Final answer:
The United States has historically benefited from its natural borders - the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans - which have acted as protective barriers against foreign invasions. The isolation provided by these oceans has contributed to fewer immediate foreign threats and prosperity, unlike the experience of European and Asian nations. However, modern threats like terrorism have required new defense strategies beyond geographic advantages.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Natural Borders Protect the United States
The United States has benefited from its geographical position, with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans serving as vast natural barriers. These oceans have historically provided the country with a degree of protection from foreign invasions that nations in Europe and Asia, with their intricate networks of accessible land borders, have not enjoyed. For instance, following the events of September 11, 2001, the natural borders did not prevent the tragically unique assault on the continental United States; however, prior to this, the oceans had served as defensive perimeters for the United States, limiting the opportunities for large-scale foreign invasions.
Since the War of 1812, when the British successfully invaded Washington, D.C., the vast oceans have discouraged similar large-scale conflicts on U.S. soil due to the logistical challenges they pose to potential invaders. The continental U.S. had not been attacked by a foreign power in over a century partly because of these natural defenses. The geographic isolation provided by the oceans has afforded the U.S. the ability to grow and prosper with fewer immediate foreign threats, unlike the constant reshuffling and contention over land that characterizes much of European and Asian history.
In the face of modern threats that transcend borders, such as terrorism, the U.S. government has had to adapt by focusing on intelligence-gathering, forming international alliances, and conducting targeted military operations abroad to respond to and mitigate such threats. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security and passage of the USA Patriot Act illustrate domestic adaptations to the new nature of these threats, which are not deterred by geographic isolation.