Borderline
Section 1: Intro
Background
In spite of how technology has made the world feel smaller, the lines we draw between communities have become more distinct and impenetrable.
The borders that separate nations, cultures, and communities have become highly politicized topics and are strongly tied to notions of economic competition, fairness, and identity. The examples above illustrate instances where border barriers have entered mainstream political discourse as partisan issues, becoming key platforms and touchstones for political agents.
Primary reasons cited for border barriers in 2019
Motivation
Given the politicized state of border barriers, and the significance of their presence on the people separated by them, we should hope politically engaged citizens to have a deep understanding of the history of border barriers and the impact they might have on the affected communities.
Our team seeks to fill this informational gap through a cursory exploration of border barriers and their long-standing ramifications, through a series of data-driven visualizations. We focus our insights on border barriers—defined as separation barriers that run along an international border.
Change in number of borders globally
Stated reasons for border barriers
Through the years
Globally, the incidence of physical border barriers has risen since WWII with increased fears of illegal immigration, smuggling, and territorial disputes stemming from lingering colonial aftershocks cited as the primary reasons for these structures.
Explore the visualizations on the left to get a sense of the number of border barriers erected over time and the primary reasons cited for their construction.
Section 2: Case Study
German Case
To explore the long-term consequences of border barriers, we examine the German case. The Inner German border was a barrier that divided East and West Germany from 1949 to 1990 with the Berlin Wall as an iconic (albeit discontinuous) section of this now defunct border. Known to be one of the history’s most heavily fortified frontiers, it was manned by over 60,000 armed guards and only fell upon German reunification.
Explore for Yourself
German Case
The inner border is known to have reflected significant cultural and institutional differences between East and West Germany which spill over to present-day socioeconomic differences within German regions. The general success of Germany following reunification belies the stark regional inequalities and our visualization on the right expresses these differences with red representing East Germany, blue representing West Germany, and green representing the average values for Germany.
Section 3: Outlook
After the wall
With 30 years since the Berlin Wall fell, differences follow where the inner border used to stand. It’s no secret that even after the border’s destruction, the regional differences remain stark and those across the borderlines still feel the aftershocks 30 years after the fall of the wall.
Explore some of the most contentious border barriers
Evidently, we see more instances of physical borders and the reasons behind each border is necessarily unique and entrenched in local history. Mouseover the various border outlines below to explore some of the more noteworthy borders and the stories surrounding them.
Brazil
In 2010, the Brazilian government elected to create a controversial 10,000-mile virtual border combining physical obstacles and satellite monitoring to keep out immigrants and drugs from Bolivia and Paraguay.
India
The India-Bangladesh border wall features electrified, barbed fences covering 70% of the border. The wall has seen risky river crossings by those seeking to cross the border and gun-violence by its enforcers.
Kazakhstan
This border wall extends to separate the territories between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in an effort to limit smuggling and illegal migration from former Soviet republics; the wall was touted as a preventive measure against potential conflicts.
Korea
Separating North and South Korea for over 60 years, the Korean DMZ border wall has had an eventful and violent history. Although, the DMZ now draws hordes of tourists annually, the border continues to be a troubling reminder of the interstate tension.
Mexico
Fleeing persecution, poverty, and violence, thousands migrant caravans have recently entered Mexico en route to the US, prompting the Mexican government to propose a border wall with Guatemala in 2018 to stem the flow of migrants.
Morocco
The Moroccan Western Sahara Wall stretches for 1,700 miles and was completed in 1987 to keep out secessionist guerrilla fighters that arose during Spanish colonization. The barrier is ardently opposed by human rights activists.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi-Yemeni barrier has seen its share of bloodshed and controversy, having generated animosity on both sides along with Houthi insurgents. The barrier is strongly opposed by peoples along the border, which cuts across historic communities.
Ukraine
The Ukraine-Russia barrier was devised following the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The barrier has, understandably, been heavily reinforced, but remains incomplete due to corruption and theft.
USA
First built in its current form in the early '90s, the US-Mexico border has gained recent notoriety after becoming a key platform in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. The border has become a symbol of partisan politics and has heavily impacted local communities and wildlife.
Where this leaves us
Borders remain contentious and thorny issues, they aren’t always obviously problematic, but they can have unseen consequences that extend far beyond the duration of their existence.
Historically, border barriers are far easier to build than they are to take down. The communities and natural environments they separate are often the most vulnerable, and then slowest to recover.
We hope our team shed light on the histories and impacts of borders that have separated communities and enable people to make more informed political decisions.
About
Harvard CS171 Team:
Jovin Leong
Michael Huang
Sid Beaumaster
Tobias Haefele
References
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