Human Geography - Chapter 8

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Political Geography

Back 1

A branch of geography that deals with human governments, the boundaries and subdivisions of political units (as nations or states), and the situations of cities

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Territoriality

Back 2

A country's more local community's sense of property and attachment toward its territory, as expressed by it's determination to keep it inviolable and strongly defended. (personal space)

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Sovereignty

Back 3

A principal of international relations that holds that final authority over social, economic, and political matters, should rest with the legitimate rulers of independent states. (legally having the last say over a territory)

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Territorial Integrity

Back 4

The right of a state to defend sovereign territory against other states. (the status, power, or authority of a sovereign; royalty)

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Peace of Westphalia

Back 5

Peace negotiated in 1648 to end the Thirty Years' War, Europe's most destructive internal struggle over religion. The treaties included statehood and nationhood, clearly defined borders, and guarantees of security.

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Mercantilism

Back 6

Economic doctrine that government control of foreign trade is of Paramount importance for ensuring the military security of the country. (It demands a positive balance of trade economic policy of the commercial age preceding the Industrial Revolution)

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Nation

Back 7

A tightly knit group of people possessing bonds of language, ethnicity, religion, and other cultural attributes. (EGHS)

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Nation-State

Back 8

A state made up of a Nation (eg. Japan)

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Democracy

Back 9

Government based on the principle that the people are the ultimate sovereign and have the final say over what happens within the state. (US Government)

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Multination-State

Back 10

State with more than one nation within it's borders (USA)

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Multistate-Nation

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Nation that stretches across borders and across states (Christians)

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Stateless-Nation

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Nation that has no state (Kurds)

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Colonialism

Back 13

The establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory (British colonies)

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Scale

Back 14

Representation of a real world phenomenon at a certain level of reduction of generalisation (Global or world)

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Capitolism

Back 15

Economic model wherein people, corporations, and states produce good and exchange them on the world market, with the goal of achieving profit. (prices and wages are determined by the forces of supply and demand)

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Commodification

Back 16

The process through which something in given monetary value (pertaining to corn, cotton, or other raw materials i.e., the idea that "it's all the same."), but the financial instruments can be commoditized, too.

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Core

Back 17

Processes that incorporate higher levels of education, higher salaries, and more technology; generate more wealth than periphery processes in the world economy (USA)

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Periphery

Back 18

Same as core; less wealth (African countries)

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Semi-Periphery

Back 19

Places that both core and periphery processes are occuring; places that are exploited by the core but in turn exploit the periphery (China)

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Ability

Back 20

In the context of political power, the capacity of a state to influence other states or achieve it's goals through diplomatic, economic, or militaristic means.

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Centripetal

Back 21

Forces that tend to unify a country

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Centrifugal

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Forces that tend to divide a country

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Unitary

Back 23

A nation-state that has a centralised government and administration that exercises power equality over all parts of the state.

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Federal

Back 24

Having or relating to a system of government in which several states form unity but remain independent in internal affairs.

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Devolution

Back 25

The process whereby religions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

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Territorial Representation

Back 26

System wherein each representative is elected from a territoriality defined district.

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Reapportionment

Back 27

Process by which representative districts are switched according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same amount of people

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Splitting

Back 28

The process by which the majority and minority populations are spread evenly across each of the districts to be created therein ensuring control but the majority of each of the districts; as opposed to the results of majority-minorty districts.

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Majority-Minority Districts

Back 29

The process by witch a majority of the population is from the minority

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Gerrymandering

Back 30

Redistricting for advantage

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Boundary

Back 31

Vertical plane between states that cuts through the rocks below, and the airspace above the surface.

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Geometric Boundary

Back 32

Political boundary definitely and delimited as a straight line or arch (US and Canada)

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Critical Geopolitics

Back 33

Process by which geopoliticians deconstruct and focus on explaining the underlying spacial assumptions and territorial perspectives of politicians.

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Physical-Political Boundary

Back 34

Political boundary defined and delimited by a prominent physical feature in the natural landscape.

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Heartland Theory

Back 35

Hypothesis proposed by Halford Mackinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world.

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Unilateralism

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World order in which one state is in a position of dominance with allies following rather than joining the political decision making process

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Supernational Organisation

Back 37

A venture involving 3 or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives.

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Antecedent Boundaries

Back 38

A boundary line established before an area is populated

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Balkanisation

Back 39

The contentious political process by with a state may break up into smaller countries.

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Buffer State

Back 40

A relatively small country sandwiched between two larger powers.

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Colonialism

Back 41

The expansion and perpetuation of an empire

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Compact State

Back 42

A state that possesses a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance form the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions

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Confederation

Back 43

A form of an international organisation that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose.

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Democratisation

Back 44

The process of establishing representative and accountable forms of government led by popularly elected officials.

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Domino Theory

Back 45

The idea that political destabilisation in one country can lead to collapse of political organisation, such as state or country.

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Electoral College

Back 46

A certain number of electors from each state proportional to and seemingly representative of that state's population. Each elector chooses a candidate believing they are representing their constituency's choice.

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Electoral Vote

Back 47

The decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of that elector's state.

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Elongated State

Back 48

A state whose territory is long and narrow in shape.

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Enclaves

Back 49

Any small and relatively homogeneous group or religion surrounded by another larger and different group or religion.

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European Union

Back 50

International organisation comprised of Western European countries to promote free trade among members.

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Fragmented States

Back 51

States that aren't contiguous whole but rather separated parts.

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Frontier

Back 52

An area where borders are shifting and weak and where people of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay land to claim.

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Geopolitics

Back 53

The study of the interplay between political relations and the territorial context in which they occur

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Imperialism

Back 54

The perception of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign.

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International Organisation

Back 55

An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy it self-determination.

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Landlocked State

Back 56

A state that is completely surrounded by the land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility to and from international trade routes.

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Law of the Sea

Back 57

Law establishing states' rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use if the Earth's seas and oceans and their resources.

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Levensraum

Back 58

Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to aquire "living space" for the German people.

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Microstate

Back 59

A state or territory that is small in both population and area

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Nationalism

Back 60

A sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation above all others

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North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Back 61

Agreement signed in January 1st, 1994, that allows the opening of borders between US, Canada and Mexico.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

Back 62

An international organisation that has joined together for military purposes.

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Organic Theory

Back 63

The view that state's resemble biological organisms with life cycles that include stages of youth, maturity, and old age.

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Perforated State

Back 64

A state whose territory completely surrounds that of another

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Popular Vote

Back 65

The tally of each individual's vote within a given geographic area

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Prorupted State

Back 66

A state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the main territory.

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Rectangular State

Back 67

A state whose territory is rectangular shaped.

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Redistricting

Back 68

The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.

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Relic Boundaries

Back 69

Old political boundaries that no longer exist as international boundaries, but have left a mark.

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Rimland Theory

Back 70

Nicholas Spykman's theory that the domination of coastal fringes of Eurasia would provide the base for world conquest.

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Self-Determination

Back 71

The right of a Nation to govern itself autonomously.

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States' Rights

Back 72

Rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government.

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Subsequent Boundaries

Back 73

Boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of an area.

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Superimposed Boundaries

Back 74

Boundary line drawn in an area ignoring the existing cultural pattern.

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Territorial Dispute

Back 75

Any dispute over land ownership.

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Territorial Organisation

Back 76

Political organisation that distributes political power in more easily governed units of land.

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Theocracy

Back 77

A state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control if a group of religious leaders.

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United Nations (UN)

Back 78

A global supranational organisation established at the end of WW2 to foster international security and cooperation.

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State

Back 79

A country. Has a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and is recognised by other states.