Borders from space: Humanity's divisions visible miles high
The pictures were taken by NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Web desk – Humanity appears insignificant when the earth is viewed from space, and pacifists who champion unity among the human race frequently throw around the cliches like, “There are no borders visible from space.” It it is true that the view of the globe from space trivialises our differences as all one can see is the natural landscape and not the divisive lines that exist on a map. However, that is not always the case. Some differences are so firmly embedded between people that they can be clearly seen even from space.
NASA astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) have at various times captured breathtaking images of borders between countries. It seems that some differences are so deeply entrenched that they are visible from miles above the ground.
PAKISTAN/INDIA:
According to NASA, an expedition of astronauts aboard the ISS took this photograph in 2015 of the border known as the Radcliffe Line among historians. The picture shows a view of the Indus River valley, with Pakistani Punjab and Sindh on the left and Indian Gujarat and Rajasthan on the right of the glowing orange line. Karachi can be seen as a bright spot on the left.
The reason why the border appears as an orange line is because it is one of the most heavily militarised in the world, and has a fence with floodlights running across its entire length. Apart from defensive measures on part of the arch rivals, the high level of militarization is meant to discourage arms and drugs smuggling.
NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA:
The image of the border between North and South Korea is a stark portrayal of the differences between standards of living between the Northern and Southern parts of the Korean Peninsula. The picture is proof of the poverty and electricity shortage that exists in North Korea. Apart from the faint lights coming from Pyongyang, the picture makes it seem as though there exists a sea between China and South Korea as one cannot distinguish between the Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, and North Korea.
EAST GERMANY/WEST GERMANY:
Even after over 25 years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the differences between the eastern and western parts of Berlin are strikingly evident. The lights in the eastern part, previously under Soviet Russia, are yellow. On the other hand, the lights in the western part are white. This is due to promotion of environmentally friendly energy saving lighting equipment in West Berlin.
IRAQ/IRAN:
According to NASA, the astronauts who took this photo initially thought that the lines were oil pipelines, but soon realised that these were military fortifications. Presumably, the lines are trenches while the circles are bunkers. Iran and Iraq had fought a deadly eight-year long war in the 1980s, as a result of which more than 100,000 civilians lost their lives on each side. These fortifications do not only represent the deep divisions between the two countries, but are a reminder of their bloody conflict.
CHINA/KAZAKHSTAN:
The jigsaw-puzzle green fields of China are the polar opposite of the dry land of Kazakhstan. Outside the city on the right, green fields stretch for miles while not even a small town can be seen on the left. China’s 1.3 billion population demands an equally greater food production from its farmers. It is probably because of this reason that farmers in China prefer not to waste land when it comes to agricultural fields. On the contrary, agriculture plays a small part in Kazakhstan’s economy, evident from the barren landscape.