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Political Geography Vocabulary

4.1 Introduction to Political Geography

Learning Intentions

  • Understand the concept of sovereignty.
  • Explain the difference between a nation and a state.
  • Define and give an example of the following political entities:
    • Nation-State
    • Stateless Nation
    • Multi-State Nation
    • Multinational State
    • Autonomous/Semi-Autonomous Region

Key Questions in Political Geography

  • How does the world organize itself politically?
  • What factors can change and challenge political boundaries?

What is a Political Entity?

  • People often use country, state, and nation interchangeably, but they have different meanings.

State

  • Has a defined boundary.
  • Contains a permanent population.
  • Maintains sovereignty (the power of a political unit to rule over its own affairs) over its domestic and international affairs.
  • Is recognized by other states.
  • Example: Belgium, Nigeria

Nation

  • Share a common cultural heritage.
  • Have beliefs and values that help unify them.
  • Claim a particular space based on tradition as their homeland.
  • Desire to establish their own state or express self-determination in another way.
  • Example: Catalans

Nation-State

  • A nation with politically recognized boundaries.
  • Territory occupied by the group is the SAME as its political borders.
  • Examples: Japan, France, Egypt

Stateless Nation

  • A nation without a state.
  • Historical Example: the Jewish people from the 1st Century CE until 1948.
  • Contemporary Example: The Kurds

Multistate Nation

  • A nation living in more than one country.
  • Historical Example: Germans before 1871.
  • Contemporary Example: The Koreas

Multinational State

  • A state with multiple nations within its borders.
  • Contemporary Example: Canada (First Nations, French Canadians, British Canadians).
  • Historical Example: Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Autonomous/Semi-Autonomous Region

  • A region with some authority to govern itself, but ultimately answerable to a national government.
  • Historical Example: Grand Duchy of Finland in the Russian Empire until 1918.
  • Contemporary Example: American Indian Reservations.

Types of Political Entities Summary

  • Sovereignty: Power of a political unit to rule over its own affairs.
  • Nation: Group with shared culture (and a sense of togetherness).
  • Nation-State: A nation with politically recognized boundaries.
  • Stateless Nation: A nation without a state.
  • Multistate Nation: A nation living in more than one country.
  • Multinational State: A state with multiple nations within its borders.
  • Autonomous/Semi-autonomous Region: A region with some authority to govern itself.