Political Entities
This term describes a group of people with a shared cultural identity, often tied to language, ethnicity, or history, but not necessarily tied to a state.
What is a nation?
This type of boundary no longer exists but still is seen in cultural or political landscapes.
Unlike colonialism, this modern form of control relies on economic, political, and cultural influence rather than direct governance.
What is neocolonialism?
A narrow passageway of strategic importance that can be controlled to influence trade or military movement is called this.
What is a chokepoint?
A political system where power is divided between a central government and regional governments is called this.
What is a federal state? (Example: The United States)
This political entity consists of a single nation that is also a sovereign state, with a majority population sharing common cultural traits.
What is a nation-state?
This type of boundary was imposed on a region by an outside power, often without regard to local cultures.
What is a superimposed boundary?
European powers drew arbitrary borders in Africa and the Middle East, leading to modern conflicts. This resulted from this practice.
What are superimposed boundaries?
This term refers to a region caught between stronger, conflicting external forces, making it politically unstable.
What is a shatterbelt?
A political system where the central government holds most of the power, with limited regional autonomy, is called this.
What is a unitary state? (Example: France)
A cultural group that lacks a state of its own but desires political independence is called this.
What is a stateless nation?
This boundary was established before an area was well-populated and developed. Usually a natural feature is used to represent this type of boundary.
What is an antecedent boundary?
This concept was a major factor in the decolonization movements of the 20th century, as colonized nations sought independence.
What is self-determination?
Borders exist to define the limits of a state’s sovereignty and enforce this principle of political control over space.
What is territoriality?
The process in which regions within a state demand greater autonomy or independence, sometimes leading to fragmentation, is called this.
What is devolution?
A country that contains multiple nations within its borders is called this.
What is a multinational state?
A political boundary that follows a straight line or arc, regardless of physical or cultural differences, is called this.
What is a geometric boundary?
This event refers to European countries racing to claim and colonize parts of Africa.
- The Berlin Conference
This zone extends 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast, allowing exclusive control over natural resources.
What is the Exclusive Economic Zone? (EEZ)
The European Union and the United Nations are examples of this political concept, where multiple countries work together for mutual benefit.
What is supranationalism?
This is a region within a country that has a high-degree of self-rule but is still under the control of a central government.
What is an autonomous region?
A boundary drawn to accommodate existing cultural or ethnic divisions is known as this.
ex: The border between Pakistan and India is an example of this type of boundary.
What is a consequent boundary?
Hong Kong, India, and Canada were all colonized by this country
What is the United Kingdom? (UK, England, Britain, etc.)
This maritime zone extends 24 nautical miles from shore, where a state can enforce laws related to customs, pollution, and immigration.
What is the Contiguous Zone?
This practice involves manipulating the boundaries of voting districts to favor a particular political party or group.
What is gerrymandering?