Define antecedent boundaries and give a classic example.

• A. Antecedent boundaries emerged after the current cultural landscape and do not follow physical features; Example: the 49th parallel north dividing the United States and Canada.
• B. Antecedent boundaries existed before the current cultural landscape and often follow physical features; Example: The 49th parallel north dividing the United States and Canada.
• C. Antecedent boundaries are drawn to accommodate religious divisions after settlement; Example: The India-Pakistan border.
• D. Antecedent boundaries are imposed by external powers without regard to geography; Example: many African borders.

Answer: (B)

Antecedent boundaries are borders that existed before the area’s current cultural landscape took shape, and they often align with geography. The boundary along the 49th parallel north between the United States and Canada is a classic example because it was established in the 19th century before the modern settlement patterns and national identities in that region were fully formed, and it follows a geographic line rather than being drawn after cultural divisions had already emerged.

Other options mix up the timing and purpose of boundaries: ones drawn after settlement to reflect religious or ethnic divisions are example of consequent boundaries, while borders imposed by outside powers without regard to geography describe superimposed boundaries.