From our earliest schooldays, we are shown the world as a colorful collage of countries, each defined by their own immutable borders. What we often don't realize is that every political boundary was created by people. No political border is more natural or real than another, yet some international borders make no apparent sense at all. While focusing on some of these unusual border shapes, this fascinating book highlights the important truth that all borders, even those that appear "normal," are social constructions. In an era where the continued relevance of the nation state is being questioned and where transnationalism is altering the degree to which borders effectively demarcate spaces of belonging, the contributors argue that this point is vital to our understanding of the world. The unique and compelling histories of some of the world's oddest borders provide an ideal context for this group of experts to offer accessible and enlightening discussions of cultural globalization, economic integration, international migration, imperialism, postcolonialism, global terrorism, nationalism, and supranationalism. Each author's regional expertise enriches a textured account of the historical context in which these borders came into existence as well as their historical and ongoing influence on the people and states they bound. To view more maps from the David Rumsey Map Collection, visit www.davidrumsey.com. Contributions by: Eric D. Carter, Karen Culcasi, Alexander C. Diener, Joshua Hagen, Reece Jones, Robert Lloyd, Nick Megoran, Julian V. Minghi, David Newman, Robert Ostergren, and William C. Rowe.

About the Author
Alexander C. Diener is associate professor of geography at Pepperdine University. Joshua Hagen is associate professor of geography at Marshall University.

Reviews
This book presents a convincing argument that forecasts of a borderless world are, at best, naive. Reinforced by fascinating little-known facts and a conscious commitment to historical background, this impressive collection of insightful, carefully edited case studies hangs together nicely as a lively, up-to-date exploration of boundary issues in both the developed and the developing worlds. It's also a good read for anyone curious about the world. -- Mark Monmonier, Syracuse University
The forces of globalization may be challenging the traditional prerogatives of the territorial state, but this volume clearly shows that we are a long way from a postterritorial world. Through a fascinating set of case studies-ranging from the prominent to the obscure-the book offers compelling evidence that interstate boundary conflicts are persistent, important features of the international scene. -- Alexander B. Murphy, University of Oregon
A great book. I'm going to highly recommend it as a supplementary reading. -- Joseph L. Warner, Florida State College, Jacksonville



Book Information
ISBN 9780742556355
Author Alexander C. Diener
Format Hardback
Page Count 292
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 565g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 163mm * 25mm