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Notes On Frontiers and Boundaries

Frontiers and boundaries define political territories in different ways: - A frontier is a politico-geographical area between states that prevents direct contact and allows for expansion into new lands. It looks outward and encourages growth. - A boundary marks the clear physical limit of a state's sovereignty and jurisdiction. It is oriented inward and signifies integration within the state under a central authority. - While boundaries divide clearly defined political territories regulated by law, frontiers provide scope for interaction between neighboring states and societies in a dynamic way as political communities expand and evolve over time.

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429 views3 pages

Notes On Frontiers and Boundaries

Frontiers and boundaries define political territories in different ways: - A frontier is a politico-geographical area between states that prevents direct contact and allows for expansion into new lands. It looks outward and encourages growth. - A boundary marks the clear physical limit of a state's sovereignty and jurisdiction. It is oriented inward and signifies integration within the state under a central authority. - While boundaries divide clearly defined political territories regulated by law, frontiers provide scope for interaction between neighboring states and societies in a dynamic way as political communities expand and evolve over time.

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NotesonFrontiersandBoundaries

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Frontier:
Inthepast,duringthepoliticalevolutionsofastate,stateswereseparatedbyareas,notlines.Thefunctionof
theinterveningareawastopreventdirectcontactbetweentheneighbouringstatesanditwasreferredtoasa
frontier.

Afrontier,can,thus,bedefinedasapoliticogeographicalarea,lyingbeyonddefinedbordersofapolitical
unitintowhichexpansioncouldtakeplace(forinstance,EuropeanpenetrationintotheZuluNatalareaand,
inmoderntimes,Antarctica).Itisaphysicalandmoralconceptwhichimpliedlookingoutwardsandmoving
outwards.Itisnotanabstractconceptbutafactoflifeamanifestationofthetendencyforspontaneous
growthofecumene.

AccordingtoLapradelle,therearethreestagesintheevolutionofafrontier,viz.,(i)designatedzoneof
influenceofdifferentphysicalphenomena(ii)anthropologicalgeographicalconcept(iii)politicalfrontier.

Boundary:
Itimpliesthephysicallimitofsovereigntyandjurisdictionofastateitisamanifestationofintegrationand
isorientedinwards.

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Itscharacteristicsareasfollows:

1.Itisstillpossibletorecognisefrontiercharacteristicsinboundaries,especiallyinsparselypopulated
regions,suchasdeserts.Thisleadstominimumfriction.AnexampleistheboundarybetweenSpainand
Portugal.
2.Itisanappropriateconceptforthemodernstatewhereallthatiswithintheboundaryisboundtogetherby
commonlaw,economy,physicalfeatures,ideaorcreedwithagovernmentorcentralauthorityineffective
controloftheterritoryandactivitieswithintheboundaries.

3.Itmaybereachedbyexpandingintofrontierswhenthenaturallimitsarereached.Forinstance,the
westwardexpansionsoftheUSAintodesertfrontierstillthecoastlineswerereached.

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4.Itisanouterlineofeffectivecontrolofthecentralgovernmentkeepingtheenemyoutandtheresources
in.

5.Itisalegalpoliticalphenomenonwhichisnotcreatedbutfixedbythepoliticaldecisionmakers.

6.Itsignifiesdifferencesingoals,ideology,structure,interestsetc.fromthoseoftheneighbouringstates.

BoundaryandFrontierAComparison:
1.Aboundaryisorientedinwards.Itisamanifestationofintegration,andisacentripetalforceafrontieris
orientedoutwardsandisamanifestationofthespontaneoustendencytogrow,ofecumene,andisa
centrifugalforce.

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2.Aboundaryiscreatedandmaintainedbythewillofthegovernment.Ithasnolifeofitsown,notevena
materialexistenceafrontierisafactoflifeandexistsphysicallyongroundasadynamicentity.

3.Aboundaryiswelldefinedandregulatedbylaw.Itpossessesuniformcharacteristics.Afrontierisa
phenomenonofhistoryand,likehistory,itisunique.

4.Aboundaryisaseparatingfactorwhereasafrontierprovidesscopeformutualinteractionandexchange.

Conclusion:
Existenceofboundariesshowsthatapoliticalcommunityhasreachedarelativedegreeofmaturity,
orderlinessandbeinglawabiding.Frontiersandboundariesareproductsofsociopoliticalforcesandare,
thus,subjectiveandnotobjective

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