demarcations

Demarcation is the process of establishing and marking the limits of a jurisdiction, property, or defined zone. It can involve legal instruments and physical markers, and it often combines map-based delimitation with on-the-ground measurement and placement of markers. In border studies, delimitation refers to drawing the boundary on a map, while demarcation refers to marking the boundary in the field with markers, fences, or signs. The term is applied in international boundaries, land administration, urban planning, and environmental management.

Applications and types include international borders between states, cadastral or property boundaries, and administrative boundaries such as those between municipalities or districts. Ecological or protected-area boundaries may also be demarcated to regulate land use. Natural features, such as rivers or mountain ridges, are often used as demarcation lines, though their stability and legal status can be contested. Modern demarcation relies on surveying and geographic information systems to define the line and on field marking to express it on the ground.

Process and methods typically involve negotiation or adjudication to agree on the boundary, followed by technical surveying, map preparation, and the installation of markers, signs, fences, or other physical indications. Maintenance is required to reflect changes in landscape or governance. Demarcation can be costly and politically sensitive, and disputes may arise over interpretation of treaties, the status of natural features, or encroachments.

Related terms include delimitation, boundary, border, and survey.