Political Organization of Space - AP Human Geography

The Atlantic Triangular Trade of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries featured the transportation of trinkets from Europe to Africa, slaves from Africa to the Caribbean, molasses from the Caribbean to Europe, and rum from New England to Europe. The trade did not feature the transportation of tobacco from Europe to the Americas. Rather, tobacco was transported from the Americas, particularly from the American colonies, to Europe.

Colonialism is when a more powerful country attempts to assert its power and influence over a weaker country. Self-determination is the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and governments. Sovereignty is the authority of a state to govern itself. Diffusion is the spreading of culture from one area to another. Irredentism refers to the belief that territory outside a given state should be made part of the state due to a large amount of people living there of the same ethnicity as live in the state in question or due to the state having historically been in possession of the territory.

Colonialism refers to the process by which one nation exercises near complete control over another country which they have settled and taken over. Often, the governing country uses the colony for its resources, taking what is useful without regard to the original inhabitants. This often leads to mistreatment of the original inhabitants, degradation of the local environment, and introduction of previously unknown diseases.

The correct answer is the opposite of what is typically expected in colonialism. The colony is usually the recipient of colonists from the colonizing country, not the other way around. Typically, there is a mass migration of people from the colonizing country into the colony. This helps to solidify control of the colony.

The term “Neo-colonialism” has emerged in recent years to refer to the continued economic dependence of colonies on their former occupiers. The implication of the term is that, although the colonial powers no longer exert political or militaristic control over the former colonies, they are still able to control the population of these countries to variable degrees through economic and cultural processes.

The Berlin Conference was convened in 1884 with the intention of dividing up the continent of Africa among the various European imperial powers (Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy). It is one of the most significant events during the age of imperialism (circa 1870-1914).

Algeria was once a major colony of France and was under French control until the 1960s. Despite having achieved independence half a century ago the economy of Algeria remains closely tied to the economy of France. Whilst Algeria accounts for a little over one-percent of French trade (making it relatively insignificant to France), France accounts for a quarter of Algerian trade (making it extremely significant to Algeria). This form of economic control over a former colony is known as “Neo-colonialism.”

“Mercantilism” was the prevailing economic theory during the first few centuries of European expansion and colonialism. It emphasized maintaining a favorable balance of trade and the accumulation of precious metals. In practice this meant stripping the colonies of their raw resources, bringing them back to Europe, and either storing them or using them in manufacturing. Mercantilism was eventually replaced by free-market capitalism as the dominant economic theory in Europe and much of the world.

During the last few decades of the nineteenth century, and the early twentieth century, the European imperial powers carved the continent of Africa among themselves. This was done uncooperatively though the so-called “Scramble for Africa” and cooperatively with the Berlin Conference in 1884-1885. Of these countries, all are correctly labeled except Mozambique and Great Britain. Mozambique was under the control of Portugal.

Indochina, often called French Indochina, was a colonial possession of the French Empire until the decolonization period that followed World War II. It was conquered by the Japanese during the war but returned to France following the conclusion of the war. In the 1950s, part of a wider global movement away from imperialism and political colonization, the countries that made up Indochina gained their independence.

The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed between the empires of Spain and Portugal in 1494. It effectively divided the continent of South America between a Spanish-controlled empire and a Portuguese-controlled empire. This distinction remains important to this day, even since independence, because it represents a cultural and linguistic distinction. Those that fell on the Portuguese side of this arbitrary line now live in Brazil and continue to speak Portuguese; those that fell on the Spanish side live in the rest of South America and continue to speak Spanish.

When the European empires were dividing up Africa into colonies, and later into independent states, they created “superimposed boundaries.” “Superimposed boundaries” are political barriers drawn in an area with complete disregard for the cultural, religious, and ethnic divisions within the people living there. It occurred frequently in Africa as the era of colonialism came to an end and the European powers created independent nations recklessly, without paying attention to the cultural divisions already in existence in the region.

Antarctica is not owned by any sovereign nation, but many different countries around the world have claimed all or part of the territory in their recent history. Some of the biggest claims have been made by Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Argentina, but none of these claims are internationally respected or accepted.

Hadrian’s Wall once served as the final frontier of the far northern reaches of the Roman Empire. It separated civilized Britons from the barbarian Picts and Gauls. In the years since it’s significance as a political boundary has waned and it is now located entirely within the territory of England. Because it is no longer a political boundary, but once was, it is called a “relic boundary.”

In a theocracy the government is presumed to be divinely ordained by God. The highest law of the land is the law of God (in whatever that state’s religion is). Theocracies were more common in the past, but many still exist in the world today. And, many more countries which are nominally democracies or autocracies nonetheless have elements of theocracy.

Puerto Rico came into American possession in 1898, following American victory over the Spanish in the Spanish-American War. For a time it was administered as a territory of the United States; however, in the 1950s its status was changed to that of a commonwealth territory. The meaning of this is controversial and often debated, but it essentially means that Puerto Rico retains autonomy in some areas but is under the control of the American government in other areas.

Taiwan is an island off the coast of mainland China. In 1949, following his defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the nationalist Chiang Kai-Shek established his democratic China in Taiwan. For almost three decades this was the China that was recognized by most of the western world, whereas communist mainland China was considered illegitimate. Following the normalization of relations between China and the west in the wake of the death of Mao Zedong mainland China became recognized as the “real and legitimate” China. Taiwan exists in a kind of grey area in the minds of many people, although is considered part of China by the mainland Chinese government. It is called “Chinese Taipei” by many western governments out of a sort of diplomatic necessity.

Let's begin with separate definitions of the two entities. A state is similar to a country, in that it is a sovereign, bounded territory with its own government. Meanwhile a nation is a group of people with a shared culture and history. Neither is permanent, since a state can change its borders, and a nation can adjust its identity. Furthermore, nationhood is often tied powerfully to a piece of land, just as much as a state. Similarly, a state as much a product of history and people as a nation is. Thus the best description is the closest to our primary definitions: that a state is a political determination of sovereignty defined by its boundaries, while a nation is defined by its people.

Serving on the U.S. President's Cabinet is a high-ranking position within one of the most powerful governments in the world. This job is a high-level decision-making position in the government.

Working as a commercial plumber is not a high-ranking position. Even if said plumber owns their own small business, that person is not making high-level decisions that influence the economy.

Researching genetic-engineering for a government-funded firm is also not high-ranking. Researchers are low-level employees who gain data for the people that make decisions, but they themselves do not usually make the decisions for a company or firm.

Teaching new methods of irrigation for an NGO does require making decisions, but the decisions being made are not the high-level decisions that influence the economy of the NGO or a country.

Managing a Subway restaurant can require high-level decision making, but it is not the decision-making the ultimately influences the economic growth of the Subway company. The CEO of Subway is the only position within the company that would be considered to carry the high-level decision-making duties.

Apartheid was a social policy enforced by the South African government for much of the twentieth century, between its independence and the end of apartheid in 1990. It was a policy designed to enforce racial segregation—to keep black people and white people from interacting in daily life.

Apartheid was an official government policy of South Africa for much of the twentieth century. It was based on the belief that there is an inherent difference between the races and that people of different ethnicities should be prevented from working and living together by rules and regulations.