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 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
state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory
Frontier
zone separating two states in which matter neither state exercises political control
Gerrymandering
process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power
Landlocked state
state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea
Microstate
state that encompasses a very small land area
Perforated state
state that completely surrounds another one
Prorupted state
an otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension
