Human Geography Ch. 8 Flashcards
Characteristics of a State
- Area organized into a political unit
- Ruled by an established government (has control over its internal and foreign affairs)
- Occupies defined territory on Earth’s surface
- Contains a permanent population
50 U.S. States = _________ ___________
local governments
A state having control over its internal affairs without interference from other states
Sovereignty
Most important global organization
The United Nations (UN)
How many countries are a part of the United Nations?
193
How many governments does Korea have?
2
Which Korea has widespread poverty?
North Korea
Which Korea is a free marker?
South Korea
Has defined waters extending various distances from the coastlines of states
The Law of the Sea
How many countries signed the Law of the Sea?
167
Where are disputes for the Law of the Sea taken?
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea or International Court of Justice
Sovereign state that comprises a town and surrounding countryside
City-State
First states to develop city-states
Mesopotamia
What is the most important criteria used to create new states for European States?
Language
A large group of people united by common cultural characteristics (language, ethnicity, shared history)
Nation
The right of ethnic groups to govern themselves within sovereign states
Self-determination
A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular nation
Nation-state
What are nation-states like in Europe?
Boundaries follow closely to leading ethnic groups
Contains more than one nation
Multination states
What kind of nation was the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991?
Multination State
What is currently the world’s largest multinational state?
Russia
Territory legally tied to a sovereign state rather than being completely independent
Colonies
Effort by one country to establish settlements in a territory
Colonialism
Colonialism imposes its ________, ________, and _________ principles on that territory
political, economic, cultural
What are the 3 reasons for European colonies?
- Promotion of Christianity
- Resource Extraction
- Establishment of political power
“God, Glory, and Gold”
Who are the largest colonizers in Europe?
UK and France
(UK had colonies in every region of the world)
The UN identifies ____ remaining colonies and are primarily _________.
17, islands
What is an example of a remaining colony?
Puerto Rice
- Citizens of U.S., don’t participate in U.S. elections or have voting member of Congress
Only large land mass on Earth not a state
Antartica
What is allowed and/or not allowed in Antartica?
- State may establish research stations for scientific
- No military activities are permitted
Invisible line in marking extent of state’s territory
Boundaries
Easily seen on ground and on a map
Physical Boundaries
What are the 3 types of physical boundaries?
- Desert Boundaries
- Mountain Boundaries
- Water Boundaries
Characteristics of Desert Boundaries
- Hard to cross
- Sparsely populated
- Ex: Sahara Desert countries (Egypt, Libya, Sudan)
Characteristics of Mountain Boundaries
- Effective if difficult to cross
- Permanent and sparsely populated
- Ex: Chile and Argentina
Characteristics of Water Boundaries
- Rivers, lakes, oceans used because visible on maps
- Historically offered good protection
- Ex: Germany and France
What are cultural boundaries separated by?
- Different languages
- Religions
- Ethnicities
What are the 3 types of Boundaries?
- Physical Boundaries
- Cultural Boundaries
- Geometric Boundaries
Characteristics of Geometric Boundaries?
- Human placed
- Straight lines drawn on a map
- Ex: U.S. boundary with Canada
How long is the U.S. and Canada border and along what latitude?
1,300 miles along 49°N Lat.
What are the 5 basic shapes countries have?
- Elongated
- Fragmented
- Prorupted
- Compact
- Perforated
Characteristics of Elongated States
- Long, narrow shape
- Possible isolation due to poor internal communication
- Ex: Gambia, Italy, Chile
Characteristics of Fragmented States
- Problematic
- Includes several discontinuous pieces of territory
What are the 2 kinds of Fragmented states?
- Separated by intervening states (Ex: Angola)
- Separated by water (Ex: Indonesia)
Compact state with a large projecting extension
Prorupted States
Characteristics of Compact States
- Efficient
- Good communication with capital near center
- Distance from center to boundary in any direction does not vary by much (Ex: Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya)
State that completely surrounds another state
Perforated States
Examples of Perforated States
- South Africa and Lesotho
- Italy and the Vatican
Lacks a direct access to sea - completely surrounded by other countries
Landlocked States
What are examples of landlocked states?
Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
A state has two types of government:
- National
- Local
What are the 3 ways a national government regime could be classified as?
- Democracy
- Autocracy
- Anocracy
Country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office
Democracy
Country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people
Autocracy
Country that is not fully democratic nor fully autocratic (displays a mix of the 2 types of government)
Anocracy
In general, the world has become more __________
democratic
What are the two types of local governments?
- Unitary State
- Federal State
Characteristics of Unitary State
- Allocated most power to federal government
- Local governments have relatively little power
- Works best with strong national identity
Characteristics of Federal State
- Strong powers are allocated to units of local government
- Suitable for larger states like Russia, U.S., and India
Redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power
Gerrymandering
States cooperate with each other for economic and military reasons
Cooperation
Characteristics of the European Union (EU)
- Promotes economic and political cooperation
- 27 members (2022)
- EU has removed most barriers to free trade
Systematic use of violence by a group to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm among a population
Terrorism
When was the most dramatic terrorist attack on the U.S.?
September 11, 2001
Characteristics of terrorist groups
- Almost operates as a business
- Not a single, unified organization
- Encompasses local franchises
- Religion often used to justify attacks
Characteristics of the Islamic State (ISIS)
- Terrorist organization operating in Southwest Asia
- Members are Sunni Muslims who seek to impose strict religious laws through Southwest Asia
