A Border dispute occurs when two or more governments don’t agree on where their shared borders are located. These disputes can lead to serious arguments and even wars, such as the ongoing disagreement between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, or a less dramatic example, the Honey War between Iowa and Missouri.
While some boundary conflicts can be settled with open communication, other disputes require more formal means of resolving the issue, including arbitration and mediation. In these situations, documentation of land boundaries may be helpful in backing up claims. For example, survey information and property deed information can validate your own claim to a piece of property or demonstrate that your neighbor is violating their property rights by building a fence or structure on your side of the border.
In the case of territorial disputes, international adjudicative and arbitral bodies usually emphasize legal determinants when making their determinations. However, focusing solely on legal issues can be problematic as it neglects the domestic political interests that drive states to press their claims or that cause these disputes to become militarized.
For example, the lingering border dispute between Mexico and the United States has been fueled by domestic political interests that have heightened tensions. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, closing the border would affect firms and their suppliers that export to Mexico. In addition, it could increase labor costs for companies that rely on Mexican imports to support their operations.