What terms describes the principle that groups of people with shared characteristics such as language and culture should be allowed to control their own governments?

The principle that groups of people with shared characteristics such as language and culture should be allowed to control their own governments can be described by several terms:

1. Self-determination: This is the most common and encompassing term. It refers to the right of a people to freely determine their own political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.

2. National self-determination: This term specifically focuses on the right of a nation to govern itself, often in the context of independence from a larger state.

3. Cultural autonomy: This term focuses on the right of a group to maintain and develop its own culture, language, and traditions, even within a larger state.

4. Linguistic self-determination: This term emphasizes the right of a group to use its own language in public life and education.

5. Ethnic self-determination: This term emphasizes the right of an ethnic group to govern itself or have a degree of autonomy within a larger state.

6. Regional autonomy: This term describes the right of a region or territory to have a degree of self-government within a larger state, often based on shared cultural or historical characteristics.

These terms are not always interchangeable, as they emphasize different aspects of the principle. However, they all share the fundamental idea that groups with shared characteristics should have the right to control their own affairs.