Unit 4 Flashcards
Political Geography
study of the ways in which the world is organized as a reflection of the power that different groups hold over territory
State
politically organized independent territory with a government defined borders and a permanent population
Sovereignty
the right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders
Nations
cultural entities, meaning they are made up of people who have forged a common identity through a shared language, religion, ethnicity, or heritage
Nation State
the territory occupied by a group who view themselves as a nation is the same as the politically recognized boundaries of the state they call their own
Irredentism
attempting to acquire territories in neighboring states inhabited by people of the same nation
Multinational State
various ethnicities and cultures living inside its borders
Autonomous/ Semi Autonomous
they are given some authority to govern their own territories independently from the national government
Stateless Nation
people united by culture, language, history, and tradition but not possessing a state
Territoriality
a concept that has multiple dimensions
Colonialism
practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories
Neocolonialism
endures in the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies
Choke Point
a narrow, strategic passageway to another place through which it is difficult to pass
Shatterbelts
states form, join and break up because of ongoing, sometimes violent, conflicts among parties and because they are caught between the interests of more powerful outside states
Self-determination
the right of all people to choose their own political status
Imperialism
the push to create an empire by exercising force or influence to control other nations or peoples
Antecedent boundaries
are established before many people settle into an area
Subsequent boundaries
are drawn in areas that have been settled by people and where cultural landscapes already exist or are in the process of being established
Consequent boundaries
type of subsequent boundary
Superimposed
drawn over existing accepted boundaries
Relics
former boundaries that once existed but no longer have an official function
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
established the structure of maritime boundaries
Federal State
The organization of a state in which power is shared between the federal government and its internal regional units
Unitary State
An organization of a state in which power is concentrated in a central government
Concurrent
Sharing authority
Reapportionment
The redistribution of representative seats among states based on shifts in population
Electoral College
A set of people, called electors, who are chosen to elect the president and vice president of the United States
Redistricting
The redrawing of internal territorial and political boundaries
Gerrymandering
the dividing of legislative boundaries to give one political party an advantage in elections
Majority-Minority Districts
An electoral district in which the majority of voters are members of an ethnic or racial minority
Ethnic Separatism
the process by which people of a particular ethnicity in a multinational state identify more strongly as members of their ethnic group than as citizens of the state
Ethnic Cleansing
the process by which a state attacks an ethnic group and tries to eliminate it through expulsion, imprisonment, or killing
Supranational Organization
an alliance of three or more states that work together in pursuit of common goals or to address an issue or challenge
Economies of Scale
cost reductions that occur when production rises
Ethnonationalism
the process by which the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity, religious belief, and language, creating a sense of pride and identity that is tied to the territory; also called ethnic nationalism
Ethnic Nationalism
the process by which the people of a country identify as having one common ethnicity, religious belief, and language, creating a sense of pride and identity that is tied to the territory; also called ethnonationalism
Devolution
occurs when the central government in state is broken among regional authorities within its borders
