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Balance of Power

Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.

Berlin Conference

A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules colonization of Africa

Boundary

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

Capital

the city that is the seat of government of a state, nation, or province

City-State

a sovereign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland

Civil Divisions

The part of a governmental unit which oversees noncriminal matters

Colonialism

attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory

Colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent.

Compact State

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

Core

the center, most important section of the city

Democratization

the spread of representative government to more countries and the process of making governments more representative

Devolution

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

Elongated State

A state with a long, narrow shape.

EEZ

Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources.

Fragmented State

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.

Federal State

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.

Frontier

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

High Seas

the portion of the oceans considered common territory, not under any kind of exclusive state jurisdiction

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Imperialism

Control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society.

Irredentism

a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country

Landlocked State

A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea.

Microstate

a state that encompasses a very small land area

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.

Perforated State

a state that completely surrounds another one

Prorupted State

an otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension

Sovereignty

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

State

an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs

Stateless Nation

a nation of people that does not have a territory to legally occupy, like the Palestinians, Kurds, and Basques

Territorial Waters

The area of sea around a country's coast recognized as being under that country's jurisdiction

Territoriality

the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory

Terrorism

the use of violence by non-governmental groups against civilians to achieve a political goal by instilling fear and frightening governments into changing policies

Unitary State

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials.

Supranational Organization

A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives. The European Union is one such organization

UNCLOS

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: a code of maritime law approved by the UN in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from shore and 200 nautical mile wide exclusive economic zones.

United Nations

International organization founded in 1945 to promote world peace and cooperation. It replaced the League of Nations.

autocracy

a political system where supreme power is concentrated in the hands of a single individual or a small group, often exercised without checks or balances

autonomous state/region

a geographical area within a state that has a degree of self-governance, meaning it can manage its internal affairs without direct interference from the central government

cultural boundary

a border that separates different cultural groups, often based on language, religion, ethnicity, or other cultural traits

geometric boundary

a political boundary defined by straight lines, often based on latitude and longitude, and disregarding physical or cultural features of the landscape

physical boundary

a naturally occurring geographic feature that defines a border between two areas

superimposed boundary

a political border imposed on a territory by an external power without regard for existing cultural, ethnic, or social divisions

subsequent boundary

a political boundary that developed after people had already settled in an area and established different cultures

antecedent boundary

a boundary that was drawn before the area was significantly populated or developed culturally

consequent boundary

a political border drawn after the cultural landscape has been established, often to accommodate or reflect existing cultural, religious, or linguistic differences within a region

relic boundary

a former political boundary that no longer functions as a border between states, but still exists on the landscape and influences cultural and economic patterns

centripetal force

a factor that binds a state or country together, strengthening its unity and stability

centrifugal force

factors that tend to weaken or divide a state, disrupting its internal order and potentially leading to conflict or devolution

chokepoint

a narrow geographic area, often a strait, canal, or land bridge, that sees a high volume of traffic and is crucial for trade, transportation, or military movement

democracy

a system of government where power ultimately resides in the people, either directly or through elected representatives

DMZ

a geographic area where military activities and installations are prohibited, typically established as a buffer zone between conflicting parties

EU

political and economic union of 27 European countries that have chosen to cooperate closely in various areas, including trade, governance, and social policy.

exclave

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

enclave

an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct from the foreign territory that surrounds it

multistate nation

nation that stretches across borders and across states

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's a military alliance of 30 countries from Europe and North America, focused on collective defense and security.

self-determination

the principle that allows a nation, or group of people, to decide its own political status and pursue its own development without outside interference

shatter belt

a region characterized by political instability and frequent conflicts due to its geographic location between competing external powers

weapons of mass destruction

Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.