Political Geography: the study of the ways that the world is organised as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over territory
Political maps can express differences in interpretations of the world. For example:
The Chinese government doesn’t recognize the island of Taiwan as a separate country
The US consider Taiwan independent
Therefore a political map from these two countries may look different
State: a politically organized, independent territory with a government, defined borders, an a permanent population
Sovereignty: The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what occurs within its borders.
Nations: a cultural entity of individuals with a shared language religion, ethnicity, or heritage (often all of these traits are shared) who share a vision of the future.
Nation-State: when the territory covered by a state is the same as the territory occupied by a group of people who view themselves as a nation
Multistate Nation: a state that consists of people who share a a cultural or ethnic background but live in more than one country
Irredentism: Attempting to acquire territories in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation
Multinational State: A country that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination
Multiethnic state: A country with 2+ ethnic groups within its borders
Autonomous/ semiautonomous: When a region within a country is given some authority to govern their own territories independent from the national government.
Stateless Nation: a people united by culture, language, history, and tradition but not possessing a state