Which of the following is an example of a relic boundary?

• A. The boundary line of the Cold War era between East and West Germany that no longer exists but left a cultural imprint.
• B. The 49th parallel north.
• C. The boundary along the Rio Grande.
• D. Brasília as forward capital.

Answer: (A)

Relic boundaries are former borders that no longer function as lines of control, but their past division remains visible in the landscape, institutions, and everyday life of the region.

The boundary between East and West Germany during the Cold War is a clear example. It stopped functioning as an international border after reunification, but the division lives on in scars on the map and in regional differences—like lingering economic contrasts, memory and identity, and physical traces such as former checkpoints and border fortifications that have become monuments or museums. In short, it’s a boundary that once divided the world but now exists mainly as a remembered imprint.

The other options don’t fit the idea of a relic boundary. The 49th parallel north is still the actual, functioning border between countries. The Rio Grande boundary likewise remains an active border with ongoing crossings and control. Brasília as a forward capital is a planned political feature, not a border line that once divided spaces.