Studied by 31 people
Antecedent Boundaries
A boundary line established before an area is populated
Balkanization
The contentious political process by which a state may break up into smaller countries.
centrifugal forces
Forces that tend to divide a country.
centripetal forces
Forces that tend to unite or bind a country together.
Colonialism
The expansion and perpetuation of an empire.
Commonwealth of Independent States
Confederacy of independent states of the former Soviet Union that have united because of their common economic and administrative needs.
compact state
a state that possesses a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance from the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions
Confederation
A form of an international organization that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose.
Democratization
The process of establishing representative and accountable forms of government led by popularly elected officials.
Devolution
The delegation of legal authority from a central government to lower levels of political organization, such as a state or country.
Domino Theory
the idea that political destabilization in one country can lead to collapse of political stability in neighboring countries, starting a chain reaction of collapse
East/West Divide
geographic separation between the largely democratic and free-market countries of Western Europe and the Americas from the communist and socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia
Electoral College
A certain number of electors from each state proportional to and seemingly representative of that state's population. each elector chooses a candidate believing they are representing their constituency's choice. The candidate who receives a higher proportion of electoral votes within a state receives all the electoral votes for that state.
electoral vote
The decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of that elector's state.
Elongated State
A state whose territory is long and narrow in shape.
Enclaves
Any small and relatively homogenous group or region surrounded by another larger and different group or region
European Union
International organization comprised of Western European countries to promote free trade among members.
Exclave
A bounded territory that is part of a particular state but is separated from it by the territory of a different state.
Federalism
a system of government in which power is distributed among certain geographical territories rather than concentrated within a central government
fragmented state
A state that is not contiguous whole but rather separated parts.
frontier
An area where borders are shifting and weak and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land.
geometric boundary
Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.
Geopolitics
The study of the interplay between political relations and the territorial context in which they occur.
Gerrymandering
The designation of voting districts so as to favor a particular political party or candidate.
Heartland Theory
Hypothesis proposed by Halford MacKinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world.
Imperialism
the perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer political sovereign
International Organization
An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy or self-determination.
Landlocked State
A state that is completely surrounded by the land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility to and from international trade routes
Law of the Sea
Law establishing states rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources.
Lebensraum
Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people
Microstate
A state or territory that is small in both population and area
Nation
tightly knit group of individuals sharing a common language, ethnicity, religion, and other cultural attributes
Nationalism
A sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation above all others
nation-state
a country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Agreement signed on January 1, 1994, that allows the opening of borders between the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
North/South Divide
the economic division between wealthy countries of Europe and North America, Japan, and Australia and the generally poorer countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America
Organic Theory
The view that states resemble biological organisms with life cycles that include stages of youth, maturity, and old age.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
an international economic organization whose member countries all produce and export oil
Perforated State
A state whose territory completely surrounds that of another state.
physical boundary
Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers.
Political Geography
The spatial analysis of political phenomena and processes.
popular vote
the tally of each individual's vote within a given geographic area
Prorupted State
A state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the main territory.
Reapportionment
the process of a reallocation of electoral seats to defined territories
Rectangular State
a state whose territory is rectangular in shape
Redistricting
The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.
Relic Boundaries
Old political boundaries that no longer exist as international borders, but that have left an enduring mark on the local cultural or environmental geography.
Rimland Theory
Nicholas Spykman's theory that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasia would provided the base for world conquest.
Self-determination
the right of a nation to govern itself autonomously
Sovereignty
Supreme or independent political power.
State
A politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by the international community.
stateless nation
a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially defined, sovereign country of their own
states' rights
rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government
subsequent boundary
Boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the area
superimposed boundary
Boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural pattern.
supranational organization
Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives.
territorial dispute
Any dispute over land ownership
Territorial Organization
Political organization that distributes political power in more easily governed units of land.
Theocracy
a state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of a group of religious leaders
Unitary State
A state governed constitutionally as a unit, without internal divisions or a federalist delegation of powers.
United Nations
A global supranational organization established at the end of World War II to foster international security and cooperation
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