UNIT 4 Flashcards
What are the primary building blocks of the world political map?
Independent states
Define a state.
A country with defined territory, permanent population, government, sovereignty, and recognition from other states
What is sovereignty?
The right of a government to control and defend its territory and determine what happens within its borders
What is the difference between a country and a nation?
A country is a political entity; a nation is a cultural entity
What defines a nation?
A group of people with a common identity through shared cultural traits such as language, religion, ethnicity, and heritage
What is a nation-state?
A state with ideally only one nation, where the borders of the nation match the borders of the state
Provide an example of a nation-state.
Japan: 98% Japanese, 70% Shinto & Buddhist
What is a multi-state nation?
A population that shares a cultural or ethnic background but lives in more than one country
What is a multinational state?
A country with various ethnicities and cultures within its borders
What is a stateless nation?
Nations of people without a state to occupy
Give an example of a stateless nation.
The Kurds
Define territoriality.
An attempt by an individual or group to affect, influence, or control people, phenomena, and relationships by delimiting and asserting control over a geographic area
What is colonialism?
The practice of claiming and dominating overseas territories
What is neocolonialism?
The use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries
What is a choke point?
A strategic strait or canal that is narrow and hard to pass through, often crucial for shipping commodities
What is a political boundary?
A vertical plane that cuts through the airspace and ground to determine state ownership
What is an antecedent boundary?
Borders established before major settlement by people in a territory
What is a subsequent boundary?
Borders drawn in areas already settled by people, typically due to changes over time
Define a relic boundary.
A border that no longer exists but has left an imprint on the local cultural or environmental geography
What is a superimposed boundary?
A boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural pattern
What is devolution?
The process where central power in a state is broken up among regional authorities
What is a federal state?
A style of government where power is shared between central, regional, and local governments
What is a unitary state?
A style of government where power is located centrally, with regional units carrying out policies
What is the census?
An official count conducted every 10 years to gather data on age and race