Origins of Boundaries
KQ3 Political Boundaries
Antecedent boundary
 Boundary line established before an area is
populated.
 Ex: Malaysia/Indonesia boundary on Borneo
 Ex: US/Canadian boundary along the 49th
parallel (49 degrees north latitude)
Antecedent boundary
Superimposed boundary
 Boundary that is imposed on the cultural
landscape, ignoring pre-existing cultural patterns
(typically a colonial boundary)
 Ex: All of Africa!
 Division of Papa New Guinea into Indonesia and
Papa New Guinea
Subsequent boundary
 A boundary line established after an area has
been populated that considered the social and
cultural characteristics of the area.
 Ex: Not Africa! The disintegration of Yugoslavia
along ethnic lines into Slovenia, Croatia,
Macedonia, Kosovo, etc.
Relic boundary
 Old political boundaries that no longer exist as
international borders, but that have left an
enduring mark on the local cultural or
environmental geography.
 Ex: Berlin Wall
 Ex: East-West Germany