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The creation and matintenance of national boundaries in Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

Jeffrey Herbst
Jeffrey Herbst
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
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Abstract

A paradox is central to the nature of political boundaries in Africa: there is widespread agreement that the boundaries are arbitrary, yet the vast majority of them have remained virtually untouched since the late 1800s, when they were first demarcated. This article argues that, contrary to current theories, the present boundary system represents a rational response by both the colonialists and the present-day African leaders to the constraints imposed by the demographic and ethnographic structure of the continent. Using this framework of analysis, the article examines the institutions that formulated the decision-making rules for the creation and maintenance of boundaries in Africa, discusses the conditions under which cooperation among states has occurred, and explores the prospects for future changes in the borders of African states.

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Articles
Information
International Organization , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , Autumn 1989 , pp. 673 - 692
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation 1989

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