Global power dynamics are shifting, and the lines on the world’s maps are beginning to move. Thomas Blom, professor of human geography at Karlstad University, explains the history of borders, the factors that shape them, and how power, identity, and geography are intertwined.
How is a geographical border defined?
– A geographical border is usually defined as a boundary separating one area from another, says Thomas Blom. But geographers rarely see borders as just lines. In practice, a border is often a system of rules, institutions, and perceptions that determine who has the right to govern, control, and belong to a certain territory. A border marks where a state or region begins and ends – but it gains meaning through how people use, guard, and interpret it.
What types of borders exist?
– Geographers commonly distinguish between several types of borders, although they often overlap.
Legal borders
– A legal border is established through law, treaties, and international agreements. This includes state borders on land as well as maritime boundaries such as territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
Political borders
– Political borders are typically based on legal frameworks, such as:
- Treaties and agreements between states (most common)
- Historical border settlements
- International rulings or mediation (e.g., arbitration courts)
- Colonial administrative borders that later became state borders (common in Africa and Asia)
Cultural borders
– These borders are reflected in language, religion, traditions, and everyday life. They may remain stable over long periods and sometimes cut across state borders. Sápmi and Kurdistan are well-known examples.
Perceived or social borders
– These borders may not appear on any map but still influence who feels at home where, who moves where, and who “belongs” in a place. An exclusive restaurant, a gated community, or a members‑only golf club can all function as socially closed spaces.
Which factors determine where national borders are drawn?
– There is rarely a single decisive factor, says Blom. Borders usually emerge from a mix of history and politics. Common drivers include:
- War and military conflict, where peace treaties lock in previous front lines.
- Colonial legacies, often based on arbitrary administrative lines. A clear example is the “Scramble for Africa” in the late 1800s, during which European colonial powers divided the continent with little regard for existing ethnic or linguistic boundaries.
- Negotiation and compromise, where borders aim to balance interests rather than follow geographical logic.
- Physical geography, such as rivers, mountains, and coastlines — for example, the Rio Grande forming much of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
- Population and identity, including linguistic groups and historical settlement patterns.
How can borders be understood as more than lines on a map?
– A border is not merely a marker; it is a practice. It consists of:
- Passport controls and visa rules
- Customs systems and trade barriers
- Legal systems — what is legal on one side may be illegal on the other
- Infrastructure
- Surveillance and military presence
- Symbols such as flags, languages, and collective narratives
– Borders are produced in everyday life, Blom explains. They become real through how they regulate mobility, rights, and access.
How stable are borders over time?
– Some borders remain unchanged for centuries; others shift frequently, especially in times of war, imperial collapse, or state formation. Borders change in two ways:
- Formally — through war, peace treaties, referendums, or international arbitration.
- Functionally — becoming more open or closed due to security concerns, migration, trade, or pandemics.
– The EU’s “four freedoms” — the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital — is a clear example of functional openness.
Examples of states with long‑standing stable borders include:
- Andorra (established in 1278)
- Portugal (Treaty of Alcañices, 1297)
- Liechtenstein (unchanged since 1434)
- San Marino (unchanged since 1463)
How have historical power dynamics shaped today’s borders in the Arctic and North Atlantic?
– Historical power dynamics in the Arctic have shaped today’s borders in less visible ways, says Blom. Rather than redrawing land borders, global powers have established rules for sovereignty, maritime law, resource control, and military presence.
– The Arctic has shifted from being a remote ‘ice desert’ to becoming a geopolitical highway and resource zone. As sea ice retreats, new routes open that shorten transport times between Europe and Asia.
– The region is increasingly linked to oil and gas, although extraction is expensive and politically sensitive, and to critical minerals needed for batteries, power grids, defense electronics, and the green transition. Greenland’s mineral potential makes the island a strategic focal point in great‑power politics.
Are there historical examples of territorial purchases or transfers?
– Several, including:
- The U.S. purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803
- The U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867
- Denmark’s transfer of the Danish West Indies to the U.S. in 1917
How can geographic research help us understand future border conflicts or cooperation?
– Geographic research provides context — not just what a conflict concerns but why it develops and how it changes over time. Geographers can analyze how resources, climate change, and infrastructure generate new interests; study how borders are experienced locally and regionally; and help anticipate friction — as well as identify potential zones for cooperation.
Final reflections
– On one hand, the world is increasingly interconnected through economics, digitalization, and global networks, Blom concludes. On the other hand, borders are strengthened by security politics, migration pressures, war, sanctions, and climate change. That’s why borders are not just lines on a map — they are one of the clearest expressions of how power, belonging, and geography intersect.
