APHG Unit 4

 Forces

1. Centripetal Force: A force or attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state (e.g., cultural homogeneity, nationalism, one language or religion, charismatic leadership).

2. Centrifugal Force: A force or attitude that divides people and weakens support for a state (e.g., different religions or languages, cultural diversity, physical boundaries, or ethnic groups seeking independence).

Political & Territorial Concepts

3. Supranational Organization: An organization formed by three or more states for mutual benefits such as economic cooperation, trade agreements, and military alliances.

4. Gerrymandering: The redrawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit the political party in power.

5. Sovereignty: The political authority of a state to govern itself without outside interference.

6. City-State: A small sovereign state that consists of a city and its surrounding territory.

7. State: A political unit with a permanent population, defined borders recognized by other states, a government that administers laws, collects taxes, and provides defense.

8. Nation: A group of people who share a common culture and history and desire political autonomy.

9. Nation-State: A state whose population is made up of a single nation; few true examples exist.

10. Stateless Nation: A nation that does not have its own independent state (e.g., Kurds, Palestinians).

11. Multi-State Nation: A nation that exists across the borders of more than one state.

12. Multinational State: A state that contains two or more distinct nations or cultural groups.

13. Autonomous Region: A region that governs itself but is not fully independent from its parent country.

14. Self-Determination: The idea that ethnic groups have the right to govern themselves.

Colonial/Imperial Concepts

15. Imperialism: Control of territory that is already occupied and organized by an indigenous society.

16. Colonialism: The effort by one country to establish settlements and impose political, economic, and cultural control over a territory.

17. Colony: A territory legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being fully independent.

18. Microstate: A state with an extremely small land area.

Shapes of States

19. Perforated State: A state that completely surrounds another (e.g., South Africa surrounding Lesotho).

20. Elongated State: A state with a long and narrow shape (e.g., Chile, Italy).

21. Fragmented State: A state with several non-contiguous pieces of territory, separated by water or another state (e.g., Indonesia).

22. Compact State: A state where the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary greatly (e.g., Kenya, Uganda).

23. Prorupted State: A compact state with a large projecting extension (e.g., Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar).

Conflict & Change

24. Shatterbelt: A region caught between two very different or opposing regions, leading to political instability.

25. Choke Point: A narrow geographic passage where movement of people or goods can be easily blocked or controlled in conflict.

26. Balkanization: The process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities.

27. Uneven Development: Economic inequality between different parts of a state.

28. Ethnic Separatism: When ethnic groups cluster in specific regions and seek independence or autonomy.

29. Ethnic Cleansing: The mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group.

30. Irredentism: A political movement to claim territory inhabited by people with ethnic links to the claimant country.

31. Terrorism: The use of organized violence against civilians or governments to instill fear and advance political goals.

32. Devolution: The transfer of political power from the central government to lower levels (e.g., regions or provinces).

33. Examples of Disintegration of States: The breakup of a state into smaller states due to conflict (e.g., South Sudan from Sudan, Eritrea from Ethiopia, East Timor from Indonesia, USSR breakup).

Types of Government Structures

34. Unitary State: A state where most of the power is held by the central government; works well in small, culturally unified countries.

35. Federal State: A state that distributes power to regional or local governments; often used in large or diverse countries.

Exclave and Enclave

36. Exclave: A region that is part of a state but is completely separated from the main part by foreign territory.

37. Enclave: A territory completely surrounded by another state (e.g., Lesotho surrounded by South Africa).

Types of Boundaries

38. Political Boundary: A line that defines the territory of a state and is often based on political agreements or treaties.

39. Natural Boundary: A boundary based on physical features such as rivers, mountains, or deserts.

40. Geometric Boundary: A boundary drawn as a straight line, often without regard to physical or cultural features (e.g., U.S.-Canada border).

41. Relic Boundary: A former boundary that no longer functions but still has cultural or historical significance (e.g., North/South Vietnam).

42. Superimposed Boundary: A boundary imposed by outside powers, often ignoring existing cultural patterns.

43. Antecedent Boundary: A boundary that existed before human settlement in the area (e.g., natural boundaries).

44. Subsequent Boundary: A boundary created after settlement, often shaped by cultural landscapes.

45. Consequent Boundary: A type of subsequent boundary drawn to reflect cultural differences such as religion or language.

46. Militarized Boundary: A boundary that is heavily guarded and discouraged for crossing (e.g., North Korea–South Korea).

47. Open Boundary: A boundary where crossing is allowed with minimal or no restrictions (e.g., Schengen Area in Europe).

Functions of International Borders

48. Limit of Sovereignty: Borders define the area where a state exercises legal control.

49. Source of Disputes: Borders can cause conflict when not clearly defined or agreed upon.

50. Buffer Zone (DMZ): A demilitarized area established to reduce conflict between opposing forces (e.g., Korean DMZ).

51. UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): An agreement defining maritime boundaries, including a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea limit.

European Political History

52. States in Twentieth-Century Europe: After World War I, efforts were made to divide Europe into nation-states using language to define ethnic groups.