AP Human Geography Unit 4 Vocabulary Notes
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
An international agreement that established the structure of maritime boundaries.
Example: The agreement sets guidelines for how countries can claim their territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from their coastlines.
Defining
To explicitly state in legally binding documentation (such as a treaty) where boundaries are located, using reference points like natural features or lines of latitude and longitude.
Example: The definition of the border between the United States and Canada was established through treaties in the 19th century, using rivers and lakes as reference points.
Delimit
To draw boundaries on a map according to a legal agreement.
Example: Countries often delimit their borders on maps after reaching diplomatic agreements, such as the partitioning of colonial territories.
Political Geography
The study of how the world is organized as a reflection of the power different groups hold over territory.
Example: Researchers in political geography may study how the distribution of resources like oil affects international relations.
State
A politically organized independent territory with a government, defined borders, and a permanent population (commonly referred to as a country).
Example: France and Japan are both states with their own governments and recognized borders.
Sovereignty
The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine internal affairs.
Example: Quebec's provincial government exercises sovereignty over its internal policies, despite being part of Canada.
Nations
A cultural group sharing a common identity through shared language, religion, heritage, or ethnicity.
Example: The Kurdish people constitute a nation spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, sharing a common culture and language.
Nation-State
A politically organized territory composed of a group of people who consider themselves a nation.
Example: Japan is often considered a nation-state because it largely consists of a single cultural group, the Japanese.
Multi-State Nation
People sharing a cultural or ethnic background living across more than one country.
Example: The Roma are a multi-state nation as they live in various countries across Europe but share a common cultural identity.
Irredentism
Attempts by a state to acquire territories in neighboring states that are inhabited by people of the same nation.
Example: The claims made by Russia on Crimea and parts of Ukraine due to the presence of ethnic Russians exemplify irredentism.
Multinational State
A country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders.
Example: India is a multinational state with numerous ethnic groups, languages, and religions.
Autonomous
Possessing the authority to govern territories independently of the national government (e.g., having a separate currency).
Example: Hong Kong operates autonomously under the "one country, two systems" principle in relation to China.
Stateless Nation
A people united by culture, language, history, and tradition, but lacking their own state.
Example: The Palestinians are often considered a stateless nation, as they have a distinct national identity but do not have a fully recognized state.
Territoriality
The attempt to influence or control people and events by delimiting and asserting control over a geographic area.
Example: Various countries assert territoriality through the establishment of military bases on claimed lands.
Colonialism
The practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories.
Example: The British Empire's colonization of India in the 19th century is a historical example of colonialism.
Neocolonialism
Utilizing economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies.
Example: The influence of former colonial powers over the economies of African nations, often through multinational corporations, is seen as neocolonialism.
Choke Point
A narrow, strategic passageway through which it is difficult to pass.
Example: The Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil shipping, is a notable choke point in global trade.
Shatterbelts
Regions where states form and break up due to ongoing conflicts and powerful external interests.
Example: The former Yugoslavia is a classic case of a shatterbelt, where ethnic conflicts led to the disintegration of the state.
Self-determination
The right of all people to choose their own political status.
Example: The push for Scottish independence is an expression of self-determination by the Scottish people.
Imperialism
The push to create an empire through force or influence to control other nations or peoples.
Example: The Scramble for Africa in the late 19th century illustrates the era of imperialism as European nations sought to expand their territories.
Devolution
The process where central power in a state is broken up among regional authorities within its borders.
Example: The devolution of powers to Scotland and Wales from the UK government represents a modern example of devolution.
Demarcated
The placing of physical objects that indicate where a boundary exists.
Example: Fences or walls marking the U.S.-Mexico border serve as demarcation of the territorial boundary.
Administer
Managing how borders are maintained and how goods and people cross them.
Example: Customs officials administer the flow of goods at international borders to ensure compliance with laws.
Antecedent Boundaries
Borders established before an area becomes heavily settled.
Example: The US-Canada border was established in part along the 49th parallel before significant population settlement.
Subsequent Boundaries
Borders drawn in areas that have been settled, considering existing cultural landscapes.
Example: The borders of many countries in Africa were drawn after the colonization process, taking into account existing ethnic groups.
Consequent Boundaries
A type of subsequent boundary that separates groups with distinct languages, religions, ethnicities, etc.
Example: The boundary between India and Pakistan was drawn considering religious demographics.
Superimposed
Borders drawn over existing accepted borders by an external force.
Example: The borders of many African countries were often superimposed during colonial rule, disregarding ethnic divisions.
Geometric Boundaries
Mathematical boundaries usually following lines of latitude and longitude or straight lines between points.
Example: The border between the United States and Canada is largely geometric along the 49th parallel.
Relics
Former boundaries that no longer have an official function.
Example: The Berlin Wall served as a relic boundary that previously divided East and West Berlin.
Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)
Areas extending 200 nautical miles from a state's coast with exclusive access to marine resources.
Example: Brazil’s EEZ allows it exclusive rights to fishing and resource extraction within that zone.
Semi-autonomous
A subdivision or dependent territory that has some degree of self-governance but is not fully independent.
Example: The the authority of Puerto Rico over local matters, while still being a territory of the United States, illustrates a semi-autonomous region.