Chapter 8: Political Geography Flashcards
Balance of Power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.
Boundary
Invisible line that marks the extent of a state’s territory.
City-State
A sovereign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland.
Colonialism
Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
Colony
A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent.
Compact State
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.
Elongated State
A state with a long narrow shape.
Federal State
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.
Fragmented State
A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
Frontier
A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.
Gerrymandering
Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
Imperialism
Control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous group.
Landlocked State
A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea.
Mircostate
A state that encompasses a very small land area.
Perforated State
A state that completely surrounds another state.
