Political Geography Flashcards
Political Geography
Study of political organization in the world. This is constantly moving due to the change in systems of government and the movement of people.
Government
Leaderships and organizations that make political decisions for a country.
Politics
All about power; Who has the power to make decisions? How is power obtained? What challenges do leaders face inside and outside of the state?
Territoriality
Efforts to take power over areas of the Earth; Basic to the field of political geography.
Political Culture
Collection of political beliefs, values, practices, and institutions that a specific government is built on.
Boundary
(Invisible) Lines that show the extent of a certain state’s control, and can be marked by physical features.
Frontier
A geographic zone that is not controlled by any state; Historically used to separate states.
Physical Boundary
A physical feature that can be used as a boundary. (Rivers, mountains, etc.)
Median Line Principle
Water boundaries that are set in the middle, or median line, of the water. (14 miles and 12 nautical miles)
Cultural Boundary
A boundary set by ethnic differences, specifically language and religion.
Consequent Boundary
Another name for a Cultural Boundary.
Balkanization
The process of Yugoslavia being separated into smaller countries, dividing the Balkans and creating a shatter belt.
Shatter Belts
An area with lots of cultural complexity where many small groups find isolation in rough terrain. The tension in these areas can spread and infect other areas.
Geometric Boundaries
Straight, imaginary lines that are typically created with good reason. (38th parallel, etc.)
Territorial Morphology
Describes the shapes, sizes, and relative location of a state.
Compact State
Shape is similar to a circle, where the center of the state is the same distance to the edge of the country all around. This allows for good communication and easy ruling from the government.
Prorupted State
A compact state with an extension that is typically used to reach a resource, like water. This can reach across another country or cut another in half.
Elongated State
A state with a long and narrow shape, either due to physical features or political/economic reasons. This state typically has problems with communication and control, followed by transportation issues, especially if the capital is not centered.
Fragmented State
A state that has multiple pieces of discontinuous, unconnected land. A group of islands is a fragmented state. This state can also occur when a country cuts another in half.
Perforated State
A state that completely surrounds another.
Exclave
Small pieces of territory that are found on coasts and are separated by another state.
Enclave
A territory locked within another state. This can also be a group of people.
Microstate
A state with a very small land size (few square miles)
Relative Location
Location in relation to a state’s surroundings.
Landlocked State
A state surrounded by other states with no access to the ocean. States typically have trouble with trade, resources, communication, and transportation.
Sovereignty
Ability of a state to carry out actions or policies inside a state without interference from either inside or outside the country.
Nationalism
National Consciousness or a sense of unity of citizens and loyalty to a state. This promotes cultures and interests of a nation over another state.
Internal Boundary
Boundary that divides a state into certain sections, like states or provinces, etc.
State
A country that has control over what happens within the borders of the state; A political organization of an area.
Institutions
Organizations that are long lasting and stable that help political ideas and beliefs become policy in a state.
Nation
A group of people tied together through a certain political, cultural, or ethnic identity.
Nation State
A state that is also tied or occupied with a certain nation or people, where the population is united and connected through common values and principles.
Binational State
A state with two nations involved.
Multinational State
A state with more than one nation within the state.
Stateless Nation
A group of people who do not have a state to call home.
Core Areas
An area that expands into frontiers and spreads into the surrounding area. These areas are political or economic centers or a state.
Periphery
An outlying area of the core that is less developed.