10 most unusual borders between states

Yes, it just so happened in our world – everywhere and everywhere between people, settlements, and even more so different states, there are borders (sometimes purely conditional, but more often – the most real, serious: with high fences and even barbed wire).

In fact, of course, the “materiality” of borders depends both on politics (where would we be without it today?), and on the geographical landscape of a particular area.

For example, there are often borders that run along riverbeds or mountain ranges. And the border of Australia with all its neighbors is the ocean (on the left is the Indian, on the right is the Pacific), since, as you know, Australia is not only a country, but also a mainland.

The border between the allied states and completely peaceful neighbors can be just a conditional line, which can be crossed easily and without problems.

Well, for a long time the warring countries have been erecting impregnable walls with outposts among themselves, which not everyone can overcome or not the first time.

Do you want to see the most unusual borders in the world? Then this collection is just for you.

10 Demilitarized zone between North and South Korea

One of the most serious borders in the world is the demilitarized zone between the two still warring Koreas – the capitalist Republic of Korea and the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

How she looks like? As a very fortified strip 241 km long and 4 km wide. And under it, by the way, South Korean border guards have discovered, at the moment, 17 secret tunnels dug from the North Korean side, through which, if necessary, soldiers in full combat gear can move.

At night, the border between the two Koreas is seen especially clearly – the DPRK plunges into almost complete darkness, and, for example, the South Korean capital Seoul can also be seen from space – it is so brightly illuminated.

Do you want another similar interesting fact about borders? If you look at modern Berlin from above at night, you can clearly see that it was once divided into East and West: the first is illuminated with yellowish light, and the second is white. The fact is that in East Berlin they used sodium lamps for street lighting, and in West Berlin they used halogen lamps. This difference is still noticeable today.

9. Tumannaya River – the border between China and the DPRK and between the DPRK and Russia

As we said above, rivers often become natural boundaries separating two neighboring countries. But it turns out that among them there are those that mark the borders of three (!) countries at once.

For example, the Tumangan (Foggy) River for most of its course is the border between China and the DPRK, and already in its lower reaches it separates the DPRK and Russia. Moreover, there is a conditional point (which is located right in the middle of the Tumannaya channel), where the borders of all these three states converge

. And this example is not the only one: at the confluence of the Die River into the Morava, the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria converge; Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet on the “spit” of the Iguazu and Parana rivers, and so on.

8. Bir Tawil – the territory between Egypt and Sudan

The desert area called Bir Tawil (which has nothing of value at all, not even water) is a unique example of territory that no one needs.

As a result of some political collisions at the turn of the 2th-XNUMXth centuries, this piece of the Sahara desert (with an area, for a moment, more than XNUMX thousand km²) on the border of Egypt and Sudan became “no man’s land”.

There has never been a permanent population here (only sometimes nomads of the Ababda tribe passed with their herds), and neither Egypt nor Sudan categorically want to take it under their jurisdiction.

7. Diomede Islands – the border between Russia and the United States

Exactly in the middle of the Bering Strait, at a distance of about 35 km from both Alaska and Chukotka, there are two small rocky islands.

The larger one (with an area of ​​​​about 10 km²), the Americans call Big Diomede, and the Russians call Ratmanov Island. And the second, smaller one (about 5 km²), is Little Diomede or Krusenstern Island.

So, exactly between them is not only the border between the United States and Russia, but also the International Date Line. And therefore, for the inhabitants of these two “outposts” (the base of Russian border guards is located on Ratmanov Island, and there is a small fishing village on Little Diomede), a very interesting situation develops: the distance between them is only 4 km, but the Russians live a day ahead.

That is, when fishermen from Little Diomede look west, towards Russia, they literally “look into the future” – at the same hour, but the next day.

6. Iguazu Falls – the border between Argentina and Brazil

And one of the most beautiful borders on the planet is the fantastic waterfalls of the Iguazu River, which separate the territories of Brazil and Argentina. There are more waterfalls on the Argentinean side, but, of course, it is better to admire them from the Brazilian side.

But, since the relations between the countries at the moment are simply wonderful, their citizens (and, in fact, tourists from other countries) very easily cross the border in one direction or the other.

By the way, another beautiful natural border is located approximately in the same region of South America – this is the stunning flat mountain Roraima, which rises at the junction of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela.

5. Mount Everest is part of the border between Nepal and China

And again, the border created by nature itself (besides the highest in the world) is the greatest mountain on planet Earth, Everest (or Chomolungma). Right across its peak is an invisible line separating the territories of China and Nepal.

And if you do not remember the very tragic story of the conquest of this peak and more than 250 climbers who died here (many remained lying on the slopes of Everest), then we can consider it more unremarkable.

4. Cooch-Behar district – a piece of India in Bangladesh territory

Do you know what an enclave and exclave are? Just in case, we remind you: an enclave is when part of the territory of one country (or even the entire country) is surrounded by the territory of another country, examples are the Vatican and San Marino inside Italy; and an exclave is always a dependent (that is, not sovereign) part of a state, surrounded by another state (or several).

So, for example, our Kaliningrad region is an enclave of Russia for Lithuania and Poland, and for Russia itself it is an exclave. Do you understand more or less?

Now imagine an enclave within an enclave that is also within an enclave. The only example of such a very confusing situation is the Indian region of Cooch Bihar, which is surrounded by the Balapara Khagrabari region of Bangladesh, which, in turn, is surrounded by the Indian territory of Dakhala Khagrabari, located in Bangladesh. Hmm… A real “geographic nesting doll”…

This situation on the border between India and Bangladesh was common until August 1, 2015, when there were as many as 200 (!) enclaves. After a special agreement, India transferred 111 enclaves to Bangladesh and Bangladesh to India 51 enclaves. And their residents were allowed to choose their own citizenship.

3. Derby Line, Vermont – border between the US and Canada

The border between Canada and the United States is one of the longest in the world (8851 km). And in some of its sections, it passes not only through cities, but even through some buildings. The best example is the town of Derby Line.

For example, a library and an opera house with the same name Haskell were specially built here right on the border line, “for joint cultural development.”

So, the auditorium in the theater is on the side of the United States, and the stage is on the territory of Canada. Roughly the same story with the library.

But it’s probably especially funny to live in an ordinary house on the border – to take a shower, you need to go to Canada, and to make a sandwich, you have to go back to the kitchen – to the USA.

2. Border between Belgium and the Netherlands at Baarle

As for Europe, there (especially after the formation of the EU and the creation of the Schengen zone), many borders also became very conditional: most often they were not marked at all, sometimes they were marked with white lines or, for example, in the Belgian town of Baarle-Hertog (aka – Dutch Baarle-Nassau) – white crosses.

The same story happened here as with the Canadian-American Derby Line: the border passed not just through the city, but also through some houses.

And the most enterprising owners of cafes and restaurants specifically place their establishments exactly on the dividing line of the two states. The thing is that in the Netherlands, food outlets are required to close quite early. Therefore, at “hour H” customers simply transfer “to Belgium”.

1. Ceuta and Melilla – the borders of Spain in Morocco

We used to think that Spain is a state entirely located in Europe. But no! It turns out that he still has several former colonies in Africa in his possession.

These are 6 enclaves and semi-enclaves that are located on the territory of Morocco: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as 4 separate fortresses on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by high walls with barbed wire.

It’s not that the Spaniards were very afraid of Morocco’s attacks on these territories (although relations between countries – just because of these very “pieces of Spain” in the middle of another country, are sometimes very strained).

Rather, this is an attempt to somehow limit the influx of illegal migrants who believe that, having impudently penetrated into Ceuta or Melilla, they automatically end up in Europe and can go further – to Spain, because (how could it be otherwise!) They deserve a decent housing and good benefits.

By the way, all these walls and fortifications around the Spanish exclaves in Africa were built quite recently – in 2001 (with EU money).