Chapter 8 Flashcards
Define State
An area organized into a political unit and ruled by a gov .-has control over internal and foreign affairs
Define Sovereignty
Independence from control of its internal affairs by other states
List the 6 largest states in order of geographic size
Russia, Canada, U.S.A., China, Brazil and Australia
How many microstates are recognized? What do many have I common? List 6
Two dozen are recognized. Very small land areas.:Monaco, Andorra, Antigua, Barbuda, Dominia-many of them are islands
When was the UN established? By whom?
End of WW2 by the Allies
1955 in the UN
16 countries joined, mostly European countries that have ben liberated form Nazi, Germany during WW2
1960 in UN
17 joined, all but a former African colony of Britain/France,4 African states. Original members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Africa 6 joined in the 1950s
1990s
26 countries joined- primarily due to breakup of SU. Yugoslavia also bc of admission of many microstates
Who are the five permanent members of the Security Council?
China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
Identify some of the problems the UN faces as it attempts to operate and influence world affairs.
Often lacks enough troops to keep peace effectively
Korea (North+South) is one state if u agree that…
Both gov. wants to reunite the country into one sovereigns state
Korea: Two states if you agree that…
South Korea is a democratic nation and North Korea is Communist
China/Taiwan one state if you agree that…
Nationalists are still the legit rulers of China. Taiwan is a part of China
China/Taiwan two states if you agree that…
Taiwan regarding itself as independent is better- don’t recognize Taiwan is independent
Western Sahara/Sahrawi Republic. One state if you agree that…
Morocco owns the territory- built a wall to keep put rebels to prove.
Western Sahara/Sahrawi Republic two states if you agree that…
An independent Sahrawi Republic was declared by the Polisario Front rec. by most African countries
Ancient States:
Based off the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East
Medieval States:
Roman Empire= Political unity, European portion was fragmented into a large number of states`
Define nation-state
A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity
Define self-determination
Ethnicities have the right to govern themselves
What is a multiethnic state?
A state that contains more than one ethnicity w/t traditions of self-determination
What is a multinational state? How is the UK an example
A country that contains more than one ethnicity w/t traditions of self-determination
Why is Denmark a fairly good example of a nation-state?
90% of the population = ethnic Dane. Danes= strong sense of unity that comes from shared cultural characteristics+attitudes
Denmark’s Non-Danish Regions
Region: Faeroe Islands - A group of 21 islands, ruled by Denmakr for more than 600 years- nearly 50000 people speak Faeroese
Region: Greenland
World’s largest island
How did the Communists suppress the issues of ethnicity and nationalism?
Used centripetal forces to discourage ethnicities from expressing their cultural uniqueness
With the fall of Communist governments, in the 1990s, what kinds of problems have arisen in what places?
The SU, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia were dismantled because minority ethnicities opposed the dominance of the most numerous ones in the country
Baltic Region: 3 states
Estonia, Latvia,+ Lithuania
Eastern Europe: 3 states
Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine
Central Asia: 5 states
Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Caucusus: 3 states
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia
Note the major religion and language of each of the Baltic States
Lithuania: Roman Catholic. Estonia: Protestant (Lutheran)-Uralic. Latvia: Lutheran, Roman Catholic
The ethnic divisions among the Eastern European states are blurred for what reasons?
The 3 groups speak similar East Slavic languages and are all mostly Orthodox Christians
What did the majority of Moldovans want when they gained independence? Who opposed this?
Reunification with Romania, Ukrainians+Russians only
Have there been ethnic problems in Central Asia? If so, where? why not?
Some, bc they are the same religion+speak the same language -less depressed economy
How many different nationalities (ethnicities) are found in the country of Russia?
39
Why are independent movements flourishing among these groups?
Russia is less willing to suppress these movements than the Soviet Union once was
Russia has resisted the independence movement in Chechnya for what two reasons?
- It feared other ethnicities would follow
2. This region contained deposits of petroleum
Azeris (Azerbaijan)
1828 treaty allocated northern Azeri to Russia + southern Azeri. Persia- 1923 the Russian+ portion became the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic -SU breakup=1991, Azerbaijan=independent country Nakhicheva=most Western part joined Armenia
Armenians (Armenia) work on
Armenians were killed by Turks -other forced to migrate to Russia, gained possession of eastern Armenia=1828. 1921- Turkey+SU agreed to divide Armenia
Work on georgians
1990s- Abkhazians fought for control of the northwest portion of Georgia- declared Abkhaza independent 2008= Ossetians fought a war w/t Georgians- Ossetians declared South Ossetia portion independent, Russia recognizes Ossetia as independent countries
What’s the main problem with the Caucusus region?
Boundaries—-Ethnicities are spread throughout multiple states, they are not limited by borders
Define colony
A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent
Define colonialism
An effort to establish settlements in a territory+to impose its lifestyle upon them
Summarize three reasons Europeans sought colonies
- To promote Christianity 2. To get useful resources, serve as a captive market 2. Power
Which country has the largest empire? Second largest?
U.K.- largest France- second largest
Colonial practices of U.K.
Planted colonies on every continent including much of eastern and southern Africa, south asia, the middle east, Australia, and canada
Colonial practices France
West Africa and Southeast Asia. Tried to assimilate colonies into French culture and educate an elite group to provide local administration
List the largest remaining colonies in the world and who possesses each
Puerto Rico- The U.S. Pitcain Islands- The U.K. Greenland- Denmark
Define boundary
An invisible line that marks the extent of a state territory
Define physical boundary
Coincide with significant features of the natural landscape
Define cultural boundary
Follow the distribution of cultural characteristics
Advantages of Physical boundary- Desert:
effectively divides two states, hard to cross, sparsely inhabited, stable boundary. Common in Africa+Asia. North Africa=Sahara
Advantages of Mountains
Effective if difficult to cross. If passes, pathes are blocked by winter storms=limited to no communication. Permanent boundaries sparsely inhabited
Advantages of Water
Offer good protection against attack. Invaders have to cross+transport troops by air or ship and secure a landing spot in the country being attacked. Commin=East Africa. Position of water can change overtime
—What three types of cultural boundaries have been often used?
Geometric: U.S.+Canada have a almost a straight line as a boundary
Ethnic: India becoming two states bc of religion
Green line: Buffer zone+wall in Cyprus
Cyprus boundary info
Greeks+Turks are in conflict. Turks=18% of the population, Greeks=78%. Gained independence from U.K.=1974. Turkey invaded and the coup leaders (Greeks) left—– Northern part of Cyprus=36% declared itself the independent Turkish Republic North=Turks South=Greeks
— Define Compact States
Good communication bc the distance to and from the capital is generally equal all around Ex: Belarus, Poland, Ethiopia, Spain
Define Elongated States
Length is twice the width, very long Ex: Chile, Sweden, The Gambia, Vietnam, Nepal
Define Prorupted States
Has a little arm sticking off of it, usually access to water Ex: Eritrea, Thailand, Dem.Rep. of the Congo, Burma, Namibia
Define Perforated States
The states that is surrounding the state within it (onclave)
Ex: South Africa, Italy- best exmaples
Define fragmented states
Separated by water Ex: Indonesia, Greece, The Philippines, Japan, and Nunavut
Define Landlocked state
Lacks a direct outlet to a sea because it is completely surrounded by several other countries, isolated by the sea
Where are most of the worlds landlocked states? Why?
Africa, there are extensive regions, The British built roads to connect the interior of Africa e/t the sea
What problems do landlocked states have?
Do not have direct access to the sea which makes it hard to trade w/t other countries
Define Democracy
A country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office
Define autocracy
A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
What are the three areas democracies and autocracies differ?
Selection of leaders, citizen participation, check and balances
Why has the world become more democratic?
The replacement increasingy “irrelevant” monarchies, universal rights, diffusion of democratic structures
Explain the Arab Spring
Most democratic shift in gov. began late 2010 and started by social media- major protests
Define Unitary state
Places most power in the hands of the central gov. officials Ex: France
Define Federal state
Allocates strong power to units of local gov. within the country Ex: U.S.
What are three characteristics that tend to favor it for a country, regarding unitary states
- Few international cultural difference 2. Strong sense of natural unity 3. Requires effective communication
Where are unitary states most common?
Smaller states- Europe
Why do multinational states often adopt unitary systems?
So that the values of one nationality can be imposed on others. Ex: Kenya+Rwanda, the mechanisms of a unitary state have enabled one ethnic group to extend dominance over weaker groups
Why is the federal system more effective for larger states?
The national capital may be too remote to provide effective control over isolated regions
Lost examples of federal states tat fulfill these conditions rather well
Russia, Canada, U.S. Brazil, India
Why has tiny Belgium adopted a federal system?
To accommodate the two main cultural groups
Why has enormous China adopted a unitary system?
To promote Communist values
Frances gov.
Strong central gov is stronger than local gov. France ahs a unitary gov.
Why are boundaries of legislative districts occasionally redrawn? How often is it redrawn
To ensure that each district has approximately the same pop. Every 10 years
How is redrawing boundaries different in the U.S. versus Europe
Europe has an independent commission determining districts and boundaries
Define gerrymandering
Redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power
What are three types of gerrymandering?
Wasted vote- Spead opposition voters across many districts so their votes don’t impact the outcome
Excess vote- Grouping a large group of people who share the same political party in a district so they have a large number of votes
Stacked vote- redrawing lines very crazily so that it can help one political party
How is gerrymandering combined with ethnicity for political use?
Politicians will use the nargest ethinicity group to ensure their party will win Ex: Hispancis usually being democratic
Why is the idea of two superpowers relativily a new one?
Before the Cold War there were more than two superpowers
Define balance of power
A condition of roughly equal strength beween opposition alliances
Purpose of NATO
To prevent the SU from overrunning West Germany and other smaller countries-prevent WW3
Purpose of the former Warsaw Pact countries
To spread Communism, provide the SU with a buffer of allied states b/w it and Germany to discourage a German invasion
When was the EU formed
1958
Who was the EU formed by?
Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, West Germany
Why was the EU created?
To heal Western Europe from WW2 and to help them out. economic cooperation
Explain the Eurozone crisis
Having the common currency throughout Europe- the Euro, one currency = one bank, if the bank goes bankruot everyone is screwed
OSCE
U.S., Canada, Russia and others. To end conflicts in Europe
—OAS
All 35 of the Western hemisphere, —-Cuba ahs been suspended in 1962. Purpose: Promote social, cultural, political, and economic links among member states
AU
53 African countries. Promoting economic integration. Before: stop apartheid
The Commonwealth
U.K. and 52 other former British colonies, Australia Bangladesh, Canada, India, Nigeria. Purpose: Seek economic+cultural cooperation
Define terrorism
The use of violence amongst a group of people in order to intimidate a population or coerce gov. into granting its demand
Why is terrorism different form other acts of political violence?
Attacks are aimed at innocent/ordinary people, no relation to the gov.
American terrorists attacks
Dec.21- Pan AM flight destroyed,
April 19- Oklahoma City, Murrah Fed building
Osama Bin Laden
Founder of Al-Qaeda
Afghanistan
Al-Qaeda was formed here in 1990 to unite opposition fighters
Yemen+Somalia
Bin-Laden fled to Sudan after being expelled for instigating attacks against the U.S. in Yemen+Somalia
“the base”
“the foundation”, another name for Al-Qaeda
fatwa
“religious decree” bin laden believed Muslims could have a “holy” war
In what ways does Al-Qaeda, its religious views, and political views, and its methods pose a challenge to Muslims?
It can depict Muslims in a bad light and persuade people to assume that all Muslims are bad and terrorists
In what ways does Al-Qaeda, its religious views and political views, and it methods pose a challenge to Americans?
Americans naturally want to suppress these views but can end up hurting us by accident. For example, giving the Taliban weapons to overtake the communist gov, but then they used those weapons against us
List three ways in which states (particularly in the Middle East) have given support to terrorists
- Providing sanctuary for terrorists 2. Supplying $, weapons, and intelligence 3. Planning attacks using terrorists
Afghanistan and the type of support
The Taliban sheltered bin-laden and other terrorists
Pakistan and type of support
Suspected to have known bin laden was hiding in his highly protective compounds
Iraq and the type of support
State-sponsored terrorism-Hussein was creating biological and chemical weapons
Iran and the type of support
Habored Al-Qaeda and members trying to gain influence in Iraq
Libya and the type of support
Gov. was accused of sponsoring a 1986 bombing of a night club in Berlin, Germany
