This master thesis examines cross-boundary connections between a state and an empire. This was done by mapping connections over Kvarken between the Swedish county of Västerbotten and its Finnish counterpart, Österbotten, during the period 1835-1870. Accounts from the custom houses in Jakobstad, Nykarleby, Vasa, Kaskö and Kristinestad served as primary source material together with contemporary Osterbottnian newspapers. For this thesis, a quantitative content- and network analysis as well as a qualitative text analysis was conducted out of a spatial, boundary- and imperial theoretical framework. This thesis shows that the sea trade continued during the entire period without being hindered by neither impending cholera epidemics nor the Crimean War. When other trading routes were cut off by trade embargoes or when ice covered the sea; the trade never ceased. The traffic across Kvarken was primarily Vasterbottnian, and a most Swedish project, except during the Crimean war. During the war, an enormous amount of Osterbottnian trading parties would come to Västerbotten, chiefly in pursuit of salt. Compared to other trade conducted, the Osterbottnian trade with Västerbotten was extensive both in terms of the sheer number of ships, but also in the value of traded goods. Thus, Kvarken can be seen as a cross-border region. The Russian endeavour to severe ties between Sweden and Finland during the 1840’s through the abolishment of particular tariff prescriptions and swedish currency had no noteworthy impact upon trade across the Kvark. Neither value nor flow of goods was impacted. The amount of ships consistently remained at around 25-40 ships anually for the entire study period. To the contrary, temporary prescriptions to promote trade were constantly introduced. It was probably in the greater interest among both Russian and Swedish rulers that the connection between the two peripher, northern regions should function for the well-being and prosperity of the local peoples. In newspaper reports also the cultural value of musicians and theatre companies travelling across Kvarken was greatly appreciated.

The Brazilian Equatorial Margin is a transform passive margin with long fracture zones and several seamounts, including the Ceará Plateau, as the largest one. This is a very complex and poorly known area, with very few available research data. The geophysical approach was used to achieve a better understanding, and to guide further surveys. Gravity and magnetic data from the Equant I Project, seismic published lines and previous studies were applied to make several models and analyses. The gravity and the magnetic anomaly sources seemed to be the same, related to a denser and magnetized basement. It is estimated the basement surface between 800 and 6000 m and the Mohorovičić discontinuity, which is about 22-23 km below the Ceará Plateau. It is also presented and discussed the position of the continent-ocean boundary, recognized at approximately 40 km from the continental shelf, that locate the plateau at the oceanic crust. The area of the transitional crust, with an extension of 40-50 km, represents the altered continental crust, formed during the rift phase, previous to the Atlantic Ocean. The lack of data gives some limitation to the analysis, and add some uncertainties in the results, which are discussed along this thesis. / A Margem Equatorial Brasileira é uma margem passiva transformante com longas zonas de fratura e diversos montes submarinos, incluindo o Platô do Ceará, o maior deles. Essa é uma área muito complexa e pouco conhecida, com poucos dados disponíveis. A abordagem geofísica foi utilizada para alcançar uma melhor compreensão da área e para guiar próximas pesquisas. Dados gravimétricos e magnéticos do Projeto Equant I, linhas sísmicas publicadas e estudos prévios foram aplicados para desenvolver os modelos e as análises. A fonte das anomalias gravimétricas e magnéticas pareceram ser as mesmas, relacionadas a um embasamento mais denso e magnetizado. É estimada a superfície do embasamento entre 800 e 6000 m e a descontinuidade de Mohorovičić, aproximadamente a 22-23 km abaixo do Platô do Ceará. Foi também apresentada e discutida a posição do limite crosta continental-oceânica, aproximadamente a 40 km da plataforma continental, colocando o platô na crosta oceânica. A área da crosta transicional, com uma extensão de 40-50 km, demarca uma crosta continental mais alterada, formada durante a fase rifte, anterior à abertura do Oceano Atlântico. A falta de dados limitou as análises, e certamente implicou em diversas incertezas nos resultados, que são discutidas durante esta dissertação.

The Brazilian Equatorial Margin is a transform passive margin with long fracture zones and several seamounts, including the Ceará Plateau, as the largest one. This is a very complex and poorly known area, with very few available research data. The geophysical approach was used to achieve a better understanding, and to guide further surveys. Gravity and magnetic data from the Equant I Project, seismic published lines and previous studies were applied to make several models and analyses. The gravity and the magnetic anomaly sources seemed to be the same, related to a denser and magnetized basement. It is estimated the basement surface between 800 and 6000 m and the Mohorovičić discontinuity, which is about 22-23 km below the Ceará Plateau. It is also presented and discussed the position of the continent-ocean boundary, recognized at approximately 40 km from the continental shelf, that locate the plateau at the oceanic crust. The area of the transitional crust, with an extension of 40-50 km, represents the altered continental crust, formed during the rift phase, previous to the Atlantic Ocean. The lack of data gives some limitation to the analysis, and add some uncertainties in the results, which are discussed along this thesis. / A Margem Equatorial Brasileira é uma margem passiva transformante com longas zonas de fratura e diversos montes submarinos, incluindo o Platô do Ceará, o maior deles. Essa é uma área muito complexa e pouco conhecida, com poucos dados disponíveis. A abordagem geofísica foi utilizada para alcançar uma melhor compreensão da área e para guiar próximas pesquisas. Dados gravimétricos e magnéticos do Projeto Equant I, linhas sísmicas publicadas e estudos prévios foram aplicados para desenvolver os modelos e as análises. A fonte das anomalias gravimétricas e magnéticas pareceram ser as mesmas, relacionadas a um embasamento mais denso e magnetizado. É estimada a superfície do embasamento entre 800 e 6000 m e a descontinuidade de Mohorovičić, aproximadamente a 22-23 km abaixo do Platô do Ceará. Foi também apresentada e discutida a posição do limite crosta continental-oceânica, aproximadamente a 40 km da plataforma continental, colocando o platô na crosta oceânica. A área da crosta transicional, com uma extensão de 40-50 km, demarca uma crosta continental mais alterada, formada durante a fase rifte, anterior à abertura do Oceano Atlântico. A falta de dados limitou as análises, e certamente implicou em diversas incertezas nos resultados, que são discutidas durante esta dissertação.