Political Geography Flashcards
(46 cards)
What makes a State?
- settled population
- defined territory recognized by other states
- organized into a political unit / a government
- recognition from other states
*Sovereignty
Independence from control of internal affairs from outside states.
Giants States
Russia
Canada
US
China
Brazil
Australia
Microstates
Tend to be wealthy
. Ex. Andora, Monaco, Vatican
*Multi-state Nation
People with a shared culture and spread over several states. Ex. Korea, Ireland
*Centripetal Forces
Bind together people of a state and gave it strength.
1. Political: Federal holidays
2. Economic: infrastructure development.
3. Cultural: religion,sports.
*Centrifugal Forces
Are things that divide or tear a state apart.
1. Political: armed conflicts
2. Economic: uneven development.
3. Cultural: ethnic movements.
4. Physical Geography: Isolation barriers.
*Nation-State
Territory is occupied by one ethnicity. Ex: Japan, Slovenia
Nation
Group of people w/ a shared identify.
Self-Determination
concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves.
*Multi-ethnic state
more than one ethnicity.
Ex;USA
*Multi-national state
more than one ethnicity with a desire for self-determination. Ex; Russia, UK
Semi Autonomous region
an area within a state w/ a government + limited power.
*Stateless Nation
ethnic group or nation without its own state, no majority in any nation. Ex;Kurdistan, Palentine
*Balkanization
Process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities and becomes Balkanized.
Colonialism
Effort by one country establish settlements and imposed political, economic, and cultural principles.
Democracy
Citizens elect leaders.
Autocracy
government run according to the interests of ruler, not the people.
Anocracy
not fully democratic or autocratic.
*Unitary State
power in central/national government. Ex;France, Kenya, China
*Federal State
power shared between the central and local government. Ex; USA, Russia, Canada.
Relic Boundary
A boundary line that is marked by some cultural landscape feature. For example, a fence, The great wall of china.
*Antecedent Boundary
Established before the area in question is well populated. For example, the border between Malaysia and Indonesia was negotiated between English and Dutch settlers.
*Superimposed Boundary
A line placed over and ignores an existing cultural pattern. Forced apart. For example, the boundaries in Africa negotiated by European powers at the Berlin Conference.