BORDERLAND - BORDERLANDNESS - BORDERLAND IDENTITY

The research carried out so far on borderland zones indicate a shortage of necessary research tools whose application could possibly improve the theoretical level of research thereon. So far the term of borderland and trans-borderness has been dominant in the research on borderlands and border areas in Poland realized not only on the Eastern borderland. In author's opinion, in order to cover the entire spectrum of social phenomena and processes that occur in border and trans-border areas, it is necessary to introduce additional terms: apart from the borderland - the term of borderlandness, and apart from trans-borderlandness - the term of trans-borders. In result of borderlandness, which may be characterized with different intensity, frequency and internal structure as well as a different degree of durability, borderlands are formed in the perspective of long-term operation and the borderland identity is shaped as well. The article focuses on and explains the category of borderlandness and borderland identity in particular