Political Geography Notes

A state has four requirements:
- Defined territory
- Permanent population
- Sovereignty: The ability of a state to govern itself and have autonomy over a region.
- Recognition by other states/countries

Nation: A group of people with a shared culture or language. This is not tied to physical boundaries.
Nation-state: A state with a specific group of people in it (e.g., Iceland, Japan).
Multi-state nation: Multiple states consisting of one nation (e.g., possibly Asian countries).
Multinational state: A state with various groups of people, different ethnicities, and cultures in one state (e.g., America).
Binational state: A state with two main groups of people (e.g., Canada with French and English populations, Belgium).
Stateless nation: A group that desires its own state but cannot meet all the requirements (e.g., the Kurds).
Autonomous region: An area within a state with a high degree of autonomy but not complete control.
Semi-autonomous region: A geographical area controlled by another state; sovereignty is limited.
Sovereignty: The authority of a state to govern itself, including domestic and international affairs.
Self-determination: The right or desire of a people to have their own state.

Colonialism: Acquiring control over another country, often for economic exploitation.
Imperialism: Extending a country's power and influence through direct or indirect military force.

Relic boundary: A boundary that is no longer active but still impacts the cultural landscape (e.g., the Berlin Wall).
Superimposed boundary: A boundary created by a foreign state or group, often without regard for existing cultural patterns; example being boundaries that were superimposed onto Africa by colonizers without regard to tribal distributions, leading to tensions.
Consequent boundary: A boundary created due to divides between ethnic groups (e.g., India vs. Pakistan).
Antecedent boundary: A boundary that existed before human settlement and the creation of the cultural landscape.
Geometric boundary: A boundary created from lines of longitude and latitude (e.g., the 49th parallel).
Berlin Conference: A meeting of European powers that formalized the scramble for Africa, dividing the continent into European colonial empires, resulting in superimposed boundaries.

Territoriality: The connection of people, their culture, and economic systems to the land, reflecting a sense of ownership.
Shatterbelt: A region caught between stronger external cultural or economic forces (e.g., the Middle East).
Neo-colonialism: The use of political, cultural, or economic power to influence or control another country, often involving core countries exploiting periphery countries.
Choke points: Geographical areas that must be passed to reach a destination (e.g., the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal).

Territorial sea: Extends 12 nautical miles from the coast; considered sovereign territory.
Contiguous zone: Extends 24 nautical miles from the coast.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Extends 200 nautical miles, granting rights for oil and fishing.
South China Sea: Area where Asian countries are in dispute over trade, control of islands, and overlapping EEZ zones.

Voting districts: Geographical areas organized for administering elections.
Gerrymandering: Redistricting voting districts to favor one political party over another.
Packing: Concentrating like-minded voters into a few districts to reduce their overall impact.
Cracking: Spreading like-minded voters across different districts to dilute their influence.

Unitary: Power is concentrated in the central or national government; little power is given to regional or local governments.
Federal: Power is shared between the central government and regional/local governments.

Devolution: The transfer of power from a national government to regional governments.
Ethnic separatism: When a group identifies more strongly with their ethnic group than as citizens of the state, often seeking autonomy.
Ethnic cleansing: When a government attacks an ethnic group with the goal of displacing them from the state (e.g. Myanmar).
Irredentism: A movement by a nation to reclaim parts of its nation located in another state.

Disintegration: A state breaks up into smaller states.
Democratization: A political regime becomes more democratic.
Supranational organization: An alliance of multiple countries working together (e.g., NATO).
Ethnonationalism: A form of nationalism where the nation is defined by ethnicity.
Failed state: A state where the government is no longer functioning, cannot provide basic duties, and loses authority.