Crossing the Line GIS Activity

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Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe.  It is a borderland, between Europe and Russia. Ukraine has the potential to split into two separate countries.  The split would occur right around the center of Ukraine, splitting the West side from the East.  Saudi Arabia and Yemen are located in the Middle East, in the Arabian Peninsula.  Saudi Arabia, along with Yemen and the small island of Bahrain have the potential to join together.

On the West side of Ukraine most people speak Ukrainian and they see their country as European.  In the East most people speak Russian.  The two different languages is a centrifugal force.  Ukrainians on the West thought their president had sold out their country to Russia.  When their current president Viktor Yanukovych rejected an economic deal with the European Union and accepted bail from Russia.  This caused large protests in the West.  The president is disliked on the West, being another centrifugal force for the West to break away from the East.  Despite the differences in religion between Saudi Arabia, with the majority being Sunni Muslims, and Yemen and Bahrain, with the majority being Shiite Muslims.  They still share the possibility of coming together as a country.  One major centripetal force for the countries is a common threat from Iran.

Ukraine is both culturally and politically divided, due to the differences in language, as well as their backgrounds.  The East feels as though they share a cultural heritage with Russia and the West side is more European.  The new boundary of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Bahrain would be cultural, because of their common shared threat from Iran.      

Economic advantages for both East and West Ukraine would be significant.  West Ukraine would most likely join the EU.  East Ukraine would likely partner with Russia, due to past deals, like the large bail.  Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Bahrain joining together would cause Iran to become less of a threat.  Although, there may be internal conflicts between the Sunni and Shiite Religions.