Question

Explain at least one observation you can make about the political borders and the language borders shown on the maps.

Be sure to name the country and describe how its political border is affected by language or a physical feature, such as bodies of water, mountains, or desert.
Use the physical map with the labeled nations to help you identify a nation.

Answer 1

A boundary is a real or imaginary line that separates two things. In geography, boundaries separate different regions of the Earth.The most obvious type of boundary is a physical boundary. A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two areas. Rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts can all serve as physical boundaries. Many times, political boundaries between countries or states form along physical boundaries. For example, the boundary between France and Spain follows the peaks of the Pyrenees Mountains, while the Alps separate France from Italy.

The Strait of Gibraltar is the boundary between southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. This narrow waterway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is an important political, economic, and social boundary between the continents.

Rivers are common boundaries between nations, states, and smaller political units such as counties. The Rio Grande forms a large part of the boundary between Mexico and the United States. The Mississippi Riveris the defining boundary between many of the states it winds through, including Iowa and Illinois, Arkansas and Tennessee, and Louisiana and Mississippi.