What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between national borders?
Historical is fine, I remember reading a book about a massive shock from crossing from a sub-Saharan African country into apartheid era South Africa, the shock being that things worked. I assume a similar historical difference existed between crossing over the Iron Curtain into Western Europe.
But, what about today? I’ve read that even though the Dominican Republic is still a developing country, it’s a huge shock crossing over into Haiti.
US-Mexico is probably the biggest differ.ence today. Anotheer would be Argentina-Bolivia, but Argqntina is pretttty laid back up on that border. Singapore-Malaysia would get some consideration.
I crossed from Apartheit South Africa to Botswana, and all I wanted to do was get back into RSA, and I was already used to places like Nairobi. That was the only crossing point with developed cities on both sides.
Another huge difference in the 70s was between East and West Jerusalem.
China HK in the early 1980’s. From a grimy impoverished 3rd world nation to a modern metropolis.
Not something I’ve personally experienced, but how is the answer to this not the border between North and South Korea?
FWIW, the parts I saw of Juarez or Matamoros, from the river bank, didn’t look all that different than the parts of El Paso or Brownsville I saw.
Crossing the torn down at that point border between East and West Germany was still noticeable, over ten years since the fall of the Wall. The roads got nastier. Bridges were more rustic and brick instead of the smooth, titanic reinforced concrete and steel piers the West Germans went in for. You started seeing Stalinist apartment blocks en masse in cities like Jena and Gera.
Because you can’t cross it? At least not unless you’re a defector being shot at. Well, I suppose that counts then - no more bullets flying at you when you’re out of range on the S Korean side.