APHUG Political Geography Vocab

Annexation: Forceful acquisition of territory by another state or nation.

Balkanization: Process of fragmenting a multinational region into smaller states

Buffer State: Country between rival powers, reducing conflict potential.

Capitalism: Economic system based on private ownership and market forces.

Centrifugal Forces: Factors that divide people within a state.

Centripetal Forces: Factors that unite people within a state.

Colonialism: Control of territory by foreign power for economic gain.

Conference of Berlin: 1884 meeting haphazardly dividing Africa among European powers.

Decolonization: Process of colonies gaining independence from imperial powers.

Devolution: Transfer of autonomy from central to regional governments.

Redistricting: Redrawing congressional district boundaries following the census and reapportionment.

Enclave: Territory surrounded entirely by another state.

Exclave: Territory separated from the main territory by another state.

Ethnic Conflict: Disputes between groups based on cultural differences.

Frontier: Zone of transition between settled and unsettled areas.

Geopolitics: Study of geography's influence on international relations.

Gerrymandering: Manipulating congressional district boundaries for political advantage.

Heartland Theory: Halford Mackinder’s belief that control of Eurasia leads to world dominance.

Rimland Theory: To control the world, coastal regions are more important than continental interior.

Imperialism: Policy of extending a country's power through colonization.

Landlocked: Country with no direct access to the ocean.

Reapportionment: Redistributing congressional seats based on population changes.

Majority-Minority Districts: Electoral areas where minorities form voting majority.

Mercantilism: Economic policy maximizing exports and minimizing imports.

Multinational States: Countries containing multiple ethnic groups/nationalities.

Multi-State Nation: Single ethnic group spread across multiple countries.

Nation: Group sharing common cultural identity and heritage.

Nation-State: Country where political borders match ethnic boundaries.

Peace of Westphalia: 1648 treaties establishing a modern state system in Europe.

Ratzel's Theory: States grow like organisms through territorial expansion.

Domino Theory: Communism in one country will spread to its neighbors if it is not contained.

Self-Determination: Right of people to choose their political futures.

Shatterbelt: Unstable region contested by competing powers.

Sovereignty: Supreme authority within territory's borders.

State: Political unit with territory, population, and government/autonomy.

Stateless Nation: Ethnic group without autonomy/sovereignty.

Supranational Organization: Group of countries united for common economic, political, social, or military goals.

Territoriality: Control or influence over geographic area.

Unilateralism: Nation acting alone without international cooperation.

Unitary Government: Centralized government system with power at national level.

Apartheid: Former South African system of racial segregation.

Asymmetric Federalism: Regions have different powers within the same country.

Challenges to Modern State: Issues such as immigration or supranational organizations that threaten traditional state authority.

East-West Divide: Cold War split between communist/capitalist worlds.

European Union: Economic and political partnership of European countries.

Federalism: Power shared between national and regional governments.

Forward Capitals: Capital cities moved for strategic reasons. (Make certain you know these reasons)

Irredentism: Movement to reclaim lost territory for ethnic groups behind another country’s borders.

Microstates: Very small independent countries known for sense of place and tax havens

Military Alliances: Formal defense agreements between nations.

NAFTA: Set up tariff free trade zone between the US, Canada, and Mexico (North American Free Trade Agreement)

Separatism: Movement to break away from the existing state.

Terrorism: Violence for political aims against civilians.

Theocracies: States governed by religious law.

Census: Official population count and demographic survey completed every 10 years.

Positional Boundary Dispute: Disagreement over exact location of boundary line.

Territorial Boundary Dispute: Conflict over ownership of specific land area.

Resource Boundary Dispute: Dispute over natural resources spanning or near borders.

Functional Boundary Dispute: Conflict over how a border should operate (movement/access/control).

Antecedent Boundary: Border established before current settlement patterns existed.

Subsequent Boundary: Border created after population settled the area.

Superimposed Boundary: Border forcefully placed, ignoring cultural/physical geography.

Relic Boundary: Former border that no longer serves political function.

Border Definition: Legal description of boundary's location and characteristics.

Border Delimitation: Drawing boundaries on a map or plan.

Border Demarcation: Physical marking of boundary on the ground.

Natural/Physical Boundaries: Boundaries based on physical features like rivers or mountains.

Ethnographic/Cultural Boundaries: Boundaries based on cultural traits, such as language or religion.

Geometric Boundaries: Boundaries based on straight lines (latitude/longitude)

Compact Country Shape: Small, efficient shape with relatively equal distances from center.

Fragmented Country Shape: Country made up of disconnected pieces or islands.

Elongated Country Shape: Long, narrow shape, often with diverse climates or regions.

Prorupted Country Shape: Compact shape with a large, extended projection or peninsula.

Perforated Country Shape: Country that completely surrounds another state.