Studied by 30 people
state
An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.
nation
a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity
nation-state
A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality
stateless nation
a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially defined, sovereign country of their own
multinational state
a state with more than one nation inside its borders that coexist peacefully
multistate nation
nation that exists in more than one state
autonomous region
an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority
sovereignty
Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.
self-determination
Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves
colonialism
Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
imperialism
domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region
independence movement
an attempt by one group to become independent from another
devolution
The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.
neocolonialism
Economic dominance of a weaker country by a more powerful one, while maintaining the legal independence of the weaker state
shatterbelt
an area of instability between regions with opposing political and cultural values
choke point
a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water
territoriality
a country's or more local community's sense of property and attachment toward its territory, as expressed by its determination to keep it and strongly defend it
relic boundary
a former boundary line that is still discernible and marked by some cultural landscape features
superimposed boundary
a boundary that is imposed on the cultural landscape which ignores pre-existing cultural patterns (typically a colonial boundary)
subsequent boundary
A boundary drawn after a cultural landscape is already in place
antecedent boundary
A boundary line established before an area is populated
geometric boundary
a boundary that follows a geometric pattern, often a straight line
consequent boundary
a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language
defined boundary
boundary is created in agreement between two parties in a treaty or other legal document
delimited boundary
a line drawn on a map to show the limits of a space
demarcated boundary
actual placing of a political boundary on the physical landscape by means of fences, barriers, signs, etc.
demilitarized zone
A region where no military forces or weapons are permitted.
Berlin Conference
A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules colonization of Africa
land boundary
A line of demarcation between adjoining parcels of land.
maritime boundary
an international boundary that lies in the ocean
United Nations Convention on Law and the Sea
Law establishing states rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources.
international waters
the areas of the sea that are not under the jurisdiction of any country
territorial sea
Zone of seawater adjacent to a country's coast, held to be part of the national territory and treated as a component of the sovereign state, extends up to 12 nautical miles from the coast
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
the seazone extending 200 nautical miles from the coast over which a state has special rights as to the exploration and use of marine resources such as fish, oil and minerals
voting district
a territorial subdivision for electing members to a legislative body
redistricting
The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
gerrymandering
Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
unitary state
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials
federal state
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.
ethnic separatism
desired regional autonomy expressed by a culturally distinctive group within a larger, politically dominant culture
ethnic cleansing
Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region
terrorism
the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.
irredentism
a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country
democratization
A process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one.
economies of scale
a proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production.
trade agreement
agreement by a group of countries to promote trade among them
military alliance
international agreement concerning the national security of the states involved
supranationalism
three or more countries agree to give up a degree of autonomy in order to pursue common goals
supranational organization
A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives
United Nations
An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an alliance made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other country; US, England, France, Canada, Western European countries
European Union (EU)
an economic association established in 1957 by a number of Western European countries to promote free trade among its members
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
a trade alliance that promotes trade and economic integration among member nations in Southeast Asia
Arctic Council
provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States
African Union
organization formed in 2002 to promote unity among African states and to foster development and end poverty
centrifugal force
a force that divides people and countries
failed state
a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control.
ethnonationalism
the tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence
centripetal force
An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state
infrastructure development
the construction of transport and communication networks, electrical frameworks, and systems for water and waste disposal
cultural cohesion
The capacity of different national and ethnic groups to make a mutual commitment to live together as citizens of the same state
Balkanization
Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities
Cold War
the power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II
Communism
A theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
cracking
spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections
ethnic exclave
a portion of an ethnic group that is separated from the main group and surrounded by other ethnicities
Heartland Theory (Mackinder)
Theory that states that whoever ruled modern-day Russian rule all of Asia and whoever ruled out of Asia ruled the entire world.
Rimland Theory (Spykman)
Theory that states controlling the coastal regions around Europe leads to world domination
Geopolitics
study of government and its policies as affected by physical geography
Nationalism
A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country
packing
concentrating partisan voters in a single district in order to maximize the number of representatives that can be elected by the opposition in other districts
Regionalism
loyalty to the interests of a particular region
stacking
diluting a minority populated district with majority populations
state morphology
study of states' shapes and their effects
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
An agreement for free trade between the United States and Canada and Mexico
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Flashcard (81)