Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Geography > Superpowers > Flashcards

Superpowers Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards World Geography flashcards
1
Q

What is geopolitical?

A

The influence of geographical factors (size, population, economy) on the actions of countries- often affecting their foreign policies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a superpower?

A

A country that projects its power and ideas globally and can influence other countries using its economic, political, military and cultural strengths

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a regional power?

A

A leading country on a continental scale (brazil, Nigeria)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is an emerging power?

A

A power that has influence in certain areas (china, Russia)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the areal extent of power referring to?

A

superpowers
regional powers
emerging powers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the nature of power referring to?

A 
economic power 
military power
political power 
resources 
cultural power
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is economic power?

A

Something that provides the wealth to maintain a powerful military, exploit natural resources and develop human ones (education)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is Military power?

A

Something used to achieve geopolitical goals (large navy, nuclear weapons and missile technology)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is political power?

A

The influence others through diplomacy- exercised through international organisations (UN and IMF)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is cultural power?

A

The appeal to others of a nations way of life, values and ideology - through media and arts and food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are Resources?

A

Physical resources (fossil fuels, common and rare minerals) and human resources (cheap labour)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is a sanction?

A

A penalty applied against one country by another country or group of countries, e.g. the UN - often economic, cultural or sporting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a Geo-strategy?

A

The policies required to secure resources (land/minerals) that a country wants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How do powerful country exert there power?

A

Hard power and soft power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is hard power?

A

A country using economic and/or military strength to influence other countries e.g. to obtain trade deals or impose sanctions- can be expensive and risky (allies could be lost)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is soft power?

A

A more subtle and gradual influence, e.g. diplomacy and cultural practices (arts projects and travel encouragements) low cost, but may be ineffective

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How has the relative power of nations changed overtime?

A

The importance of the nature of the power mechanism being employed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Who influenced hard power?

A

The geo-strategic thinking of H. J. Mackinder (1904)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What did H. J. Mackinder identify?

A

He identified a central region of Eurasia he named the heartland - a continental area stretching from Russia to china, and from the Himalayas to the arctic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What did H. J. Mackinder argue?

A

That this was the key geo-strategic location in the world because control of it commanded a huge portion of the worlds physical and human resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How was Mackinder’s theory influential?

A

Because it contributed to policies of containment: after the first world war attempts to limit the land controlled by Germany
after the second world war: attempts to contain the USSR from expanding to the west and south
The American Truman doctrine policy of the 1940s/50s to contain the spread of communism from the USSR and China

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the recent trends in the 21st century?

A

Soft power has been dominant
there have however been recent examples of hard power being exerted in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Ukraine which was led by the USA and Russia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is an empire?

A

A group of country’s ruled over by another country, usually taken by conquest

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is colonialism?

A

The establishment and maintenance of rule by a sovereign power over the people of an empire - several European countries had colonies in the nineteenth century

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is a multipolar world?

A

Where there are several superpowers competing for power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is NAFTA?

A

NORTH AMERICXAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

USA, Canada, and Mexico

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What are the G7/G8/G20?

A

The 6/7/19 most economically powerful countries in the world, plus the EU

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is NATO?

A

NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGAINSATION

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is Neo-colonialism?

A

A country’s retention of influence over other countries, especially its former colonies, often by economic or political measures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What several European powers each had an empire up to the end of the second world war?

A 
Britain 
Germany
Spain
Portugal
France
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what do empires depend on having?

A

A powerful navy to transport troops and equipment and to protect sea routes and lanes
Government-backed businesses to exploit resources - metal ores and the products of plantations (sugar cane, tea, rubber)
A large merchant navy to transport these resources back to the home country

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is key to colonialism?

A

An efficient civil service was key to this

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

How was a multipolar world created?

A

Conflicts between opposing empires such as Britain and Germany in the second world war
Tensions where people of the colonies sought independence from acts of brutal suppression against them

34
Q

What are some examples of indirect mechanisms of power?

A

Economic- trade blocs create alliances and interdependence between countries
Political- the UN and other groups of nations such as the G7/G8 and G20
Military- the joining of the military arms of countries, e.g. NATO and the Warsaw pact; the battle between these two global forces lead to the cold war
Cultural- considered influential, e.g. westernisation and media links

35
Q

How do western nations continue to exert neo-colonialism over their former colonies?

A

Continuing to import low-value commodities from developing nations
Continuing to export high-value manufactured goods to developing nations
enabling financial situations such that developing nations are indebted to western nations
encouraging the migration of skilled people away from developing nations

36
Q

How do people suggest that China is rivalling the USAs hegemony?

A

They state China is adopting neo-colonialism practices in some African and southeast Asian countries

37
Q

What is Hegemony?

A

The mastery of one superpower over all others - some say the USA has this power

38
Q

What is unipolar world?

A

One dominated by one superpower, e.g. the British empire or the US- dominated world of today

39
Q

What is a bipolar world?

A

One in which two superpowers, with opposing ideologies, vie for power e.g. the USA and USSR during the cold war

40
Q

What is a multipolar world?

A

It has many superpowers and emerging powers competing for power in different regions

41
Q

What is a BRIC(S) nation?

A

BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA and south Africa

42
Q

What is a MINT country?

A

MEXICO, INDONESIA, NIGERIA and TURKEY

43
Q

How are BRIC and MINT countries now exerting more global influence?

A

Demanding more influence on body’s such as the UN
Being at the heart of global financial institutions such as the IMF
Being involved in global environment governance, such as the UN climate change conferences and ecosystem management bodies
Playing s role in peacekeeping missions and disaster response

44
Q

What are the strengths of Brazil?

A

Large population of 200million
Huge land area with farmland
Large amounts of resources
Heavy investment in HEP

45
Q

What are the Weaknesses of Brazil?

A

Dependent on exporting raw material
Small middle class - high levels of inequality
periods of [political uncertainty
corruption and crime are high

46
Q

What are the strengths of Russia?

A

Rich in key minerals
Huge are of land
Strong national governance
Very powerful military, a major in nuclear power

47
Q

What are the weaknesses of Russia?

A

Politically isolated from the rest of the world
Ageing population
Needs immigration, but not accepted politically
Suffering sanctions as a result of global political actions

48
Q

What are the strengths of India?

A

Youthful population
High levels of technological development
High numbers of English speakers
Large numbers of middle class

49
Q

What are the weaknesses of India?

A

Acute inequality
Poor energy systems
Poor infrastructure
Floods in some parts

50
Q

What are the strengths of China?

A 
Powerful manufacturing base
Huge population to act as workforce and internal market 
Rising number of middle class
Strong political control
High levels of technology
51
Q

What are the weaknesses of China?

A

Ageing population
Appears to be disinterested in exerting a global influence
Severe environmental problems
Water scarcity issues

52
Q

What are the strengths of South Africa?

A

Rich in key mineral resources
large land area
large population

53
Q

What are the weaknesses of South Africa?

A

Poor transport infrastructure
High levels of inequality between main racial groupings
High levels of corruption

54
Q

What is a demographic dividend?

A

The benefit a country gets when its working population is much larger than its dependent population

55
Q

What is the OECD?

A

ORGANISATION for ECONOMIC COOPERATION and DEVELOPMENT

A club of the worlds richest countries

56
Q

What is the worlds system theory?

A

Stresses that development should be viewed within a global economic context rather than focussing on individual countries

57
Q

What are the three broad economic development categories?

A

Core regions- OECD countries (USA and EU)
Semi-periphery regions - emerging powers (India and China)
Periphery regions- the rest of the developing world

58
Q

What does the core use the semi-periphery for?

A

Cheap location for manufacturing and services

59
Q

What does the periphery supply the semi-periphery with?

A

Raw materials to supply the manufacturing industry in the semi periphery and consumption in the core

60
Q

What is the dependency theory?

A

Satellite (periphery) countries provide a range of services to metropolitan (core) countries, i.e. cheap commodities (oil, copper, coffee), migrant labour, skilled worker, markets for manufactured goods and locations for investment

61
Q

How do developed countries control the growth of developing nations?

A

By setting the prices paid for commodities via the World Bank and IMF, and by using economic and military aid to ‘buy’ the loyalty of satellite states

62
Q

What do wealthy elites (who own importing and exporting businesses and have political connections) benefit from?

A

From the dependency relationship because they control the limited trade in goods and services; the wider population does not benefit at all

63
Q

What are the five stages of the modernisation theory?

A 
Traditional society
Precautions for take-off 
Take-off
The drive to maternity 
The age of mass consumption
64
Q

What is the Traditional society stage of the modernisation theory?

A

A subsidence economy based mainly on farming, with limited technology or capital to process raw materials or to develop industry’s

65
Q

What is the precautions for take off stage of the modernisation theory?

A

Investment that allows agriculture to be more commercialised, an industry to dominate the economy, and transport system to grow

66
Q

What is the take off stage of the modernisation theory?

A

Manufacturing industries grow rapidly, with growth being concentrated in one or two areas; improvements in transport continue together with some progress in social conditions; employment in agriculture declines

67
Q

What is the drive to maternity stage of the modernisation theory?

A

A period of self sustaining growth; economic growth spreads to all parts of the country; more industry’s are developed; urbanisation takes place

68
Q

What is the age of mass consumption of the modernisation theory?

A

A period of rapid expansion of service industries, with a consequent decline in manufacturing

69
Q

What environmental government actions have been taken?

A

A number of UN sponsored meetings have taken place to attempt to reduce carbon emissions e.g. the Kyoto protocol and COP21
The main outcome of COP21 was to cut CO2 emissions with different rates and timescales for each country

70
Q

What are some different opinions on climate change?

A

China- favours continued economic growth using coal (recent pollution issues in Beijing and other cities, however have forced it to seriously consider alternative technologies)
USA- has a tradition of climate scepticism (trump)
Russia- heavily depends on exports of oil and gas to western Europe
European nations are generally more sympathetic to reducing carbon emissions

71
Q

What is environmental governance?

A

The decisions taken to protect and conserve the environment

72
Q

What is the rare earths?

A

A group of elements widely used in electronic, medical and laser devices- they are largely contained within the lanthanide group of the periodic table

73
Q

What is resource nationalism?

A

When a country seeks to protect domestic supplies of a resource for itself, rather than allow its export

74
Q

What is a black swan event?

A

An occurrence that deviates beyond what is normally expected of a situation and is extremely difficult to predict

75
Q

What country would I use as an example of a global superpower?

A

USA

76
Q

What Country’s would I use as an example of an emerging power?

A

India

China

77
Q

What case study’s would I use when discussing international decision-making?

A

Haiti

Afghanistan

78
Q

What case study would I use when discussing the attitudes and actions of IGOs towards geopolitical stability?

A

UN

79
Q

What case study would I use when discussing how climate change has effected a country?

A

Kiribati

80
Q

What case study would I use when discussing tensions over resources?

A

Arctic region

81
Q

What case study’s would I use when discussing tensions over territory?

A

Russia

South China sea

82
Q

What case study would I use when discussing Emerging superpowers and their connections with developing countries?

A

China in Africa

Geography (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions