POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT

Name: Anisha Khattri

Course: B.A (Honours) Geography, 3rd Year
Roll no.: 2019/1491

Difference between boundaries and frontiers and discuss in detail the type of
boundaries.

Definitions of boundaries and frontiers

Boundaries and Frontiers have often been confused to hold the same meaning and are used
interchangeably in non-geography literature. These two terms have been the most popular topic
in Political Geography. To define in layman terms, a boundary is basically an artificial line is
drawn by the state to demarcate its territorial jurisdiction that it can extent to and implies
physical limit of sovereignty of a state. It is purely drawn for political reasons. Boundary comes
from the term ‘bounds’ which implies territorial limits. It manifests integration. A frontier on the
other hand, is a zone separating two states in which neither states can exercise any political
control. It creates a zone of transition between two states. Its function is to avoid direct contact
between neighbouring states. Frontier comes from the notion of ‘in front’ as the spearhead of
civilization.

The concept of a boundary

With time, population of the world has increased and this increases the weightage of settlements
and this creates a demand for the rights and obligations of the state. This brings out the necessity
for drawing boundaries and marked with greater precision. The nature of boundaries has changed
through historical time because their function, the separation of sovereignties has also changed.
The modern boundary is a finite along which two sovereignties meet.

i. Its characteristics are as follows:

ii. It is still possible to recognize frontier characteristics in boundaries, especially in sparsely
populated regions, such as deserts. This leads to minimum friction. An example is a
boundary between Spain and Portugal.
 iii. It is an appropriate concept for the modern state where all that is within the boundary is
bound together by common law, economy, physical features, idea, or creed with a
government or central authority in effective control of the territory and activities within
the boundaries.
iv. It may be reached by expanding into frontiers when the natural limits are reached. For
instance, the westward expansions of the USA into desert frontiers till the coastlines were
reached.
v. It is an outer line of effective control of the central government keeping the enemy out
and the resources in.
vi. It is a legal-political phenomenon which is not created but fixed by the political decision-
makers.
vii. It signifies differences in goals, ideology, structure, interests, etc. from those of the
neighboring states.

The concept of a frontier

In the past, during the political evolutions of a state, states were separated by areas, not lines.
The function of the intervening area was to prevent direct contact between the neighboring states
and it was referred to as a frontier.

A frontier, can, thus, be defined as a politico-geographical area, lying beyond defined borders of
a political unit into which expansion could take place (for instance, European penetration into the
Zulu-Natal area and, in modern times, Antarctica). It is a physical and moral concept which
implied looking outwards and moving outwards. Some frontiers have occurred where two
nations advance from different directions, leading to boundary disputes.

Differentiating between boundaries and frontiers

A boundary is oriented inwards. It is a manifestation of integration, and is a centripetal force; a

frontier is oriented outwards and is a manifestation of the spontaneous tendency to grow, of
ecumene, and is a centrifugal force. A boundary is created and maintained by the will of the
government. It has no life of its own, not even a material existence; a frontier is a ‘fact of life’
and exists physically on ground as a dynamic entity. A boundary is well-defined and regulated
by law. It possesses uniform characteristics. A frontier is a phenomenon of history and, like
history, it is unique. A boundary is a separating factor whereas a frontier provides scope for
mutual interaction and exchange.

Boundaries are purely political in origin and function while frontiers are transitional between
geographical regions, rather than between the states. Thus, frontiers are more geographical rather
than political in nature. Frontiers are phenomenon of past while boundaries belong to present. A
frontier whether physical, linguistic, religious, or ethnic cannot be moved. It may change its
character, and lose much of its frontier function, but it must remain in-situ. In contrast,
boundaries are by no means immovable.

Detailed discussion on types of boundaries

Classification of International Boundaries

There are two important systems of classification of international boundaries:

 First is the functional, also called the genetic classification. It is a concept based on the
nature of the relationship between the boundary line and the evolution of the cultural
landscape of the State whose sovereignty it defines, delimits and separates.
 Secondly, boundaries may be classified in accordance with their form that is in terms of
their demarcation and fixation on the ground. A boundary may often be drawn to follow
some conspicuous physical feature, such as a mountain range, a river, or a lake. These
are physical or physiographic boundaries.

Boundaries can also be drawn to follow geometric lines (geometric or linear boundaries) or to
separate specific ethnic communities (ethnic or human geographic boundaries). However, at
most boundaries, multiple boundary criteria can play a role. Therefore, most boundaries are
inherently complex. This classification is called the morphological classification.

I. Genetic or functional classification

The genetic classification of boundaries is based on the relationship a boundary line shared with
the surrounding cultural landscape at the time of its demarcation. It derives from physical
geography, even if the analogy between the mechanism of river development and the dynamics
of international borders is certainly not perfect.

1. Antecedent boundaries
2. Subsequent boundaries
3. Super-imposed boundaries
4. Relic or Relict boundaries

1. Antecedent boundaries

The boundaries that preceded the development of the cultural landscape are known as prehistoric
boundaries. They are the most common type in the New World. Here, international boundaries
are often agreed upon at the conference table even before the territory concerned is fully
explored and resolved so that they are essentially straight-line geometric borders.

Example: United States of America, Alaska and Canada, Australia, etc.

2. Subsequent boundaries

The boundaries that define and demarcate have followed the evolution of the cultural landscape
are called subsequent boundaries. These boundaries are often consistent with ethno-cultural
divisions of the landscape, especially linguistic and religious divisions. Most of the borders in
Eastern Europe, and between India and Pakistan, and India and Bangladesh fall into this
category. Some of these latter boundaries overlap in nature. These are also drawn after the
complete development of the cultural landscape. The difference is that the following type is
consistent with cultural divisions among neighbouring communities and is determined by mutual
agreement.

3. Superimposed boundaries

On the other hand, the superimposed type does not correspond to the socio-cultural division of
the region. They were imposed on communities affected by either external forces or
overwhelming unity between the two. Most colonial boundaries in Africa are of this type, and
truce boundaries are of this type.
 4. Relics or Relict boundaries

The fourth type, called relics or relict boundaries, is a boundary that is currently losing its
political function but may still be recognizable in the cultural landscape. Such boundaries occur
when small states are absorbed into large states, or when the boundaries between states are
abandoned and redrawn. An example of is the Berlin Wall, built in 1961 by Soviet-controlled
East Germany, which surrounds parts of a city that was managed by the United States, Great
Britain, and France.

II. Morphological classification

Morphological boundaries are boundaries drawn to follow the salient features of a physical
landscape. Because these boundaries follow the natural characteristics of the physical landscape,
they are sometimes mistakenly called natural boundaries, as opposed to boundaries drawn to
follow certain geometric lines or linguistic or religious divisions. I have. The latter is sometimes
called artificial boundaries. However, this distinction is incorrect. All boundaries are artificial, so
they are all artificial.

1. Mountain Boundaries
2. Rivers as International Boundaries
3. Boundaries in Lakes and Straits
4. Forest, Swamp, and Deserts

Mountain Boundaries

This is the most popular type as it has traditionally acted as a natural barrier. The mountain
boundaries were considered very stable because they adhered firmly to the ground. However, the
revolutionary changes in transportation and communications of and the opening of the sky as a
highway have significantly reduced its function as a protective barrier. Even the highest
mountain ranges are no longer impregnable, as evidenced by China's invasion of India across the
Himalayas. The location of boundaries along mountain ranges often poses difficult problems, as
most mountain ranges do not have well-defined mountain lines. Even if ridges are present, they
are often divided by lateral valleys. Also, most mountain ranges are made up of several semi-
parallel chains, each with its own ridgeline. Therefore, contrary to common belief, confluences
between ridges and basins between streams flowing on opposite slopes are rarely found.
Since both the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers originate from Lake Mansarowa, they flow through
both the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan regions through the combined Ganges and
Brahmaputra rivers.

River boundaries

Many boundaries are based on river flow. Choosing a river as the boundary has the following
advantages:

The wide, inaccessible stream acts as a barrier to communication. As such, it was considered of
military value as it served as a possible line of defense against advancing troops. Despite these
advantages, the choice of rivers as boundaries was rarely satisfactory. Rivers and their valleys
provide a line of movement that promotes social and commercial circulation, so the first
catchment area generally has a connective rather than a divisive effect. River basins generally
consist of fertile alluvial plains that support a dense population. Therefore, boundaries drawn
along or across rivers disrupt the settled communities and cause problems with the use and
management of river water. The border between India and Pakistan and the border between India
and Bangladesh through the Indus River basin are two important examples. When a river is
selected as the boundary between two adjacent states, the question arises of how to arrange the
boundary. In general, the boundary can be along the center or center of the fairway, or one of the
coastlines. The centerline can be defined as a line connecting all points equidistant from the
nearest point on the opposite bank. The main difficulty in assuming the centerline as the
boundary is that it causes an even division of the water surface rather than the amount of water.
Accepting the interstate boundaries of navigable canals presents many problems of its own due
to its highly zigzag course and frequent changes in position, making repeated shifts in life along
the boundary zones. May bring. Defining boundaries by navigable lakes pose equally difficult
problems, but does not require the relocation of settlement communities.