Borders
Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 11.3.2
Borders
The borders of nation states have originated based upon a variety of factors:
Natural barriers
- Natural barriers, such as mountains and rivers have traditionally been the borders of nation states.
- The Himalayas has traditionally separated India and China.
- The Iguazu Falls and the Iguazu River is right on the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Cultural and linguistic groups
- The borders of many European countries are based around historically shared language origins.
- Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian are historically Romance languages.
- English, German, and Swedish are historically Germanic languages.
- Russian, Polish and Bulgarian, are historically Slavic languages.
Politics
- Political decision-making can affect borders.
- The Treaty of Versailles after World War One drew many of Europe's borders. Many disliked the arbitrary nature of many of these borders.
- The 49th parallel separating the USA and Canada was agreed by the Treaty of Oregon in 1846.
- An armistice after the Korean War decided the location of the North Korean-South Korean border.
Colonial decision-making
- The Spanish, German, English and Dutch colonial powers of 19th century Europe divided up much of the world arbitrarily based on their land grabs.
- Many of the borders in Africa were decided by these colonial powers.
- The colonialists were more concerned with dividing Africa's raw materials and water resources amongst themselves.
Ethnic regions
- Long-established ethnic regions have often been split between two or more countries, leading to conflict and problems around sovereignty and legitimacy.
Contested Borders
Some borders are contested by one or both countries on each side of it.
Alsace/Lorraine
- Alsace and Lorraine was a long-disputed territory, with both France and Germany claiming it.
- It is an advantageous industrial area, which is rich in coal and iron ore.
- France lost Alsace to Germany in the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. France then claimed the territory back at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
Russia/Ukraine
- Access to the Black Sea is viewed as strategically important for Russia from a military/security perspective.
- Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, giving Russia strategic control in the Black Sea.
North/South Korea
- An armistice signed at the end of the Korean War established a demilitarised zone between the two countries and created the border that still exists today.
Kosovo
- The states that used to make up Yugoslavia are still subject of border disputes today.
- The legitimacy of Kosovo is questioned by some countries.
- At the 2018 World Cup, Swiss footballers, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri supported Kosovan independence. Both have Albanian/Kosovan heritage.
Taiwan
- Some states are not recognised by some other states.
- China does not recognise Taiwan as a state, but the USA does recognise Taiwan.
Test yourself on Borders
Which natural barrier separates India and China?
What marks the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay?
Which river has been historically important in the borders involving Kosovo?
Which nation state is recognised by the USA but not China?