Unit 4 AP Human Geo

Political Geography and International Relations

• Antecedent Boundary: A boundary line established before a large population or significant cultural landscape exists in an area, typically drawn along physical features like rivers or mountains.

• Autocracy: A political system in which one person holds absolute power, typically with no legal opposition or democratic processes.

• Berlin Conference: A meeting held in 1884-1885 where European powers divided Africa into colonies without regard for indigenous cultures or historical boundaries, leading to the "Scramble for Africa."

• Centripetal Force: A force that pulls people together, promoting unity within a country, such as shared language, culture, or national identity.

• Centrifugal Force: A force that pushes people apart, leading to division within a state, often resulting from ethnic or religious differences.

• Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

• Compact State: A state where the distance from the center to any boundary is relatively equal, typically leading to more efficient governance and defense.

• Democracy: A form of government in which the people have the power to make decisions through voting and participation.

• Devolution: The transfer of power or authority from a central government to regional or local governments, often in response to demands for autonomy.

• Elongated State: A state with a long, narrow shape, which can pose challenges for governance, transportation, and defense (e.g., Chile).

• EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone): An area extending 200 nautical miles from a coastal state, within which the state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources.

• Enclave: A small, distinct territory that is completely surrounded by another country, often with unique cultural or ethnic characteristics.

• European Union (EU): A political and economic union of European countries that have agreed to regional cooperation, trade agreements, and shared policies on various issues.

• Exclave: A part of a country that is geographically separated from the main part of the country, often surrounded by foreign territory (e.g., Alaska for the U.S.).

• Fragmented State: A state that consists of multiple, disconnected pieces of territory, which can create challenges in administration and unity.

• Federalism: A system of government where power is shared between a central authority and smaller political units, such as states or provinces.

• Frontier: A region at the edge of a settled area, often characterized by uncertainty or sparsely populated land.

• Gerrymandering: The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.

• Imperialism: A policy of extending a nation's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.

• Irredentism: The political movement that advocates for the annexation of territories based on ethnic, historical, or cultural claims.

• Landlocked State: A state that does not have access to the ocean, limiting trade and transportation options (e.g., Bolivia).

• Law of the Sea: A body of international law that governs the rights and responsibilities of nations regarding the use and protection of oceans and their resources.

• Microstate: A very small sovereign state, often with a tiny population and limited territorial size (e.g., Monaco, Vatican City).

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): A military alliance of European and North American countries formed in 1949 for mutual defense against external threats.

• OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries): An intergovernmental organization of oil-producing countries that aims to coordinate and unify petroleum production and export policies.

• Perforated State: A state that completely surrounds another country, creating a "hole" in its territorial shape (e.g., South Africa surrounding Lesotho).

• Prorupted State: A state with a large extension or protrusion, often to gain access to resources or a specific strategic location (e.g., Thailand).

• Relic Boundary: A former boundary that no longer functions but still holds cultural or historical significance (e.g., the Berlin Wall's remnants).

• Self-Determination: The principle that peoples or nations have the right to choose their own political status and governance without external interference.

• Sovereignty: The authority of a state to govern itself without interference from outside forces.

• Subsequent Boundaries: Boundaries drawn after the settlement of a region, usually in response to cultural, ethnic, or political factors.

• Supranational Organization: An organization that transcends national boundaries and is composed of multiple member states (e.g., the European Union).

• Territoriality: The way in which individuals or groups claim, occupy, and defend a particular territory or space.

• Unitary State: A state in which most of the power resides in a central government, with limited autonomy granted to local governments.

• United Nations: An international organization established in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation among member states.

Economic Development and Global Economics

• Brandt Line: A historical socio-economic divide between the wealthy North (developed countries) and the poorer South (developing countries), drawn by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt.

• Cooperative: A business or organization that is owned and operated by its members, who share in the profits and decision-making.

• Core-Periphery Concept: A model that describes the unequal economic and political relationships between developed, industrialized "core" countries and less-developed "peripheral" countries.

• Dependency Theory: A theory that suggests developing countries are kept in a state of dependency on developed countries due to unequal global economic relationships.

• Fair Trade: A movement aimed at ensuring that producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their goods, with the aim of improving social and economic conditions.

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Investment made by a company or individual in one country into business interests in another country, typically through establishing operations or acquiring assets.

• GDI (Gender Development Index): A measure of gender equality in a country's human development, based on differences in life expectancy, education, and income.

• GII (Gender Inequality Index): A composite index that measures gender inequalities in reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation.

• GNI (Gross National Income): The total market value of all goods and services produced by the residents of a country in a given period, including income from abroad.

• HDI (Human Development Index): A composite index that measures a country's average achievements in three basic dimensions of human development: health, education, and standard of living.

• IHDI (Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index): An adjusted version of the HDI that accounts for inequality in each of the three dimensions (health, education, and income).

• Informal Sector: Economic activities that are not regulated by the government or included in official statistics, often involving self-employment or casual labor.

• International Division of Labor: The specialization of different countries in producing certain goods and services, often driven by comparative advantage and global trade patterns.

• Literacy Rate: The percentage of a population over a certain age (usually 15 and older) who can read and write in at least one language.

• Maternal Mortality Rate: The number of women who die due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, typically measured per 100,000 live births.

• Microfinance: Financial services, such as small loans or savings accounts, provided to low-income individuals or communities, often aimed at fostering entrepreneurship.

• Primary Sector: The part of the economy that deals with the extraction and harvesting of natural resources, such as agriculture, mining, and fishing.

• Productivity: The efficiency with which goods and services are produced, often measured as output per unit of input (e.g., labor).

• Quaternary Sector: The part of the economy that involves knowledge-based activities, such as information technology, research and development, and education.

• Quinary Sector: The sector of the economy focused on high-level decision-making, services, and specialized knowledge, including top executives, university professors, and researchers.

• Secondary Sector: The part of the economy involved in manufacturing, processing, and construction, turning raw materials into finished products.

• Tertiary Sector: The part of the economy that provides services, including retail, entertainment, financial services, and education.

• World Bank: An international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.

• World Systems Theory: A sociological perspective that views the world as a complex system of interconnected countries, with core, semi-peripheral, and peripheral regions shaping the global economy.