The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography Chapter 8 Key Terms

balance of power

Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or allies of countries.

Berlin Conference

The meeting of European powers in 1884-85 resulting in the Berlin Treaty and the partition of Africa into colonies of the attending nations.

boundary

Invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory.

city-state

A sovereign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland.

civil divisions

Divisions that divide citizens.

colonialism

Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

colony

A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent.

compact state

A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly.

devolution

Transfer of powers from a state to separate locations.

elongated state

A state with a long, narrow shape.

exclave

Outlying portions of territories.

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zones)

An area (usually 370 km) from the shore in which a state has rights to explore, exploit, and manage natural resources in the seas.

fragmented state

A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.

federal state

An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.

frontier

A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.

high seas

Areas of seas considered beyond territorial waters.

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

imperialism

Control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society.

irredentism

The homeland of a nationality "spilling over" to another state.

landlocked state

A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea.

microstate

A state that encompasses a very small land area.

multinational state

State that contains two or more groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities.

perforated state

A state that completely surround another one.

prorupted state

An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension.

sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

state

An area organized into a political unit and is ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.

stateless nation

A nationality that is not represented by a state.

territorial waters

The area of sea around a country's coast recognized as being under that country's jurisdiction

unitary state

An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials.

supranationalism

Association of three or more states.

United Nations

An organization of nations that was formed in 1945 to promote peace, security, and international cooperation.