Abstract
Recent European history shows remarkably contrasting tendencies concerning the functions and densities of borders. The borders inside the European Union lost their importance, whereas Central and Eastern Europe saw the birth of a multitude of new state borders. Borders, especially state borders, always have attracted the attention of geographers and historians (see also Chapter 2). Borders separate territories and peoples from each other, define nations and frequently have been the source of international conflict and war. Separation in general leads to, or is the expression of, all kinds of differences: political, social, economic, cultural and other. However, borders do not separate completely and the function and location of borders change over time. Moreover, the function of borders can differ from one place, region or country to another (Stoddard 1991). The dynamic nature of borders suggests a historical, the local and regional differences a geographical approach.
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Knippenberg, H., Markusse, J. (1999). 19th and 20th Century Borders and Border Regions in Europe: Some Reflections. In: Knippenberg, H., Markusse, J. (eds) Nationalising and Denationalising European Border Regions, 1800–2000. The GeoJournal Library, vol 53. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4293-9_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4293-9_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5860-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4293-9
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