Unit VII Political Organization of Space

nation

a single group of people bound by a common language, ethnicity, history, etc.

state

a place defined by boundaries, a government with sovereignty, and recognized by other countries

nation-state

a singular group of people in a country

multinational state

a country with many different ethnicities, religions, and languages

stateless nation

a group of people who lack a sovereign government and defined boundaries

multi state nation

a nation that overlaps into other states (e.g. Koreans in North and South Korea)

centripetal force

an event or action that unites people within a state

centrifugal force

an even or action that divides people within a state

devolution

the movement of power from the national government to regional and local governments within a state

unitary

most of the power to govern is at the central/national level

federal

power to govern is shared by the central/national and regional/local levels

reapportionment

the redistribution of congressional representatives after the census has been taken

redistricting

state governments redraw congressional space as a result of changes in the population

gerrymandering

redrawing political districts to benefit a specific group of people

exclave

a part of a state that is not connected to the greater part of that state (e.g. Alaska)

enclave

space that is unique to the area that surrounds it or a country that is completely surrounded by one country (e.g. Lesotho)

relic boundary

boundary type that ceases to function but is still visible on the cultural landscape

superimposed boundary

boundary type that was placed by outside powers with little regard to the local/cultural landscape

antecedent boundary

the boundary was created before the cultural landscape developed

subsequent boundary

boundary that evolved the same time as the cultural landscape

definitional boundary type

boundary type that focuses on the legal language of the boundary

locational boundary type

boundary type where the location of the boundary is in dispute

operational boundary type

boundary type in which the function/use of the boundary is interpreted differently by the countries that share it.

allocation boundary type

boundary type where shared resources are in dispute

supranational organization

a group of three or more countries that attempt to achieve a common goal