ABSTRACT
Frontiers frequently constitute marginal zones. In some cases this is because the political frontiers have been established in sparsely populated and marginal territories (Vilar, 1980) that may be considered natural frontiers (deserts, marshlands, mountain ranges, large forests); while in others, it is because wars and treaties have carved up culturally homogenous spaces (Barth, 1969), with the resulting application of contrasting policies on both sides of the dividing line (Leimgruber, 1997). However, what both have in common is that many frontiers are or tend to become marginal zones.
