HGAP Fall Sem Review

Nation

a group of people with a common culture living in a territory and having a strong sense of unity

nation-state

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

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.

Self-determination

Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves

Colonialism

the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

Neocolonialism

A new form of global power relationships that involves not direct political control but economic exploitation by multinational corporations, fueled by globalization

Sovereignty

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

Territoriality

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

stateless nation

nation that does not have a state (Kurds)

political boundaries

lines that define the border of a country or state

Fronteir

A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.

irrendentism

regain control over a territory that was once yours (eg Israel)

delimination boundary process

The phase in which the exact location of a boundary is legally described and negotiated

Demarcated Boundary

physically mark the border in the real world (signs, walls, fences, et)

antecedent boundary

a boundary that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in place while people moved in to occupy the surrounding area...

subsequent boundary

a boundary that developed with the evolution of the cultural landscape and is adjusted as the cultural landscape changes...

consequent boundary

a boundary line that coincides with some cultural divide, such as religion or language

relict boundaries

A boundary that has ceased to function, but whose imprints are still evident in the cultural (Berlin Wall)

cultural landscape

Building/adapting of the physical landscape by a cultural group to reflect their needs & beliefs.

superimposed boundary

a boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural pattern

geometric boundary

Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.

physical boundary

Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers.

choke point

a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water (Strait of Hormuz)

Berlin Wall

A wall separating East and West Berlin built by East Germany in 1961 to keep citizens from escaping to the West

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.

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)

The 200 nautical miles from a nation's shoreline of protected resources and economic activity

Contiguous Zone

Between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore, a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration

Territorial Sea

states' navigational and economic sovereign territory extending 12 nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1.15 statute miles) from the coast (since 1982); foreign ships (both military and civilian) are allowed innocent passage through it; sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below.

Gerrymandering

practice of redistricting to benefit a particular party

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

voting districts

generic term adopted by the Bureau of the Census to include the wide variety of small polling areas, such as election districts, precincts, or wards, that State and local governments create for the purpose of administering elections

Supranationalism

term applied to associations created by three or more states for their mutual benefit and achievement of shared objectives

European Union

an association of European nations formed in 1993 for the purpose of achieving political and economic integration.

African Union

organization formed in 2002 to promote unity among African states and to foster development and end poverty

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A 1949 defense alliance initiated by the US, Canada, and 10 Western European nations

United Nations

An international organization formed after WWII to promote international peace, security, and cooperation. Sustainable development goals

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

Allows open trade between the US, Mexico, and Canada. Now known as USMCA

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

An international organization linking together the 10 most important countries of Southeast Asia

UN Security Council

A body of five great powers (which can veto resolutions) and ten rotating member states, which makes decisions about international peace and security including the dispatch of UN peacekeeping forces.

Federal State

allocates strong power to units of local government within the country (US is an example - power is shared between D.C. and the 50 states)

Unitary State

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials (usually smaller states)

centrifugal force

a force that divides people and countries

centripetal force

An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state

Ethnonationalism

the tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence. A fundamental centrifugal force.

Devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

ethnic cleansing

Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region

Genocide

Deliberate extermination of a racial or cultural group

Shatterbelt

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

Balkanization

Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities

Terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

Latitude

Distance north or south of the equator

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian

Globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.

Sustainability

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

GIS

computer program that gathers, analyzes, and displays geographic data, uses layers

GPS

uses satellites and sensors to find location

remote sensing

Process that uses satellites to take pictures of Earth's surface so we can measure change and make good decision.

Mercator map projection

accurately shows shape and direction, but distorts size of land masses.

Robinson Map Projection

land areas appear small, but good for displaying information across oceans

thematic map

a map that shows a particular theme, or topic

Reference Maps

Maps that show the absolute location of places and geographic features determined by a frame of reference, typically latitude and longitude

topographic map

A map that shows the surface features of an area and elevation

formal region

An area in which everyone shares in one or more distinctive characteristics

Functional Region

An area organized around a node or focal point

perceptual region

Highly individualized definition of regions based on perceived commonalities in culture and landscape.

cultural landscape

combination of cultural and physical features (places of worship, popular sports stadiums, restaurants, physical features of that area)

Cultural Hearth

area of origin for a culture or cultural trait

Diffusion

spreading of a culture or cultural trait

spatial analysis

explain patterns between human and places, or connections between multiple places

site

The physical character and traits of a place

situation

the location of a place relative to other places

Location

The exact position of anything on Earth's surface (absolute or relative)

environmental determinism

A theory that claims that cultural traits are formed and controlled by environmental conditions.

Possibilism

The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people & cultures have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.

relocation diffusion

the spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another

Hierarchical Diffusion

The spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places

Contagious Diffusion

The rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population.

Stimulus Diffusion

the spread of an underlying principle, even though a characteristic itself apparently fails to diffuse

Expansion Diffusion

The spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process.

Climate Factors

latitude, elevation, ocean currents, prevailing winds, topography/orographic effect, continentality

climate change

Earth's overall average temperatures rise, which causes issues such as low lying areas to flood

deforestation

The removal of trees faster for purposes such as agriculture or urban development

Distance Decay

The diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin.

nonrenewable resource

a resource that cannot be replaced easily in our lifetimes

aging population

a population in which the percentage that is age 65 and older is increasing relative to other age groups

Agricultural Population Density

Ratio of the total number of farmers to the amount of land suitable for agriculture

Anti-Natalist Population Policies

Government policies concerned with limiting population growth.

arable land

land suitable for growing crops

Arithmetic Population Density

the population of a country divided by its total land area

asylum seeker

Someone who has migrated to another country in the hope of being recognized as a refugee - has recognition and legal protections

Boserup Theory

Population growth stimulates intensification in agricultural development to meet growing population demands - opposite of Malthus theory.

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that an environment can support

Cartogram

a map on which statistical information is shown in diagrammatic form - distorts shape/size to show compare data

Census

the official count of a population

Chain Migration

pattern of migration that develops when migrants move along and through kinship links

Contraception

Intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring

Counterurbanization

Net migration from urban to rural areas in more developed countries.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Cyclic Movement

Movement - for example, nomadic migration, migrant farmers - that has closed route and is repeated annually or seasonally