Stateless Nation
a people united by culture, language, history, and tradition but not possessing a state.
Irredentism
Attempting to acquire territories in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation.
Autonomous/semiautonomous
When a region within a country is given some authority to govern their own territories independent from the national government.
Multinational State
A country with various ethnicities and cultures living inside its borders.
Political Geography
the study of the ways that the world is organized as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over territory.
independent territory
State: a politically organized, ________ with a government, defined borders, an a permanent population.
Political Geography
the study of the ways that the world is organised as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over territory
State
a politically organized, independent territory with a government, defined borders, an a permanent population
Sovereignty
The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what occurs within its borders without interference from other countries.
Nations
a cultural entity of individuals with a shared language religion, ethnicity, or heritage (often all of these traits are shared) who share a vision of the future
Nation-State
when the territory covered by a state is the same as the territory occupied by a group of people who view themselves as a nation
Multistate Nation
a nation that consists of people who share a a cultural or ethnic background but live in sizable amounts in more than one country
Irredentism
Attempting to acquire territories in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation
Multinational State
A country with various ethnicities and cultures living inside its borders
Autonomous/ semiautonomous
When a region within a country is given some authority to govern their own territories independent from the national government
Stateless Nation
a people united by culture, language, history, and tradition but not possessing a state
Defining Boundaries
to explicitly state in a legally binding document where boundaries are located, referencing things such as natural features or lines of latitude and longitude
Delimiting Boundaries
to draw boundaries on a map, in accordance with a legal agreement
Demarcated Boundaries
to place physical objects such as stones, pillars, walls, or fences to indicate where a boundary exists
Administering Boundaries
to manage the way borders are maintained and how goods and people cross them
Antecedent Boundary
a border established before an area becomes heavily settled
Subsequent Boundary
a border drawn in an area that has been settled and where cultural landscapes exist or are in the process of being established
Consequent Boundary
a type of subsequent boundary that takes into account the differences that exist within a cultural landscape, separating groups that have distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, or other traits
Superimposed Boundary
A border drawn over existing accepted borders by an outside or conquering force
Geometric Boundary
a mathematically drawn boundary that typically follows lines of latitude and longitude or is a straight-line arc between two points
Relic Boundary
a former boundary that no longer has an official function
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
the international agreement that established the structure of maritime boundaries
exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
an area that extends 200 nautical miles from a state's coast; a state has sole access to resources found within the waters or beneath the sea floor of its EEZ
Internal Waters
Bodies of water within the baseline of a country
Territorial waters
First 12 nautical miles from shore
Contiguous zone
next 12 nautical miles after territorial waters
Centripetal Force
A force that brings people together, often when education and mass media promote a shared culture and language within a state
Federation
a group of states with a central government but some independence in internal affairs
Confederation
A group of sovereign states that have banded together in which the autonomy of each member state takes precedence over the common government
Centrifugal force
A force that divides groups of people
Separatists
People who want complete succession or greater autonomy or recognition as a national minority
Failed State
When centrifugal forces are strong enough to threaten a state’s sovereignty and the government can no longer provide the services essential to governing
Ethnonationalism/ethnic nationalism
the process by which the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity, religious belief, and language, creating a sense of pride and identity that is tied to the territory; also called ethnic nationalism
Centripetal forces examples
Fair and just legal system, strong infastructure, economic equity, religious acceptance
Examples of centrifugal forces
Dictatorial leadership, rampant economic inequality, ethnic conflict, weak infrastructure
Impacts of centripetal forces
Cultural cohesion, unity, federations
Impacts of centrifugal forces
Uneven development and separatist movements
Territoriality
the attempt to influence or control people and events by delimiting and asserting control over a geographic area
Choke Point
A narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass
Shatterbelt
a region where states form, join, and break up because of ongoing, sometimes violent, conflicts among parties and because they are caught between the interests of more powerful outside states
Colonialism
A type of imperialism consisting of the practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories and putting settlements there
Colonialism Impacts
Diffusion of European Culture;
Contemporary political boundaries are in many cases the result of colonial boundaries;
Divided the world into LDC’s and MDC’s
Neocolonialism
A type of imperialism consisting of the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies
Neocolonialism Impacts
Continued dependence of LDC’s on MDC’s;
Diffusion of popular/global culture
Decolonization
The process by which a colony gains independence
Decolonization Impacts
Independence and Self-Determination of formerly colonized people - many state boundaries were the same as or similar to colonial borders;
Conflicts within countries due to political boundaries not aligning with cultural/ethnic ones.
Devolution
The process that occurs when the central power in a state which is divided up among regional authorities within its borders.
Unitary Government
An organization of a state in which power is concentrated in a central government
Advantages of a Unitary Government
Fewer government agencies; Efficient
Disadvantages of a unitary government
Can be disconnected from local areas
Tend to favor the political and culturally dominant
one sided policies
Ignore minority groups and local cultures
Federal Government
A form of government where the country’s power is more broadly shared between federal and regional units
Federal Government Advantages
Reduction of conflict between regions that differ on issues;
Allows room for diversity;
Boosts political participation
Federal Government Disadvantages
Many disadvantages are the downsides of the advantages
regional/local governments can prevent progress of issues
Can give undue power to localized special interests
Costs and benefits of federal policy and aid are often unevenly distributed
Ethnic Separatism
When people of an ethnic group identify more strongly as that group instead of as citizens of the state
ethnic cleansing
the process by which a state attacks an ethnic group and tries to eliminate it through expulsion, imprisonment, or killing
supranationalism
When three or more countries join together to collectively achieve greater benefits for all members.
Supranationalism causes
A desire to promote free trade, ensure security/peace, and/or address a global challenge
Supranationaism Impacts
Member states have to give up a degree of sovereignty and have to go along with decisions of other countries; Can enable a cooperative effort to solve global problems.
Economies of Scale
cost reductions that occur when production rises
United Nations (UN)
An international orginization with member states across the world, that’s goal is to promote peace and security, along with economic and social development.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
A military alliance with member states in Europe and North America, and partners across the globe. Its goal is to safeguard the freedom and security of member states by political and military means.
European Union (EU)
A European orginization with 27 member states governing common economic, social, and security issues
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
An international orginization with 10 member states whose goal is to accelerate economic growth and maintain peace and security in SE Asia
Arab League
An orginization with member states in the middle east and Africa. Its goal is to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties
Arctic Council
High-level Intergovernmental orginization with 8 member states. Its goal is to address issues related to the Arctic, such as sustainable development
African Union (AU)
Intergovernmental organization with 55 African member states to promote unity and solidarity in Africa and spur economic development
Census
An official count and survey of a population
Reapportionment
The redistribution of representative seats among states based on shifts in population
Redistricting
The redrawing of internal territorial and political boundaries
Gerrymandering
The dividing of legislative boundaries to give a political party an advantage in elections