1) FTA: "Our competitors in Asia and Europe" are contending with political borders. That's the point of the discussion. America2050 is all about rail: "Starting in 2009, America 2050 has shaped the national debate on high-speed rail and developed recommendations on how national investments should be focused in corridors with the greatest demand for ridership. America 2050's research has also highlighted international lessons on high-speed rail for U.S. policy makers." The whole impetus of the map is to make you care about Europe and Asia. 2) The Schengen Area took 20 years to ratify because France and Germany were busy pissing all over each other's shoes and remains the primary deadlock keeping Turkey out of the EU. It is also the reason Spain and Greece are dragging down the European Economy. Judt for the win. 3) The map is a really vague, overall grouping of the areas that a lobbying group is attempting to use to shape public policy. It is entirely about "saying something" about the subdivisions it claims to encompass.In other words, these are the areas in which residents and policymakers are the most likely to have shared common interests and policy goals and would benefit most from co-operation with each other. It's especially important, because as the Regional Plan Association notes, "Our competitors in Asia and Europe are creating Global Integration Zones by linking specialized economic functions across vast geographic areas and national boundaries with high-speed rail and separated goods movement systems."