Studied by 11 people
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
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
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
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)
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