Geography
Political Boundaries
Political boundaries are imaginary lines that separate one political entity from another, such as countries, states, or provinces. They are established through treaties, agreements, or historical events and are often marked by physical barriers like walls, fences, or natural features. These boundaries define the extent of a government's authority and are important for understanding political and administrative divisions.
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10 Key excerpts on "Political Boundaries"
eBook - PDFHuman Geography
People, Place, and Culture
- Erin H. Fouberg, Alexander B. Nash, Alexander B. Murphy, Harm J. de Blij(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
TYPES OF BOUNDARIES When boundaries are drawn using grid systems such as latitude and longitude or township and range, political geographers refer to them as geometric boundaries. In North America, the United States and Canada used a single line of latitude west of the Great Lakes to define their boundary (Figure 3.9). At different times, po- litical geographers and other academics have advocated “natural” boundaries over geo- metric boundaries because they are visible on the land- scape as physical geographic features. Physical-Political Boundaries (also called natural-Political Boundaries) follow Geometric boundary Political boundary defined and delimited (and occasionally demarcated) as a straight line or an arc. Physical political (natural- political) boundary Political boundary defined and delimited (and occasionally demarcated) by a prominent physical feature in the natural landscape, such as a river or the crest ridges of a mountain range. 60 CHAPTER 3 Political Geography FIGURE 3.5 The former Yugoslavia. The contested geography of the former Yugoslavia, and in particular Kosovo, as discussed, provides a good example of territoriality. Map from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations Cartographic Section, June 2007. FIGURE 3.6 The vertical plane of a political boundary. The Former Yugoslavia, Map No. 3689 Rev.12, June 2007. © United Nations Cartographic Section, DFS © E.H. Fouberg, A.B. Murphy, H.J. de Blij, and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 3.1 How Is Space Organized into States and Nations? 61 FIGURE 3.7 The international boundary between Iraq and Kuwait. Kuwait’s northern boundary was redefined and delimited by a United Nations boundary commission; it was demarcated by a series of concrete pillars 2 kilometres apart. an agreed-upon feature in the physical geo- graphic landscape, such as the centre point of a river or the crest of a mountain range.
eBook - PDFVisualizing Human Geography
At Home in a Diverse World
- Alyson L. Greiner(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Boundaries Every state consists of a defined territory marked by at least one boundary. We tend to think of boundaries as lines that stretch boundary A vertical plane, usually represented as a line on a map, that fixes the territory of a state. 182 CHAPTER 7 Political Geographies such as the high-altitude zones along the Andes Moun- tains between Chile and Argentina. All Political Boundaries are human creations, but they often make use of physical features. A physiographic bound- ary follows a natural feature, such as a river or mountain range. For example, the boundary between Bulgaria and Romania follows the Danube River for much of its length. In mountainous areas, physiographic boundaries usually follow the crest, the line connecting the highest points. When a river is used, the boundary may be placed along one bank, in the middle of the river, or along the deepest part of the river channel. One problem with using rivers as boundaries is the potential for a river to substantially shift its course (Figure 7.6). Geometric boundaries are drawn as straight lines and sometimes follow lines of latitude or longitude. As we have discussed, the concentration of geometric boundaries in Africa stems from the Berlin Conference. West of the Great Lakes, the boundary between the United States and Can- ada follows the 49th parallel, and the straight line between Alaska and the Yukon Territory follows the 141st meridian. horizontally through space—the way we see them on maps—but boundaries are better understood as having a vertical extent, dividing the airspace above the ground and the rocks and resources below ground. The bound- aries of coastal states extend offshore. The waters en- closed by these boundaries are considered part of the territory of the state and are called territorial seas. By international convention, territorial seas rarely exceed 19 km (12 mi).
eBook - ePub- Gideon Biger(Author)
- 2004(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
The political world, in which we live today, at the onset of the third millennium, consists of over 200 sovereign states, together with a few colonies and protectorates that are separated from one another by international boundaries. The borderline between states is one of the most sensed expressions resulting from the human essence in general, and from political-historical processes in particular. Every boundary is an element of scenery existing, and it influences both its immediate and distant surroundings. This is regional-spatial influence, but also a political-psychological one. A boundary is a product of political and military power and strength that was established in a certain period and it reflects the political balance between the political units that reside on both sides of the line. Every political unit is characterized, among others, by the existence of a sovereign territory. A line that separates it from another sovereign territory bounds this territory, and harming the boundary is equal to harming the existence of the state itself.The positioning of the separation line is a product of the power and strength of the state, while its formation and maintenance in the course of time are enabled by the continued existence of a political power disposition in the state’s relationships with the rest of the world. Boundaries can be seen as breakage lines or as lines of weakness, along which disputes and conflicts between neighbouring countries have a higher chance of erupting. At times, the boundary reflects an anachronistic situation, when the connection between the current condition of the state, and the essence of its border, is historical and non-functional. In these situations, the boundary tends to change according to pressures executed by the state, or following external pressures exerted upon it. These pressures sometimes cause the line to change. These changes take place in the landscape, and are documented in the chronicles of history. Every border is formed as a result of an equilibrium of forces between different states in a certain time. The positioning and characteristics of the border are set according to the power and according to the ideologies of the forming participants. These viewpoints come into practice during the political and military negotiations. The siting and marking of a border reflect the technological and cartographic knowledge, and the governing arrangements alongside it are a product of the views of the states situated on both sides. When the geographer Friedrich Ratzel compared the state to a living organism, he simulated the border to the skin of the living, political body.1
eBook - PDF- Joseph P. Stoltman(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
15 POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY AND NATIONAL BOUNDARIES REECE JONES University ofHawai 'i at Manoa trol mine map the define B 21 the ies ritoriality-the politically. sovereign differences nowhere," field and This as over century. decolonization ways boundaries came Despite histories, "Without ies 17th st citizens century. emerged of national into simple both if political eign ou states examines chapter sovereignty this and n use they The Similar a particular became boundaries, idea of d the in between a The apparent school r in in the territory use by that states i fourth boundaries are terms e to describes of s geography. the next the what state. are over the section demonstrating section immutable of the using and followed modem mid-20th textbooks geographic medieval of boundaries adage dominant changes fundamental history permanency, century Contemporary you've a of the the fixed a The have clearly field state examines briefly World sovereign states third how been might "Without era, and political represent got area-and to way and of defined to of the of War have define the territorially section outlines approached and roughly be the the states, II. after nothing." political political national borders national in concept organizing current people geography, explains political contemporary the study since always it store territory explains Furthermore, the the maps, would of different boundar- period geography. to ofter- Boundaries in for who con- space defined mid- deter- boundar- political existed. you're sover- why the the the only state are be of boundaries are the most efficient way to communicate authority over something. The fifth and sixth sections trace the institutionalization of the contemporary political map through decolonization and the creation of the United Nations. The seventh section explores the future of national boundaries through the lenses of two contradic- tory ways they are represented today.
- Matt Duckham, Michael F. Goodchild, Michael Worboys, Matt Duckham, Michael F. Goodchild, Michael Worboys(Authors)
- 2003(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
More subtle are the long term On the ontological status of geographical boundaries 171 effects that may arise from the simple existence of the boundary, regardless of how it is physically demarcated. An international boundary drawn across an initially homogeneous region may lead in time to the two subregions thereby separated acquiring marked differences in character. Prescott (1965) cites a detailed study by Daveau of the effects of the Swiss-French boundary in the Jura to the west of Lake Neuchâtel over several centuries, where, for example, the ‘small strip fields’ of Amont in France are clearly contrasted with the ‘summer pastures’ of Carroz in Switzerland, ‘even though the physical character of the landscape on both sides is the same’ (Prescott, 1965, p. 97). This is a case where the physical effect of a boundary is something directly visible, but in many cases the effect is more subtle, having to do with patterns of movement and interaction. A political boundary introduces discontinuities into such patterns, some of which may be obvious, others only to be uncovered by detailed research. Fielding (1974), for example, notes that ‘[p]eople in Vancouver…are more likely to marry partners from Toronto or Winnipeg than from Seattle, Tacoma, or Bellingham, despite the proximity of single people in the latter group.’ Such differences in patterns of interaction are epiphenomenal. One could, albeit rather artificially, consider a field whose value at a given point is the probability that a randomly-chosen single inhabitant of Vancouver will marry a person living at that point. Then the state of affairs described by Fielding would show up as a heteroline marking a discontinuity in the field values along the border. 4 SOME KEY ATTRIBUTES OF BOUNDARIES In the light of the foregoing discussion it should be evident that the world of geographical boundaries is highly diverse, encompassing physical, biological, psychological, social, and political phenomena.
eBook - ePubDrawing the Line
Nature, Hybridity and Politics in Transboundary Spaces
- Juliet Fall(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Taylor & Francis(Publisher)
In this chapter, I outline why boundaries must be understood as complex spatial and social phenomena that construct and structure space and to what extent their definition (where they are drawn) is linked up with the idea of creating ‘ideal’ spatial entities. A boundary is the generic term for a linear spatial discontinuity that structures a given portion of two-dimensional space by dividing it into two. More simply, a boundary ‘demarcates two entities, or two parts of the same entity, which are then said to be in contact with each other’ (Smith 2000: 7). I examine the variety of arguments that have been used to define boundaries, noting the difference between biophysical and societal arguments which represent an ontological split between realist and anti-realist conceptions of space. The recurring positivist temptation of finding ‘natural’ or ‘rational’ Political Boundaries is explored. The tensions in the way boundaries are defined is then examined in the wider context of the construction of space and of the need to identify and define spatial entities. In the second part of the chapter, I look at the role boundaries play in defining spatial entities, dwelling on the different discourses – and spatial ideals – that underpin how space has been constructed. This sets the scene for understanding how certain spatial discourses have been instrumentalised within protected area design, both implicitly and explicitly.The nature of boundaries
Boundary, n. In political geography, an imaginary line between two nations, separating the imaginary rights of one from the imaginary rights of the other(Bierce 1911 ).At different times and places, the term boundary has meant many things to different people. Ambrose Bierce, in his famous Devil’s Dictionary , suggests a wonderfully cynical definition. In a curious twist, but without missing the joke, I take his definition seriously in exploring how imaginary lines actually come into being. While I discuss the concept from a geographical perspective, this is not the only field through which it has been studied. Approaches to boundaries can be roughly divided into two broad fields: those derived from a social science perspective, considering boundaries as predominantly social phenomenon linked to the anthropic construction of space and those derived from ecological and biogeographic traditions, defining boundaries as physical limits inscribed in the landscape at various scales. This is of course a huge simplification, but it remains a coherent and useful one, a least as a starting point.Lines, boundaries and frontiersBoundaries, borders, frontiers and limits all indicate both a line and the idea of separation into two units. The emergence of the concept has been traced back to the Roman limes imperii which separated the civilised world from the ‘barbarians’ living beyond the fines of the Empire. The limes was thus a fortified line, rather than a political boundary, while the fines
eBook - PDFEuropean Regions and Boundaries
A Conceptual History
- Diana Mishkova, Balázs Trencsényi, Diana Mishkova, Balázs Trencsényi(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Berghahn Books(Publisher)
As far as political geography is concerned, regions are important as politi-cal constructs, as arenas of political engagement, and as terrains of the projec-tion of power. Regional identities are mobilized at different scales and provide Political Geography and Geopolitics 259 matter for the perception, performance, and representation of politics. Still, political geographers have studied one scale much more than others: that of the (sovereign national) state. The territory of modern nation-states has been the object of much of the analysis of the classic works in political geography, covering issues as diverse as state borders, capital cities, administrative and electoral geographies, and international relations. The state territory is seen as such a specific region that the term “region” has generally been used in political geography to label regions other than the state, either subnational regions (i.e., regions inside the territory of the state) or supranational regions (i.e., regions as groupings of states). In this contribution, we want to engage with the latter types of regions and discuss how Europe has been subdivided in regions in political geography and geopolitics. We emphasize explicit re-gionalization—that is, studies in which delineating regions was a central goal—as opposed to implicit regionalization, in which assumptions about re-gions are made in the context of other research goals. Geopolitics can be considered a subfield of political geography. Originally it was primarily concerned with the impact of physical geographical features, such as topography, orography, climate, and vegetation, on power politics (i.e., relations between the most powerful states) and closely connected to the imperialist and nationalist practices of statehood of the first half of the twen-tieth century.
eBook - ePub- Julian Minghi(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
38 This general interest in boundaries as regional divides has provided concepts often applicable to political geography, as we shall see below.The utility of boundaries in studying problems of political integration and disintegration and of transfer of sovereignty will be discussed in the following Part (Process).Some Misleading Notions
The “natural-is-good” and “artificial-is-bad” concepts are based on the assumption that the degree to which a political boundary conforms to a natural feature is the measure of its success as a political divide. In other words, boundaries “established in an unrealistic manner tend to create problems commensurate to the degree with which they defy the forces of nature.” 39 Although many Political Boundaries are based on physical landscape features, they are all by definition political and therefore, whether naturally based or not, are man-made, hence artificial. It follows that a boundary’s “goodness” or degree of success is more a function of its role as perceived by members of the political systems it divides rather than of the environmental character of the line itself.Another widely held notion, somewhat associated with the above idea, still enjoys currency and even official authenticity. This holds that boundaries are the “enemies” of geography because they “conflict” with the operation of “geographical principles,” and hence social patterns are “compartmentalized” by these “unnatural” restrictions.40 The notion that “it is unfortunate when society must accommodate itself to boundaries rather than boundaries to society” is a logical corollary to this line of thought.41
eBook - PDF- John A. Agnew, Katharyne Mitchell, Gerard Toal, John A. Agnew, Katharyne Mitchell, Gerard Toal(Authors)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
Geographers do not have a monopoly over the defin-ition of just what is a boundary, just as non-geographers cannot understand the boundary phenomenon without recourse to the spatial and territorial dimensions of this dynamic. In order for boundaries to be understood more fully, it requires, in the 134 DAVID NEWMAN first place, for boundary scholars to undertake their own form of trans-boundary movement into the disciplines and concepts of the other, those others who have traditionally been excluded from the exclusive boundary discourse practiced by the separate and different academic disciplines. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ackleson, J. 1999. Metaphors and community on the US-Mexican border: Identity, exclusion, inclusion and ``Operation Hold the Line''. Geopolitics , 4(2), 155±79. Albert, M. 1998. On boundaries, territory and postmodernity. Geopolitics , 3(1), 53±68. Blake, G. H. 1999. Geographers and international boundaries. Boundary and Security Bul-letin , 7(4), 55±62. Blake, G. H. 2000. State limits in the early 21st century: observations on form and function. Geopolitics , 5(1), 1±18. Blake, G. H. 2000. Borderlands under stress: some global perspectives. In M. Pratt and J. Brown (eds.) Borderlands Under Stress . London: Kluwer Law International, 1±16. Boggs, S. 1940. International Boundaries: A Study of Boundary Functions . New York: Columbia University Press. Brunn, S. 1998. A Treaty of Silicon for the Treaty of Westphalia? New territorial dimensions of modern statehood. Geopolitics , 3(1), 106±31. Dittgen, H. 2000. The end of the nation state? Borders in an age of globalization. In M. Pratt and J. Brown (eds.) Borderlands Under Stress . London: Kluwer Law International, 49±68. Eskelinen, H., Liikanene, I., and Oksa, J. (eds.). 1999. Curtains of Iron and Gold: Recon-structing Borders and Scales of Interaction . Aldershot: Ashgate Press. Falah, G. and Newman, D. 1995. The spatial manifestation of threat: Israelis and Palestinians seek a ``good border''.
eBook - PDFPolitical Geography
Territory, State and Society
- Kevin R. Cox(Author)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
But that autonomy is always limited. It has to be consistent with the logic of making money to make more money. Spaces can be set aside as (e.g.) Arctic Wildlife Refuges or National Parks. But if there is a sense that oil lurks underneath then nothing will be sacred. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 15 Any approach to political geography that has aspirations to balance has to consider the cultural alongside the economic, the moral alongside the mater-ial: struggles that are seemingly more cultural, like the women’s movement – struggling against the marginalization of women in social life – and struggles that are seemingly more economic, like the labor movement. But the relation between the two always has to be borne in mind. They never exist indepen-dent of one another. They are intertwined. But it is through understanding the logic of capitalist development, its attempt to subordinate everything to its logic, how it exploits particular configurations of power that may appear either cultural or economic, that we can ultimately bring the two into a fruitful and illuminating relationship. Case Studies We have seen that movement and fixity are central to political geography. As far as the fixed are concerned movement can be both fact and possibility. As such it can be both threatening and enabling. And it can be threatening to some and enabling to others: in which case the precise form that territori-ality will take will depend on who is able to prevail, who is able to mobilize the powers of the state on their respective behalves. If it is those for whom movements are enabling, then the attempts to influence what happens in particular areas will be more inclusionary than exclusionary and vice versa.
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