antecedent boundary a boundary line established before the area in question is well populated

autonomous/semi-autonomous region Regions in countries that have freedom from the

external government authority; geographically distinct with a minority group
-Mid-level devolution
-Ethnic groups can govern themselves to an extent but the government still has control over the
land
-Basques, Native American Reservations
Berlin Conference A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations
agreed on rules colonization of Africa
centrifugal force a force that divides people and countries
centripetal force An attitude that tends to unify people and enhance support for a state
choke point a strategic, narrow waterway between two larger bodies of water
colonialism Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political,
economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
compact state A state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary
significantly.
consequent boundary (syn ethnographic boundary) a boundary line that coincides with some
cultural divide, such as religion or language
contiguous zone Between 12 and 24 nautical miles from shore, a state may enforce laws
concerning pollution, taxation, customs, and immigration
De Facto Boundary by the area that its government is actually able to enforce its laws in, and
to defend against encroachments by other countries that may also claim the same territory de
jure
demilitarized zone an area with no military forces
devolution the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the
states
elongated state A state with a long, narrow shape.
ethnic cleansing Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less
powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region
ethnonationalism The identification and loyalty a person may feel for his or her nation.
exclave/enclave A enclave is a country or part of a country mostly surrounded by the
territory of another country; an exclave is one which is geographically separated from the main
part by surrounding alien territory. This is important to HG because a lot of countries are within
other countries.
exclusive economic zone area in which resources found up to 200 nautical miles offshore
belong exclusively to the geographically bordering country
failed state (fragile state) a state that cannot or does not perform its expected functions,
referred to by some scholars as a "failed state"
federal state An internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local
government.
first-order civil division Main territorial unit within countries, such as Canadian provinces
forward-thrust capital a capital city deliberately sited in a state's frontier zone
fragmented state A state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
frontier A zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control.
geometric boundary Political boundaries that are defined and delimited by straight lines.
gerrymandering Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting
the party in power.
imperialism A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or
military force.
international waters the areas of the sea that are not under the jurisdiction of any country
irredentism a policy of cultural extension and potential political expansion by a country aimed
at a group of its nationals living in a neighboring country
landlocked completely surrounded by land with no direct access to the ocean
maritime boundary an international boundary that lies in the ocean
multinational state 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.
multi-state nation (part-nation state) when a nation overlaps the boundaries of multiple
states/you have multiple nations states of the same the same nation (Arabia)
nation a politically organized body of people under a single government
nation-state A state whose territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that
has been transformed into a nationality
perforated state a state that completely surrounds another one
prorupted state A state that exhibits a narrow, elongated land extension leading away
from the main territory.
redistricting The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the
census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
relict boundary A political boundary that has ceased to function but the imprint of which
can still be detected on the cultural landscape.
self-determination Concept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves
separatism the breaking away of one part of a country to create a separate, independent
country
shatter belt a region where political alliances are constantly splintering and fracturing based
on ethnicity
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 ruled by an established government with
control over its internal and foreign affairs.
stateless nation A nationality that is not represented by a state.
subsequent boundary a boundary line that is established after the area in question has been
settled and that considers the cultural characteristics of the bounded area
superimposed boundary a boundary line placed over and ignoring an existing cultural
pattern
supranational organization Organization of three or more states to promote shared objectives.
territorial sea a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles from the baseline of
a coastal state
territoriality In political geography, a country's or more local community's sense of property
and attachment toward its territory, as expressed by its determination to keep it inviolable and
strongly defended.
terrorism Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating
panic among an enemy population
UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) A code of maritime law
approved by the United Nations in 1982 that authorizes, among other provisions, territorial
waters extending 12 nautical miles (22km) from shore and 200-nautical-mile-wide (370-km-
wide) exclusive economic zones.
unitary state An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central
government officials