8.4 Why Do States Have Distinctive Geographic Structure?

perforated state

a state that completely surrounds another one (South Africa)

elongated state

a state that has a long and narrow shape (the Gambia)

fragmented state

a state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory (Angola)

landlocked state

a state that lacks a direct outlet to a sea because it is completely surrounded by other countries

frontier

a zone where no state exercises complete political control

boundary

an invisible line that marks the extent of a state's territory

prorupted state

an otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension (Namibia)

geometric boundary

based on human constructs (such as straight lines and parallels of latitude)

physical boundary

coincide with significant features of the natural landscape

cultural boundary

follow the distribution of cultural features

gerrymandering

redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit the party in power

compact state

the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary significantly (Kenya)

boundary line

the only location where direct physical contact must take place between two neighboring states (must be shared by more than one state)