Untitled Flashcards Set
APHG Unit 4 Notes: Political Organization of Space
Boundaries & Disputes
Types of Boundaries
Defined Boundary: Created by legal agreements or treaties.
Delimited Boundary: Shown on maps by an agreed-upon line.
Demarcated Boundary: Physically marked (fences, walls, rivers, etc.).
Types of Boundary Disputes
Definitional Dispute: Conflict over the legal meaning of a boundary.
Example: Mississippi River divides Louisiana & Mississippi.
Operational Dispute: Conflict over boundary enforcement or management.
Example: Dispute between India & Pakistan over Kashmir.
Allocational Dispute: Conflict over resource use near a boundary.
Example: Fishing and oil rights.
Law of the Sea
Territorial Waters: 0–12 nautical miles; state has full legal control.
Contiguous Zone: 12–24 nautical miles; laws for taxes and customs.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): 24–200 nautical miles; access to natural resources.
International Waters: Beyond 200 nautical miles; open for everyone.
Key Vocabulary
Boundary: Line separating areas of political control.
Demarcated Boundary: Boundaries marked physically (walls, rivers, or fences).
Definitional Dispute: Disagreement over the legal meaning of a border.
Operational Dispute: Disagreement over how to enforce a border.
Allocational Dispute: Conflict over access to shared resources.
Internal Boundaries
Examples of Internal Boundaries
Voting districts, school districts, and administrative borders (states, counties).
Redistricting
The process of redrawing boundaries to reflect population shifts or census data.
Gerrymandering:
Manipulating district boundaries for political advantage.
Cracking: Splitting voters across multiple districts to weaken influence.
Packing: Concentrating voters into one district to limit their impact elsewhere.
Effects of Gerrymandering
Can harm fair elections and democracy by unfairly representing groups.
Governance Systems
Types of Government Systems
Unitary State:
Power is controlled by the central government.
Pros: Uniform laws & administration.
Cons: Ignores local differences.
Federal State:
Power is divided between the central government and smaller units (states, provinces).
Pros: Reflects local needs.
Cons: Can be inefficient.
Devolution
The process of transferring political power to smaller levels of government.
Causes: Ethnic conflict, geography, and economic instability.
Examples: Spain (Basques, Catalonians), Nigeria.
Key Vocabulary
Unitary State: All political power rests in the central government.
Federal State: Power is split between central and local/state governments.
Devolution: Transfer of authority to lower levels of government.
Supranational Organizations & Sovereignty
Supranational Organizations:
Organizations formed by multiple countries for shared goals:
United Nations (UN): Promotes peace & stability.
European Union (EU): Economic and political cooperation.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Military alliance.
Arctic Council: Focuses on environmental issues like climate change.
Sovereignty:
A state's ability to govern its own territory independently without interference.
How Supranational Membership Affects Sovereignty:
Countries give up some control to join organizations but gain economic/political benefits.
Centrifugal vs Centripetal Forces
Centrifugal Forces (Dividing Factors):
Unequal economic development, language differences, religious divisions, or political discrimination.
Centripetal Forces (Unifying Factors):
Shared culture, history, language, patriotism, or equal opportunity.
Failed State:
A government that has lost control and cannot provide basic services to its citizens.
Ethnonationalism:
The desire for a group of people with a shared identity to form their own independent state.
Examples: The Kurds, Catalonians.
Key Vocabulary Terms:
Sovereignty: Full control over a state's territory and government.
State: A political entity with defined borders, population, and government.
Nation-State: A country with people who share common language, culture, and identity.
Supranational Organization: A group formed by multiple countries for shared goals.
Devolution: The transfer of political power to smaller administrative units.
Unitary State: A single, central government has most of the political power.
Federal State: Divides power between a national government and regional units.
Ethnonationalism: A nation that seeks its own government based on shared culture/ethnicity.
Centrifugal Forces: Factors that divide or destabilize a country.
Centripetal Forces: Factors that unify and strengthen a country.
Failed State: A government that can no longer function effectively.
Gerrymandering: Drawing electoral boundaries to benefit a political group.
Allocational Dispute: Conflicts over shared resources near boundaries.
Operational Dispute: Disagreement about how borders are managed.