- The Brazilian International Boundary Commissions, which integrate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have the task of accomplishing the works of Brazilian boundaries and limits demarcation and characterization, in association with the delegates of the corresponding foreign commissions, as well as surveying and managing the previously set up landmarks. There are two commissions in fact, the first one is located in Belém/Pará and manages the boundaries between Brazil and Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French Guiana. The second one has its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro/Rio de Janeiro, and administrates the boundaries between Brazil and Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
- It is useful to previously make a remark, on the technical difference between the concepts of “demarcation” and “characterization”. There is a "demarcation" when the agreed boundary between two countries is made visible on the ground. In the context of demarcation work, the main stone marks are constructed in places which are either, landmark of direction changes (when the boundaries are defined by straight lines), or regime changes (passing from water boundary to mainland, or from a watershed line to a valley, for example). As for “characterization” is the phase when the secondary and intermediate stone marks are inserted between the main ones, in order to make them as much as intervisible as possible, in mainland boundaries.
- As a consequence of a job that started in the middle of the XIX century, all Brazilian boundaries are already demarcated. Some of them have the characterization work well advanced, but this job and the corresponding maintenance is an endless task.
2) HISTORICAL SUMMARY
THE FIRST ESSAYS OF DEMARCATION- The interest in defining our boundaries has curiously preceded the discovery of Brazil. According to the never respected Treaty of Tordesillas, which was signed in June of 1494, the sharing of lands between Portugal and Spain should be effectively done through a meridian line 370 leagues far from the westside of Cape Green Archipel.
- Due to several reasons – the complete impossibility of stipulating longitudes at that time (which was considered indispensable to apply the above mentioned meridian line on the ground); the geographical inaccuracies on the treaty (how and from which island the 370 leagues would be calculated); and the absolute ignorance about the newly discovered territory that has just started to be explored little by little; it was impossible to accomplish the definition of boundaries in South America during a period of time of more than 250 years after the discovery of Brazil. This was put in good use by the Portuguese-Brazilian adventurers (mainly the “bandeirantes”), in order to extend their territories and broadly overpass the Tordesillas line.
- The first document to mention the boundaries of Brazil as colony, was the Treaty of Utrech, signed with France in 1713 and which clauses helped Baron of Rio Branco to defend the Brazilian position concerning the Amapá territory, almost two centuries later in 1900.
- In 1750 happened and objective effort to divide the lands of both, Portugal and Spain kingdoms, with the signature of the Treaty of Madrid, whose negotiations were lead with great knowledge by the Brazilian Alexandre de Gusmão, minister of state of king Joõa the V at that time and member of the Portuguese Overseas Council. In the treaty, the boundaries were set by taking as basis the effective occupation of territories by both kingdoms, so introducing a new criterion on land sharing, which is “uti possidetis” (the right that derives from the principle of “possession by use”), and that influence Spain to accept the enlargement of the Portuguese-Brazilian territories in South America.
- In 1751, two boundary commissions led by the Marquis of Pombal were created, in order to accomplish the demarcation mentioned in the Treaty of Madrid; one to explore and demarcate the meridional borders of the country (between Castillos Grandes, which is actually at Uruguay' s land, in the Atlantic Ocean, and the passage of the Jauru river in Paraguay), and another to demarcate the northern borders, from the Jaurú river and so on.
Original Mark of the Treaty of Madrid (1750)
Done in 1754 at the Jauru river
It is currently in the city of Cáceres (MT)- The first officials to lead the First of the above mentioned commissions were a Portuguese named Gomes Freire de Andrade (who was given the title of Count of Bobadella afterwards), and the Spanish Marquis of Valdelirios. Their work progressed from 1852 to 1860; in the meantime one of the three teams in which the commission was split, had to make a pause from 1853 up to 1858, due to fierce opposition carried out by the indians living in missionary villages at west of Rio Grande do Sul state. This sad and famous war is known as “Guarani War”.
- The commission in charge of the amazonic boundaries demarcation was completely unsuccessful. The Portuguese First Official Francisco Xavier de Mendonça Furtado (Marquis of Pombal's brother) was assigned in 1753 and had waited in Barcelos, on the banks of Negro river, for the arrival of the Spanish First Official José de Iturriaga. This last one had been nominated in 1752 and was supposed to proceed towards Caracas, go the Orinoco river upstream, reach the Negro river river head and finally sail downstream in this one. As he only arrived in Barcelos at ehe end of 1759, when the Portuguese official had already left to Portugal, they did not even meet each other as members of a Joint Commission.
- In 1761, the Treaty of Madrid was cancelled by the El Pardo Treaty, which simply abolished the deeds of the former treaty, but the demarcator's accomplishments done in the 1750 decade were not lost. By the contrary, they brought very important reports on the exploration of the farthest corners in Brazil, that seemed remote enough by those time, being extremely useful documents for the negotiation of future boundary treaties.
- The last signed treaty in the colony era was Santo Ildefonso's in 1777. Basically, it stated the same accepted boundaries of 1750 with a small loss for Portugal in the far south and was not put in practice either.
3) DEMARCATIONS IN THE IMPERIAL ERA AND THE BIGINNING OF THE 20th CENTURY.
- Once frustrated the essays on demarcation in the 18th century, the limits of the Brazilian lands remained opened for almost another century; in the meantime both the surrounding territories and Brazil became independent countries in the first quarter of the 19th century.
- As independent nation, our first concerning treaties were both signed with Uruguay and Peru during the times of the Second Reign in 1851. From this time the works of the boundary commissions begun, assigned to take care in particular in each boundary. Uruguay was assigned to general José de Sousa Soares d'Andrea (Baron de Caçapava), as the first Brazilian delegate and a famous geographer as the first Uruguayan delegate, Colonel José Maria Reyes. The demarcation's works took place from 1852 to 1862. In 1858, after the death in duty of the Brazilian delegate, the Brigadier Pedro de Alcántara de Bellegarde was designed to replace him and to finish the boundary demarcation.
BOUNDARY OF BRAZIL-URUGUAY
Principal Mark 11-P
Built in 1854 at the Santana' s Dome- During the Second Reign and in the first republican times (up to 1928) the people in charge of the direction of the boundaries commissions were directly assigned by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and considered as highly qualified and reliable by the government. Most of the time they were military with substantial knowledge on geography and were used to the difficulties in open country and borders. There are several examples of that, as Colonel Rufino Eneas Gustavo, who was named Baron of Maracajú afterwards (having worked in the borders with Paraguay and Bolivia); Colonel Francisco Xavier Lopes de Araújo, latter assigned as Baron of Parima (he has worked in the borders of Bolivia and Venezuela); Colonel José da Costa Azevedo, who became the Baron of Ladário (he's worked in the borders of Peru and French Guiana) among other ones. It is specially helpful to mention General Dionísio E vangelista de Castro Cerqueira, who was a very unique military, acting in the War of Paraguay, also as a public man (beside his role in other commissions of limits, he worked as Minister of Foreign Affairs, from 1896 to 1898) and also as demarcator (in the border with Argentina, where he applied the criteria established in the boundary treaty which he signed as chancellor in 1898).
4) THE COMMISSIONS AFTER 1928
- From 1928 on and by suggestion of Chancellor Octavio Mangabeira, the demarcation became regular and three commissions became in charge or it: one in the North (borders with the three Guyanas and Venezuela), one in the West (responsible for the boundaries with Colombia, Peru and Bolivia) and another one in the south (to manage the borders with Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay).
- In 1934 a government's decree established that the boundary commissions would have military organization (they already have that since the kingdom times), the personnel would have to be military from the armed forces, with technical-geography specialization and this task would have preference, in peace time, over any other. In 1939 the organization was modified to just two boundary commissions, with the name of Brazilian Commission for Demarcation of Boundaries, the First Division on the north with the borders of the three Guayanas, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru and the second division on the, south for the boundaries with Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
- In 1973 the names were change again to “First Brazilian Commission for Demarcation of Boundaries - PCDL” in the North and the “Second Brazilian Commission for Demarcation of Boundaries - SCDL” in the South.
- To the end of the first half of the XIX century, the demarcation of boundaries was practically completed excelpt for two borders, with Venezuela and Bolivia:
- VENEZUELA; The demarcation process in this boundary was finished in the 1970"s, still having to proceed to the characterization of a long watershed at the Parima and Paracaima mountains, on the equatorial forest, which access is very difficult.
- BOLIVIA; Demarcation and characterization works were made between 1970 and 1980,for about 250 km, according to Raboré Agreement, which was signed in 1958 and ratified by the Brazilian Congress 10 years later. The only thing still missing is the adjudication of the islands in the Guaporé and Mamoré rivers, subject that is being currently discussed by the boundary commissions.
5) LATEST WORKS.
- Other important missions were performed by the BraZilian's Boundaries Demarcation Comissions in the last thirty years, as it can be seen :
- Boundary Brazil - Venezuela: - Created in 1929, the Brazilian-Venezuelan Mixed Boundary Commission has been doing since the 1970's, once a year, several characterization jobs; always with the precise help of the Brasilian and Venezuelan Air Forces.
- Boundary Brazil - Paraguay: - The Brazilian-Paraguaian Mixed Boundary Commission, wich performance was reestablishçed in 1969, since its jobs had been suspended for more that 5 years, due to the Brazilian project to construct a dam to use the waterfall near the Guaira Fall - which problem was solved by the historical Act of Cataratas signed in Foz do Iguaçu in 1965 - the signature of the Treay of Itaipu in 1973, made the construction of the great Hydroelectric Dam of Itaipu possible and the creation of an artificial lake of more than 1.400 square kilometers, at Nort of Foz do Iguaçu. It is not defined the border line at the international lake.
- With the hydrographic survey, done by the Brazilian Navy, half of a hundred islands in the Paraguay river could be adjudicated by the Mixed Boundary Commission to one or another country (in 1978), where it was constructed 24 stone marks.
BOUNDARY BRAZIL-PARAGUAY
Mark at the Colonel Braga Isla - Brazil
Constructed in 1981- Boundary Brazil - Argentina: - The performance at this boundary that were suspended since 1928, could be returned in 1971, with the creation of a new Mixed Boundary Commission, in order to inspect the landmarks in the boundary of Brazil - Argentina, which achieved in the 1970's and 1980's, a new and detailed survey of the dry line, between rivers Peperi-Guassu and Santo Antonio (the only dry line of this border) and, based on this survey, more than 260 new landmarks were interspersed, between the main and secundaries marks, already done. Besides this, all marks in the islands of Uruguay river and Iguaçu river were inspected and whenever needed, reconstructed and repaired.
- Boundary Brazil - Uruguay: - As a result of a long negotiation between both countries, assisted by the Mixed Boundary Commission, an accord was signed in 1972 by Change of Notes stating and fixing the river Chuy, at its estuary - which bed used to be very unstable, since the First Demarcation in the 1850's - By this, the Delimitation of the territorial sea between Brazil and Uruguay could be estated. As a result of this agreement, the Mixed Boundary Commission followed the job to fix the estuary of the river in the Ocean, wich was finished in 1978.
BOUNDARY BRAZIL-URUGUAY
Estuary of the Arroio Chuy
- Boundary Brazil - Colombia: - Established in 1976, a Mixed Boundary Commission is doing an important job of inspection and caracterization of the Long Geodetic Line Tabatinga-Apaporis, with more than 300 kilometers, deep in the Amazonic jungle.
- Boundary Brazil - French Guiana: - As a result of the negoriations between Brasilia and Paris - at the end of the 1970's and beginning of the 1980's - the Brazilian-French Mixed Boundary Comission was able to define the line in the valleyalong Oiapoque Bay, just as the Maritime Demarcation Line between Brazil and French Guiana, known as Paris Treaty, sighned in january, 30 of 1981.
- Boundary Brazil - Bolivia: - A Brazilian Company - Hidrocart - conducted a batimétric survey of the main canal of Mamoré and Guapore rivers in 1997. This survey was made in order to obtain subsidy to state the adjudication of more than 80 islands located on the edge of these rivers, along the border of Brasil-Bolivia (about a thousand kilometers). The documentation about this survey was delivered to the Bolivian Commissiion in the 28th Conference. After official response of both governments about the them in a future meeting, this will be scheduled and approved.
6) PENDING SUBJECTS.
- Although the demarcation phase was over, there were still some activities to be done by both Brazilian Commision for Demarcation of Boundaries, such as: the characterization of the demarcated long geodesic line "Tabatinga/Apaporis" (with more than 300 kilometers), that borders Colomgia, and the long stretch of watershed, that border Venezuela. There ate also the sistematic inspection and reparing jobs to reconstruc marks that were destroyed. In order to do this job, the Mixed Boundary Commissions, integrated by Brazilian and Delegates of the Country wich boundaries would be operated, do theirs works, for periods of a month, according to a previously agreement each year.
- Should be stated that there are important issues, pending to be done by the Mixed Boundary Commissions, as cases above mentioned, of 80 islands in Mamore and Guapore rivers, as wel as the definition of the limit line along the Iaipu Lake, at the boudary of Brazil with Paraguay.
7) COMMENTS ABOUT THE BRASILIAN BORDER CATOGRAPHY.
- Brazil is one of the five largest countries in the world and it owns one of the largest land borders - about 17.000 kilometers - almost half the circunference of the earth.
- The intire border - the boundary line and its suroundings - used to be in its cartography, almost entirely inknown, until last century. The Mixed Boundary Commissions started, in the second half of the 19th (in the borders with Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela) working in historical campaign of demarations, that surveyed largeong lines of boundaries.
- After 1930, during the characterization phase, many stretches of our international boundaries were surveyed with a higher geodesic precision. New secondary marks were placed between the original marks, the geographic coordinates of these same marks were determined and a new cartographic survey of the followed stretches was done. In order to allow a better and more precise representation of the boundaries, including the objective of giving better information to the Brazilian federal cartographic authorities, the Mixed Boundary Commission acquired in the last decades GPS equipment with which the geodesic coordinates are being redetermined with greater rigour and precision than in the past.
8) ALL BRASILIAN BOUNDARIES LINES.
Boundaries lines
___ COUNTRY ___ TOTAL (kilometers) Dry Line Rivers, Lakes and Canals Nr. of
marksFRENCH GUIANA 730 303 km 427 km 10 SURINAME 593 593 km - 60 GUYANA 1.606 908 km 698 km 134 VENEZUELA 2.199 2.199 km - 2.682 COLOMBIA 1.644 835 km 809 km 128 PERU 2.995 992 km 2.003 km 86 BOLIVIA 3.423 751 km 2.672 km 438 PARAGUAY 1.365 437 km 928 km 910 ARGENTINA 1.261 25 km 1.236 km 310 URUGUAY 1.068 320 km 748 km 1.174 Actualized on Jul/10/2010
- It is useful to previously make a remark, on the technical difference between the concepts of “demarcation” and “characterization”. There is a "demarcation" when the agreed boundary between two countries is made visible on the ground. In the context of demarcation work, the main stone marks are constructed in places which are either, landmark of direction changes (when the boundaries are defined by straight lines), or regime changes (passing from water boundary to mainland, or from a watershed line to a valley, for example). As for “characterization” is the phase when the secondary and intermediate stone marks are inserted between the main ones, in order to make them as much as intervisible as possible, in mainland boundaries.