Political Power and Territoriality
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| territoriality | 领域性 | lǐng yù xìng |
| neocolonialism | 新殖民主义 | xīn zhí mín zhǔ yì |
| choke points | 咽喉要道 | yān hóu yào dào |
| shatterbelts | 破碎地带 | pò suì dì dài |
Controlling space
- Territoriality 领域性 is controlling people and things by controlling an area.
- Political power is expressed through control of land, people, and resources.
- Who controls a territory shapes who holds power.
Controlling people and things by controlling an area is called...
Territoriality is power expressed through control of space.
Power after empire
- Neocolonialism 新殖民主义 is continued economic control after formal independence.
- A former power may still dominate through debt, trade, and companies.
- So independence on the map is not always independence in practice.
Neocolonialism means a country is still economically controlled after formal independence.
Debt, trade, and companies can continue an old power's influence.
Geography of power
- Choke points 咽喉要道 are narrow straits (Suez, Malacca) that control trade and military movement.
- Shatterbelts 破碎地带 are regions caught between competing great powers.
- Both show how physical geography shapes political power.
Which idea of power?
Sort each example by the concept of political power it shows.
A narrow strait like Suez or Malacca that controls trade is a choke ____.
A choke point gives whoever controls it great strategic power.
Select all examples of geography shaping political power.
Choke points, shatterbelts, and resources shape power; the alphabet does not.
Match each term to its meaning.
Choke point = passage; shatterbelt = between powers; neocolonialism = economic control.
A country can be legally independent yet still controlled economically — that is neocolonialism. Do not assume a flag on a map means full self-rule; power often flows through money and companies, not just borders.
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow choke point through which a huge share of world trade passes. Whoever can control or threaten it holds enormous power — a clear case of geography shaping politics.
Territoriality controls people through space. Neocolonialism is economic control after independence. Choke points (narrow straits) and shatterbelts (regions between rival powers) show how geography shapes political power.