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Balkanization

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

Binational or Multinational State

State that contains more than one nation (usually no one single dominant ethnic group)

Boundary

Invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory

Centripetal Force

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

Centrifugal Force

A force that divides people and countries

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.

Colonies

Place directly controlled by a mother country.

Compact States

A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly

Confederation System

A system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers. The central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states.

Core Area

The portion of a country, like a capital city, that contains its economic, political, intellectual, and cultural focus.

Cultural Boundary

An invisible boundary made by the certain cultural beliefs and traits that make the culture

Territorial Disputes

A disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more states, or over the possession or control of land

Electoral Geography

The study of the geographical elements of the organization and results of elections.

Elongated States

A state with a long narrow shape

Enclave

A distinct region or community enclosed within a larger territory

Exclave

A part of a country that is separated from the rest of the country and surrounded by foreign territory.

European Union

An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members

Federal System

Government systems that divide the powers between the national government and state or provincial governments

Fragmented States

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory

Frontier

A zone far from the core of a territory that is difficult to control, and/or claimed by another state.

Geometric Boundary

Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines, sometimes along lines of latitude or longitude