AP Human Geography Review - Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about political geography, political processes, power, boundaries, governance, devolution, sovereignty, and related concepts.

State

An area organized into a political unit, ruled by an established government that controls internal and external affairs.

Requirements of a State

Defined territory, permanent population, some kind of structure, sovereignty, and international recognition.

Sovereignty

The concept that states have supreme power or authority, both internally and externally.

Nation-state

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

Self-determination

The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.

Colonialism/Imperialism

Historical processes that have influenced contemporary political boundaries.

Devolution

The transfer of political power from central to subnational government.

Neocolonialism

The practice of using economic or political influence by a MDC to control a LDC indirectly.

Shatterbelt

A region threatened by local conflicts within the state, between the states, as well as outside global influences.

Choke Point

A strategic narrow route providing passage through or to another region.

Geometric Boundary

A political boundary defined as a straight line or arc.

Relic Boundary

A boundary that no longer functions but still has an impact on the landscape.

Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in the use of international waters.

Redistricting

The redrawing of legislative boundaries.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power.

Federal State

A system of dividing up power between a central national government and local state governments.

Unitary State

A state with a strong centralized government where the same laws are applied throughout the country.

Devolutionary Factors

Forces that cause the transfer of political power from the central government to a lower subnational level of government, such as physical geography, ethnic separatism, terrorism, or economic and social problems.

Irredentism

The effort to unite people who share cultural elements but are divided by a national border.

Supranationalism

Global efforts to address transnational and environmental challenges by creating economies of scale, trade agreements, and military alliances.

Failed State

A political body that has disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly.

Stateless Nation

A nation that does not have a state.

Centrifugal Force

Forces that may lead to failed states, uneven development, stateless nations, and ethnic nationalist movements.

Centripetal Force

Forces that can lead to ethnonationalism, more equitable infrastructure development, and increased cultural cohesion.