AP HUG Unit 4 Flashcards

State

An area organized by an established government, with control over internal and foreign affairs, defined territory, permanent population, and recognized by other states.

Microstate

States with very small land areas; The Vatican is the largest microstate at 0.44 square kilometers.

Sovereignty

Independence from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Sovereign States

States that have total control over their internal and foreign affairs.

Territoriality

The process by which a land area is established under a jurisdiction.

Formal Uniform Region

An area within which everyone shares one or more distinctive characteristics.

Nation

A large group of people united by common cultural characteristics, such as language and ethnicity, or by shared history.

Nation-State

A group of people sharing common cultural characteristics whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular nation.

Self-Determination

The concept that nations have the right to govern themselves.

Stateless Nation

A nation of people without a state that considers it home.

Multiethnic State

A state that contains more than one ethnicity.

Multinational State

A state that contains more than one nation.

Multistate Nations

Ethnic or cultural groups that exist across multiple state boundaries.

Buffer States

States that lie between two much larger and more powerful states.

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent.

Colonialism

An effort by one country to establish settlements in a territory and impose its political, economic, and cultural principles.

Decolonization

The process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country.

Neocolonialism

The control of less developed countries by developed countries using economic, political, and cultural pressures.

Internal Boundaries

Political or administrative lines that separate different regions within a larger governing entity.

International Boundaries

Demarcations that separate two sovereign states, defining their territorial limits.

Autonomous Regions

Administrative divisions within a country that have a certain degree of self-governance.

Semi-Autonomous Regions

Subdivisions that have a degree of autonomy, but not complete sovereignty.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization and military force.

Supranationalism/Supranational Organizations

The process of nation states organizing politically and economically into alliances for collective power.

Democratization

The process of moving a nation's government from authoritarian to democratic systems.

Subnational Political Territorial Units

regions or entities within a country that possess a degree of autonomy or self-governance

Economies of Scale

The reduction in the per unit cost of production as the volume of production increases.

Trade Agreements

Legal pacts between two or more countries outlining trade rules.

Military Alliances

Formal agreements between nations specifying mutual obligations regarding national security.

Balance of Power

A condition of roughly equal strength between opposing alliances.

Unitary State

A state where most power is in the hands of central government officials.

Federal State

A state that allocates strong power to units of local government.

Centripetal Force

A force that tends to unify people.

Centrifugal Force

A force that tends to pull people apart.

Failed States

States that are no longer working in their political structure.

Uneven Development

The unequal distribution of resources, wealth, and opportunities across regions.

Ethnic Nationalist Movements

Collective ideas and actions designed to promote the identity and rights of an ethnicity.

Independence Movements

Efforts by groups within a country to gain political autonomy and establish sovereignty.

Devolution/Devolutionary Pressures

The breakup of a state or transfer of authority from a central government to smaller organizations.

Balkanization

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

Ethnic Homogeneity

a sense of common identity — a common language, a common culture, perhaps a common ancestry, etc

Shatterbelt

a region experiencing continued pressures from internal and external forces resulting in conflict, separatist movements, and division; a region in which internal, geographical, cultural, religious, and political fragmentation is compounded by pressures from external major powers attracted by the region’s strategic location and economic resources

Ethnonationalism

often emerges in response to perceived threats against an ethnic group's identity, leading to movements that seek greater autonomy or independence

Nationalism

loyalty and devotion to a nationality

Self-Determination

 challenges existing notions of sovereignty by asserting that groups within a state have the right to seek independence or greater autonomy based on their unique identities

Ethnic Separatism

 the advocacy for the separation of a particular ethnic group from a larger political entity, often driven by the desire for self-determination, autonomy, or independence

Irredentism

the concept of reuniting a historical group that was divided

Ethnic Cleansing

The systematic removal or extermination of an ethnic group from a particular territory.

Terrorism

The threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political goal.

Genocide

the mass killing of a group of people in an attempt to eliminate the entire group from existence

Separatism

a political movement aimed at gaining independence or autonomy for a particular group or region within a larger political entity

Separatist Movements

efforts by a group within a larger political entity to gain independence or autonomy from that entity, often based on ethnic, cultural, or religious identities

European Union (EU)

An international alliance formed to promote economic cooperation and healing post WWII.

African Union (AU)

An intergovernmental organization to promote unity and development among African states.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

a regional grouping that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)

A group formed to promote trade and sharing of resources in Communist Eastern Europe.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization focused on peace and security globally.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

A military alliance among democratic states in Europe and North America.

The Warsaw Pact

A military agreement among Communist Eastern European countries.

Boundary

An invisible line that marks the end of a state’s territory.

Frontier

A zone where no state exercises complete political control.

Compact State

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

Elongated State

States that are long and thin, suffering from poor internal communications.

Prorupted State

Compact states with a larger projecting extension.

Fragmented State

A state divided into several discontinuous pieces of territory.

Perforated State

A state that completely surrounds another state.

Landlocked State

A state that lacks a direct outlet to a sea.

Cultural Boundaries

Borders between different ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups.

Religious Boundaries

A demarcation separating different religious groups.

Language Boundaries

Boundaries based on different language speakers.

Relic Boundaries

Boundaries that no longer exist but hold historical significance.

Superimposed Boundaries

Political boundaries drawn with disregard for cultural and ethnic divisions.

Subsequent Boundaries

Political boundaries established after cultural or social landscapes have developed.

Antecedent Boundaries

Boundaries that existed before settlement in that area occurred.

Geometric Boundaries

Boundaries following straight lines with little relation to landscapes.

Consequent Boundaries

Boundaries formed based on the cultural or ethnic characteristics of a population.

Defined Boundaries

Specific and clear demarcations of a territory defined by political means.

Delimited Boundaries

Boundaries drawn on a map by geographers.

Demarcated Boundaries

Defined lines that mark a state's territory using markers.

Administered Boundaries

Maintenance of a boundary by government enforcement.

Demilitarized Zones

Regions where military forces are prohibited, established to reduce conflict.

Defacto Boundaries

not agreed upon and disputed but still functioning as a boundary

Berlin Conference

An 1884 meeting to divide Africa among European powers.

Land Boundaries

formed by physical features like rivers or mountains, providing a clear demarcation based on geography

Maritime Boundaries

Legal delineations establishing limits of a state's jurisdiction over sea areas.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

An international treaty outlining nations' rights regarding the oceans.

Artic Council

The Arctic Council acts as a forum for cooperation and coordination among the Arctic States, but it is not a true international organization with rule-making power. All decision-making is done on a consensus basis, and treaties negotiated in the Council are enacted between the Arctic States without reference to the Council as a legal entity.

International Waters/High Seas

 the areas of the sea that are not under the jurisdiction of any country

Territorial Seas/Waters

up to 12 nautical miles from shore (about 22 kilometers or 14 land miles) a state may set laws regulating passage by ships registered in other states

Contiguous Zone

 between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore, a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)

 between 24 and 200 nautical miles, a state has the sole right to the fish and other marine life

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 redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power

Chokepoint

geographic locations where the flow of people and goods can be constricted and choked off in the event of a conflict

Blockbusting

real estate agents convinced white homeowners living near a black area to sell their houses at low prices, preying on their feats that black families would soon move into the neighborhood and cause property values to decline

Redlining

a process by which financial institutions draw red-colored lines on a map and refuse to lend money for people to purchase or improve property within the lines