political geography concepts

Question 1

Natural Border

Answer 1

A border defined by a physical feature such as a river or mountain range

Question 2

Orientalism

Answer 2

For our purposes, the defining of other places or peoples from one’s view as an outsider, not from the perspective of the other places or peoples.

Question 3

Nation

Answer 3

A large population with political aspirations that shares the same culture.

Question 4

State

Answer 4

An independent political entity with clear geographic boundaries. What you think of as the 193 countries you have to memorize.

Question 5

Nation-State

Answer 5

A state whose population is made up of a single nation. (You can debate for a long time about whether there are any nation-states).

Question 6

State-Nation

Answer 6

A state created before those within its borders have developed a shared sense of identify as a nation. You could argue this is the most common kind of state.

Question 7

Strategic depth

Answer 7

Distance between the front lines or battle sectors and the combatants’ industrial core areas, capital cities, heartlands, and other key centers of population or military production.

Question 8

Irredentism

Answer 8

Territorial claim based on a national, ethnic, or historical basis.

Question 9

Centrifugal versus Centripetal Forces

Answer 9

Centrifugal forces are forces that split apart, centripetal forces are forces that bring together.

Question 10

Modernization Theory versus Liberation Theology/Dependency Theory/World Systems Theory

Answer 10

Check the study guide. Be able to draw the circles that show core/periphery relations.