London: Routledge. 2, US-Mexico border wall (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_-_Mexico_Ocean_Border_Fence_(15838118610).jpg) by Tony Webster (https://www.flickr.com/people/87296837@N00) is licensed by CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en). Relicts are leftovers from the past. African countries had their boundaries superimposed on them as a result of European colonialism. They can also be sources of conflict, as different groups or individuals may have competing claims to the same territory or may disagree about the appropriate boundaries of a particular area. Retrieved 15 March 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/west-virginia-the-state-that-said-no/2011/03/30/AFLxJrQD_story.html. Sign up to highlight and take notes. For example, the Comanche exercised control over a large portion of North America during the 19th century, but their borders were never formally defined or legally demarcated. Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. Since _____ seemed poised to gain colonial territory from the Atlantic to the Indian oceans, _____ was worried that their own north-south corridor would be severed. For example: A relic boundary is a type of political boundary that is no longer used but is still visible on the landscape as a cultural artifact. Audrey Mohan, 2007-2008 Grosvenor Scholar, National Geographic Society, Margaret A. Legates, Coordinator, Delaware Geographic Alliance, 2008 Summer Geography Institute: Beyond Borders. The modern international political boundaries of Africa. Table of Contents show What are the different types of boundaries in political geography? Peter Rees, University of Delaware At other times, people remain in ethnic enclaves or exclaves rather than move, and these areas can frequently become the source of conflict. Political boundaries are dividing lines between countries, states, districts, counties, provinces et cetera. True or False: Under UNCLOS, landlocked nations have no right to the sea. Newsroom| These disputes might arise due to a natural resource both groups want, like in the case of Sudan and South Sudan, or in an attempt to gain more political power, as in the case of Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. False! Political boundaries are lines or areas that are used to demarcate the territory of a political entity, such as a country or state. What are examples of political boundaries? Given states' proclivities to control territory, however, geographers may one day be concerned with this. Policy: Christopher Nelson Caitlin Styrsky Molly Byrne Jimmy McAllister Samuel Postell If needed, use the following prompts: As a class, discuss the reasons listed on the board for why borders were placed in different areas. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. The debate over the wearing of burqas and other Islamic veils in European countries, which has been driven in part by concerns about the integration of Muslim immigrants into secular Western cultures. The boundary between two neighborhoods within a city could be considered a geometric boundary. Some political boundaries are created through the policy of a foreign or international political entity. The break-up of what political entity led to the existence of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia? Over 10 million students from across the world are already learning smarter. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is centered around competing claims to land that is considered holy by both Jewish and Palestinian cultures. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. North Korea and South Korea-38th parallel (DMZ) What is a physical political boundary? Political boundaries allow societies to organize themselves, demarcate sovereignty over land, and avoid political disputes over land ownership. Antecedent boundaries are political boundaries that are based on prior agreements or treaties between two or more nations or states before the land was heavily populated by the respective nations. Ask: What factors were most important? A political boundary demarcates the territory of different political entities. Maps can be used as tools to help us understand our world. The subsequent boundary is based on religious, ethnic, and linguistic differences between the two countries. The political boundary between Forsyth County and Davidson County is an internal political boundary within the state of North Carolina. Contested borders can provoke the use of military force. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. Or, it could be as complex as a wire fence, military checkpoint, or even a line of landmines to prevent access. Many people find this type of map by going to a search engine and making a query for "us map" or "united states map". Note that one boundary can be of multiple different types simultaneously. 61-63). Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. European colonialism established territorial boundaries without consulting affected local people. Some of the boundaries we have in place conform closely to physical geography; mountains, rivers, and oceans can serve as natural barriers between areas and can serve as logical political boundaries, as seen with Cuba or Jamaica. A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Political boundaries also help to define and protect the rights of different groups of people, and they help to ensure that different groups of people can live peacefully together. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. [1], A total of 42 states require state legislative districts to take political boundaries into account; 19 states take political boundaries into account when drawing congressional districts. What agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone? Many African countries, for example, do not have adequately surveyed borders, and the process of doing so can drag on for years or even decades, even if neighbouring countries are allies. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. Reform now! The border between North and South Vietnam, which was heavily militarized during the Vietnam War. Excepting Antarctica and a few remaining terra nullius (no one's lands) in Africa and Europe, this only applies to the high seas and the seabed under them. A delimited boundary is a geographic boundary that is drawn on a map. The Comanche had de facto control over a large area, but no legally established de jure political boundaries. The result, in Africa, was 50+ countries stuck with colonial boundaries often drawn right through the middle of ethnic nations that had never been divided. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries. After political decisions were made on the . People may choose to immigrate for a variety of reasons, such as employment opportunities, to escape a violent conflict, environmental factors, educational purposes, or to reunite with family. 5. Which of the following political boundaries were mostly established through foreign or supranational policy? What factors were least important? In drawing electoral districts, a state may take these political boundaries into account in order to keep existing constituencies within one district rather than splitting them across multiple districts. The red-coloured wedge is Marie Byrd Land, a. when the Empire's territory was dismembered. List students ideas on the board and add to the list throughout this activity. What processes influence political boundaries? Meanwhile, back here on Earth, we are not lacking examples of the trials and tribulations that political boundaries put us through. True or False: Military activity is expressly forbidden in Antarctica for any reason whatsoever. Tell students that they will complete a unit of lessons about borders in Europe, and that their ideas about where borders should be placed will be important for their study of Europe. Explain the function of a demilitarized zone. An example of a delimited boundary is the border between the United States and Canada. The US Public Land Survey System, beginning after the Revolutionary War, surveyed unoccupied lands in all new territories where prior survey systems didn't exist. The boundary between the two countries was created as a result of the Allied victory and the subsequent occupation of Germany by the Soviet Union and other Western powers. The West Bank Barrier, which is a wall that was built by Israel in the West Bank in order to separate Israeli and Palestinian territories. Open boundaries are used in cases where the two countries share a long, open border. These boundaries, are drawn on the maps by the political officials to separate areas of political administration and control. Ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia of the 1990s was part of the effort to put people into proximity with others of the same culture. Sometimes these align with a natural geographic feature like a river to form a border or barrier between nations. These disputes might arise due to a natural resource both groups want, like in the case of . Terms of Service| In this explanation, we'll be focusing on the latter, but it's helpful to keep in mind what you already know about how people behave in and around their own boundaries, whatever the scale. An example of a relict boundary is _______. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. A political map is a type of map that represents political divisions, or human-created boundaries, of the world, continents and major geographic regions. Which factor is most at play? Some proponents have suggested easing or eliminating immigration laws and replacing them with expeditious residency approvals to encourage a wider pool of labor and a more blended global community. Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen. International boundaries. Which of the following is a common nickname for the DMZ in Cyprus? Contested borders may provoke military conflict. Each of these boundaries is clearly defined, and both sides are aware of the situation along each side of the boundary. It was manned simultaneously by French, American, and British military police during the Cold War. Fig. Political Maps show boundaries between countries, states, counties, and other political units. Have students brainstorm examples of different types of borders and what defines them. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. Political Boundaries: lines on land and/or water separating the territories of countries or sub-national entities such as states, provinces, departments, counties, and so forth. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. This activity is intended as a discussion starter. The driving factor behind the creation of a political boundary may be economic, cultural, national, or some combination of all three. Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. The next most common state rule is a requirement to follow political boundaries, like county, city, town, or ward lines, when drawing districts. Political boundaries can be internal or international. This is the case in western US states, where certain boundaries from the time that they were US or Mexican territories were retained as state or county boundaries. When crossing through different counties in the United States, for example, there may be little more than a roadside sign demarcating a transition into a different political territory, if that. The governments of these countries have sent their military to control the border and prevent hostiles from crossing from one side to the other. National Geographic Headquarters Give groups about 15 minutes to discuss and draw their borders. Boundaries that precede human settlement and the cultural landscape are called antecedent boundaries. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. For example, they can help to protect people and property on one side of the boundary from aggression or theft on the other side. A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another. They function both as a tool for managing a group of peoples and as a way of minimizing conflict and organizing efficient political units. They can sometimes be changed through war or negotiation, but they are the foundations of global politics. This boundary was created in 1948 after the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the British Mandate for Palestine. The establishment of political boundaries is a central part of the process of nation-building. Have all your study materials in one place. The Abyei area, a pocket of land between Sudan and South Sudan, was never divvied up by the two after the latter became independent and split from Sudan in 2011. (2017). 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