Yet the borders of Europe-a concept dating back to classical antiquity-are somewhat arbitrary, as the primarily physiographic term "continent" can incorporate cultural and political elements.

Nevertheless, some Arab states that were once little more than collections of tribes within arbitrary borders are becoming more cohesive political entities.

In the east, it is divided from Valeria by an arbitrary north-south border which is tangent to the east end of lacus Pelso (Lake Balaton).

Picard ordered his fleet to a halt one AU out from the arbitrary border those ships defined, spread out enough to prevent the Carnelians from attempting an englobement.

Modern Africa has been riddled with such conflicts since the colonial powers saddled the continent with arbitrary borders.

Indeed, many islanders and mainlanders say they have little in common except for an arbitrary border.

Mixing Past With Present The Communists' antinational policies left other former Soviet republics with arbitrary borders and mixed populations, some of which are now the source of conflict and dispute.

As a result of this rather arbitrary border (the criterion for forming a territorial unit was a population figure of 20,000), Breitenthal wound up a border town.

Many scholars point out, however, that Afghanistan is hardly the only country in the world with arbitrary borders and a mix of ethnic and religious groups.

African leaders hold few notions as sacred as the usually arbitrary borders drawn by and inherited from their European colonial rulers, because those frontiers define their power.