The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) recognizes more than thirty meanings of step . On this occasion we are going to stick with its definition as the place that allows you to pass (move) from one place to another .
Border , meanwhile, is that which is found on the border : the confine or limit of a State . This means that borders delimit the territories that belong to different countries.
Starting from these ideas, it is easy to understand what a border crossing is. This is the name given to the geographical point that allows you to enter or leave a country.
When a person crosses a border crossing, in this way, they leave one national territory and enter another . At border crossings, various types of controls are usually carried out to determine the identity of the individuals crossing and to know what type of objects they are carrying.
Controls at border crossings, in this framework, prevent a fugitive from the law from entering a country or any subject from transferring illegal merchandise (such as drugs, weapons, etc.). The technical term used in this framework is border controls , although it can also be called customs control or customs control , and brings together a series of measures that each country adopts to carry out the task of regulating and monitoring its borders. .
Border control also includes the passage of animals from one country to another, since there are a number of very specific rules regarding the mandatory procedures for moving them. For example, animals must have their own passport and have all regulatory vaccinations up to date, without leaving out some that become necessary to travel to a particular territory.
It is common for these border controls to be carried out by government agencies created for this specific purpose. The functions they may perform include paperwork and procedures related to immigration, security, quarantine and customs . From one country to another, its structure and designations can be very different. Furthermore, depending on the relationship between the country of origin and the destination, controls at the border crossing can be carried out jointly.
In short, the controls at the border crossing can be summarized in the following list:
* immigration regulation. As mentioned above, this task does not focus solely on illegal attempts to cross a border, but on any action that involves such movement. It would be impossible to maintain the organization of a country without knowing who enters and who leaves, in addition to knowing their intentions and their possessions;
* control of the circulation of inhabitants. This is related to the previous point, although it only takes into account the national portion, the native people who leave and return;
* collection of excise taxes;
* prevention of smuggling of goods, living beings, weapons and illegal substances;
* control of the spread of diseases, something that applies to both people and animals.
It is important to keep in mind that border crossings are land : the limits between air spaces or between jurisdictional waters are not considered. Although the location of border crossings is determined through policy , geographic features are often taken into account, such as a mountain peak, to mention one possibility.
The Jama Pass is an example of a border crossing. It is located 4200 meters above sea level and allows you to travel from Argentina ( Jujuy province) to Chile ( Antofagasta region) and vice versa. This border crossing is reached through paved roads from both nations.