But perhaps most importantly, a political boundary allows governments and corporations to maintain exclusive access to the economic resources within the boundary. In short, they divide political administrative regions. In post-independence Rwanda and Burundi, rule by Tutsis or by Hutus has led to genocides. All rights reserved. Ask: What factors were most important? Make sure you have groups' completed maps from Lesson 1, Activity 1 in the Beyond Borders unit. This boundary was created in 1948 after the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the British Mandate for Palestine. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. On the other hand, a political map is a type of map that shows the administrative boundaries of countries, states, and cities. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. The resultant Township and Range system was based on square-mile townships. The boundary helped to ensure there were few disputes between the two modern nations as they began to populate their areas of land and promoted peaceful relations between the two growing nations. This notion of sovereign authority has historically been fundamental to the organization of human civilization. An example of a relict boundary is _______. In other situations, the term is used only to describe boundaries where people can cross the border freely. Kathleen Schwille, National Geographic Society The European Union (EU), which is a political and economic union of 27 European countries. They illustrate how the world is divided into different political entities. It starts at the lowest level of political power. They can sometimes be changed through war or negotiation, but they are the foundations of global politics. DMZs are meant to prevent or stop military conflict. An internal political boundary divides the authority of regional political entities; these entities are collectively accountable to a central government. What physical features help to define political boundaries? An example of a defined political boundary is the U.S. border with Mexico. Will you pass the quiz? Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. The idea behind an enforced border is that a sovereign political entity has the right to have some say over who can enter its territory and for what purpose. Ganster, P., & Lorey, D. E. (2008). Encourage students to think about what forms a border, who determines borders, and where borders can be found. African countries had their boundaries superimposed on them as a result of European colonialism. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. And the process of establishing exactly defined borders using the latest technology (GPS and GIS, now) is not over. Boundaries. Ask: Pose questions related to the size and shape of countries. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. Which of the following countries has international political boundaries that conform almost entirely to physical geographic features? Others have suggested getting rid of the very notion of a country altogether. NAFTA has removed many economic boundaries between these countries, leading to increased trade and economic cooperation. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries. one of the seven main land masses on Earth. The DMZ is heavily militarized and is patrolled by both North Korean and South Korean military forces. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is colloquially referred to as _______. Evaluate students based on their participation in the whole-class discussion. 2. They can be natural features such as rivers or mountains or man-made features such as roads or borders. They are a type of subsequent boundary often drawn collaboratively with affected parties. What is the meaning of political boundaries? Have each spokesperson present their groups map, along with the reasons for creating borders where they did, including why each group, religion, or physical region was placed there, to the class. Two brief examples, both involving the US, demonstrate the pitfalls and possibilities of boundaries. Note that one boundary can be of multiple different types simultaneously. Geological features such as oil deposits or minerals, which can influence the economic development of a region and create conflicts over resources. A boundary dispute is a situation in which a political boundary is contested. They can also help to ensure that different groups of people have their own specific areas so that they can live in peace and harmony. natural or artificial line separating two pieces of land. Explain the function of a demilitarized zone. Distribute one copy of the worksheet Draw Political Borders to each group. Introduce the activity and its purpose. The political boundary between the United States and Mexico is an international political boundary between two countries. These factors of shape and size can influence the ways in which human activity is structured; for example, land use, transportation, and settlement patterns. Consequent boundaries are drawn with the cultural landscapes of ethnic nations in mind. The red-coloured wedge is Marie Byrd Land, a. when the Empire's territory was dismembered. The only key factor to remember when understanding delimited boundaries is that they are ones that you can literally see have been drawn onto an official map. 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. The boundary has been a source of conflict and tension between the two sides. In this way, ideally, international boundaries encourage political dialogue and economic cooperation, while allowing a country to maintain its internal national or cultural interests as it sees fit. The Sudetenland was a term for land inhabited by Germans in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries. The most famous case was the attempted elimination of all Tutsis by Hutu in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. "Antecedent" boundaries in these regions were actually imposed on peoples whose territories were unrecognized: _______ boundaries have often been drawn after wars in Europe, and can result in more wars. Sometimes, consequent boundaries involve the movement of people, either voluntarily or forced. The geography of political territories means that each separate, sovereign state and its subdivisions control a physical territory with limits, known as boundaries. Consequently, two countries that share a natural boundary . (2017). Which Korean politician attempted to establish the People's Republic of Korea? They are an important part of society and are vitally important for the protection of human rights. Your email address will not be published. The US Public Land Survey System didn't take into account Native American territories. 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. Political boundaries help determine almost every civic aspect of your life. Elicit ideas such as wars between countries, natural resources, or dividing land evenly between different groups. The Catalan independence movement in Spain, which is driven in part by Catalan cultural identity and the desire for greater autonomy. For example, the geometric boundaries drawn after the Second World War may have been convenient on a map, but failed to carve out space for the ethnic Kurds to have their own nation. List the reasons on the board as students share them. Students examine maps that show physical and cultural features of a fictitious area. The line that divides the states of New York and New Jersey is a geometric boundary that separates the two states. The process of immigrating to the United States can be complicated and is often driven by a few key principles including uniting families, boosting the economy with skilled professionals, promoting diversity, and helping refugees. It referred to a swath of central-southern Africa stretching from the Atlantic to the Indian oceans. For example, the de jure political boundary of the Federal Republic of Somalia is not congruent with the territory that the Federal Republic of Somalia actually has under its control; the northwest portion of the country is under the de facto control of an unrecognized state called Somaliland. This activity is intended as a discussion starter. Political boundaries are lines or areas that are used to demarcate the territory of a political entity, such as a country or state. For example, the border between the United States and Canada is an open boundary. For example, coastlines are borders between the regions of land and water, and mountains may serve as borders between different countries or different cultural groups. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on February 17, 2023 by Chris Drew, PhD. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. Fig. Fig. Theyre often established to ensure ethnic groups have their own sovereign land. Artificial boundary lines at the scale of sovereign states were quite uncommon until modern times. Challenged borderlands: transcending political and cultural boundaries. By registering you get free access to our website and app (available on desktop AND mobile) which will help you to super-charge your learning process. Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Human Geography, National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. London: Routledge. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Militarized boundaries are boundaries that are heavily guarded by military forces. However, geometric boundaries are often criticized because they do not acknowledge geographical or cultural factors that should be considered when boundaries are drawn. Fig. 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. 1 - An 1884 conference in Berlin, Germany eventually led to the Scramble for Africa. This ultimately led to the Scramble for Africa, during which European powers largely established the borders that remain in place today. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/west-virginia-the-state-that-said-no/2011/03/30/AFLxJrQD_story.html. 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