AP Human Geo Unit 4 Political Geography Vocabulary

choke point

a narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass

Reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

stateless nation

a group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially defined, sovereign country of their own

state

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.

nation-state

A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality

multistate nation

nation that stretches across borders and across states

irrendentism

regain control over a territory that was once yours

multinational state

State that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Neo-colonialism

control by a powerful country of its former colonies (or other less developed countries) by economic pressures

Territoriality

the defense of a bounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals

Imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries poitically, socially, and economically.

superimpose

to lay or place something over something else

Consequent

happening as a result of something

relic

a custom or object that has been around for a very, very long time

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)

As established in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a zone of exploitation extending 200 nautical miles (370km) seaward from a coastal state that has exclusive mineral and fishing rights over it.

Federal State

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.

Unitary State

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials

Garrymandering

the drawing of electoral lines to the advantage of a party or group

majority-minority districts

a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district

ethnic cleansing

the systematic killing or extermination of an entire people or nation

Super national organization

Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives.

Colonialisim

one country ruling and developing trade in another country for its own benefit

Shatterbelt

a region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals (e.g., Israel or Kashmir today; Eastern Europe during the Cold War,...).

Devolution

Transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government to state and local governments.