AP Human Geography- Barron’s Political Geography Vocabulary – Flashcards

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Antecedent boundaries
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A boundary line established before an area is populated
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Balkanization
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The contentious political process by which a state may break up into smaller countries
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Buffer state
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A relatively small country sandwiched between two larger powers. Their existence may help to prevent dangerous conflicts between powerful countries
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Centrifugal forces
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Forces that tend to divide a country
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Centripetal forces
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Forces that tend to unite or bind a country together
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Colonialism
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The expansion and perpetuation of an empire
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Commonwealth of Independent States
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Confederacy of independent states of the former Soviet Union that have united because of common economic and administrative needs
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Compact state
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A state that possess a roughly circular, oval, or rectangular territory in which the distance from the geometric center is relatively equal in all directions
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Confederation
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A form of an international organization that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose
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Domino theory
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The idea that political destabilization in one country can lead to collapse of political stability in neighboring countries, starting a chain reaction of collapse
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East/west divide
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Geographic separation between the largely democratic and free-market countries of Western Europe and the Americas from the communist and socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia
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Electoral College
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A certain number of electors from each state proportional to and seemingly representative of that state's population. Each elector chooses a candidate believing they are representing their constituency's choice. The candidate who receives a higher proportion of electoral votes within a state receives all the electoral vote for that state
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Electoral vote
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The decision of a particular state elector that represents the dominant views of that elector's state
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Elongated state
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A state whose territory is long and narrow in shape
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Enclaves
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Any small and relatively homogeneous group or region surrounded by another larger and different group or region
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European Union
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International organization comprised of Western European countries to promote free trade among members
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Exclave
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A bounded territory that is part of a particular state but is separated from it by the territory of a different state
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Federalism
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A system of government in which power is distributed among certain geographical territories rather than concentrated within a central government
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Fragmented state
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A state that is not a contiguous whole but rather separated parts
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Frontier
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An area where borders are shifting and weak and where peoples of different cultures or nationalities meet and lay claim to the land
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Geometric boundary
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Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines
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Geopolitics
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The study of the interplay between political relations and the territorial context in which they occur
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Gerrymandering
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The designation of voting districts so as to favor a particular political party or candidate
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Heartland theory
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Hypothesis proposed by Halford Mckinder that held that any political power based in the heart of Eurasia could gain enough strength to eventually dominate the world
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Imperialism
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The perpetuation of a colonial empire even after it is no longer politically sovereign
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International organization
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An alliance of two or more countries seeking cooperation with each other without giving up either's autonomy or self-determination
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Landlocked state
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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
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Law of the sea
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Law establishing states' rights and responsibilities concerning the ownership and use of the earth's seas and oceans and their resources
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Lebensraum
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Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people
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Microstate
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A state or territory that is small both in population and area
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Nation
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Tighly knit group of individuals sharing a common language, ethnicity, religion, and other cultural attributes
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Nationalism
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A sense of national pride to such an extent of exalting one nation above all others
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Nation-state
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A country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity
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North American Free Trade Agreement
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Agreement signed on January 1, 1994, that allows the opening of borders between the United States, Mexico, and Canada
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
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An international organization that has joined together for military purposes
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North/south divide
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The economic division between the wealth countries of Europe and North America, Japan, and Australia and the generally poorer countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
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Organic theory
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The view that states resemble biological organisms with life cycles that include stages of youth, maturity, and old age
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Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
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An international economic organization whose member countries all produce and export oil
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Perforated state
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A state whose territory completely surrounds that of another state
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Physical boundary
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Political boundaries that correspond with prominent physical features such as mountain ranges or rivers
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Political geography
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The spatial analysis of political phenomena and processes
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Popular vote
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The tally of each individual's vote within a given geographic area
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Prorupted state
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A state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away from the main territory
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Reapportionment
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The process of a reallocation of electoral seats to defined territories
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Rectangular state
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A state whose territory is rectangular in shape
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Redistricting
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The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes
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Relic boundaries
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Old political boundaries that no longer exist as international borders, but that have left an enduring mark on the local cultural or environmental geography
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Rimland theory
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Nicholas Spykman's theory that the domination of the coastal fringes of Eurasia would provide the base for world conquest
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Self-determination
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The right of a nation to govern itself automatically
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Sovereignty
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Supreme or independent political power
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State
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A politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by the international community
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States' rights
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Rights and powers believed to be in the authority of the state rather than the federal government
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Subsequent boundaries
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Boundary line established after an area has been settled that considers the social and cultural characteristics of the area
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Superimposed boundaries
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Boundary line drawn in an are ignoring the existing cultural pattern
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Supranational organization
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Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives
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Territorial dispute
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Any dispute over land ownership
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Territorial organization
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Political organization that distributes political power in more easily governed units of land
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Theocracy
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A state whose government is either believed to be divinely guided or a state under the control of a group of religious leaders
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Unitary state
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A state governed constitutionally as a unity, without internal divisions or a federalist delegation of powers
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United Nations
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A global supranational organization established at the end of World War II to foster international security and cooperation
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