Navigation
Investigates the historical impact of European imperialism on the political map of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Have you ever wondered why so many borders in Africa and the Middle East are perfectly straight lines, while European borders squiggle along rivers and mountains? Imagine a group of strangers in a room thousands of miles away deciding exactly where your backyard ends and your neighbor's begins.
In , leaders of European nations met at the Berlin Conference to divide the African continent among themselves. The goal was to avoid war between European powers, but they did so without a single African representative present. They created superimposed boundaries, which are political borders drawn by an outside power that ignore existing cultural, ethnic, or linguistic patterns. By the time they were done, over of Africa was under European control. These 'paper partitions' forced rival ethnic groups into the same country while splitting unified groups across different states, creating a blueprint for future conflict.
Consider the border between Egypt and Sudan. 1. European cartographers used longitudinal lines (meridians) to draw the border. 2. The border follows the parallel. 3. This ignored the nomadic tribes who moved based on water sources rather than geometric lines.
Quick Check
What is a 'superimposed boundary'?
Answer
A border drawn by an external power that ignores the existing cultural and ethnic landscape of the region.
A shatterbelt is a region caught between stronger, colliding external political-cultural forces. These areas are under persistent stress and are often fragmented by aggressive rivals. Think of it like a geological fault line, but for politics. Because of their colonial history and strategic locations, regions like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe have historically functioned as shatterbelts. During the Cold War, these regions were 'squeezed' between the influence of the and the , leading to internal instability and frequent border changes.
During the mid-20th century, Southeast Asia became a classic shatterbelt: 1. External Pressure: The region was caught between Western capitalism and Eastern communism. 2. Internal Fragmentation: Countries like Vietnam were split into North and South ( parallel). 3. Conflict: The collision of these external interests led to decades of proxy wars.
Quick Check
Why is a shatterbelt compared to a 'geological fault line'?
Answer
Because it is a zone of chronic instability where the 'pressure' from surrounding powerful states causes frequent political 'earthquakes' or conflicts.
When European powers withdrew during the decolonization era (peaking around ), they left behind a map that didn't match the people. This led to irredentism—a political movement intended to reclaim 'lost' territory inhabited by people of the same ethnicity who live across a border. Furthermore, many new states were landlocked, meaning they have no direct outlet to the sea. In Africa alone, there are landlocked states, making trade difficult and expensive, as they must rely on neighbors for port access, often leading to economic dependency and political tension.
The Partition of India is a complex case of colonial border evolution: 1. The British 'Radcliffe Line' divided the province of Punjab based on religious demographics (Hindu/Sikh vs. Muslim). 2. The border was drawn in just weeks by a man who had never been to India. 3. Result: The displacement of million people and ongoing irredentist claims over the region of Kashmir.
Which term describes a border that ignores the existing cultural landscape?
What is a primary characteristic of a 'shatterbelt' region?
Irredentism is the movement to unite people of the same ethnicity who have been separated by international borders.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three main consequences of the Berlin Conference on modern African geopolitics.
Practice Activity
Open a map of Africa and look for 'straight-line' borders. Research one of those borders to see which colonial powers were involved in drawing it.