Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes
Topic 4.1 – Introduction to Political Geography Topic 4.2- Political Processes
1. Explain the difference between a nation and a state. 1. Define sovereignty.
2. Complete the table below.
2. Explain how self-determination impacts a
Definition Example
territory.
Nation-state
Stateless
nation 3. Identify three ways in which colonialism
reshaped the world.
Multinational
state
Multistate
nation
3. What is the difference between an autonomous and semi 4. Why does Africa have less nation-states
autonomous region? compared to other parts of the world?
5. What is the difference between
4. Explain what type of region Native American Indian self-determination and devolution?
reservations would be.
6. Which country experienced devolution,
Yugoslavia or Madagascar?
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Topic 4.3- Political Power and Territoriality
1. Define territoriality.
2. How has China been using neocolonailism in Africa?
3. Identify two problems that a country in a shatterbelt region may experience.
4. Explain why countries around the world pay special attention to choke points.
Topic 4.4- Defining Political Boundaries
1. Identify the two boundary categories.
2. What makes a geometric boundary
unique and which boundary category is it
part of?
Map/Image A Map/Image B
3. Which map/image shows a
superimposed boundary? Why?
Map/ Image C Map/Image D
4. Which map/image shows a relic
boundary? Why? 6. What is the difference between an antecedent and relic boundary?
5. Which map/image shows a consequent 7. Compare and contrast a subsequent and consequent boundary.
boundary?
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Topic 4.5- The Function of Political Boundaries
1. Provide an example of a definitional Complete the table below.
boundary dispute.
Name Size States rights
Baseline
2. Explain when a locational boundary
dispute would happen.
Territorial
Zone
[Link] an example of an operational
dispute. Contiguous
Zone
4. Why would an allocational boundary Exclusive
dispute happen? Economic
Zone
International
5. Identify two historical examples of Waters
international conflicts that have impacted a
country's boundaries. [Link] has the Law of the Sea helped resolve disputes over
boundary disputes in the sea?
Topic 4.6- Internal Boundaries
1. Identify two ways in which gerrymandering impacts political elections in the United States.
2. What is the difference between packing and cracking?
3. Explain how the spatial layout of a voting district can impact election results.
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Topic 4.7- Forms of Governance
1. Identify where the power is located in the following forms of governance.
Central Regional Pro Con
Gov. Gov.
Unitary
Federal
Confederation
Topic 4.8- Defining Devolutionary Factors
[Link] general factors that lead to the devolution of states.
Economic
Social
Political
Environmental
2. Define irredentism.
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Topic 4.9- Challenges to Sovereignty
1. Identify different ways political, economic, cultural, and technological changes have challenged state
sovereignty.
Political
factors
Economic
factors
Cultural
factors
Technological
factors
2. How has technology facilitated supranationalism?
3. How can global efforts to address a changing world create more supranationalism?
4. Identify two supranational organizations and explain how they impact state’s sovereignty.
5. Explain how subnational political units illustrate the concept of devolution.
Topic 4.10- Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
1. What is the difference between centripetal forces and centrifugal forces?
2. Define ethnonationalism.
3. Identify different political, economic, cultural, and geographic factors that can lead to centripetal forces and
centrifugal forces.
Centripetal Centrifugal
Political
Economic
Cultural
Geographic
4. How can centripetal forces and centrifugal forces apply at the state/regional scale and country/national
scale?
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