ap human geo - unit 4

centripetal force

a force that unites people together, often leading to the creation or strengthening of states

nationalism

a nation’s desire to create and maintain a state of its own

centrifugal force

a force that tends to break states apart or prevent them from forming

devolution

the transfer of political power from a central government to lower, subnational levels of government

factors leading to devolution - physical geography

• very large countries: most devolution occurs at edges, far from capital

• geographic isolation due to natural features (mountains, deserts, oceans, etc.)

• physical disconnect usually results in cultural disconnect

factors leading to devolution - economic problems

• if the government can’t regulate economy, create jobs, etc, people will call for change

• uneven development or uneven distribution of natural resources can create inequalities and resentment

  • richer areas having to support poorer ones

  • certain areas having an unequal share of resources and benefiting more or less

  • certain areas seeking higher power because of their economic contributions to their state/region/etc.

factors leading to devolution - societal problems

discrimination, xenophobia, corruption, overpopulation, poverty, unemployment, inequality, etc.

subnationalism

when people’s primary allegiance is to a traditional group/ethnicity, rather than to the state

irredentism

annexation (taking/claiming) of another state’s territory on the basis of shared culture, history, or ethnicity

ethnic cleansing

a process in which one more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes or eliminates another to form a homogenous state

terrorism

organized violence, usually for a political goal

benefits of devolution

• could prevent the breakup of a state

• more representative government

• more attention to issues of specific groups

• increased cultural/historical preservation

• increased government accountability

• accomodation of diversity

• could balance economic development

• easier to implement projects and deliver services

drawbacks of devolution

• uneven provision of services between regions

• increase in nativism

• less government accountability

• further marginalization of minorities

• expensive to implement

• increased tensions between groups

• could fuel desire for further independence, leading to the breakup of countries

balkanization

the breaking of a state into smaller, often hostile, states along ethno-linguistic lines

state

in international relations, the formal term for a country

sovereignty

the power of a political unit to govern itself

criteria in order to qualify as a state

• has defined boundaries

• contains a permanent population

• has sovereignty over its domestic and international affairs

• is recognized by other states

city state

a small sovereign state made up of a city and its surrounding area

benefits of city states

• easy to control with one centralized government

• government efficiency due to a relatively small population

• tendency towards less corruption

drawbacks of city states

• lack of territory can mean lack of resources and economic or political power (more vulnerability)

• high population density

• limited opportunities for citizens (emigration, jobs)

nation

a group of people who share a common cultural heritage and have the desire to express their self determination

nation-state

a singular nation of people who fulfill the qualifications of a state

benefits of nation-states

• easier to make laws for homogenous populations (common needs)

• higher degree of political stability and efficiency

• potentially higher level of nationalism

drawbacks of nation-states

• possibly less appealing destination for immigration (workforce, source of innovation)

• slower to adapt to change (less progress, new ideas)

• intolerance to otherness

multinational state

a state that contains more than one nation

benefits of multinational states

• innovation thanks to diverse cultures and points of view

• appealing destination for immigration (population growth)

• possible greater tolerance for diversity

drawbacks of multinational states

• challenging to make laws for a diverse population

• complexity of governing slows progress

• potential culture clash

• potential ethnic separatism and subnationalism (instability)

autonomous region

a defined area within a state that has a high degree of self-government and freedom from its parent state

stateless nations

cultural groups that have no independent political entity of their own

multi-state nations

when a nation has a state of its own but also stretches across the borders of other states

natural boundary

a boundary based on natural physical features that separate entities (rivers, mountains, deserts, etc)

* ex: The Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico

geometric boundary

a boundary that is a straight line that does not account for natural features

* ex: the division between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea

antecedent boundary

a boundary drawn before a large population was present

* ex: the border between U.S. and Canada along the 49th parallel

subsequent boundary

a boundary drawn to accommodate religious, ethnic, linguistic, or economic differences

* ex: the boundary between India and Pakistan was created in part to accommodate religious differences between Hindus and Muslims

relic boundary

a boundary that no longer functions, but evidence of it still exists on the landscape

* ex: The Brandenburg Gate once marked the border between East and West Germany in Berlin

superimposed boundary

a boundary drawn by outside powers

* ex: many of the boundaries in Africa today were drawn by colonial powers at the Berlin Conference in 1884 and did not take into account the populations already living there

defined boundary

a boundary established by a legal document, such as a treaty, that divides one entity from another

* ex: the treaty of versailles greatly changed the boundaries of the world map following WWI

delimited boundary

a boundary drawn on a map to show the limits of a space

demarcated boundary

a boundary identified by physical objects placed on the landscape (signs, fences, walls, etc.)

administered boundary

a boundary enforced by a government or group using laws, immigration, regulations, and prosecution

definitional boundary disputes

disputes occur when parties disagree over how to interpret legal documents or maps that identify where a boundary is located

locational boundary disputes

disputes that occur when parties disagree about where a boundary should be located

operational boundary disputes

disputes that occur when parties disagree about how a boundary should function

allocational boundary disputes

disputes that occur when a boundary separates natural resources that may be useful to both parties

territoriality

a willingness by one person or a group of people to defend the space they claim

* ex: ukraine and russia, germany and various other european countries during WWII

self-determination

the ability of a state to decide its own future

imperialism

a variety of ways of influencing another country or group of people by direct conquest, economic control, or cultural dominance

colonialism

a particular type of imperialism in which people move into and settle on the land of another country

The Berlin Conference

representatives of the major European Empires met in Berlin in 1884 - 1885 to lay out claims on the continent of Africa. These claims were used to form the state boundaries in Africa that largely still exist today.

decolonization

when colonized nations won their independence from colonizing forces

geopolitics

the study of the effects or geography on politics and relations among states

organic theory

the theory that states are born and need nourishment and living space to survive, which they get by annexing (taking, claiming) territory from weaker states. A state has to grow or it will cease to exist

The idea that states are similar to living organisms

• established by biologist Friedrich Ratzel

• influenced by Darwin

heartland theory

the theory that land-based power is essential in achieving global domination. controlling the heartland (eastern europe, russia, central asia) would lead to domination of the rimland (area in eurasia beyond the heartland) and command of the entire world

* theorized by british geographer Sir Halford Mackinder

rimland theory

the theory that power is derived from controlling strategic maritime areas of the world. whoever controls the rimland controls eurasia, and whoever control eurasia controls the world

* theorized by dutch-american geographer Nicholas Spyman

neocolonialism

a form of imperialism where more powerful states exert indirect control over less powerful ones

* ex: China and Africa
* China = higher power Africa = lower power

shatterbelt

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choke point

a strategic strait or canal which is narrow, hard to pass through, and has competition for use

* ex: The Suez Canal - the only direct connection between The Red Sea and The Mediterranean Sea

federal state

a country where governmental authority is shared among a central government and various other smaller regional authorities

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distribution of power: multiple levels of power;power diffused throughout hierarchy

best suited for: states with different ethnic groups, significant minorities; larger states

used in: argentina, australia, brazil, canada, germany, india, mexico, russia, united states, etc.

benefits of federal states

• power is spread out - no single person has too much power

• responsive to needs

• cultural differences can be addressed more effectively

• increased unity and citizen participation in government

drawbacks of federal states

• inequality between regions can occur

• policies on the same issue can be contradicting and lead to confusion

unitary state

a country where governmental authority is held primarily by the central government

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distribution of power: no hierarchy of power

best suited for: places with homogenous populations or where there are not significant minority groups; smaller states (in land size)

used in: italy, japan, china, denmark, philippines, indonesia, morocco, guatemala, kenya, etc.

benefits of unitary states

• can create social unity

• less bureaucracy so the government can respond faster

• more standardized laws and regulations throughout the country

drawbacks of unitary states

• only one person or a small group of people has power

• could be/become a dictatorship

• ignores cultural differences of minority groups

globalization

the integration of markets, states, communications, and trade on a worldwide scale,

the process by which goods, services, money, people, information, and ideas flow across international borders,

a trend towards increased economic, cultural, political, and technological independence among national governments and economies

benefits of globalization

• easier access to new or different cultures

• innovation due to increased competition

• increased standards of living

• increased global cooperation

• more foreign direct investment leading to economic development, transfer of knowledge

• cheaper products thanks to efficient production

drawbacks of globalization

• loss of cultural diversity

• foreign work exploitation

• increased competition

• uneven development and disproportionate growth

• environmental concerns

• increased interdependence between states

• threats to sovereignty and national identity

how communication technologies threaten state sovereignty

• political powers become less significant

• technological advancement outpaces the ability of states to adjust to new challenges

transnational corporations

companies that conduct business on a global scale

democratization

the transition from absolute governments to more representative forms of politics

• facilitated by technological developments

• ex: groups in some countries have used social media to form movements against the government

supranational

transcending national boundaries, authority, or interests

• furthered by efforts to create economies of scale, form trade agreements and military alliances

• threat to national sovereignty

supranational organizations

an organization of 3+ countries that join together for their mutual benefit

the UN (united nations)

• has 193 members

• headquarters is in New York City

• created for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security; promoting social progress, better living conditions, and human rights

the EU (european union)

• includes 27 european states

• headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium

• created as a political and economic alliance to promote regional peace and growth

the NAFTA (north american free trade agreement)

• signed by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico

• headquarters in Mexico City, Ottawa, and Washington

• created as an economic alliance to eliminate trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and to encourage investment

the NATO (north atlantic treaty organization)

• includes 30 states from Europe and North America

• headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium

• created as a military alliance to guarantee the freedom and security of its members

the ASEAN (association of southeast asian nations)

• includes 10 states in southeast asia

• headquarters is in Jakarta, Indonesia

• created for the promotion of economic growth, social progress, and peace throughout the region

the arctic council

• includes 8 states located near the arctic

• headquarters is in Tromso, Norway

• created to enhance cooperation among arctic states and arctic inhabitants on arctic issues

the african union

• includes all states of the african continent

• headquarters is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• created to promote unity among african states, promote peace, eradicate colonialism, achieve better quality of life for africans

the cold war

a period of diplomatic, political, and military rivalry between the U.S. and USSR that started at the end of WWII and continued until the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the breakup of the soviet union in 1991

satellite states

when one state is dominated by another, politically and economically

WWI aftermath - europe

• poland recreated parts of germany, austria-hungary, russia

• breakup of austria-hungary to form austria-hungary, czechoslovakia, and what would become yugoslavia

WWI aftermath - africa

* german colonies divided UK, france, belgium, south africa

WWI aftermath - asia

• german colonies administered by UK, france, new zealand, australia

• breakup of ottoman empire

WWII aftermath - europe

• germany divided into 4 zones

• borders of poland shifted

• evolution of USSR

WWII aftermath - africa

* eritrea given to ethiopia

WWII aftermath - asia

• division of korea

• formation of israel

gerrymandering

to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class

how colonialism changed the map

european powers (spain, portugal, france, britain, etc.) established large empires in the americas, asia, and africa

* aims: religious influence (spreading christianity), economic wealth (exploiting land, labor), political power (expanding their influence)