balance of power
Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries. Ex. The policy in international relations by which, beginning in the eighteenth century, the major European states acted together to prevent any one of them from bec
Berlin Conference
(1884-1885) During European Imperialism, various European leaders met in Berlin, Germany to discuss plans for dividing Africa peacefully. These leaders had little regard for African independence, and had no representation for native Africans. This began t
boundary
An invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory Ex. enclave, enclaves, land locked countries
capital
An economic system based on open competition in a free market. Ex. individuals and companies own the means of production and operate for profit.
Centripetal
An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state Ex. In the Muslim north, twelve states have Shari'a laws
Centrifugal
Forces that tend to divide a country. Ex. international religious, linguistic, ethnic, or ideological differences
city-state
A small independent state consisting of an urban center and the surrounding agricultural territory. Ex. political form in early Mesopotamia, Archaic and Classical Greece, Phoenicia, and early Italy.
colonialism
Rule by an autonomous power over a subordinate and alien people and place. Although often established and maintained through political structures, colonialism also creates unequal cultural and economic relations. Ex. Because of the magnitude and impact of
colony
A group of people who leave their native country to form a new land settlement connected to their parent nation. Ex. Plymouth colony of the pilgrims
compact state
A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly Ex. Poland
core
Site where particular processes take place Ex. core is where you are most likely to find higher education, higher salaries, and more technology
democratization
The process of creating a government elected by the people Ex. People are allowed to vote for their own leaders. In USSR led to the rise of Boris Yeltizin
devolution
The transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states Ex. Devolution was an idea that found particular resonance in the Republican Party during the 1990s. It continues to be rallying cry for conservatives.,
elongated state
A state with a long, narrow shape Ex. Chile
EEZ
Exclusive Economic Zone - a sea zone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. Ex. Norway has one of the largest and within it are many natural resources such as fish, petroleum and gas,
Enclave
A country or a portion of a country found entirely within the borders of another country. Ex. Vatican City is an enclave within Italy.
Exclave
A portion of a country that is not physically connected to the main country, but is not an island. Ex. Kalingrad in Europe (Russia) and Alaska would be considered exclaves.
federal state
An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government Ex. United States
fragmented state
A state that includes several discontinuous territories Ex. Indonesia
frontier
A frontier is a zone where no state exercises complete political control. It is usually uninhabited or sparsely inhabited. It separates countries where a boundary cannot be found. Ex. found between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
geometric boundaries
straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and/or cultural differences Ex. United States/Canada border
geopolitics
Geopolitics is the study that analyzes geography, history and social science with reference to international politics. Ex. It examines the political and strategic significance of geography, where geography is defined in terms of the location, size, and re
gerrymander
Apportionment of voters in districts in Ex. way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party.
globalization
Globalization describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of political ideas Ex. through communication, transportation, and trade
governance
divided government Ex. Berlin
high seas
a technical outside of the 12-miles limit. Ex. Past that line, cruise ships can open their casinos and ship captains gain the authority to marry couples or arrest thieves onboard their ships
imperialism
A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically, or socially. Ex. This led to the creation of a number of European empires which extended around the world.
irredentism
A form of nationalism whose goal is to regain territory lost to another state Ex. it can lead directly to violent interstate conflicts
landlocked state
A state that is completely surrounded by the land of other states, which gives it a disadvantage in terms of accessibility to and from international trade routes Ex. Bolivia
microstate
A state that encompasses a very small area Ex. Vatican City
multicore state
a state that has more than one dominant region in terms of economics or politics Ex. US, South Africa
nation
A sense of unity binding the people of a state together; devotion to the interests of a particular country or nation, an identification with the state and an acceptance of national goals. Ex. Between 1791 and 1815, the French not only ventured through the
nation-state
A state whose territory corresponds to that which is occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality Ex. Japan
multinational state
A state that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities Ex. United Kingdom
perforated state
A state that completely surrounds another one Ex. Italy
periphery
Site where particular processes take place Ex. Commonly has lower levels of education, lower salaries, and less technology
physical boundaries
Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers Ex. Boundary between Spain and France is the crest of the Pyrenees Mountains.
prorupted state
An adhesive compact state with a large expansion Ex. Thailand
Semi-periphery
Places where core and periphery processes are both occurring. Ex. Mexico
sovereignty
A government has the right, in principle, to do whatever it wants in its own territory. Ex. A government policy toward American Indians that allows each tribe to regulate its own people an operate according to its own customs.
state
A group of people living in a defined territory, having a government with absolute power within its territory to decide its own policies. Ex. United States of America
stateless nation
Nation that doesn't have a state, a nation of people that does not have a territory to legally occupy Ex. Palestinians, Kurds, and Basques
territorial waters
The waters near states' shores generally treated as part of national territory. Ex. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides for a 12-mile territorial sea (exclusive national jurisdiction over shipping and navigation) and a 200-mile exclusive econ
territoriality
In political geography, a country's or more local community's sense of property and attachment toward its territory Ex. expressed by its determination to keep it inviolable and strongly defended.
terrorism
Political use of violence to weaken a hated authority. Ex. Started in 1990s (World trade center bombed). 911. New fear of Communism, the reason U.S is in Afghanistan.
unitary state
An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials. Ex. By contrast to the federal systems of Germany, India, Canada, or the US, where power is shared between the central government and state or regiona
Supranational organizations
A venture involving three or more nation-states involving formal political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives. Ex. The European Union is one such organization
UNCLOS
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: a code of maritime law approved by the UN in 1982. Ex. It authorizes, among other provisions, territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles from shore and 200 nautical mile wide exclusive economic zones.
United Nations
It was founded after WWII in 1945 at the signing of the United Nations Charter by 50 countries, replacing the League of Nations, founded in 1919. Ex. Aimed to create cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social pr
World Systems Theory
A view of the global economic system as divided between nations that control wealth and those that provide natural resources and labor. Ex. Wallersteins theory of the core, semi periphery, periphery, and external areas.