Political Geography Flashcards
Boundary
Invisible line that marks the extent of a states territory
Balance of Power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries
City-state
A sovereign state comprising of a city and it’s immediate hinterland
Colonialism
An attempt by one country to establish settlements and impose its political, economic, and cultural principals 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 political 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
Microstate
A state that encompasses a very small land area
Perforated State
A state that completely surrounds another one
