World history concepts · AP World History: Modern
Globalization
Globalization: The increasing interconnection of the world's economies, cultures and populations through trade, technology, migration and communication.
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What it means
Since the late twentieth century, advances in transportation and communication, free-trade agreements and international institutions have accelerated global integration. Globalization has brought economic growth and cultural exchange, along with concerns about inequality, environmental damage and loss of local cultures.
International organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization play roles in managing global connections.
Example
Container shipping, standardized in the second half of the twentieth century, sharply reduced the cost of moving goods globally.
On the exam
Globalization is the focus of Unit 9 and useful for long-term continuity and change essays.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- Cold WarThe rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from about 1945 to 1991, fought through ideology, arms races and proxy wars, with no direct war between the two superpowers.
- Industrial RevolutionThe shift from hand production to machine manufacturing, beginning in Britain in the eighteenth century and spreading worldwide.