Boundaries and Borders - Global Studies

Boundaries and Borders

Global Studies - Damon - 2018

Can you guess which international borders these are?

Former Berlin Wall between East & West Germany

Israel & Palestinian Territories India & China (Tibet)

U.S. & Mexico near Tijuana North & South Korea at DMZ Netherlands & Belgium

Boundaries Vertical Planes Extending Below Ground

and into Airspace

The Law of the Sea

• Territorial waters: 12 nautical miles from coastline• Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 nautical miles from

coastline (fishing, mining, etc. allowed)

1 nautical mile = 1.15078 miles

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)

Inside their EEZ, countries have exclusive rights to fishing, mining, wind power generation, etc.

Establishing Boundaries - 4 Step Process

• Define: create legal description

• Delimit: map

• Demarcate: mark with fence, wall, etc.

• Administrate: maintain, monitor crossing of people and goods

U.S. - Mexico Israel - West Bank

Types of Boundaries

• Geometric: straight lines• Physical: follow natural features

–mountain ranges, deserts, waterways

• Cultural: follow cultural features–ethnicity, language, religion

Which Type of Boundary?

Pyrenees Mountains form physical boundary between

Spain and France.

Which Type of Boundary?

Cultural boundary divides Ireland and N. Ireland (U.K.). Ireland = Catholic, N. Ireland = Protestant.

Which Type of Boundary?

Most of U.S. - Canada border is a geometric boundary following 49°N line of latitude. The Great Lakes form a physical

boundary.

Boundary Related Problems Often Occur When International Boundaries Clash with

Cultural Boundaries

Geometric, Not Cultural Boundaries = Trouble

Example:

Boundaries of many Middle East states (countries)

Boundary Related Problems Often Occur When International Boundaries Clash with Cultural Boundaries

Geometric, Not Cultural Boundaries = Trouble.

Example:

Boundaries of many Africanstates (countries)

Scramble for Africa

Common Types of Boundary Disputes

• Definitional: dispute about legal description

• Locational: dispute about mapping or marking

• Operational: dispute about how boundary is maintained or monitored

• Allocational: dispute about resources that straddle boundary– Oil, coal, water, etc.

Frontier RegionsZone where no country has complete control

Example:

Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) between Pakistan & Afghanistan

Frontier Regions

Example:

Antarctica is governed by a 1959 treaty signed by 46 countries. Military use and mining are prohibited.

The Last Frontier?