The USA - The Borderlands

The USA - The Borderlands

Author: BBC Radio 4 June 4, 2018 Duration: 32:47

To invent a country you have to define a country. Misha Glenny on the borders of the USA.


We often take the world map for granted, but the lines that define nations are far from permanent. In How to Invent a Country, award-winning journalist Misha Glenny, presented by BBC Radio 4, digs into the fascinating and often turbulent processes that bring a nation into being. This isn't just a dry history lesson; it's an exploration of the powerful forces-political ambition, cultural narratives, and sheer accident-that draw borders and forge identities. Each episode takes you to a different corner of the globe, unpacking the specific moments when a place transformed from an idea or a territory into a country recognized by the world. You'll hear about the contested lands, the foundational myths, and the real people whose lives were shaped by these creations. This podcast reveals how the countries we know today were invented, showing that their stories are alive, contested, and continually being rewritten. Tune in for a compelling journey that changes how you see every line on the map.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 64

How to Invent a Country
Podcast Episodes
China - the first emperor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:20
Misha Glenny and Miles Warde head east to find out what is China and where it came from?
Turkey - Ottoman or Turk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:54
A bonus episode with Hannah Lucinda Smith, Christopher de Bellaigue and Misha Glenny
Turkey - The Military and Decline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:19
EP 2 - The Invention of Turkey and slow decline of the empire from the siege of Vienna
Turkey - The Ottomans: East or West [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:27
Ep1 - Istanbul and Mehmet the Conqueror. Misha Glenny on the birth of the Ottoman empire
Russia - A Tale of Two Ivans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Ep 1 The Invention of Russia ... told from a time when it was still very small
Russia - the Empire Strikes Back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:36
Ep 2 - The Invention of Russia and the expansion east to Siberia, west into Ukraine
Russia - the bear moves west [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:29
Ep 3 - The Invention of Russia and Catherine the Great, presented by Misha Glenny
Russia - the sacred song of war [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:20
Ep 4 - The Invention of Russia, presented by Misha Glenny and produced by Miles Warde
Return to Spain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:38
with Sir John Eliot, plus exciting news