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The nature and significance of political boundary activity will serve as an introductory lesson for a unit dealing with political geography. This lesson introduces students to the extreme differences in living conditions between the United States and Mexico with respect to 15 statistical categories. Students will grasp the concept and the ramifications that an imaginary line on Earth's surface separates two countries. During the class discussion that follows the introductory activity, students should learn a variety of concepts and examine issues that could apply to other political boundary situations throughout the world. This activity will help students understand the nature and significance of political boundaries.
Author:
Rick Gindele Smoky Hill High School Cherry Creek School District Aurora, Colorado
Time:
One to two class periods
Grade:
9-12
Continent:
Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa
Key Words
Definition of Key Terms
Objectives
Materials
Preparation
Activities
Sample Questions
Evaluation
Political Boundary Dispute Project
Key Words
Boundary, boundary delimitation, boundary demarcation, boundary dispute, compact state, elongated state, enclave, exclave, fragmented state, landlocked state, microstate, landlocked state, perforated state, prorupt state, subsoil, frontier, physical boundary, natural physical boundary, geometric boundary, cultural political boundary, religious boundary, language boundary, genetic boundary, antecedent boundary, subsequent boundary, superimposed boundary, relict boundary, fortified boundary, nation, state.
Definition of Key Terms
Boundary - something that indicates bounds or limits.
Boundary Delimitation - political boundaries on Earth's surface are determined by the use of man-made structures such as fences and walls, i.e., United States/Mexico.
Boundary Demarcation - there are no physical signs on Earth's surface to show that a boundary exists, i.e., Saudi Arabia/Omen.
Boundary Dispute - when two or more states disagree about the demarcation of a political boundary.
Compact State - the distance from the geographic center of the area to any point on the boundary does not vary greatly, i.e., Hungary.
Elongated State - state that is geographically long and narrow, i.e., Chile.
Enclave - portion of a state that is totally surrounded by another state, i.e., Armenia.
Exclave -small portion of land that is separated from the main state, i.e., Kaliningrad/Russia.
Fragmented State - state split into many pieces, i.e., Philippines and Indonesia.
Landlocked State - state not having direct access to an ocean, i.e., Bolivia.
Microstate - state that is extremely small, i.e., San Marine.
Nation-State - political unit comprising a clearly delineated territory where the population shares a common history and culture, i.e., Japan.
Perforated State - state that totally surrounds another state, i.e., South Africa.
Prorupt State - state having a portion of territory that is elongated, i.e., Thailand.
Subsoil - below the surface of Earth. Boundaries are vertical planes, not merely lines on a map.
Frontier - zone where no state exercises political control, i.e., Antarctica and portions of Saudi Arabia.
Physical Boundary - major physical features such as deserts, mountain ranges, and/or water bodies that serve as a means of separation, i.e., Great Lakes, Pureness Mountains, and Sahara Desert.
Geometric Boundary - straight lines that serve as political boundaries that are unrelated to physical and /or cultural differences, i.e., United States/Canadian border.
Cultural Political Boundary - political boundary that separates different cultures, i.e., former Yugoslavia.
Religious Boundary - boundary that separates different religions, i.e., Northern Ireland/Ireland.
Language Boundary - boundary that separates different language speakers, i.e., traditionally many countries in Europe such as England, France, Spain, and Portugal.
Genetic Boundary - how boundaries evolve over time.
Antecedent Boundary - boundary that was created before the present day cultural landscape developed, i.e., Malaysia/Indonesia on the island of Borneo.
Subsequent Boundary - boundaries that are created as a result of long-term processes, i.e., Vietnam/China.
Super Imposed Boundary - boundary that has been forced upon the inhabitants of an area to solve a problem and/or conflict, i.e., Indonesia/Papua New Guinea.
Relict Boundary - boundary that ceases to exist, however the imprint of the boundary still remains on the cultural landscape, i.e., North/South Vietnam.
Fortified Boundary - when a state constructs physical barriers along a boundary to either keep people in or out of its territory, i.e., Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, earth berms along the Morocco/Spanish Sahara border.
Nation - geographic area that is dominated by a large population that shares a common history and culture, i.e., Kurds and Palestinians.
State - political entity that maintains status as an independent country.
Objectives
Students will be able to - Identify different types of political boundaries.
- Understand reasons why different types of political boundaries exist.
- Recognize potential conflicts due to different political boundaries.
- Explain how different shapes of states can have positive and negative impacts.
- Examine in depth a current and/or recent boundary dispute.
- Understand the concept of nation and state.
Materials
3x5-inch index cards, tape (masking and/or duct), guided questions
Preparation
Required reading:
de Blij, H.J. Human Geography: Culture, Society, and Space, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 3rd Ed. New York, 1996.
Marshall, Bruce. The Real World. London: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991.
Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 3rd Ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996.
Recommended Reading:
de Blij and Glassier. Systematic Political Geography. New York.
Hussein, David. Geography and National Identity. Oxford, U.K.: Bleakly, 1994.
Minghi and Roomily, The Geography of Border Landscapes. London: Rutledge, 1991.
Prescott, J.R.V. Political Frontiers and Boundaries. London: Allen & Unwon, 1987.
Taylor, Peter. Political Geography: World Economy Nation-State and Locality. Essex, U.K.: Longman Group Limited, 1985.
Write data on index cards.
Color- and number-code index cards.
The addition of text for each statistical category will give more meaning to the data.
Activities
The boundary between the United States and Mexico represents one of the greatest divisions of wealth on Earth. From the data provided, write the statistics for at least 15 categories on 30 3x5-inch index cards. Color- and number-code the data according to country and category. - Hand out one color- and number-coded index card to each student.
Other possibilities could include North Korea/South Korea, South Africa/Botswana, or data between two political entities with extreme differences in wealth within the United States.
| Category | United States | Mexico | | Per Capita GNP | 24,700 | 8,200 | | Unemployment Rate | 0.07 | 14 to 17 percent | | Arable Land | 0.2 | 0.12 | | Forest and Woodland | 0.29 | 0.24 | | Agricultural Employment | NA (2 percent?) | 0.28 | | Literacy | 0.96 | 0.9 | | Major Language | English | Spanish | | Major Religion(s) | Protestant | 89 percent Roman Catholic | | Fertility Rate/women | 2.05 | 3.25 | | Birth Rate | 15/1,000 | 28/1,000 | | Natural Increase | 0.007 | 0.022 | | Percent Urban | 0.75 | 0.71 | | Pop Density/Sq.Mile | 72 | 124 | | Births/1,000 | 15 | 27 | | Deaths/1,000 | 8 | 5 | | Televisions/person | 1:1.2 | 1:6.7 | | Telephones/person | 1:1.3 | 1:7.6 | | Radios/person | 1:0.5 | 1:5.5 | | Physicians/person | 1:391 | 1:885 | | Infant Mortality Rate | 8/1,000 | 26/1,000 | | Hospital Beds/person | 1:218 | 1:1,367 | | Percent GNP/Defense | 0.055 | 0.005 | | Life Expectancy - Female | 80 | 77 | | Life Expectancy - Male | 73 | 70 | |
Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1996, Funk & Wagnalls Corporation, Mahwah, New Jersey.
- Have all students with red coded cards move to one side of the room and all students with yellow coded cards move to the other side of the room.
- Separate the desks so there is at least a six-foot area between both sides of the room.
- With masking or duct tape mark out a straight line down the middle of the classroom
- Have students with red cards pair up with the same numbered yellow card on the other side of the boundary.
- Students must not cross the line on the floor.
- Have students read the information on their index card. Start with the card numbered "one" for Mexico. Next person to read will be card numbered "one" for the United States, and so on.
- Students return to a desk on their designated side of the room.
- Hand out response sheet with questions. Have students answer guided questions in groups of three according to country.
Sample Questions - What is the definition of "political boundary"?
- What purpose do political boundaries serve?
- Do geometric political boundaries effectively separate people?
- What impact does the United States/Mexican border have on the lives of people on either side of the boundary?
Wait for the majority of students to finish answering the questions before engaging the class in a discussion.
- Teacher facilitates whole class discussion. Use the questions from the handout to get the discussion going or think of other questions to spark ideas!
- Teacher-facilitated class discussion.
Note - The use of photos and/or slides that show the stark differences between living conditions on either side of the United States/Mexican border would be an excellent way to conclude this lesson. Also, slides showing various types of physical barriers that the United States is constructing to slow down the flow of illegal crossings would help emphasize some of the political, social, and emotional issues regarding political boundaries. Another issue to compare and contrast with the U.S./Mexican border might be the comparative lack of security on the United States/Canadian border.
- Use an atlas to find two examples for each type of political boundary listed below.
Geometric Boundaries: - Straight borders running north/south ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Straight borders running east/west ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Straight borders not running east/west or north/south ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Borders drawn to avoid dividing islands ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Borders that divide lakes ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Detours to include settlements ______________________________
Physical Boundaries: - Mountain ranges as borders ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Mountain states with borders on foothills ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Borders to contain river sources ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Rivers as borders ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Shipping lanes as borders ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Sea limits extended by claiming off-shore islands ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- Borders marked by corridor access to the sea or river ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
- List three states that claim a 200-mile off-shore boundary. ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Evaluation
Multiple Choice Questions:
- Which one of the following borders is an example of a geometric boundary that runs east/west?
- France/Spain
- Egypt/Sudan
- England/Scotland
- North Korea/South Korea
- Costa Rica/Panama
- All of the following are examples of nations except?
- Kurds
- Palestinian Arabs
- Israel
- England
- Canada
- What type/s of political boundaries between states are most prevalent in Africa?
- Geometric-Political Boundaries
- Cultural-Political Boundaries
- Physical-Political Boundaries
- Religious Boundaries
- Language Boundaries
- Which one of the following is the best example of a nation-state?
- Germany
- Italy
- Vietnam
- Japan
- England
- How has the end of the "Cold War" influenced boundary disputes?
- Boundary disputes are not as important today.
- There has been a proliferation in the number of boundary disputes throughout the world.
- The United States has maintained a consistent policy with regard to trying to solve boundary disputes.
- NATO has taken the leadership role in the world for settling conflicts.
- The United Nations peacekeeping force is becoming more powerful than the United States military.
Short Answer Questions - Describe the fallacy of the modern nation-state.
- Briefly discuss how the settlement of a frontier can lead to boundary disputes.
Essay Questions:
- Agree or disagree: Physical features make for the most logical and long-lasting type of political boundary.
Mountain ranges
Rivers
Lakes
Give examples of how the physical features listed above have stabilized the border between two states, or give examples of how these physical features help create conflict.
- Explain why many African states will suffer for generations with the decisions that were made at the Berlin conference in 1885.
Made unity and cooperation more difficult
Slowed economic development
Increased conflict
Support the above with specific examples and incorporate various types of political boundaries.
- Discuss the differences between the formation of states in South America and South Asia. Give a historical/geographic perspective on how these two areas of the world developed states differently. Use geographic concepts and cite specific geographic models and theories.
Political Boundary Dispute Project
Overview
Political boundaries between states are never permanent. As a result, most states experience boundary disputes. Many boundary disputes are unsettled territorial claims, or a result of one state desiring the resources of a neighboring state. Both geometric and physical political boundaries have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation at a given moment in time.
Objective:
Students will examine a recent and/or present political border dispute between two or more states. Through the process of completing this project, students will understand the history and geographical dimensions to a boundary dispute. Also, students will fully grasp the present situation and then make predictions regarding prospects for solving the conflict and the viability of alternative boundaries. Students will incorporate various political geography concepts and use maps, charts, and graphs to visually support the text.
Instructions:
Chose one of the these continents -- Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, North America -- and research the past, present, and future of a particular political boundary dispute. A major maritime boundary dispute may be used. The teacher must approve the boundary dispute you choose!
Past (text: two to three pages)
Describe the historical context of the political boundary. What geographical factors played a role in determining the boundary and/or boundary alterations? How did the boundary evolve? What factors helped to create the boundary in the first place? Make sure you highlight the critical changes to the boundary, otherwise this section of the project could be extensive in length!
(Map required)
Present (text: three to four pages)
Discuss the present boundary situation. How does geography enter into the conflict? How serious is the situation? What steps are being taken to resolve the problems? What geographical, political, and cultural factors are making it difficult to solve the boundary dispute? Make sure you examine the vantage point of each state in the conflict.
(Map required)
Future (text 2 pages)
Analyze the information gathered and make future predictions regarding the viability of the present boundary. What does the future hold given the dynamics of various social, political, cultural, and environmental challenges confronting populations on both sides of the border? What boundary/boundaries might make more sense in order to solve the dispute? Offer alternative boundaries and critique your solutions. If this boundary conflict is not resolved will other states get drawn into the conflict?
(Map required)
Geographic Tools
Include at least three maps that show the boundary at different times in history. Also, incorporate geographic information that helps convey the complexity of the boundary dispute. The finished product should include four to five maps.
Geographic Concepts
Make sure political geography concepts and models are incorporated into the project. Do not write in generalities. Support written text with geographic concepts and visuals, such as maps, graphs, and charts.
List of Sources
Please footnote accordingly and list sources in proper bibliographic form. Also, cite sources on maps, charts, and graphs.
Grading Rubric
Past 20 percent
Present 30 percent
Future 20 percent
Maps, Charts, Graphs 20 percent
Writing Mechanics 10 percent
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