AP World History Key Concept Terms

State

a nation under one government or a nation's government (depending on context)

Empire

a political unit in which a number of peoples or countries are controlled by a single government

City-state

a city and its immediate surrounding lands that function as an independent nation

Centralized government

A government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which local governments are subject; political power is mainly held by the top level of government

Decentralized government

a government in which power is spread out to lower levels of government and the highest level of government has limited authority

Bureaucracy (Civil Service)

government agencies/departments that carry out decisions made by the government (bureaucracy is made up of bureaucrats)

Commerce

trade

Governance

the action or manner of ruling a state

Dynasty

a series of rulers from a single family

Autocracy

a government in which one person has unlimited authority

Administration

the process of running an organization, including a government

Homogeneous

composed of the same kind

Heterogeneous

composed of different kinds

Diffusion

the process of spreading out

Interregional

relating to between regions (as in "interregional commerce")

Intraregional

relating to within a region (as in "intraregional migration")

Afro-Eurasia

the dominant landmass of the Eastern Hemisphere composed of Africa, Europe, and Asia

Urbanization

the growth of cities and the migration of people into them

Cross-cultural

the relationship(s) between different societies

Diaspora

the scattering of any people from their original homeland (as in the "Jewish Diaspora" or "African Diaspora")

Western Hemisphere

the half of the earth that includes the landmasses of North America and South America, including the Caribbean Islands

Eastern Hemisphere

the half of the earth that includes the landmasses of Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia

Coerced labor

work that is forced (as in "coerced labored system", examples of which include chattel slavery or corvée labor)

Evangelistic

seeking religious converts (missionary)

Syncretism

the merging of different cultures, including religions, into a new form

Sinification

the process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture

Egalitarian

the equality of all people

Transoceanic

extending across the ocean

Maritime

relating to the sea

Demography

the study of social statistics

Autonomy

having a self-governing community

Patriarchy

a social system in which power is held by men