Political Geography Flashcards
What is sovereignty?
A supreme power or authority
City-states
A city that with its surrounding territory, forms an independent state
Self-determination
Process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own government
Boundary vs frontier
Frontier: area in front of a hinterland
Boundary: limits of political spatial units
Geometric boundary vs physical boundary
Geometric: Created using lines of latitude and longitude
Physical: based on geographical features of the earths surface
Exclusive economic zone
Area of costal water where a country claims it for use of economic activity
Shapes of states
Compact
Elongated
Prorupted
Perforated
Landlocked
Compact: state that is small and centralized
Elongated: Much longer in one direction that the other (w or l)
Prorupted: Primary body of territory including a long extension
Perforated: State that completely surrounds another state
landlocked: completely surrounded on all sides by other states
Autocracy vs anocracy government
Autocracy: system of government by one person with absolute power
Anocracy: part democracy and part dictatorship
Federal vs Unitary government
Federal: Involves use of judicial legislative and executive branches
Unitary: All government happens in one centralized place and manner
Gerrymandering
wasted vote
excess vote
stacked vote
Wasted: opponents are dispersed in districts where they cant win Excess: opponent’s are dispersed among districts they already control
Stacked: Odd shaped districts drawn to cluster supporters
Warsaw pact
collective defense treaty established by the soviet union
OSCE
congress working for stability, peace and democracy
British commonwealth
Collection of 56 states all under control by British empire
