State
an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs
Sovereignty
Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states
Microstates
A state that encompasses a versy small land area
City-States
A sovereign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland
Colony
A territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent
Colonialism
Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, econnomic, and cultural principles in another territory
Imperialism
Control of territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society
Boundry
Invisible line tha tmarks the extent of a state's territory
Compact State
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly
Prorupted State
An otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension
Elongated State
A state with a long, narrow shape
Fragmented State
A state taht includes serveral discontinuous pieces of territory
Perforated State
A state that comletely surrounds another one
Landlocked state
A state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea
Frontier
A zone separating 2 states in which neither stae exercises political control
Unitary State
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials
Federal State
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government.
Gerrymandering
Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
Balance of Power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.