AP Human Geo Study Guide

Countries that have Divided Over Some Sort of Conflict

Korea, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland

Centripetal Force Examples in Political Geography

Forces that unite ex. Local & national lead to more peaceful cultural interaction

Nations Without States

Kurds

Examples of Balkanization

Yugoslavia: The fragmentation of Yugoslavia because of different ethnicities/languages

Boundary Types and Examples

Types:

Consequent: Example: Canada created nunavut to give autonomy to Inuit’s (indigenous)

Geometric: A boundary that is a straight line that does not account for natural features.

Example: African countries

Relic: A boundary that no longer functions, but evidence of it still exists on the landscape.

Example: Berlin wall

Superimposed: A boundary drawn by outside powers.

Example: Iraq & Saudi Arabia

Boundary on median line principle

Only applies to bodies of water – UNCLOS

Autonomous Republics and Relationships with Central Government

Ethnic groups have some political control but Central government rules & laws must be acknowledged and followed

Characteristics of Federal States

Large land area, diverse

UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)

Zone 1 (territorial waters): 0-12 miles

Zone 2 (contiguous zone): 12-24 miles

Zone 3 (EEZ): 24-200 miles

Zone 4 (International waters) 200+

Congressional District Boundaries in the US

Redrawn every 10 years

Countries that Allow Free Flow of People/Goods When Crossing Borders

Netherlands & Belgiam

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

North American Free Trade Agreement: no taxes & very little tax on goods

Federal Form of Governance

Many substates have local gov. & national government work together for common goals

Unitary Form of Governance

Strong central government, with local governments having no power

Devolutionary Movements Between Canada and Spain

Quebec wants independence from Canada due to culture (language & heritage)

Catalonia wants independence from Spain due to economy (Catalonia is the highest GDP region of Spain)

Role of the Federal State in a Country's Political Organization

National government looks over smaller states for a common purpose

Gerrymandering Possible Outcomes

Gerrymandering manipulates district boundaries to favor a political party.

Packing: Paking areas of people/votes into a single representative district

Impact of Increased Global Communications and State-Controlled Media

Global communications act as a centrifugal force in state-controlled countries (centripetal forces)

Types of Government

Nation-State: A state that corresponds to a particular nation.

Example: Iceland

Semiautonomous Regions and Impacts at Different Scales

Creates centripetal forces

Shatterbelts

Disputes between global powers

Korea & Vietnam

Eastern Europe

African Political Boundaries Originally Created From...

Created from European colonizers

Nation-States (Examples)

Iceland, Republic of Ireland

Stateless Nations

Nations with no state ex. Kurds, Basque

Multinational States

Many nations in one state ex. Russia, Canada

Reason for Issues Between Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark, and the US Over the Arctic Ocean and North Pole

They all claim the natural resources

State-Sanctioned Policy that Segregated Race in South Africa

Apartheid

Definition of a State

A state is a political entity with a defined territory, a permanent population, a sovereign government, and organized economy.

Supranationalism

European Union (EU).

Threats to State Sovereignty on a National Scale

Entering a supranational organization like the European Union can have states lose their powers