4.5 Function of International Boundaries

Boundaries serve a variety of functions around the world. They can promote cooperation or conflict, depending on who is doing the drawing, who is on either side, how fortified it may be or whether it is a terrestrial or maritime boundary.

Identify ONE example of a wall or barrier built by countries in the twentieth or twenty-first centuries.

Explain the purpose of the example you identified in part A.

Describe ONE political consequence of superimposed boundaries in Africa.

Describe ONE cultural consequence of superimposed boundaries in Asia.

Compare the principles of territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zones as outlined in the UNCLOS agreement.

Describe ONE way supranationalism has affected the functions of international boundaries in Europe.

Explain how boundaries can have an environmental impact on countries of either side.