AP Human Geography Exam Review
Questions and Answers
Devolution - Answer-Process of transferring some power from the central
government to regional governments.
Domino theory - Answer-Notion that democratic allies must protect lands from falling
to the communists because one such communist acquisition creates others,
ultimately resulting in communist domination of the world. This theory led to the
containment doctrine, intended to keep the communists from acquiring new lands,
such as Vietnam.
Elongated state - Answer-State with a long, thin shape.
Enclave (political) - Answer-Part of a state surrounded completely by another state.
Different from ethnic enclave.
Ethnonationalism - Answer-Powerful emotional attachment people have for their
nation when it is a minority within a state, making them feel they are different from
the rest of the state's people.
European Economic Community (Common Market) - Answer-Supranational
economic alliance of European countries wanting to form a European market.
Established in 1958, it was a precursor to the current European Union.
European Union (EU) - Answer-Supranational organization of nearly 25 member-
states in Europe that have integrated for improved economic and political
cooperation.
Exclave - Answer-Enclave that is a territorial political extension of another state.
Exclusive economic zone - Answer-According the UNCLOS, a 200-nautical-mile
area extending along a state's coast to which that state has economic rights.
Federal governmental structure - Answer-Organizational structure with a central
government that shares power with strong regional governments.
Forward capital - Answer-Capital city built by a state to achieve a national goal.
Fragmented state - Answer-State geographically existing in more than one piece, or
in fragments.
Frontier - Answer-Region where boundaries are very thinly or weakly developed;
zone where territoriality is not well established and is unclear.
, Geometric political boundary - Answer-Straight line political boundary separating
territories that do not relate to cultural or physical features.
Geopolitics - Answer-Branch of political geography that analyzes how states behave
as political and territorial systems.
Gerrymandering - Answer-Redrawing electoral boundaries to give one political party
an advantage over others.
Imperialism - Answer-The process of establishing political, social, and economic
dominance over a colonized area.
International sanctions - Answer-Punishments in the form of economic and/or
diplomatic limits or even isolation.
Irredentism - Answer-Movement to reunite a nation's homeland when part of it
extends into another state's borders.
Landlocked state - Answer-State without coastal access to a body of water.
Locational boundary dispute - Answer-Conflict over the location or place of a
boundary.
Mackinder's heartland theory - Answer-Geopolitical theory that Eurasia was the
"world island" and the key to dominating the world. Ruling this world island required
controlling eastern Europe; linked to the domino theory.
Median-line principle - Answer-Statement in UNCLOS declaring that when there is
not enough water for each country on opposite sides of the sea to have 200 nautical
miles of exclusive economic zone, the two or more countries involved will divide the
water evenly.
Mercantilism - Answer-Economic system in which colonies are obtained to supply
the colonizer with raw materials to ship back home and use in making products for
the population in the mother country
Microstate - Answer-Very small state, such as Singapore.
Multicore state - Answer-State with more than one core region.
Multinational state - Answer-State with more than one nation within its borders.
Nation - Answer-Group of people who share a common culture and identify as a
cohesive group.
Nation-state - Answer-State containing one nation, a cohesive group of people linked
to their territory through a shared government and common goals.
Questions and Answers
Devolution - Answer-Process of transferring some power from the central
government to regional governments.
Domino theory - Answer-Notion that democratic allies must protect lands from falling
to the communists because one such communist acquisition creates others,
ultimately resulting in communist domination of the world. This theory led to the
containment doctrine, intended to keep the communists from acquiring new lands,
such as Vietnam.
Elongated state - Answer-State with a long, thin shape.
Enclave (political) - Answer-Part of a state surrounded completely by another state.
Different from ethnic enclave.
Ethnonationalism - Answer-Powerful emotional attachment people have for their
nation when it is a minority within a state, making them feel they are different from
the rest of the state's people.
European Economic Community (Common Market) - Answer-Supranational
economic alliance of European countries wanting to form a European market.
Established in 1958, it was a precursor to the current European Union.
European Union (EU) - Answer-Supranational organization of nearly 25 member-
states in Europe that have integrated for improved economic and political
cooperation.
Exclave - Answer-Enclave that is a territorial political extension of another state.
Exclusive economic zone - Answer-According the UNCLOS, a 200-nautical-mile
area extending along a state's coast to which that state has economic rights.
Federal governmental structure - Answer-Organizational structure with a central
government that shares power with strong regional governments.
Forward capital - Answer-Capital city built by a state to achieve a national goal.
Fragmented state - Answer-State geographically existing in more than one piece, or
in fragments.
Frontier - Answer-Region where boundaries are very thinly or weakly developed;
zone where territoriality is not well established and is unclear.
, Geometric political boundary - Answer-Straight line political boundary separating
territories that do not relate to cultural or physical features.
Geopolitics - Answer-Branch of political geography that analyzes how states behave
as political and territorial systems.
Gerrymandering - Answer-Redrawing electoral boundaries to give one political party
an advantage over others.
Imperialism - Answer-The process of establishing political, social, and economic
dominance over a colonized area.
International sanctions - Answer-Punishments in the form of economic and/or
diplomatic limits or even isolation.
Irredentism - Answer-Movement to reunite a nation's homeland when part of it
extends into another state's borders.
Landlocked state - Answer-State without coastal access to a body of water.
Locational boundary dispute - Answer-Conflict over the location or place of a
boundary.
Mackinder's heartland theory - Answer-Geopolitical theory that Eurasia was the
"world island" and the key to dominating the world. Ruling this world island required
controlling eastern Europe; linked to the domino theory.
Median-line principle - Answer-Statement in UNCLOS declaring that when there is
not enough water for each country on opposite sides of the sea to have 200 nautical
miles of exclusive economic zone, the two or more countries involved will divide the
water evenly.
Mercantilism - Answer-Economic system in which colonies are obtained to supply
the colonizer with raw materials to ship back home and use in making products for
the population in the mother country
Microstate - Answer-Very small state, such as Singapore.
Multicore state - Answer-State with more than one core region.
Multinational state - Answer-State with more than one nation within its borders.
Nation - Answer-Group of people who share a common culture and identify as a
cohesive group.
Nation-state - Answer-State containing one nation, a cohesive group of people linked
to their territory through a shared government and common goals.
