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Borderlands on either side of undefended and easily crossed boundaries are now commoner than ever. Economic pacts and political change in North America (in this case particularly the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement), in Europe and in Africa have changed dramatically the character of the boundaries and borderlands of three continents. The aim of this paper is to examine the current impact of the increasingly open boundary between Quebec and the United States on the borderlands on the Quebec side, and thus to throw some light on a newly-emerging aspect of regional geography.There are a number of special geographical features in Quebec explained by the presence of the boundary. The most important economically are the decline of the retail sector and the threat to the forestry sector. Environmentally, the boundary has undoubtedly retarded the development of environmental policy, especially through making the administration of the border lakes, Champlain and Mephremagog, cumbersome to the point where agreements have been very difficult to reach and enforce; this contrasts unfavourably with more vigorous activity by provincial, state and federal governments away from the boundary. Culturally, the daily cross-boundary exchange gives a special character to the borderlands.The boundary between Quebec and the United States is both a barrier and a link. These twin characteristics give a special flavour to the geography of the borderlands. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]