State Borders

The European mindset that a river makes for a fine border has provided many of the state borders and shapes that mark the political map as of 2012.  Some other borders are marked by mountain ranges and high ridge lines.  In many cases though, straight lines were drawn over nearly every kind of terrain imaginable.  Nature can provide for a demarcation along the boundaries designated by political decisions where land-use policies are significantly different on either sides of the line.  Farms often suddenly give way to forests, for instance.  Out west, along the long, straight borders, one pretty much needs a sign and a few planted trees to know that a boundary has been crossed.

As you can see, there is a whole lot of nothing ahead in Texas, just as in the reverse direction, there is not much that breaks the vista in Oklahoma's panhandle.  This was taken along US-83 at the line between the two states.  The signs along the major interstates are often a bit more dramatic than a simple notification and subsequent "welcome to" sign that is seen here, and roadside attractions will tend to cash in on the change of  jurisdiction.  Along the back-roads like this, though, the differences are often superficial at best.  Border regions, unless they are hotly contested, usually have an ambivalent situation about them, little pockets of transition between cultures and landscapes that are often quite diverse and fascinating.