Nations and Nationalism
This term describes a group of people with a common culture, language, and identity who may or may not have their own state.
What is a nation?
The "Scramble for Africa" in the late 1800s was primarily driven by European countries seeking this type of control over African territories.
What is colonialism/imperialism?
Forces that unify a country and promote stability are called this.
What are centripetal forces?
This is the redrawing of electoral district boundaries to favor one political party over another.
What is gerrymandering?
The United Kingdom's 2016 vote to leave the European Union was called this.
What is Brexit?
The Kurds, spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, are the world's largest example of this:
What is a stateless nation?
This 1884-1885 conference divided Africa among European powers without African input, creating many of today's boundary problems.
What is the Berlin Conference?
A common national language, shared religion, or strong national identity are all examples of this type of force.
What are centripetal forces?
In this type of gerrymandering, opposition voters are spread across many districts to dilute their voting power.
What is cracking?
This international body, established after World War II, includes a Security Council with five permanent members who have veto power.
What is the United Nations (UN)?
This ideology promotes loyalty and devotion to a nation, often emphasizing shared culture, language, and history as reasons for independence.
What is nationalism?
Many African boundaries are described as this type because they were imposed by colonial powers and often ignore ethnic and cultural divisions.
What are superimposed boundaries?
Ethnic conflict, economic inequality between regions, and lack of connectivity are examples of these forces that divide a state.
In this type of gerrymandering, opposition voters are concentrated into few districts to limit their overall representation.
What is packing?
When ethnic groups straddle international boundaries and seek to unite with their co-ethnics across the border, it creates this type of conflict.
What is irredentism?
Japan and Iceland are examples of this type of state, where the boundaries of the nation closely match the boundaries of the state.
What is a nation-state?
The period after World War II saw this process, where colonies gained independence and became sovereign states.
What is decolonization?
This term describes the central location in a state that serves as a focus for culture, politics, and economics, often acting as a centripetal force.
What is a core/capital/primate city?
The U.S. Census, conducted every 10 years, is used to determine this redistribution of congressional seats among states.
What is reapportionment?
Extending 200 nautical miles from a coast, this zone gives a country exclusive rights to fish and extract resources like oil and natural gas.
What is an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?
When a state contains multiple nations or ethnic groups within its borders, such as India or Nigeria, it is called this.
What is a multinational state/multiethnic state?
The artificial straight-line boundaries created during colonialism are known as this type of boundary, and often cut through ethnic territories like the division between North and South Sudan.
What are geometric boundaries/superimposed geometric boundaries?
The deliberate creation of national symbols like flags, anthems, and monuments to promote unity is an example of this process.
What is nation-building/creating national identity/fostering nationalism?
The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries after each census is called this.
What is redistricting?
This heavily fortified boundary between North and South Korea has paradoxically become a wildlife sanctuary due to decades without human activity.
What is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)?