4.4 Defining Political Boundaries

Borders that are established before there has been major settlement by people in a territory.

• Antecedent boundary
• Subsequent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Borders that are drawn in areas that have been settled by people, typically due to changes that have occured over time

• Antecedent boundary
• Subsequent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Type of subsequent boundary - takes into account the existing cultural distribution of the people living in the territory and redevelops boundary lines to more closely align with cultural boundaries

• Antecedent boundary
• Relic boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Border that is drawn over existing and accepted borders by an outside force

• Antecedent boundary
• Relic boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Borders that are established on straight lines of latitude and longitude instead of physical or cultural boundaries

• Subsequent boundary

• Relic boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Border that no longer exists, but has left some imprint on the local cultural or environmental geography

• Subsequent boundary

• Relic boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Example: the boundary of the Pyrenees Mountains established between Spain and France

• Subsequent boundary

• Antecedent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Example: the boundary between Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland

• Subsequent boundary

• Antecedent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Example: the boundary between Mali and Mauritania (many boundaries in Africa)

• Subsequent boundary

• Antecedent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Superimposed boundary

• Geometric boundary

Example: the boundary between East and West Germany during the Cold War (states are currently combined as one state: Germany)

• Subsequent boundary

• Antecedent boundary

• Consequent boundary

• Relic boundary

• Geometric boundary