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AlQaeda:
Aphrasemeaning"thebase,"isabroadtermforbothterroristorganizationanda
"brandname"ofaffiliates.ItisaworldwidenetworkofmilitantIslamicorganizationsand
individualsintenselyopposedtotheUnitedStatesthatdispensesmoneyandlogisticalsupport
andtrainingtoawidevarietyofradicalIslamicterroristgroups.

Annexation
:Incorporationofaterritoryintoanothergeopoliticalentity.

BalanceofPower:
Conditionofroughlyequalstrengthbetweenopposingcountriesoralliancesof
countries.

BorderLandscape:
Therearetwotypes,exclusionaryandinclusionary.Exclusionaryismeantto
keeppeopleout,suchastheborderbetweentheU.S.andMexico.Inclusionaryismeantto
facilitatetradeandmovement,suchastheU.S.Canadaborder.

Boundarydisputes:
Conflictsoverthelocation,size,andextentofbordersbetweennations.
ThereisconflictoverwhereexactlytheborderisbetweentheU.S.andMexico,especiallyalong
theRioGrandebecausetheriverhaschangedcourseandmoved,anditisthetraditionalborder.

Boundarytype:
Manyboundariesarenaturalboundaries,formedbyrivers,mountains,etc.There
arealsopoliticalboundaries.Theseareoftenformedthroughwarandcompromiseintreatiesand
agreements.Incountriesoftenformculturalboundariesthatusedtobelongtoagroupscultural
homeland.However,countriesinAfrica,theMiddleEastandelsewherearen'tarrangedby
culturebutpolitics,andWesterncountriesturnedtheirformercoloniesintonationswithout
respectforculture.

Bufferstate:
Acountrylyingbetweentwomorepowerfulcountriesthatarehostiletoeach
other.AnexampleisMongolia,whichservesasabufferbetweenRussiaandChina.

Capital:
Principlecityinastateorcountry.Thebestplacetolocateacapitalisatthecenterof
acountry,soitisasomewhatequaldistancefromallpartsofthecountry.

Citystate:
Aregioncontrolledbyacityandthathassovereignty.Theyweremorecommonin
themiddleagesandRenaissanceinEurope.

Colonialism:
Theattemptbyacountrytoestablishsettlementsandimposepoliticaland
economiccontrolandprinciples.Itwasabigthinginthe17ththrough20thcenturyfor
countriesinEuropetotakeareasaroundtheworldandmakethemintocolonies.

Colony:
Aterritorythatislegallytiedtoasovereignstateratherthancompletelyindependent.

CompactState:
Astateinwiththedistancefromthecentertoanyboundarydoesnotvary
significantly.

Confederation:
associationofsovereignstatesbyatreatyoragreement.Itdealswithissuessuch
asdefense,foreignaffairs,trade,andacommoncurrency.

ConferenceofBerlin:
RegulatedtradeandcolonizationinAfrica.Itformalizedthescrambleto
gaincoloniesinAfricaandsetupboundariesforeachcountryscolonies.

Core/periphery:
Corecountrieshavehighlevelsofdevelopment,acapacityatinnovationanda
convergenceoftradeflows.Peripherycountriesusuallyhavelessdevelopmentandarepoorer
countries.

Decolonization:
DecolonizationisthemovementofAmerican/Europeancoloniesgaining
independence.Somewerepeacefulstruggleswhileothersbecameviolent.

Devolution:
Devolutionistheboththedecentralizationofagovernmentfromaunitarytoa
federalsystemorafracturingofagovernmentlikeBalkanization.

Dominotheory:
Dominotheoryistheideathatifonelandinaregioncameundertheinfluence
ofCommunists,thenmorewouldfollowinadominoeffect.Thedominotheorywasusedby
successiveUnitedStatesadministrationsduringtheColdWar,tojustifyAmericanintervention
aroundtheworld.

ExclusiveEconomicZone:
AnExclusiveEconomicZone(EEZ)isaseazoneoverwhichastatehas
specialrightsovertheexplorationanduseofmarineresources.ThecountrythatcontrolstheEEZ
hasrightstothefishing,whaling,etc.,aswellastherawmaterialresources.

Electoralregions:
Electoralregionsarethedifferentvotingdistrictsthatmakeuplocal,state,
andnationalregions.

Enclave/exclave
:Anenclaveisacountryorpartofacountrymostlysurroundedbytheterritory
ofanothercountryorwhollylyingwithintheboundariesofanothercountry(Lesotho).Anexclave
isacountrywhichisgeographicallyseparatedfromthemainpartbysurroundingalienterritory
(Azerbaijan).

EuropeanUnion
:TheEuropeanUnion(EU)isasupranationalandintergovernmentalunionof27
democraticmemberstatesofEurope.TheEU'sactivitiescovermostareasofpublicpolicy,from
economicpolicytoforeignaffairs,defense,agricultureandtrade.TheEuropeanUnionisthe
largestpoliticalandeconomicentityontheEuropeancontinent,witharound500millionpeople
andanestimatedGDPofUS$13.4trillion.

Federal:
Federalismisapoliticalphilosophyinwhichagrouporbodyofmembersarebound
togetherwithagoverningrepresentativehead.Federalismisthesysteminwhichthepowerto
governissharedbetweenthenational&stategovernments.

Forwardcapital
:Aforwardcapitalisasymbolicallyrelocatedcapitalcityusuallybecauseofeither
economicorstrategicreasons.Aforwardcapitalissometimesusedtointegrateoutlyingpartsofa
countryintothestate.AnexamplewouldbeBraslia.

FragmentedState:
Astatethatincludesseveraldiscontinuouspieceofterritory.

Frontier:
Afrontierisazonewherenostateexercisescompletepoliticalcontrol.Itisusually
uninhabitedorsparselyinhabited.Itseparatescountrieswhereaboundarycannotbefound.A
currentexamplecanbefoundbetweenSaudiArabiaandYemen.

Geopolitics:
Geopoliticsisthestudythatanalyzesgeography,historyandsocialsciencewith
referencetointernationalpolitics.Itexaminesthepoliticalandstrategicsignificanceof
geography,wheregeographyisdefinedintermsofthelocation,size,andresourcesofplaces.

Gerrymander:
Gerrymanderingistheprocessofredrawinglegislativeboundariesforthepurpose
ofbenefitingthepoliticalpartyinpower.Theprocessisusuallyusedtoturntooclosetocall
statesintoapartysfavor.

Globalcommons:
Globalcommonsisthatwhichnoonepersonorstatemayownorcontroland
whichiscentraltolife.Aglobalcommoncontainsaninfinitepotentialwithregardtothe
understandingandadvancementofthebiologyandsocietyofalllife.(Forests,oceans,landmass
andculturalidentity)

Heartland/rimland:
Heartlandisthecentralregionofacountryorcontinent;especiallyaregion
thatisimportanttoacountryortoaculture.Rimlandisthemaritimefringeofacountryor
continent.

Immigrantstate
:Animmigrantstateisatypeofreceivingstatewhichisthetargetofmany
immigrants.Immigrantstatesarepopularbecauseoftheireconomy,politicalfreedom,and
opportunity.OneexamplewouldbetheUSA.

Imperialism
:theextensionofnationalpower,authority,orinfluencetoothercountriesor
regionsthroughpoliciesofdirectorindirectcontrol.Unlikecolonialism,thisusuallysuggeststhe
impactofonesociety,thinkingitselfsuperior,uponanotherinawaythatmaytransformboth.
MostcommonlythetermreferstoEuropeanexpansionismintheperiodfollowingtheAmerican
Revolution,whenBritainandFrance,inparticular,shiftedtheirinterestfromtheNewWorldand
fromcoloniesofwhitesettlementtoAsiaand,later,toAfrica.

LandlockedState:
Astatethatdoesnothaveadirectoutlettothesea.

Microstate:
Astatethatencompassesaverysmalllandarea.

PerforatedState:
Astatethatcompletelysurroundanotherone.

Proruptedstate:
anotherwisecompactstatewithalargeprojectingextension.

Sovereignty:
Abilityofastatetogovernitsterritoryfreefromcontrolofitsinternalaffairsby
otherstates.

State
:Anareaorganizedintoapoliticalunitandruledbyanestablishedgovernmentwith
controloveritsinternalforeignaffairs.

UnitaryState:
Aninternalorganizationfoastatetheplacesmostpowerinthehandofacentral
governmentofficials.