AP HUG Unit 4

Political Geography – Study of how political power is organized, exercised, and distributed spatially.
State – Political unit with defined territory, permanent population, government, and sovereignty.
Sovereignty – Supreme authority of a state to govern itself without external interference.
Territory – Land area over which a state exercises control.
Government – Institution through which a state rules and makes policy.
Nation – Group of people sharing cultural traits and a common identity.
Nationalism – Sense of unity and loyalty among a group of people.
Self-Determination – Right of people to choose their own political status and government.
Centripetal Force – Force that unifies and strengthens a state.
Centrifugal Force – Force that divides or destabilizes a state.

Nation-State – State with a population largely sharing one national identity.
Stateless Nation – Nation with no sovereign state of its own.
Multistate Nation – Nation divided across multiple states.
Multinational State – State containing multiple distinct nations.
Autonomous Region – Region with high degree of self-rule within a state.
Semi-Autonomous Region – Region with limited self-governance.
Subnational Unit – Administrative division within a state (state, province).
Ethnonationalism – National identity based on shared ethnicity.
Minority Group – Smaller population group lacking political dominance.
Majority Group – Dominant population group in political power.

Imperialism – Control of one state by another through political, economic, or military means.
Colonialism – Imperialism involving settlement and direct governance.
First Wave Imperialism – Early European colonization (1450–1800s).
Second Wave Imperialism – Scramble for Africa (1800s).
Artificial Borders – Boundaries drawn without regard for cultural patterns.
Ethnic Fragmentation – Division of ethnic groups by political borders.
Partition – Division of territory into separate political units.
Post-Colonial State – State formed after colonial rule ended.
Legacy of Colonialism – Lasting political and ethnic effects of colonial borders.
Ethnic Conflict – Violence or tension between ethnic groups.

Devolution – Transfer of power from central government to regional governments.
Ethnic Separatism – Ethnic group seeking political independence.
Ethnic Cleansing – Forced removal or killing of ethnic groups.
Irredentism – Movement to reunite culturally similar people across borders.
Friction of Distance – Reduced interaction due to physical distance.
Economic Disparity – Uneven development between regions.
Regional Autonomy – Local control over political decisions.
State Fragmentation – Breaking of a state into smaller units.
State Disintegration – Complete collapse of a state.
Satellite State – Country politically or economically controlled by another.