Borders (GEO230) - Grace Knicely

 Borders change all of the time. This can happen from war, treaties over land, violence or peaceful trading.  The states borders I have chosen to research is China. This country has been the worlds largest exporter since the beginning of 2009, so there has been lots of change with their borders over the years. In the late 1800s Chinese ports were closed off to Western traders but then had no choice but to open the ports to trade. Then there was a shift in waters "after the mid-19th century, there was a sea change in what was systematically recorded about China’s imports and exports (Keller)." When talking about a geographic scope China trades tremendously in maritime. During this time the things China would export the most to other trading countries were, cloths, tea, silks, grain, metals and ceramics. If you jump to 2022 it is evident that things have changed. The most prominent products and goods that China trades now are "electronics, technologies, clothing, other textiles, optical gear and medial equipment." Over the years China has also claimed territory over many small countries that surround them. These are you countries like, The Philippines, Japan Vietnam, Nepal, only naming a few. There have been so many disputes between China and the countries they claim land over which honestly I don't blame them. China is a very territory hungry country and won't stop until they have what they want. There has even been worry that Taiwan will be invaded by China soon therefore, the U.S. has actually helped put up defenses on the island so that it could be prevented. 

I thought this image was funny considering China believes every surrounding territory is there's!

Sources:

Flint, C., & Taylor, P. (2018). Political geography: World-economy, nation-state and locality (7th. ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 13: 9781138058262

Jahn, M. (2021). Which Country is the Largest Exporter of Goods in the World? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/011915/what-country-worlds-largest-exporter-goods.asp

All of the Countries in Which China Claims Territory. The Week. https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/china/955728/all-countries-china-territory-disputes