Political Processes

This section explores the processes that have shaped contemporary political geography, crucial for AP Human Geography practice test preparation.

Definition: Sovereignty refers to the final authority over a territory and the right to defend its territorial integrity.

The text explains key concepts such as self-determination, independence movements, and devolution. These processes are fundamental in understanding how political landscapes evolve over time.

Example: Devolution can be seen in the transfer of certain powers from central governments to regional authorities, like in the case of Scotland within the United Kingdom.

Understanding these processes is essential for analyzing current global political dynamics and potential future changes in political geography.

Political Power and Territoriality

This section delves into the concepts of political power and territoriality used by geographers, which are crucial for AP Human Geography practice exam PDF preparation.

Vocabulary: A choke point is a strategic narrow route providing passage through or to another region.

Example: The Panama Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar are significant choke points in global maritime trade.

The text introduces the concept of neocolonialism, contrasting it with traditional colonialism. It also explains the idea of shatterbelts and territoriality.

Definition: Neocolonialism involves gaining indirect control of another country through economic or cultural pressures, rather than military power.

Highlight: The concept of territoriality, which refers to the perceived connection of people, their culture, and economic systems to the land, is crucial in understanding political conflicts and national identities.

These concepts are essential for analyzing global power dynamics and territorial disputes in Political patterns and processes AP Human Geography.