Natural border
Encyclopedia
A natural border is a border
between states
which is composed of natural formations such as river
s, mountain range
s, or desert
s.
Having a natural border is strategically
very useful, as invading armies
can have a hard time crossing such a border. They may also be easily defended
.
Expanding until natural borders are reached, and maintaining those borders once conquered, have long been a major focus of foreign policy
and war
goals in the past. For example, the Roman Republic
, and later, the Roman Empire
expanded continuously until it reached its natural borders: first the Alps
, later the Rhine river, the Danube
river, the Sahara
desert, and others. From the Middle Ages
onwards until the Industrial Revolution
, France
sought to expand its borders towards the Alps, the Pyrenees
, and the Rhine River, while gradually releasing any territories held on the far side of those borders, because they were difficult to hold successfully in the long run.
In more recent times, a primary goal of Israel
i foreign and security policy since its establishment in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The territory originally assigned to the State of Israel in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was based on the demographics
of the British Mandate of Palestine. These borders, which sought to ensure that the Mandate's territory was divided fairly between the Jews and Palestinian Arabs, were utterly unrelated to the physical geography of the country and had two "kissing points" (where the territory was such that neither state was continuous) in the desert near Isdud and Nazareth
, making the borders of both the proposed Jewish state that became Israel and the proposed Arab state that never came into being nearly impossible to defend. A major objective of Israel in 1948, as well as in 1956
and in 1967
was to take over the West Bank
, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip
, and Sinai Peninsula
, which would give Israel the Suez Canal
and the Jordan River as borders. Israel gave up its designs on the Sinai after the Camp David Accords
gave it a security assurance with respect to Egypt, and it is possible that the Golan (taken in 1967 as a buffer zone against Syria
n shelling of settlements in northern Israel) will similarly be returned should Israel receive a similar security assurance from Syria. However, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are in the uncomfortable situation of being both well within Israel's natural borders (from a purely geographic standpoint) and being the only possible land for a Palestinian state
.
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
between states
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
which is composed of natural formations such as river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s, or desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s.
Having a natural border is strategically
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
very useful, as invading armies
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
can have a hard time crossing such a border. They may also be easily defended
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
.
Expanding until natural borders are reached, and maintaining those borders once conquered, have long been a major focus of foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
goals in the past. For example, the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, and later, the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
expanded continuously until it reached its natural borders: first the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, later the Rhine river, the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river, the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert, and others. From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
onwards until the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sought to expand its borders towards the Alps, the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, and the Rhine River, while gradually releasing any territories held on the far side of those borders, because they were difficult to hold successfully in the long run.
In more recent times, a primary goal of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i foreign and security policy since its establishment in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The territory originally assigned to the State of Israel in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was based on the demographics
Demography
Demography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
of the British Mandate of Palestine. These borders, which sought to ensure that the Mandate's territory was divided fairly between the Jews and Palestinian Arabs, were utterly unrelated to the physical geography of the country and had two "kissing points" (where the territory was such that neither state was continuous) in the desert near Isdud and Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, making the borders of both the proposed Jewish state that became Israel and the proposed Arab state that never came into being nearly impossible to defend. A major objective of Israel in 1948, as well as in 1956
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and in 1967
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
was to take over the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, and Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
, which would give Israel the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Jordan River as borders. Israel gave up its designs on the Sinai after the Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...
gave it a security assurance with respect to Egypt, and it is possible that the Golan (taken in 1967 as a buffer zone against Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n shelling of settlements in northern Israel) will similarly be returned should Israel receive a similar security assurance from Syria. However, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are in the uncomfortable situation of being both well within Israel's natural borders (from a purely geographic standpoint) and being the only possible land for a Palestinian state
Proposals for a Palestinian state
Proposals for a Palestinian state currently refers to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in Palestine on land that was occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967 and before by Egypt and by Jordan since 1949...
.