Processes & Contemporary Political Geography (College Board AP® Human Geography): Study Guide

Concepts of sovereignty, nation states, & self-determination

• Sovereignty is the ability of a state to exercise control over and within its territory without any interference from outside powers 

• Self-determination refers to the idea that a group of people has the right to determine their own government without outside influence and govern themselves within their territory

  • Nations and states rely on the concept of self-determination when seeking independence after experiencing imperialism or colonization

  • Independence movements occur when a group believes it should exercise self-determination over a territory

Colonialism, imperialism, independence, & devolution

Imperialism and colonialism

• Imperialism and colonialism are related, but slightly different, concepts in political geography

Imperialism

• Imperialism is a wider term that includes the multiple ways one country might influence or control another 

• Imperialism can include:

  • economic control

  • cultural influence

  • military invasion

• The French colonization of large parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, for example Senegal in Africa and French Indochina (including modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), are examples of imperialism

Colonialism

• Colonialism is a more specific term that refers to a type of imperialism that includes the imperialist power occupying and settling another territory

  • The establishment of physical settlements in North and South America by British, French, and Spanish colonists are examples of colonialism

Independence movements

• Independence movements develop when groups of people want to separate from a political authority and practice sovereignty

• Groups may desire separation from a colonial power 

  • The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 resulted in European colonization of the majority of the African continent 

  • The state boundaries established by the Berlin Conference took little account of existing patterns

  • This resulted in later independent African states that overlap linguistic, ethnic, and national boundaries

• Post-colonial independence movements in places such as India, Kenya, and Algeria are examples of anti-colonial independence movements

• Decolonization refers to the process by which Indigenous people gain independence from colonial powers

  • The Indian Independence Movement resulted in the independent states of Pakistan and India in 1947

• Groups may also seek to separate from a larger political unit for ethnic, religious, or historical reasons

• Examples of independence movements based on these causes are the Catalans and the Basque in Spain

Catalan

• The Catalan independence movement seeks regional autonomy and independence from Spain

  • Catalonia has a distinct language and culture, which serve as centrifugal forces and separate it from the rest of Spain

  • Catalonia has also expressed a desire to separate from Spain due to what it sees as poor financial planning on the part of the Spanish government

Basque

• Basque territory is between Spain and France

  • Basque have unique cultural, linguistic, and historical traits that they feel belong to neither the French nor Spanish governments

  • Therefore, they desire to have an independent state