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Geography fun facts and oddities: Difference between revisions
→Enclaves & exclaves
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== Political geography oddities == | == Political geography oddities == | ||
=== Enclaves & exclaves === | === Enclaves & exclaves === | ||
[[File:Baarle-Nassau frontière café.jpg|thumb|Border in Baarle between Belgium and Netherlands]] | |||
* see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclave_and_exclave | * see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclave_and_exclave | ||
* enclave = a country or territory that is entirely surrounded by another country or territory | * enclave = a country or territory that is entirely surrounded by another country or territory | ||
** "enclave" is derived from the Latin ''inclavare'' for "to close with a key," meaning one property that is entirely surrounded by another property | ** "enclave" is derived from the Latin ''inclavare'' for "to close with a key," meaning one property that is entirely surrounded by another property | ||
** nation state enclaves: | ** nation state enclaves: | ||
* '''Vatican City''' (within Italy) | * '''Vatican City''' (within Italy) | ||
* '''San Marino''' (within Italy) | * '''San Marino''' (within Italy) | ||
* '''Losotho''' (within South Africa) | * '''Losotho''' (within South Africa) | ||
** note: these nations are not exclaves since they are not separated from a mainland territory | ** note: these nations are not exclaves since they are not separated from a mainland territory | ||
* semi-enclave states are surrounded by another state by land but also have a water border, such as: | * semi-enclave states are surrounded by another state by land but also have a water border, such as: | ||
** '''Monaco''' (surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea) | ** '''Monaco''' (surrounded by France and the Mediterranean Sea) | ||
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** '''Singapore''' (surrounded by Malaysia and the Strait of Singapore | ** '''Singapore''' (surrounded by Malaysia and the Strait of Singapore | ||
** several other enclave states exist politically independent but are not recognized officially as independent nations | ** several other enclave states exist politically independent but are not recognized officially as independent nations | ||
* exclave = a territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by one other country | * exclave = a territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by one other country | ||
* Madha (or "Wadi Madha"), territory of Oman, is located entirely within by Nahwa, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) | * Madha (or "Wadi Madha"), territory of Oman, is located entirely within by Nahwa, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) | ||
** Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman | ** Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman | ||
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** of these, Dubai (exclave: Hatta), Ajman (exclaves: Masfout & Manama), Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah have exclaves that are surrounded by another nation: | ** of these, Dubai (exclave: Hatta), Ajman (exclaves: Masfout & Manama), Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah have exclaves that are surrounded by another nation: | ||
*** Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah (and Nahwa which is also an enclave) | *** Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah (and Nahwa which is also an enclave) | ||
* enclaves and counter-enclaves | |||
** the India-Bangladesh border contains | |||
*** 102 enclaves of Indian territory | |||
**** which contain 21 counter-enclaves (enclaves within an enclave) of Bangladesh territory | |||
click EXPAND for more on the India-Bangladesh enclaves | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> | |||
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** a story of the origin of this complicated border is that it resulted from a bet on a card or chess game between a Raja and a Maharaja | |||
*** this is likely not historical; more likely the enclaves were the result of arrangements and settled disputes between local kings and lords over time | |||
*** the first historical treaty defining this border was in 1713 during the Mughal Empire | |||
**** the 1947 "partition of India" further complicated the border | |||
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</div> | </div> | ||
* semi-exclave = territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by another country and a large body of water | * semi-exclave = territory or part of a country that is separated from the main country or territory and surrounded by another country and a large body of water | ||
* Kaliningrad Oblast: Russian exclave territory 200 miles from mainland Russia that is surrounded by Poland and the Baltic Sea | * Kaliningrad Oblast: Russian exclave territory 200 miles from mainland Russia that is surrounded by Poland and the Baltic Sea | ||
** Kaliningrad was allocated to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, which divided Europe between the allied powers at the end of World War II | ** Kaliningrad was allocated to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, which divided Europe between the allied powers at the end of World War II | ||
* Crimea: "de jure" (legally) Ukraine territory that is occupied by Russia and is therefore a de facto (in fact) Russian semi-exclave surrounded by Ukraine and the Black Sea. | * Crimea: "de jure" (legally) Ukraine territory that is occupied by Russia and is therefore a de facto (in fact) Russian semi-exclave surrounded by Ukraine and the Black Sea. | ||
* U.S. semi-exclaves: | |||
* | |||
* Alaska is a semi-exclave in that it is separated from the main country and surrounded by another country (Canada) and by a large body of water (Bering Sea and the Pacific and Arctic Oceans) | * Alaska is a semi-exclave in that it is separated from the main country and surrounded by another country (Canada) and by a large body of water (Bering Sea and the Pacific and Arctic Oceans) | ||
* Alburgh, VT is on the Alburgh Tongue on the tip of a peninsula from Canada that extends into Lake Champlain | * Alburgh, VT is on the Alburgh Tongue on the tip of a peninsula from Canada that extends into Lake Champlain | ||
* Hyder, AK is located | * Hyder, AK is located | ||
** Hyder is Alaska's easternmost town and can only be reached by road by passing through Canada. Hyder is not technically an exclave, in that it is connected to Alaska, although it lies at the tip of a | ** Hyder is Alaska's easternmost town and can only be reached by road by passing through Canada. Hyder is not technically an exclave, in that it is connected to Alaska, although it lies at the tip of a peninsula created by the Salmon River | ||
* Point Roberts, WA is located at the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, Vancouver, Canada and can only be reached by land from the U.S. by going through Canada | * Point Roberts, WA is located at the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, Vancouver, Canada and can only be reached by land from the U.S. by going through Canada | ||
* note: Hawaii is not technically an exclave, as it has no borders with another nation, although, as an island, it is separated from teh mainland U.S. | * note: Hawaii is not technically an exclave, as it has no borders with another nation, although, as an island, it is separated from teh mainland U.S. | ||
* some places that are both enclaves and exclaves | * some places that are both enclaves and exclaves | ||
** not independent countries, but part of one country that are surrounded by another | ** not independent countries, but part of one country that are surrounded by another | ||
* Artsvashen, territory of Armenia, is within Azerbaijan | * Artsvashen, territory of Armenia, is within Azerbaijan | ||
* Dahagram-Angarpota, territory of Bangladesh that is within India | * Dahagram-Angarpota, territory of Bangladesh that is within India | ||
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* Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman | * Nahwa, territory of the Emirate of Sharjah (part of UAE), is itself an enclave within Oman | ||
** For full list see: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_enclaves_and_exclaves#Enclaves_that_are_also_exclaves Enclaves that are also exclaves (wiki)]] | ** For full list see: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_enclaves_and_exclaves#Enclaves_that_are_also_exclaves Enclaves that are also exclaves (wiki)]] | ||
=== Landlocked countries === | === Landlocked countries === | ||
* = countries that have no coastal borders | * = countries that have no coastal borders | ||