Table of Contents for What Is a Border?

1.A Short History of Borders

2.The Power of Place

This chapter deals with the different forms, roles, and ideas of borders in the contemporary world, starting with the uneven development of regions, resulting mass-migration movements, and reactions in the developed world. Then it introduces different forms of borders: the invisible borders within countries and societies; the religious borders, which are among the most stable borders, and therefore provide much relief to those who are constantly yearning for an identity; the electoral borders, that is, the increasing political use of borders for electoral purposes; and finally, the phantom borders, the eight states that are not recognized by the international community.

3.Borders in Progress

This chapter examines the political role of borders in a series of specific cases. It starts with the different borders of Europe, why they are so numerous, and why they have changed so frequently. It then looks at the Middle East and Africa, where artificial borders and states are linked to political instability and war; the case of the incessantly moving borders of Russia, which is constantly in search of territorial protection; China, with a specific analysis of the buffer regions (i.e., nonethnically Chinese regions) as "natural borders," as well as the issue of its maritime borders and the disputed areas in the South China Sea; and the case of the United States, its particularly stable borders as opposed to the expansion of its frontier well beyond the limits of the Western Hemisphere and the unique openness of its borders to immigration over most of its history.

4.Conclusion

The conclusion explains why a history of borders is so important in order to underline their relative character and identify the issue of the political comeback of borders and their likely future implication on international relations.