ABSTRACT
Stable boundaries appear where the states have signed and honoured treaties recognising their sovereignty and agreed on the delimitation and demarcation of common borders. This chapter considers the study of peacekeeping missions and landscapes within the rich tradition of political geography research on international boundaries and borders. The chapter identifies the nature of United Nations peacekeeping forces and describes the distinctive features of peacekeeping landscapes. It focuses on UN missions and operations, the contributions and contributors to these missions by UN member states, and distinctive geographic elements of these landscapes. It also introduces the concept of peacekeeping cartography, as opposed to military cartography. The chapter concludes with reflections on the increased role these forces are likely to play during the next few decades. As political geographers continue to pursue their studies on international boundaries and their impact on nations and states, it would be desirable to expand author's efforts by conducting research on elements of peace and peacekeeping landscapes.
