Frontières et Relations Internationales

Introduction

• Frontière: A political boundary separating the sovereignty of at least two states; often a line of conflict in international relations.
• Boundaries are not fixed: They evolve throughout the 20th century, particularly in Africa and South America.
• Post-World War II: Increase in the number of states and a rise in international treaties, agreements, and the role of the UN.
• Increased complexity: The 20th and 21st centuries witnessed dramatic growth in the number of states globally.

Types of Borders

• Natural borders: Often based on natural features like rivers, mountains, or seas. These borders may not be completely sealed.
• Unclear borders: Where features are more porous, not as clearly marked, and there is more freedom to cross between states.
• Open borders: Allowing easy passage between countries, such as crossing connecting areas. Often without large man-made barriers or extensive marking.
• Closed borders: Countries impose barriers, walls, and fences, which restrict passage between countries.

Mexico-USA Border

• Land boundary: Often a barrier due to physical limitations like the vast Rio Grande River.
• Complex flows: Illegal activity such as drug trafficking, economic exchanges, migration, and human traffic.

Roman Limes

• Limes was a border: A defensive military boundary, often fortified with walls, towers, and military encampments.
• Dynamic and permeable: It wasn't a static or impenetrable border. It changed. There was a mixture of protection and interaction, and crossing points existed.
• Purpose: It was mainly a security measure to defend the Roman Empire from Germanic tribes.
• Effects: Significant commercial and cultural exchanges also occurred along that boundary.

Berlin Conference and African Partitioning

• Partitioning of Africa: Unfamiliar internal regions of Africa. The process began in the late 19th century and involved the major European powers.
• Limited African knowledge: The majority of the interior of Africa was poorly understood in the 19th century.

Exploration and Conquest (1914-Present)

• European rivalries: The competition for colonies created tension among European nations.
• Berlin Conference (1884-1885): The goal was to prevent conflict over Africa's occupation or colonization.
• 'Scramble for Africa': Driven by rivalries, it was a period of intensified competition for territory and resources in Africa leading to large-scale partition by European powers.
• Commerce and exchange considerations: Abolition of the slave trade was a significant consideration.
• Establishing borders on paper (cartographic borders): Establishing international borders by drawing lines on maps without considering local populations or realities.

Border Between Two Koreas

• Political division: The nations split following World War II and the Japanese surrender. The division was based on the influence of the Soviet Union (North Korea) vs. the United States (South Korea).
• Conflict and conflict cessation: The Korean War (1950-1953) solidified the division and created a significantly militarized border. Despite an armistice, a full peace treaty wasn't established, so a constant state of tension remains.

German-Polish Border (1939-1990)

• Invasion and occupation: The German invasion of Poland during World War II dramatically altered international boundaries.
• Alterations following World War II: The redrawing of boundaries, including the relocation/resettlement of populations and conflict resolution related to World War II.
• Post-war borders: The borders were redefined after the war by territorial realignment, influencing populations and settlements.

Cold War and German Division

• Division of Germany: The German state divided into two states post-World War II into Soviet-influenced East Germany and the US/Western-influenced West Germany.
• Berlin Wall: Built in 1961 as a division of Berlin post-World War II; a physical symbol and barrier between West and East, separating families and communities.
• Fall of the Berlin Wall: The symbolic end of the Cold War. This led to German reunification.

Law of the Sea

• 71% of Planet Earth is ocean: The vast expanse of oceans.
• International maritime law: Rules defining the zones of national jurisdiction over the seas, resources, and marine activities.
• Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Early agreement for dividing the sphere of influence between European powers in relation to colonization and the development of maritime rights.
• International conventions and associated organizations: Conventions from 1958 onwards, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provide a legal framework for regulating ocean activities and managing resources.
• The implications of maritime territorial rules: These rules have a broad impact on trade, resource use, navigation, and even environmental protection, because they govern how nations interact with oceans.

Maritime Territories and Jurisdictions

• Territorial sea: An area adjacent to coastal states, where states have absolute sovereignty.
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Allows states to exploit resources within the zone, with other states still having a certain degree of right to use these waters to navigate.
• High Seas: Any part of the ocean that it is not under a national jurisdiction.

Contemporary Border Disputes

• East China Sea and South China Sea (relevant to territorial disputes): Claims to islands, resources, and sailing routes.
• Specific examples of territorial disputes: Disputes may involve island territories, maritime territories such as Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and sometimes disagreements about the specific geographical borders dividing two states.

Ce quiz explore les différents types de frontières et leur évolution au cours du 20ème siècle, en mettant l'accent sur l'impact des guerres mondiales et des accords internationaux. Il aborde également la complexité croissante de la souveraineté des États dans un monde changeant. Testez vos connaissances sur les limites politiques et la dynamique des relations entre les pays.