Unit 4 Vocab Flashcards
State
An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government that has control over its internal and foreign affairs.
Microstate
A state that encompasses a very small land area.
Sovereignty
Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.
Nation-State
A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity.
Self-determination
The concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.
Multiethnic State
A state that contains more than one ethnicity.
Multinational State
A state that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities.
Colonialism
An attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
Imperialism
A policy of extending a country’s power through diplomacy or military force.
Boundary
An invisible line that marks the extent of a state’s territory.
Compact State
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.
Elongated State
A state with a long, narrow shape.
Fragmented State
A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
Landlocked State
A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea.
Frontier
A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.
Democracy
A country in which citizens elect leaders and can run for office.
Autocracy
A country that is run according to the interests of the ruler rather than the people.
Anocracy
A country that is not fully democratic or fully autocratic but rather displays a mix of the two types.
Theocracy
A system of government which is heavily influenced or controlled by religious leaders.
Unitary State
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials.
Federal State
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.
Gerrymandering
The process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
Supranational Organization
An international organization composed of countries that cede some authority to the organization.
Terrorism
The systematic use of violence by a group calculated to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm among a population or to coerce a government into actions it would not otherwise undertake or refrain from actions it wants to take.
Perforated State
A state that completely surrounds another one.
Prorupted State
An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension.
Stateless Nation
A group of people, a cultural group, that is not allowed to share in the state political process.
Shatterbelt
A region caught between stronger colliding forces, under persistent stress, and often fragmented by aggressive rivals.
Chokepoint
A strategic strait or canal which can be closed or blocked to stop sea traffic.
Autonomous Region
A region of a country that has a high degree of power and self-government.
Semi-autonomous Region
A region in a country that has a degree of power and self-government.
Berlin Conference
A meeting in 1884 where European powers divided most of Africa into colonies.
Antecedent Boundary
Boundaries that are drawn before an area is well populated.
Subsequent Boundary
Boundaries that are drawn after the development of the cultural landscape.
Superimposed Boundary
Boundaries that are forced upon existing cultural landscapes, a country, or a people by a conquering or colonizing power.
Delimited Boundary
A boundary that is drawn on a map.
Defined Boundary
A boundary that is established by a legal document.
Law of the Sea
An international treaty signed by 165 countries that defines boundaries in the ocean.
Territorial Waters
Up to 12 nautical miles from shore – a state may regulate passage by ships of other states.
Contiguous Zone
Between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore – a state may enforce laws concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Between 24 and 200 nautical miles, a state has the sole right to the fish and catch other marine life.
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization – A military alliance among democratic states, including the USA, Canada, and European states.
Warsaw Pact
A military agreement among Communist Eastern European countries.
European Union
An economic alliance of European countries that healed scars from World War II and improved economic cooperation between member countries.
ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations - An economic union in Southeast Asia and was created to integrate the economies of member states to compete on the global market.
African Union
Established 2002 to achieve regional solidarity and promote economic integration in Africa.
United Nations
An international organization formed in 1945 to increase political and economic cooperation among member countries.
OAS
An international organization that promoted peace and economic progress in the Americas, promotes social, cultural, political, and economic links between states.
Al-Qaeda
A network of Islamic terrorist organizations led by Osama bin Laden, responsible for several attacks worldwide.
Geometric Boundary
Artificial boundaries, often drawn along parallels of latitude or meridians of longitude.
Natural Boundary
Those based on recognized physiographic differences such as mountains, rivers, and lakes.
ISIS
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a jihadist militant terrorist organization that follows a fundamentalist variation of Sunni Islam.
Commonwealth of Nations
An association of nations/sovereign states, most of which are former colonies of the British Empire, that cooperate regarding economic and trade.
Boko Haram
Islamic movement that has carried out large-scale acts of violence and opposed adoption of Western culture practices.
