Geospatial Technologies Applied to International Boundaries – the Case Study of Guinea Bissau

Abstract

Modern geospatial technologies applied to frontiers involve remote sensing data, namely satellite imagery, orthophoto or orthoimages, global navigation technology (GPS/GNSS), as well as Geographical Information System (GIS) tools, which have been used during the last decade for boundary delimitation, demarcation or revision. This paper intends to present the case study of Guinea Bissau boundary which was the first African Portuguese colonies to settle its boundaries. It was delimitated by a Franco– Portuguese convention signed in Paris on May 12, 1886, and ratified later in Lisbon, on August 31, 1887. The demarcation was completed between 1900 and 1905 and recorded in memoranda prepared by the commissioners. For historical reasons Tropical Research Institute (IICT) concentrates a unique, vast and diverse amount of information concerning the borders of those countries. The scope of this research is to explore new methodologies and approaches to study frontiers, making use of geospatial technologies. A Boundary Geographical Information System (BGIS) is being developed based on GIS technology which is a powerful tool to integrate various datasets, visualize, analyze and model spatial and territorial specificities. Historicaldiplomatic information will be articulated with the geospatial data, in order to be included into the geodatabase and to recover the location of the borderlines. The original analogue data was converted into digital format, and image processing techniques were applied to remove residual artifacts, improving the appearance of the documents and reducing storage volume. These methodologies prepared the images for the application of optical character recognition (OCR) before integrating them into the geodatabase. The main objective is to make this information useful and accessible, in a digital platform, to support local authorities, thus promoting cooperation and facilitating public access. The BGIS will be used for present and future management of Guinea Bissau boundaries and as an instrument for policy making.