”Berlin” Walls of the modern world

Twenty years have passed since the Berlin Wall, the main symbol of the polarized world, was destroyed. The modern world unites rapidly: the borders between states are blurred out, communication means are improving. However anti-globalists have nothing to worry about. The united world is still fantastic; it is still divided by walls. And while some countries celebrate the reunion, people of other countries separate themselves from each other by concrete barbed wires.

The Arizona Wall, the USA — Mexico

The Wall that separates the USA and Mexico was built by the US government to stop the uncontrolled immigration of Mexicans. The problem was that illegal immigrants often failed to find a job so they joined the subterrene and dealt with drug traffic. In order to stop the spiralling crime rates the US authorities decided to build the wall and didn’t let Mexican into the country. The decision cost 2,4 billion dollars. As a result the construction 1074 km long and 4-5 meters tall was built.

The Security fence, Israel

In 2002 the Israeli government decided to build the so called ”Security fence”. Judge by its name the main aim of the barrier is protection of Jews from Palestinians. It was the official position taken by the Israeli government. At the same time, Palestinians were sure that the wall violated their rights and used by Israel as a pretext to annex more areas. In 2004 The International Court of Justice in the Hague admitted the barrier to be illegal. However 8 meters tall concrete walls surrounded by ditches were built and still now they ”protect” Jews from Arabs.

The Korean Wall

In the case of communist North Korea one should tell about not one but two walls — from South Korea and China. Though South Korea was first to separate from its bellicose neighbour when South Korea decided to build the so called ”countertank installation” in 1970 that was 240 km long and 3-5 meters tall. However the wall is camouflaged well.

The second barrier, from China, was built by the North Korean government in 2004 in order to stop mass escape of North Koreans into China that was more economically successful. No doubt, the North Korean government rejects this reason. According to it, the wall is aimed to stop the flow of cheap Chinese goods into black markets of North Korea.

Besides these two concrete walls one often adds the third one — The Korean Demilitarized Zone fixed in 1953. The unpopulated zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea and symbolizes their division.

Ceuta & Mellila Walls, Spain

Barriers built by the Spanish government in the 1990’s around its enclaves — Ceuta and Mellila(located in Africa) — are other descendants of the Berlin Wall. Their aim is to stop the illegal immigration from Africa into Europe. However, as ten years passed, in 2000, it turned out that barriers failed to fulfill their functions. The number of immigrants didn’t decrease. Then walls were strengthened: each city was surrounded by three ranges of barriers that were 6 meters tall, installed IR cameras, tear gas balloons and miradores.

”Линия мира”, Северная Ирландия

Any concrete walls in the united Europe seem to be impossible. But they are. ”Peace lines” in Northern Ireland are barriers that separate Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in Belfast, Derry and elsewhere in Northern Ireland. They are backwashes of bloody riots that took place in the 1970’s in Belfast. The first barrier appeared in 1969; now there are 40 barriers, each of them has different length (from some hundreds of meters to 4 km), height (from 2,5 to 10 meters) and are made from different materials (concrete, brick, steel). In the daytime people in Belfast are free to cross the ”peace lines” but they prefer not to do it, at night only the Police has the right to cross them.

The Wall around the slum, Brazil

In 2009 the authorities of Rio de Janeiro decided to close the so called ”open city” — city slum. They wanted to stop the uncontrolled building conducted by the poor that led to destruction of the large amount of forests. So the main aim of the wall is to save trees. But there is another point of view: the wall around the slum is aimed to cut the rich off from the poor and stop drug trade.

”The Great Wall of Sahara”, Morocco

”The Great Wall of Sahara” is the main result of the conflict in West Sahara between Moroccans and Sahrawi Arabs broken out in 1976 as soon as Spain ended its occupation of the region. Sahrawi Arabs strived for independence from Morocco using violence. And in 1987 Moroccan government decided to build six 2,8 km long defensive barriers of sand and stone. Barriers were surrounded by barbed wires, moats and minefields. International organizations headed by the UN call it ”the Wall of Shame”; they call for lifting of mines at least. Meanwhile, Morocco claims that mines have been already lifted. What is more, the wall hinders the creation of the The Arab Maghreb Union.