نشریه علوم و فنون مرزی
پیاپی 7 (زمستان 1392)

The studies of ethnic boundaries, as one of the important areas of ethnic studies specifically after Friedrich Barth Studies on ethnographic case studies and his famous introduction to the study entitled "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries" began in 1969; since then this issue has been studied in a variety of approaches and perspectives. In the contemporary world and in the context of developments such as the communication and information and dissemination of globalization that somehow lead to a change in the scope and functions of government power - nations and ethnic awareness, taking the concept of ethnic boundaries into considerations has been increased more than before. This article, utilizing qualitative and descriptive - analytical study, has attempted to investigate the concept of ethnic boundaries, relevant opinions and perspectives in the contemporary era.

Border towns have long been the resort of the neighboring countries and in proportion of the amount of communication it affects the economic, social and cultural conditions in the country. Activities such as trade, smuggling, relationships, etc. lead to the presence of these people in the border town, each of which in turn reduces or increases the security of these cities. Cultural changes are measured with features like pale cultures of national origin, forgetting the homeland cultural traditions, disregarding the negative effects of cultural change and replacing them with imported foreign culture. The presence of foreigners who arrive in the border towns leads to some changes in the instruments, cultural values and beliefs of people in these cities. City of Marivan in Kurdistan province, located in the West and shares a border with Iraq is introduced as one of the busy border towns that due to its frontier markets have been directly affected by foreign nationals and experience significant cultural change. This article aims to address the cultural changes in the commercial areas of the city of Marivan as a result of dealing with a foreign culture and find the answer to following question: What changes are created in selected cultural elements in this area? This study is of a descriptive-analytic research type. The library and survey studies were done using interview and questionnaire instruments. The obtained results indicate that in line with the arrival of traders and smugglers and foreign products and instruments some subcultures have been totally changed and others have been replaced with the alternative foreign culture.

Islamic Republic of Iran has common long land and water borders with Turkmenistan. Hence, we can say that the border areas with neighboring countries in the north, i.e., Turkmenistan have several various challenges. Sources of tensions include ethnic geographical stretches with Turkmen in Turkmen Plain, Turkmenistan’s strong need to the rivers incoming from Iranian lands, the geopolitical interests of the two countries particularly in the area of the crossing, the legal regime of the Caspian Sea and border functionalities. But the internal challenges of Turkmenistan and Central Asia and the probability of spreading regional tensions, the presence of the U.S. and Israel in Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan of secular political system type and the way of dealing with Muslim fundamentalists, will affect the relations between two countries. Nevertheless, national and internal security, and border margins on the one hand affect bilateral or multilateral sources of tension with neighboring countries and on the other hand Iran’s strategic environment including its national security is exposed to multiple external geopolitical domains. However, because Iran’s territorial space is a complement to the geopolitical strategy of Turkmenistan, it plays an important role in the absorption and persistence of insecurity itself. Now, this question is raised: regarding the existence of multiple sources of tensions and threats in the borders of Iran and Turkmenistan and the effects of these tensions and threats on the countries’ internal security, how will the future of relations between Iran and Turkmenistan be? In this paper, using documentary analysis and library studies of existing data, an attempt is made to answer the above-raised question. After investigations and analyses of the existing data we came to this conclusion Iran and Turkmenistan relations will face crises in the future duo to some problems that were referred to in the text.

The objective and necessity for the study: the issue of borders and their security along with the Iranian borders formation is one of the major issues discussed in Iran's geopolitical and national strategy. Border itself is a very important matter whose study enjoys widespread dimensions. The main purpose of this article is one of the most important border topics entitled as Study of political-security opportunities in the borders of Iran and Azerbaijan and its Effects on the borders and relations of the two countries. Methodology the present study is of an applied research type and in terms of its methodology it is a descriptive-analytic type. The data collection has been done using survey method. The required information was gathered form documents, in person experiences of researchers from the borders; then, they were associated with the experts’ comments via a researcher-made questionnaire. The findings and results the obtained Cronbach alpha coefficient (.8752) indicates that the research questionnaire is reliable. From the respondents’ points of view, the opportunities of the relationship between the border guards of the two countries and having border meetings” and the Azeri residents’ tendency towards Iran as the result of Cancelling Visa unilaterally by Iran have the most and least effect on the border relations of the two country, respectively.

The air border is considered as one of the political borders that is used to separate upper space of political units and to describe air rules. Ever country can claim its governance over the space above its land in addition to its territorial land and sea borders. In other words, the borders of every country are an imaginary wall instead of a straight line that surrounds the land around. This imaginary wall is extended towards the atmosphere from the top and towards the Earth’s center from the surface. Crossing the wall without prior permission from the authorities of each country (its officials) is not allowed. But basically, how high up the wall is supposed to be the air border? How is the governance of the countries on the inner and outer of sides of the atmosphere and what are the challenges in this area? These are some questions that we are trying to find out the answers to them.

Asia and the Pacific region is becoming the center of global attention due to its rapid economic growth in the past few decades. The global financial crisis has made it imperative for the countries in the region to take measures to stimulate domestic demand and to increase intra-regional trade to sustain the growth momentum. As the regional arm of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has been working with its member countries to address the barriers that impede trade and transport in the region. ESCAP has taken various initiatives to promote the regional connectivity holistically by narrowing the infrastructure gaps as well as minimizing the institutional deficiencies. Coordinated border management is an important component of the latter. Border delays constitute a major bottleneck to the smooth movement of goods in the region and countries in the region are taking concerted measures to address these issues. Experience has shown that there are various approaches to coordinated border management and some of the better practices demand detailed and careful planning. In particular, border agencies – specifically Customs – need to redefine their standalone role and more importantly, their role as part of the coordinated border management team.