Political Geography Flashcards
State
A territory that is recognized as a state by other countries and are under one government.
Nation
A territory with people who share a common history and belong to a cultural community
Nation-State
A territory in which a nation and a state occupy the location
Sovereignty
The final say over a territory’s political and military affairs
Territorial Morphology
The size, shape, and relative location of a territory
Ex: Fragmented- Japan
Compact- Colorado
Elongated- Chile
Difference between geometric and physical boundaries
Geometric boundaries are unrelated to cultural or physical aspects while physical boundaries conform to features such as rivers.
Allocation disputes
Problems related to that of resources such as oil in boundaries
Heartland theory
A theory that suggests whoever ruled Eastern Europe, Central Asia (Eurasia) ruled the world
Gerrymandering
A term that describes redistributing for advantage, specifically the manipulation of a district’s boundaries to favor one electoral party over another.
Devolution
The transfer of power from the central government to regional government
Territorial integrity
The right for a territory to defend and handle its borders and disputes.
Balkinization
The separating of a region into smaller units which are most of the time hostile
Multinational State
A state which contains many nations
Ex: United States, Canada, Iran
Historical: USSR, Austria-Hungary
Stateless Nation
A nation which does not own its own territory
Commodification
A process that turns an idea into that of something with value or for profit.
Steps of making a boundary
- Definition: you have to establish a document that is drawn up in which actual points of the landscape
- Delimitation: putting the boundary on a map or optionally marking the ground.
- Demarcation: setting up the boundary
- Administrate: Deal with who can come to the country.
Electoral Geography
The state’s electoral system in relation to a government’s spatial organization.
Ex: United States- Voter Rights for Minority Groups
Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements (Forces)
When a group of people or an ethnicity define themselves as a being linguistically, religiously, or ethnically distinct from others.
Ex: Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia
Colonialism
An action where one state takes over another, controls the government, and rules the territory.
Law of the Sea
A 1982 treaty, presided by the UN, which regulated all of the world’s oceans and bodies of water, guidelines for their economic usage, & management of marine resources.
Supranational Organization
An association of 3 or more states that seek to benefit all members. Currently there are over 60 worldwide.
Ex: United Nations
Geopolitics
The relationship and influence of spatial geography in politics, economics, & global/regional affairs.
Ex: Mackinder’s Heartland Theory
Spykman’s Rimland Theory
Ratzel’s Organic Theory
World-Systems Analysis (Theory/Three-Tier Structure)
A structure that shows the different types of “contributors” to the world bank. The organization of the world economy into 1 market and states depending on their financial prosperity, education, and technology separated into three tiers:
Core: Higher Education, Higher Salaries, More Tech = More Wealth Within the World Econ.
Semi-Periphery: Buffer (Middle) between Core & Periphery; “Exploited (taken advantage of by) by the Core, Exploits (takes advantage of) the Periphery
Periphery: Lower Education, Lower Salaries, Less Tech = Less Wealth
Federal (Federal Govt.)
State is organized into subdivisions which have more power and control over govt. policies & the capital city.
Ex: Nigeria- States can implement Sharia Law
U.S.- States can determine moral laws (death penalty)
Unitary (Unitary Govt.)
One centralized government in charge of the state and is located in the capital city, the focus of power.
Ex: France is a Unitary Government; Power is centralized in Paris.
Capitalism
An economic system where the production of goods and services are for the goal of making profit without the intervention by the state.
Ex: United States has a capitalist economy.
