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders.

Self determination

The right of all people to choose their own political status.

Colonialism

The practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories.

Imperialism

The push to create an empire is exercising force or influence to control other nations or people.

Independence movements

Efforts by groups or regions within a country to gain political autonomy and establish sovereignty from a governing authority.

Devolution

Occurs when the central power in a state is broken up among regional authorities within its borders.

Choke point

A narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass.

Shatterbelts

Territory and the quest for political power sometimes lead to the instability in regions.

Neocolonialism

the practice of using economic, political, and cultural pressures to control or influence countries, especially those that were formerly colonized, without direct military or political intervention.

Territoriality

The connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to where they live.

Relic boundaries

These borders illustrate how the control and management of geographic space changes over time as a result of different circumstances.

Superimposed boundaries

Drawn over existing accepted borders, by an outside or conquering force.

Subsequent boundaries

Are drawn in areas that have been settled by people and where cultural landscapes already exist or are in the process of being established.

Antecedent boundaries

Established before many people settled into an area.

Geometric boundaries

Are mathematical and typically follow lines of latitude and longitude, or are straight-line arcs between two points, instead of following physical and cultural features.

Consequent boundaries

A type of subsequent boundary. It takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, separating groups that have distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, or other traits.

Defined boundaries

Boundaries countries explicitly state in legally binding documentation such as a treaty where their borders are located, using reference points such as natural features or lines of latitude and longitude.

Delimited boundaries

Countries drawn on a map in accordance with a legal agreement.

Demarcated boundaries

Countries place physical objects such as stones, pillars, walls, or fences to show boundaries.

Demilitarized zones

An area in which treaties or agreements between states, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel.

Berlin Conference

Meeting at which the major European powers negotiated and formalized claims to territory in Africa; also called the Berlin West Africa Conference.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Established the structure of maritime boundaries, stating that a country's territorial seas extend 12 nautical miles off its coast and that its exclusive economic zone extends 200 nautical miles from its coast.

Exclusive economic zones

A maritime zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline, where the state has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources.

Voting districts

Specific geographic areas defined for the purpose of electing representatives to government bodies.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts to reflect changes in population and ensure fair representation.

Gerrymandering

The practice of manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.

Federal states

A system of government where power is shared (in various arrangements) between a centralized government and various regional authorities.

Unitary state

A state where laws are administered uniformly by one central government.