Geography Unit 4 Flashcards

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0
Q

Balkanization

A

The contentious political process by which a state may break up into smaller sections or countries.

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1
Q

Antecedent Boundaries

A

A boundary line established before an area is populated

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2
Q

Buffer state

A

A relatively small country sandwiched between two larger powers. The existence of buffer states may help prevent dangerous conflicts between powerful countries.

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3
Q

Centrifugal forces

A

Forces that tend to divided country

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4
Q

Centripetal forces

A

Forces that tend to unite or bind the country together.

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5
Q

Colonialism

A

The expansion and perpetuation of an empire.

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6
Q

Commonwealth of Independent states

A

Confederacy of Independent states of the former Soviet Union that have united because of the common economic and administrative needs.

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7
Q

Compact state

A

A state that possesses a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance from the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions.

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8
Q

Confederation

A

Form of an international organization that bring several autonomous states together for a common purpose.

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9
Q

Democratization

A

Process of establishing representative and accountable forms of government led by popularly elected officials.

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10
Q

Devolution

A

The delegation of legal authority from a central government to lower levels of political organization, such as the state or country.

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11
Q

Domino theory

A

The idea that political destabilization in one country can lead to collapse of political stability in neighboring countries, starting a chain reaction of collapse.

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12
Q

East/West divide

A

Geographic separation between the largely democratic and free-market countries of Western Europe and the Americas from the communist and socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia.

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13
Q

Electoral college

A

A certain number of electors from any state proportional to and seemingly representative of that states population. Select church uses a candidate leaving there representing their constituency’s choice. The candidate who receives a higher proportion of electoral votes within the state receives all the electoral votes for that state.

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14
Q

Electoral vote

A

The decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of the elector’s state.

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15
Q

Elongated state

A

A state whose territory is long and narrow in shape.

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16
Q

Enclaves

A

Small and relatively homogenous group or region run by another larger and different group or region.

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17
Q

European Union

A

International organization comprised of Western European countries to promote free trade among members.

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18
Q

Exclave

A

A bounded territory that is a part of a particular state but if separated from it by the territory of a different state.

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19
Q

Federalism

A

A system of government in which power is distributed among certain geographical territories rather than concentrated within the central government.

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20
Q

Fragmented state

A

A state that is not contiguous hole but rather separated parts.

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21
Q

Frontier

A

An area where borders are shifting and weak and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land.

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22
Q

Geometric boundary

A

Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.

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23
Q

Geopolitics

A

The study of the interplay between political relations and the territorial context in which they occur.

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24
Q

Gerrymandering

A

The designation of voting districts so as to favor a particular political party or candidate.

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25
Q

Heartland theory

A

Hypothesis proposed by Halford Mackinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world.

26
Q

Imperialism

A

The perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign.

27
Q

International organization

A

An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either’s autonomy or self-determination.

28
Q

Landlocked state

A

A state that is completely surrounded by the land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility to and from international trade routes.

29
Q

Law of the sea

A

Law establishing states rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth seas and oceans and their resources.

30
Q

Lebensraum

A

Hitler’s expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire living space for the German people

31
Q

Micro state

A

A state or territory that is small in both population and area.

32
Q

Nation

A

Tightly knit group of individuals sharing a common language ethnicity religion and other cultural attributes.

33
Q

Nationalism

A

A sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation about all others.

34
Q

Nation-state

A

A country who is population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity.

35
Q

North American Free Trade Agreement

A

Agreement signed on January 1, 1994 that allows the opening a borders between United States, Mexico, and Canada.

36
Q

North Atlantic Treaty organization

A

An international organization that has joined together for military purposes

37
Q

North/south divide

A

Economy division between the wealthy countries of Europe and North America, Japan, and Australia and to generally poor countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

38
Q

Organic theory

A

The view that states resemble biological organisms with lifecycle stages include stages of youth. maturity, and old age.

39
Q

Organization of petroleum exporting countries

A

And international economic organization whose member countries all produce an export oil.

40
Q

Perforated state

A

A state whose territory completely surrounds that of another state

41
Q

Physical boundary

A

Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers.

42
Q

Political geography

A

The spatial analysis of political phenomena and processes.

43
Q

Popular vote

A

The tally of each individual’s vote within a given geographic area

44
Q

Prorupted state

A

A state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the mean territory.

45
Q

Reapportionment

A

The process of reallocating of electoral seats to defined territories.

46
Q

Rectangular state

A

State whose territory is rectangular in shape

47
Q

Redistricting

A

Drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.

48
Q

Relic boundaries

A

Old political boundaries that no longer exist as international borders, but that have left enduring marks on the local cultural and environmental geography.

49
Q

Rimland theory

A

Nicholas Spykman’s that the denomination of the coastal fringes of Eurasia would provide the basis for world conquest.

50
Q

Self-determination

A

The right of the nation to govern itself autonomously.

51
Q

Sovereignty

A

Supreme or independent political power.

52
Q

State

A

A politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by the international community.

53
Q

Stateless nation

A

A group of people with a common political identity who do not have a territorially defined sovereign country of their own.

54
Q

States rights

A

Rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government.

55
Q

Subsequent boundaries

A

Boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the area.

56
Q

Superimposed boundaries

A

Boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural pattern.

57
Q

Supranational organization

A

Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives.

58
Q

Territorial dispute

A

Any dispute over land ownership.

59
Q

Territorial organization

A

Political organization that distributes political power in more easily government units of land.

60
Q

Theocracy

A

A state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of the group of religious leaders.

61
Q

Unitary state

A

A state government constitutionally of the unit, without internal divisions or federalist delegation of powers.

62
Q

United Nations

A

A global supranational organization established at the end of World War II to foster international security and cooperation.