Study 7. Political Geography and Territorial Organization with 12 free online flashcards. Review key terms, definitions, and concepts with this interactive flashcard deck.
What is a state?
A state is a political organization that exercises authority over a territory and its population. Common characteristics include a permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity for relations with other states.
What is a nation?
A nation is a community whose members share a sense of collective identity, which may be based on language, religion, history, ethnicity, political experience, or a shared homeland.
What is a nation-state?
A nation-state is a state whose territorial boundaries closely correspond to the territory of a nation. Perfect overlap is uncommon because most states contain multiple cultural groups.
What does internal sovereignty mean?
Internal sovereignty is a state’s ability to make and enforce laws, collect taxes, provide services, regulate movement, and administer its territory.
What does external sovereignty mean?
External sovereignty is the principle that a state is legally independent from the authority of other states. It operates within treaties and customary international law.
How is authority organized in a unitary state?
In a unitary state, the central government retains most political power, though it may delegate responsibilities to regional or local governments.
What is territoriality?
Territoriality is the process by which individuals, groups, or states claim, organize, defend, and regulate space.
How does a boundary differ from a border?
A boundary is a legally defined line separating political territories, whereas a border is the wider zone surrounding that line and the activities occurring there.
What is a superimposed boundary?
A superimposed boundary is imposed by outside authorities across existing cultural patterns, potentially dividing communities or ignoring established identities.
What functions do political boundaries perform?
A boundary can regulate migration and trade, organize elections and taxation, identify where laws apply, and symbolize political identity. It can also separate people, economies, resources, or ecosystems.
What is self-determination?
Self-determination is the principle that peoples should be able to determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.
Why can self-determination conflict with territorial integrity?
Self-determination can conflict with territorial integrity because a people’s demand for a new political status may challenge the existing boundaries of a sovereign state.