Download Political Geography Summary and DBA

Political Geography Summary and DBA Nationality and Nationalism You have learned that societies organize themselves into political units to pool their
power and resources. Because political units shape historical and contemporary events,
geographers study these units to learn about the interaction of the people within them.
You should recall that nationalism is a powerful force that can unify or divide nations.
Nationalism can have an extreme impact on political boundaries as members from a
nation campaign to become an independent state or members of multiple nations or
ethnicities come together to form a new state. In other cases, multiple nations living
within a state may have such severe conflicts and disputes that the nations divide to form
smaller, independent states. In addition to nationalism, regionalism and ethnocentrism are
two forces that may unify people living in an area or divide them, potentially changing
the political borders in that area.
In this lesson, you applied the skills, terms, and questions that geographers use to discuss
the political divisions of land on Earth's surface. Building these skills will help prepare
you for the AP Human Geography Exam and beyond. The skills may be incorporated into
your daily life and decision making.
Centripetal force Force that helps unify a nation Centrifugal force Force that serves to divide a nation Ethnicity A shared cultural, religious, or linguistic identity held by a group of people with common national origins The belief in the superiority of one's own ethnicity over all others Ethnocentrism Microstates States with extremely small land area Multinational state A state that contains multiple ethnicities that have a history of self-­‐-­‐-­‐determination Multiethnic state A state that contains more than one ethnic group Nationality A group of people who share legal attachment and allegiance to a country Nation A group of people who share common cultural features, such as heritage, language, or religion Nation-­‐-­‐-­‐state A political unit containing one nation Nationalism The belief that individual loyalty should be first tied with that individual nation or nation-­‐
-­‐-­‐state The belief that individual loyalty should be first tied with that individual nation or nation-­‐-­‐-­‐state Nationalism Physical boundary A natural division that separates geographical areas, such as a river or mountain range Political boundary A human-­‐-­‐-­‐made division that separates sovereign states or subnational regions Regionalism The belief in the superiority of a region's interests as a whole over those of an individual nation or nation-­‐-­‐-­‐state Self-­‐-­‐-­‐determination Refers to a nation that has political independence, or the right to make decisions without interference from others. Stateless nation A nation that does not have a territory to call its own States You saw several examples of how geography influences conditions within a state and between states. At times geographic conditions such as lack of land or need for more resources have led states to pursue policies of expansion. The eventual difficulty of empires maintaining vast areas of land has resulted in national movements and the creation of nation-­‐-­‐-­‐states. Some states benefit from strategic location, abundant natural resources, or wide areas of land that encourage growth. Human capital also impacts the emergence and development of states. Depending on the state’s needs, different styles of government emerge from state to state. While most large states have federal governments, China is unique in its maintenance of a unitary style system. As state needs evolve, the style of government may also change. Geography may influence political leadership and changes over time, but it is only one of a series of factors that influence the stability and development of political units. Colonialism A policy by which one state takes control of another area and imposes its economic, political, and cultural characteristics on the area Colony An area under the legal control of another state Containment policy A foreign policy, created by George F. Kennan, that suggested using a territorial containment wall to prevent the spread of communism around the world A theory that holds the collapse of one state will inevitably result in the collapse of bordering states, unless the states have additional support to bolster them against falling Domino theory Delimitation The phase of boundary creation in which a cartographer draws the new boundaries on a world map Definition The phase of boundary creation in which the exact location of the boundary is established Demarcation The phase of boundary creation in which the states divided by the new boundary visibly mark the boundary in some way Empire A political unit that has a vast expanse of territory or multiple territories under a single sovereign government and emperor Federal A government in which the state and its political units share power with the federal government having a greater share of power Heartland theory A theory introduced by political geographer Halford Mackinder that argued world power depended on controlling Eurasia, which Mackinder identified as the heartland region of the world The policy of one state extending control over territories already occupied by an indigenous group Imperialism Political geography The study of political units and their interaction Rimland theory Relic boundary State Sovereignty Social contract theory Unitary A theory introduced by political geographer Nicholas Spykman that argued modern alliances between sea-­‐-­‐-­‐controlling states could keep a heartland under control and prevent its dominance over other regions A boundary that no longer exists A politically organized territory with a stable population, boundaries that are internationally recognized, an effective government and economy, and sovereignty; this term is synonymous with the word country A political status that implies a government has full control over its internal and external affairs; a sovereign state has the ability to make laws, control its army and natural resources, and relate with other countries it wants in the world Enlightenment theory that people consent to be governed and give up certain individual liberties in exchange for the benefits that government provides in return A style of government in which the central government holds the majority of power within a state Territorial Morphology The shape of the world’s states fit into one of five basic categories that include: compact,
elongated, fragmented, perforated, and prorupted. Each of the shapes has advantages and
disadvantages. The compact shape is generally thought to have many advantages.
However, if the compact state is landlocked, some of those advantages may become
disadvantages. The elongated, fragmented, and prorupted shapes have unique properties
that can contribute to either a state’s success or failure.
Shape is only one aspect of the geography of a state. Internal factors, such as the makeup
of the population, the physical features of the land, and the economic situation, influence
the effects of the shape. External factors can also be influential; hostile or friendly
neighbors, easy or difficult access to shipping routes, or widely varying economic status
of surrounding states can have an effect on the political and economic activities of a state.
Elongated state A state with a disproportional relationship between the length and width of its territorial lands Economy The system of producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services in a country or a region Fragmented state A state whose lands are interrupted by international waterways or the territory of another state Governability The ability to control and direct the law-­‐-­‐-­‐making processes and administration of a state The basic facilities, services, and resources that a society needs to function, such as transportation, communication systems, and public institutions A state that does not have a direct sea outlet because it is completely surrounded by land Infrastructure Landlocked state Prorupted state A state that is compact with a large projecting extension of its territorial lands Perforated state A state whose lands completely surround the lands of another state Political enclave A state, or part of a state, that is completely surrounded by another state Political exclave A territorial, political extension of another state, often separated from the mainland of the state by another state or territory A system of categorizing countries by their shape Territorial morphology Boundaries You should recall that political geography influences human life and history. Understanding the differences among physical, political, cultural, and geometric boundaries will help succeed on the AP Human Geography Exam as well as better understand current events. You also learned about the relationship between settlement patterns and boundary establishment, and how those boundaries can lead to different kinds of disputes. Conflict can also arise over boundaries when nations have cultural boundaries that do not match up with superimposed political boundaries. Administration The phase of boundary creation in which the new state decides how it will be governed Antecedent boundary A boundary determined before an area has a great deal of population or established cultural patterns Allocational boundary disputes Cultural boundary Consequent boundary Desertification Definitional boundary disputes An dispute that arises one a resource lies on either side of a border and the two states fight for control of that resource A boundary outlined by cultural factors such as language, religion, and ethnic groups; the boundaries between most of the western European countries are based A boundary established to on the dominance of a particular accommodate existing cultural European l
anguage patterns The slow spread of desert, or desert conditions, into habitable land as a human activities A dresult ispute otf hat arises when two states interpret a border treaty in two different ways Definition The phase of boundary creation in which the exact location of the boundary is established Delimitation The phase of boundary creation in which a cartographer draws the new boundaries on a world map Demarcation The phase of boundary creation in which the states divided by the new boundary visibly mark the boundary A boundary established using in s
ome way without longitudes and latitudes regard to physical or cultural characteristics, usually in a straight line Geometric boundary Locational boundary disputes Operational boundary disputes Physical boundary Political boundary Partitioned Subcontinent Subsequent boundary Subsequent boundary A dispute that arises when a physical border, like a river or lake, shifts course or dries up and leads to hange tihat n the position of two the An ad cispute arises when but there states agree tborder. o a border, are issues involving passing across the border A boundary established by an agreed-­‐-­‐-­‐upon natural feature, such as a body of water, mountain range, or desert The official boundary of a political unit, such as between states or countries Divided into parts, pieces, or sections A large land area that is part of a continent, but separated from the mainland of the continent in some way A boundary drawn after an area is populated and has established cultural patterns : A boundary imposed on an area by another power without regard to existing cultural patterns The Effect of Imperialism and Colonialism on Modern States You should recall that imperialism in the 19th century was conducted by European powers
seeking to increase their control over raw materials and markets for manufactured goods.
Africa was seen as highly desirable, so the Europeans called a conference in Berlin to
divide up the land. No Africans were present. The agreement set off the Scramble for
Africa that resulted in virtually all of Africa being colonized by 1913. Areas of Asia were
also added to empires. This colonization period lasted until the end of World War II and
into the 1960s for some countries.
A spirit of nationalism after World War II resulted in the independence for almost all
European colonies. But the new nations struggled with many issues that were the result of
the colonial occupation. Internal disputes over control of government and control of
traditional ethnic homelands resulted in civil wars, rebellions, and poor government
control. Boundary disputes and ethnic rivalries further complicated relations between
former colonies. Imperial economic policies created both environmental and economic
problems after independence was granted.
Berlin Conference Dependency theory A meeting in 1884–1885 to set rules for acquiring land, especially in Africa A theory that states economic growth in richer countries does not necessarily help, and often actually hinders, economic development in poorer, dependent countries Mercantilism An economic policy that directed nations to acquire gold and silver wealth by gaining raw materials and expanding markets for finished goods Neocolonialism A set of economic and political policies by which a stronger power indirectly establishes or exerts influence over other regions or peoples A region in which autonomous governments control the territory’s day-­‐-­‐-­‐to-­‐-­‐-­‐day affairs, but diplomatic matters and military protection are the responsibility of the territory’s imperial ruler Protectorate Sphere of influence Scramble for Africa A region in which an imperial power has exclusive economic rights to resources and activities in the territory, but leaves much of the rest of rush the cto ountry's Europeans’ colonize affairs under local control African lands at the end of the 19th century Political Conflict Think about what you have learned in this lesson about how political conflict is influenced by forces that unite—centripetal forces—and those that divide— centrifugal forces. Recall that centripetal forces bind nations and promote the existence of a viable political government, while centrifugal forces may cause tensions and conflicts that destabilize governments. During the Cold War period, several political conflicts arose between the two major world powers: the United States and the Soviet Union. Political geographers theorized that the political conflicts during the Cold War would arise in shatterbelts, or weak areas that are subject to invasion. Most of these shatterbelts were located along the periphery of the Soviet Union and the democratic states of Western Europe. Centripetal and centrifugal forces were at work during many of the Cold War conflicts. For example, working together to combat a common enemy acted as a centripetal force that unified the U.S. population. Centrifugal forces, such as multiple ethnicities, unfair government policies, and a weak economy, all contributed to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Buffer zone Two or more countries that are located between two countries in conflict Balkans A region located in southeastern Europe that includes the Balkan Peninsula and areas north of the peninsula Balkanization The breakup or fragmentation of a state into smaller states or regions, usually as the result of violence or conflict among its ethnicities Cold War The period following World War II that consisted of political conflict, military tensions, and economic competition between the Soviet Union and its allies and the United States and ain ts eaconomic llies Practicing system that provides free choice and individual incentives for workers, investors, consumers, and business owners Practicing a social system in which all property is owned and shared by the entire society, with no property belonging to individual citizens Related to the political system in which the supreme power lies with the people who are able to elect individuals to represent them in government The process of transforming a non-­‐
-­‐-­‐ democratic political system into a more democratic political system Capitalist Communist Democratic Democratization Separatism The status of calling for separation from a state Subnationalism Occurs when groups of people in a state do not view themselves as citizens of the state but instead see themselves primarily as members of a specific ethnic group Satellite states Shatterbelt theory Shatterbelt Terrorism States held under Soviet domination A theory introduced by American political geographer Saul Cohen that argued that divided the world into the Pivot Area (Eastern Europe and Western Asia), otf he Inner A state or a group states that Crescent (the area immediately are surrounding the Ptivot rea), and located between wo lA
arger the Outer Csrescent conflicting tates (the rest of the world); Cohen argued that Cold War conflicts would occur in areas of the Inner Crescent called shatterbelts You should recall that terrorism—the deliberate use of violence by an individual or group
against civilians to further a religious, political, or social agenda—often has its roots in
many different causes. The causes are often related to political, religious, and social
issues. Terrorists, either groups or individuals, use violence to achieve their goals.
Individuals or small groups acting on their own are most often concerned with local or
national goals. Well-organized and -financed groups are more likely to operate regionally
or globally. In some cases, the government of a state supports terrorism either by
providing sanctuary, contributing weapons and/or money, or helping the group plan
attacks on others.
Geography and terrorism are linked in several ways. Terrorists do not abide by
agreements or laws that establish borders between states and often pass across borders to
commit their terrorist acts. The transnational nature of terrorism makes the fight against it
very difficult.
Cooperation among states can help combat terrorism on a global scale. Terrorists also use
geography to avoid capture. For example, terrorists might build training camps or
hideouts in mountainous regions that are difficult to traverse. Sometimes these hideouts
are located in the same area as innocent civilians, making it difficult for a country’s
armed forces to seek out terrorists in these areas. Terrorist individuals commit attacks on
all geographic scales, from local to global.
Diplomacy The art of foreign governments working together to make decisions and solve problems using nonviolent methods, such as discussion and negotiation Jihad A holy war Reconnaissance The act of surveying or spying to collect information about an enemy State-­‐-­‐-­‐sponsored terrorism Government support of terrorist organizations Shantytowns Slum neighborhoods formed on the outskirts of cities, often consisting of makeshift housing made out of materials such as scrap wood or cardboard Soviet Union A former communist country whose territory included the following present-­‐-­‐-­‐day countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan The use of violence by an individual or group against civilians to push a religious, political, or social agenda Terrorism Transnational Crossing international boundaries International Cooperation You have learned that states may choose to cooperate at the regional or global level in order to achieve shared political, economic, or social goals. Understanding the types of formal alliances in which states may affiliate with will help you succeed on the AP Human Geography Exam and better understand the complex interactions between states in the world today. You have also learned how membership in such alliances may influence the lives of the people living in member states. Regional alliances encourage the distribution of power to states within a certain region. Due to their high levels of national power, superpowers can exercise influence over the lives of not only their own populations but also places around the world. Alliance A formal association of individuals, groups, or states Bloc A combination of nations or states that form a union with a common purpose A supranational economic alliance among more than 25 European member states that work together to reach various economic, political, and military goals European Union (EU) Economic alliance Environmental alliance Globalization An alliance in which states agree to cooperate to achieve common economic goals An alliance in which member states work to address shared environmental problems The process by which national or regional economic, political, and military interests increasingly interact at the global scale Gross domestic product (GDP) The total value of produced goods and services in a country over a specified period, typically over one year Kyoto Protocol A treaty tied to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that created an international alliance and An alliance in which states established goals for agree industrialized sto tates to reduce cooperate t
o p
rovide mutual carbon emissions by self-­‐
-­‐-­‐ approximately defense or achieve common 5 percent in military g
oals relation to 1990 levels Military alliance Multilateralism A term that refers to many countries working together toward common goals or to resolve shared issues North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) A supranational organization that was formed during the Cold War to defend members from possible military aggression by the former Soviet Union and its alliance North American Free Trade Alliance This economic alliance, comprising (NAFTA) the United States, Canada, and Mexico, aims to encourage free trade throughout North America Organization of Petroleum A group of developing countries Exporting Countries (OPEC) with a common policy of producing and selling petroleum Political alliance An alliance in which states come together on an international or interregional level to pursue a common political agenda or to resolve political disputes Regional alliance An alliance in which states in the same geographic region cooperate to achieve goals beneficial to the region Supranationalism Multiple states coming together to form alliances in an effort to meet common cultural, economic, or military goals A state that is capable of exercising great influence on global events Superpower Strategic Defense Initiative A plan, created by the Reagan administration, that called for the development of orbiting satellites with the capability of shooting down Soviet missiles targeting the United States The Maastricht Treaty The 1992 treaty that created the European Union and established a common currency (the euro), enhanced regional foreign policy, granted members common citizenship rights, and improved cooperation among member states in matters of immigration, legal affairs, and trade An international political alliance of approximately 200 independent states that work together to promote international peace and security A supranational military alliance that the Soviet Union and its satellite states formed during the Cold War to protect their territory from NATO interference United Nations (UN) Warsaw Pact Distribution of Power You should recall that governments are organized in one of three basic political systems: unitary, federal, or confederate. The type of political structure dictates the way in which power is shared within the country. In some countries, political power is held solely by the central government, while in other instances power is shared between the central and local governments. However, in some countries, citizens may be unhappy with the existing distribution of power and work for a change. In some cases, they may ask to have the powers of government devolved, that is, reassign more power to regional and local governments of a country. Others may seek to leave the country altogether and declare independence or join with another neighboring country through a process called irredentism, which is usually based on ethno-­‐nationalist desires. When a country breaks up, the process is known as dissolution. Irredentism is often the cause of dissolution. All of these actions are related to political power distribution. Authoritarian A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator Annexation The act of incorporating a smaller territory or nation into a larger state Allied Forces of World War I A group of countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the Russian Empire, Belgium, Serbia, Italy, Japan, Greece, and Romania, that fought against Germany and its allies during World War I Devolution The transfer of power from a national government to a regional (or subnational) government Federalism A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments Irredentism A policy advocating an ethnic group seceding from a multi-­‐-­‐-­‐national state to form its own independent state or a minority ethnic group that seeks annexation by a culturally similar sovereign state Reunification The coming together of something that was previously divided Secede To withdraw formally from membership of a political union Electoral Geography As people move from one place to another, districts change to reflect the changing spatial distribution of the population. But other factors shape districts, too. The legislators who redraw district boundaries may try to help their parties win more elections by grouping together voters who will likely vote for them. This may influence who gets elected for many years and have a great impact on the people who live in a district. In this lesson, you will learn about how political geography shapes elections. You will learn about the processes that take place to determine electoral geography, especially as it relates to the United States. In this lesson, when referring to one of the 50 U.S. states, the word State will begin with a capital letter to help distinguish from world states, or countries. Apportionment The allocation of seats in the House of Representatives as determined by the census Census A periodic process of acquiring and recording information of a national population taken by the government Scientists who study the statistics of human populations, including population size, population growth, age structure, and the forces that lead to population change Demographers Demographics Information about a population, such as age, race, ethnicity, and gender Excess vote gerrymandering A gerrymandering technique that concentrates many voters of the opposing party into one district Gerrymandering The process of drawing electoral district boundaries to benefit a certain political party Majority-­‐-­‐-­‐minority district A district in which the majority of the population is from a minority group The process of redrawing political district boundaries Redistricting Stacked gerrymandering Wasted vote gerrymandering The drawing of unusual, circuitous boundaries to enclose pockets of strengths or weaknesses A gerrymandering technique that spreads out many voters of the opposing party across many districts to dilute their votes DBA Questions: 1. What is the definition of a state? How have imperialism and colonialism impacted the development of the modern state? 2. What is territorial morphology? Identify the five basic state shapes and explain how each shape affects the governability of a state. 3. What is supranationalism? Why is there a need for supranational organizations? What are the advantages and disadvantages of joining a supranational organization? 4. What is the difference between irredentism and devolution? Give a real-­‐world example of each concept? 5. What is electoral geography? Define gerrymandering and explain the impact of gerrymandering on elections.