A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another. The border was guarded by both North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese military forces and was the site of numerous battles and skirmishes. 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. Cultural boundaries can be difficult to cross. A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another. Immigration is the process of moving to a new country or region with the intention of staying and living there. A political boundary is the area of land on a map that separates regions of government such as states and nations. Over 10 million students from across the world are already learning smarter. A political map is a type of map that represents political divisions, or human-created boundaries, of the world, continents and major geographic regions. In this sense, it is similar to a demarcated boundary, but is always defined by a natural rather than man-made structure. 1: European Physical Geography and Political Boundaries ( San Jose, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0) In addition to the Ural Mountains, Europe has several other mountain ranges, most of which are in the southern portion of the continent. The term was first . The only cases where international political boundaries are not either settled or in dispute are where they do not exist (yet). If you live in the United States, the political boundaries that make up your town, city, or county will determine which local elections you will be allowed to participate in; which police precinct or fire department will attend to you in the event of an emergency; which local post office will deliver your mail; how much you will need to pay in sales tax; and where you (or your children) will be able to attend public school. A consequent boundary is a boundary that has been created to separate two different or feuding cultural groups. Code of Ethics| The need to have fixed boundaries between sovereign states has generated untold hundreds of border conflicts, some escalating into full-scale war. If you've ever driven anywhere in the United States, you may have seen a sign next to the road saying something along the lines of, "Now entering Washington County." Will you pass the quiz? We've already mentioned that political boundaries help us recognize who's in charge of what area. Which of the following types of boundary disputes is associated with disagreements over how a boundary has been defined? The Principle of Effective Occupation required: Colonial powers claiming land to actually inhabit and administer it. Michal LeVasseur, Ph.D., National Geographic Alliance Network Liaison It became an early focus of Hitler's move to change borders and absorb German-inhabited territories on the eve of World War II. Ask: demonstrate how physical and cultural features could be used to define country borders, discuss their ideas about which features are most important in establishing good borders, explain and compare their border selections based on physical and cultural features, discuss other factors that could impact where borders are established, Tech Setup: 1 computer per classroom, Projector. Explain the function of a demilitarized zone. Demilitarized zones, like the one between North Korea and South Korea, are boundaries that can be put in place to stop military conflict by creating a buffer zone between two belligerents. Many of our world's political boundaries are negotiated: two or more political entities have come to an agreement about where their borders should be drawn. Open boundaries are used in cases where the two countries share a long, open border. Students draw borders based on how they think the land should be divided. Geological features such as oil deposits or minerals, which can influence the economic development of a region and create conflicts over resources. No Africans were invited to the Berlin Conference, and so they had no say in how the political boundaries of their countries were eventually drawn. 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. It is often used to separate different groups of people based on their ethnicity or cultural background. Political Maps show boundaries between countries, states, counties, and other political units. A natural boundary has length and breadth dimensions. Political features are characteristics . Political boundaries allow societies to organize themselves, demarcate sovereignty over land, and avoid political disputes over land ownership. The political boundaries that define the United States as a countryand your existence in itdetermine similar factors, but on a larger scale. True or False: Under UNCLOS, landlocked nations have no right to the sea. Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan. Two countries have overlapping EEZs. Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. Geographers distinguish between several different types of boundaries. There are a number of reasons why geometric boundaries can be important for defining political boundaries: The Canada-U.S border is an excellent example of a geometric boundary. The governments of these countries have sent their military to control the border and prevent hostiles from crossing from one side to the other. Another example is a boundary that is defined by an Arc. Christina Riska Simmons, National Geographic Society The Germans living there had no say. Tell students that they will have an opportunity to present and discuss their maps in Lesson 1, Activity 2 of this unit. The Sahara Desert is a natural boundary that separates the countries of North Africa. An example of a geometric boundary is a boundary that is defined by a straight line. The line that divides an electoral district or voting precinct is also a geometric boundary in a political context. What information did you think was missing, or would have been helpful to know in order to avoid conflict when creating borders? Boundary that has a physical feature separating 2 entities. An example of a subsequent boundary is the border between Israel and Palestine. Your email address will not be published. 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. False! Boundaries that were drawn prior to, during, and after the disintegration of Yugoslavia, in places like Bosnia, reflect the idea that political borders should follow cultural borders. The border is a conceptual line that separates the U.S. from Mexico, but there are also physical barriers, like the US-Mexico fence (Trumps wall! 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. Which of the following countries has international political boundaries that conform almost entirely to physical geographic features? Have all your study materials in one place. 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. Have students compare their individual maps to spark discussion and debate as to whose borders are most valid and why. Specifically, maps can help demonstrate how borders intersect physical and human geographical features, and how those intersections can lead to cooperation and/or conflict. This is also true for some internal boundaries. The United States and Mexico are two very different cultures, and the border between them is a physical boundary that separates two very different societies (Pavlakovich-Kochi, & Morehouse, 2017). 61-63). Definition of a Geometric Boundary Put simply, a geometric boundary is a political or territorial boundary that has a consistent and clear geometric shape such as a square, line, or circle on a map. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. Rivers, lakes, and watershed divides, for example, the crests of mountain ranges, often define political boundaries. 4. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries. For example, immigrants who want to live in the United States must learn English, which is the dominant language in America. 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. Though free movement between some countries continued into the independence period, in many cases neighbouring countries reinforced borders and people could not cross easily. Encyclopedic entry. An example of a demarcated boundary is the US-Mexico border. The high seas are international waters. Political, economic, and cultural processes such as colonialism, the search for resources, the need for ethnic nations to be united, and many others. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Sometimes the borders themselves create conflict. Boundaries. Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. The subsequent boundary is based on religious, ethnic, and linguistic differences between the two countries. Philosophy, B.A. List the reasons on the board as students share them. By state constitution or statute, 34 states require state legislative districts to show some accounting for political boundaries; 15 states impose similar constraints on congressional districts. This was once the only crossing point for non-Germans. Which of the following BEST describes the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea? IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts, National Geographic Education: EuropeResources, National Geographic Education: EuropePhysical Geography, National Geographic Education: EuropeHuman Geography, National Geographic Education: Europe MapMaker Kit, National Geographic Education: National Teacher Leadership Academy (NTLA). National Geographic Headquarters . Sometimes these align with a natural geographic feature like a river to form a border or barrier between nations. Believe it or not, you crossed a political boundary! And the process of establishing exactly defined borders using the latest technology (GPS and GIS, now) is not over. Pavlakovich-Kochi, V., & Morehouse, B. J. You've probably already realized that the different categories of boundaries are not exclusive of each other and that they can all end up being conflictive. The break-up of what political entity led to the existence of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia? Political maps use colors to differentiate countries or states, and they often include major cities and capitals. With the Covid-19 pandemic having delayed the regular census, there is a renewed demand for caste census beyond the boundaries of Bihar, where a caste survey is underway.Congress leader Rahul . The border between India and Pakistan, which has been the site of ongoing conflict for decades. How do political boundaries impact you as an individual? Boundaries are shifted to transfer territory from one country to the other, often without the say-so of the people who inhabit the area. Beyond that, political boundaries do not exist. One of these costs is ethnic cleansing. 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. Economic factors include taxation and the preference for different economic systems. Natural features have dimensions of length and breadth, whereas political boundaries are lines of separation. 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. Have each group create a name for their country and label landforms and features of the country. What ar3 examples of physical political boundaries? Figure 2.1. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. On a separate piece of paper, have each student write three reasons why their group chose those borders. European colonialism established territorial boundaries without consulting affected local people. 3. A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands. 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. Add students' ideas to the list on the board as they volunteer them. The most commonly used political map in the United States is a map like the one above that illustrates the 50 states. 1. You have no say in who gets to become the president of Argentina, for example, if you are politically bound to the US. Fig. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. How are borders defined? The modern international political boundaries of Africa. Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen. And then there are considerations such as strategic importance and potential resource access. What famous novella portrays the Congo Free State? Ballotpedia features 407,502 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Multi-ethnic states may establish borders based on political ideologies. Two famous boundaries in the world are the US-Mexico border and the DMZ separating North and South Korea. They function both as a tool for managing a group of peoples and as a way of minimizing conflict and organizing efficient political units. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell 2 - Africa's international boundaries were mostly superimposed by Europeans without input from Africans. 2 - India and China have several contested areas along their border. 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. An example of a defined political boundary is the U.S. border with Mexico. These lifestyle preferences may be rooted in traditional hunting or farming practices, an ethnic identity, or a religious identity, and boundaries may reflect the space a group needs to express its culture. https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/admin/, 5 Max Weber Theories and Contributions (Sociology). We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. Suggested open border policies vary wildly. The political boundary between the United States and Mexico is an international political boundary between two countries. This boundary was drawn in 1949 to separate the majority Jewish Israel from their majority Muslim neighbors. Many internal political boundaries, like the boundaries between the counties throughout the US, are entirely invisible except on a map. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Instruct students to use the information in three of the mapsReligions, Mountains and Rivers, and Languagesto determine where they would place borders in the Outline map and draw them. Ask: What factors were most important? In Africa, despite Rwanda and several other examples, post-independence countries have kept their superimposed boundaries at all costs rather than engage in the kind of consequent boundary drawing seen elsewhere in the world. Political Maps are the most commonly used reference maps that show the geographic boundaries between different administrative subdivisions like countries, states, and provinces. Which of the following animals is NOT found in the Korean DMZ? Canada and US-49th parallel. True or False: "Nation" is always synonymous with "country" or "state.". These can create economic conflict between the two countries and can lead to retaliatory measures. Sometimes, consequent boundaries involve the movement of people, either voluntarily or forced. 2. In many cases, ancient boundaries are recycled or still in use. The TPP aims to remove economic boundaries and promote trade and economic cooperation between the member countries. This lesson targets the following skills: The resources are also available at the top of the page. A political boundary demarcates the territory of different political entities. In some cases, political boundaries are based on natural features such as rivers, mountains, or other geographical landmarks, while in other cases they may be arbitrary lines drawn on a map. Any boundary is also determined by either natural or geometric lines. Beyond their territorial waters, countries have certain rights, except ownership, in their EEZs (Exclusive Economic Zones). Similarly, an ethnic, political, or religious group may feel that its needs are not being met by a country's government, or that policy-created borders are unjust, and may resort to armed rebellion or terrorism in an attempt to get political boundaries redrawn. These factors can shape the way that people live and trade with one another. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. These boundaries, are drawn on the maps by the political officials to separate areas of political administration and control. (True or False) As used in the Berlin Conference, "Congo Basin" refers solely to the area drained by the Congo River. Everything you need for your studies in one place. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is centered around competing claims to land that is considered holy by both Jewish and Palestinian cultures. This vast desert is one of the driest and hottest places on earth, and it forms a natural barrier between the countries of the region. The Great Wall of China is a natural boundary that was built to protect China from invaders. 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. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. Its 100% free. This activity is intended as a discussion starter. True or False: While conducting innocent passage, normal military operations and exercises are still authorized. A negotiated political boundary is agreed upon through political dialogue or a formal treaty. Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. Countries that share political boundaries may claim ownership over a region along their borders, often because these border regions have some economic or cultural significance to both sides. Of a demarcated boundary is the border and the preference for different economic.... 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