Borders

Abstract

Chapter 7 explores how late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century geography books conceptualize borders and how this affects their ideas about Europe. Geographical texts proffer many versions of Europe’s border with Asia, although certain variants are more widely adopted. Some books and their maps show borders as naturally occurring, whereas others present them as arbitrary lines determined by human activities and decisions. These contrasting approaches reflect dilemmas about geographical knowledge and have different implications for European politics. The seas surrounding Europe are also contentious: they are variously seen as annexed territories, marginal zones, and the figurative centre of the continent.