WKU Geography and Geology Blog

Conflicts over boundaries (terrestrial and oceanic) continue to make news around the world. Iran’s disagreement over British naval activities in the Gulf, and ongoing debate about the US-Mexico border are just two of the most recent areas of conflict. Geographers have a long history of contributing to analyses of boundaries - Isaiah Bowman served as President Woodrow Wilson’s official geographer during negotiations at the Versailles treaty talks in 1918-1919 as boundaries in Europe and elsewhere were being redrawn and renegotiated. My recent Op Ed Commentary addresses the issue of boundary disagreements and argues that the U.S. should be less concerned about building bigger fences along the Rio Grande than in helping to develop stronger economic communities south of the border. Bigger fences do not always make better neighbors.