APHG Vocabulary Unit 4 Political Patterns and Processes
APHG Vocabulary Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes
4.1 Introduction to Political Geography
State
Formal Definition: A politically organized territory with a permanent population, defined borders, and a government.
Example / Drawing: Map of a country such as France showing borders and capital.
Nation
Formal Definition: A group of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, or historical experience.
Example / Drawing: Illustrative map showing cultural regions (e.g., Kurdish people).
Nation-State
Formal Definition: A state that coincides with a nation; a state whose citizens are relatively homogeneous in factors such as language or common descent.
Example / Drawing: Japan exemplifies a nation-state due to shared culture and language.
Stateless Nation
Formal Definition: A national group that aspires to have its own state but does not have recognized sovereignty over a territory.
Example / Drawing: Examples include the Kurds and Palestinians.
Multinational State
Formal Definition: A state containing multiple nations or ethnic groups, each of which maintains its own cultural identity.
Example / Drawing: Examples include Canada and India.
Multi-State Nation
Formal Definition: A national group that is spread across multiple states.
Example / Drawing: The Kurdish population, which spans several countries including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Autonomous Region
Formal Definition: A geographic region that has a degree of independence from the external authority of the parent state.
Example / Drawing: Hong Kong under China with its own legislative framework.
Semi-Autonomous Region
Formal Definition: A region that has a degree of self-rule but is still subject to the authority of a parent state.
Example / Drawing: Puerto Rico is a semi-autonomous territory of the United States.
4.2 Political Processes
Sovereignty
Formal Definition: The authority of a state to govern itself and make its own laws.
Example / Drawing: A state making its own laws without interference from outside powers.
Self-Determination
Formal Definition: The process by which a group of people decide their own political fate.
Example / Drawing: The formation of South Sudans after a referendum for independence.
Colonialism
Formal Definition: The practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Example / Drawing: British colonial rule in India.
Imperialism
Formal Definition: A policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
Example / Drawing: The expansion of the Roman Empire.
Independence Movement
Formal Definition: A social and political movement aimed at achieving independence for a group from a larger political entity.
Example / Drawing: The American colonies' fight for independence from Britain.
Devolution
Formal Definition: The transfer or delegation of power from the central government to local or regional authorities.
Example / Drawing: Scotland gaining legislative powers from the UK government.
4.3 Political Power and Territoriality
Neocolonialism
Formal Definition: The use of economic, political, and cultural pressures to control a country, often after formal colonialism has ended.
Example / Drawing: Exploiting resources from African nations by foreign corporations.
Shatterbelt
Formal Definition: A region caught between stronger colliding external cultural-political forces, often marked by instability.
Example / Drawing: The Balkan region post-Yugoslavia's breakup.
Choke Point
Formal Definition: A strategic narrow passage such as a strait, which can be easily blocked or controlled.
Example / Drawing: The Strait of Hormuz is a significant choke point for oil shipping.
Territoriality
Formal Definition: The connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to land.
Example / Drawing: Land ownership and its implications for identity and power.
4.4 Defining Political Boundaries
Relic Boundary
Formal Definition: A political boundary that has been abandoned or is no longer in use.
Example / Drawing: The boundary between East and West Germany post-reunification.
Superimposed Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that has been imposed on the cultural landscape without regard for pre-existing boundaries.
Example / Drawing: African borders drawn by colonial powers without considering tribal divisions.
Subsequent Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that was drawn after the cultural landscape was established.
Example / Drawing: Borders in the Balkans after the political changes in the region.
Antecedent Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that was created before the area was settled.
Example / Drawing: The boundary for the United States and Canada.
Geometric Boundary
Formal Definition: Political boundaries defined and delimited as a straight line without regard to physical or cultural features.
Example / Drawing: The borders of the United States and Canada set at the 49th parallel.
Consequent Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that is drawn based on the cultural or ethnic composition of a region.
Example / Drawing: The partition of India and Pakistan reflecting religious lines.
4.5 The Function of Political Boundaries
Defined Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that is physically defined in legal documents but may not be marked on the ground.
Example / Drawing: The legal boundaries of a property.
Delimited Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that has been defined but not yet marked on the landscape.
Example / Drawing: Descriptions of a national border that have not yet been surveyed.
Demarcated Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that is marked on the ground with physical objects, such as fences or wall.
Example / Drawing: The border wall between the United States and Mexico.
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
Formal Definition: A region where military forces and equipment are prohibited.
Example / Drawing: The Korean Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Berlin Conference
Formal Definition: The meeting in 1884 where European powers negotiated the division of Africa without African representation.
Example / Drawing: A map showing the arbitrary borders made during the conference.
Land Boundary
Formal Definition: A political boundary that is marked by physical features on land.
Example / Drawing: The border between India and Bangladesh marked by rivers.
Maritime Boundary
Formal Definition: A boundary that occurs in the sea, defining territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
Example / Drawing: The maritime boundary of the United States impacting fishing rights.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
Formal Definition: An international agreement that establishes guidelines for the use of the world’s seas and oceans.
Example / Drawing: Diagram showing zones established by UNCLOS - territorial sea and EEZ.
International Waters
Formal Definition: Waters not under the jurisdiction of any state, effectively free for all nations to use.
Example / Drawing: Open seas beyond national jurisdiction.
Territorial Sea
Formal Definition: The area of the sea up to 12 nautical miles from a state's baseline, where that state has legal sovereignty.
Example / Drawing: A diagram showing 12 nautical miles distance from a coast.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
Formal Definition: A sea zone over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.
Example / Drawing: Map showing EEZ surrounding a coastal nation.
4.6 Internal Boundaries
Voting District
Formal Definition: A geographical area in which registered voters are eligible to vote in elections.
Example / Drawing: Map of congressional districts.
Redistricting
Formal Definition: The process of redrawing district boundaries in order to reflect population changes.
Example / Drawing: Showing shifts in district lines after a census.
Gerrymandering
Formal Definition: The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one political party over another.
Example / Drawing: Visualization of oddly shaped districts designed for political advantage.
Subnational Political Territorial Units
Formal Definition: Administrative divisions within a sovereign state, such as provinces, states, counties, or municipalities, which have their own governments or administrative structures but are subordinate to the national government.
Example / Drawing: The states of the United States or the provinces of Canada.
4.7 Forms of Governance
Unitary State
Formal Definition: A state governed by a central government, which holds the primary authority.
Example / Drawing: France, where local governments implement policies made centrally.
Federal State
Formal Definition: A political system where power is divided between a central government and various regional governments.
Example / Drawing: The United States with its federal and state governments.
4.8 Defining Devolutionary Factors
Ethnic Separatism
Formal Definition: The advocacy of separation of a certain group of people based on ethnicity from a larger group.
Example / Drawing: Catalonia's push for independence from Spain.
Ethnic Cleansing
Formal Definition: The systematic removal of a particular ethnic group from a territory, often through violent means.
Example / Drawing: The Bosnian War where Muslim populations were targeted.
Terrorism
Formal Definition: The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political aims.
Example / Drawing: Acts such as 9/11 that aimed to influence governments.
Irredentism
Formal Definition: A political or popular movement that seeks to reclaim and reoccupy a land that the movement's members consider a "lost" territory.
Example / Drawing: Hungary’s claim to territories lost after WWI.
4.9 Challenges to Sovereignty
Supranationalism
Formal Definition: The practice of transcending national boundaries and authority through international cooperation.
Example / Drawing: The European Union leveraging influence over member nations.
Democratization
Formal Definition: The transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes.
Example / Drawing: Countries that underwent Arab Spring uprisings.
Economies of Scale
Formal Definition: The cost advantage that arises when there is a higher level of production.
Example / Drawing: Large manufacturers producing goods at lower costs per item.
Trade Agreements
Formal Definition: A wide-ranging tax, tariff, and trade treaty made between two or more countries.
Example / Drawing: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Military Alliances
Formal Definition: Agreements between two or more countries to provide mutual support in case of conflict.
Example / Drawing: NATO as a military alliance.
Supranational Organizations
Formal Definition: Organizations formed by multiple countries to work on shared interests and goals.
Example / Drawing: United Nations and its agencies.
United Nations
Formal Definition: An intergovernmental organization founded in 1945 aiming to promote international cooperation and maintain world peace.
Example / Drawing: UN agencies, such as WHO or UNESCO.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Formal Definition: An intergovernmental military alliance between North American and European countries, established in 1949.
Example / Drawing: NATO member states’ collective defense pact.
European Union (EU)
Formal Definition: A political and economic union of 27 European countries that are located primarily in Europe.
Example / Drawing: EU flag and member countries.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Formal Definition: A regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian states.
Example / Drawing: ASEAN member states and cooperative initiatives.
Arctic Council
Formal Definition: An intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic States.
Example / Drawing: Map showing Arctic states involved in discussions.
African Union
Formal Definition: A continental union consisting of 55 African countries.
Example / Drawing: Initiatives undertaken by the African Union.
4.10 Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
Centrifugal Force
Formal Definition: A force that divides people and nations.
Example / Drawing: Political unrest causing division in a state.
Failed State
Formal Definition: A state that cannot provide basic government services to its citizens.
Example / Drawing: Somalia as an example of a failed state.
Ethnic Nationalist Movement
Formal Definition: A movement that emphasizes the interests of a specific ethnic group, seeking greater autonomy or independence.
Example / Drawing: Movements for the rights of Indigenous peoples.
Centripetal Force
Formal Definition: A force that promotes unity among the people within a state.
Example / Drawing: National holidays that foster a sense of collective identity.
Ethnonationalism
Formal Definition: A form of nationalism wherein the nation is defined in terms of ethnicity.
Example / Drawing: Movements celebrating a specific heritage (e.g., Irish nationalism).
Cultural Cohesion
Formal Definition: The integration of different groups in society leading to mutual respect and shared values.
Example / Drawing: Community events that celebrate diverse cultures in harmony.