A maze of twisty little borders, all alike
May 6, 2014 11:39 PM Subscribe
The world's most complex borders. Bonus: a closer look at Baarle, the Belgian Dutch Belgian enclave in the south of the Netherlands.
I do like the guy who moved his door because it was easier than changing his citizenship once they had properly marked the borders in Baarle. Cutting right through the mess!
posted by tavella at 12:30 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by tavella at 12:30 AM on May 7, 2014
Apropos Cyprus: since nobody but Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, all citizens on the island are officially EU citizens and can vote in the upcoming EU elections - including the Turks in the north. However, while there are two EU parliament members for the districts of Northern Cyprus, all the candidates are Greek Cypriots from the "unoccupied" part of Cyprus.
Furthermore, residents of Northern Cyprus (may) hold three passports: Cypriot, Turkish and Northern Cypriot, the latter of which is completely useless.
posted by brokkr at 2:02 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Furthermore, residents of Northern Cyprus (may) hold three passports: Cypriot, Turkish and Northern Cypriot, the latter of which is completely useless.
posted by brokkr at 2:02 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
In addition to the NYT blog that frimble refers to, the author, Frank Jacobs, also has a blog called "Strange Maps."
posted by frodisaur at 3:14 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by frodisaur at 3:14 AM on May 7, 2014
That was really interesting, thanks!
posted by Legomancer at 5:54 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by Legomancer at 5:54 AM on May 7, 2014
I'd never heard of Campione d'Italia before, cool.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:51 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:51 AM on May 7, 2014
Worth noting that Baarle has Dutch sections inside Belgian sections inside the Dutch town.
posted by entropone at 7:48 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by entropone at 7:48 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
It is indeed worth noting - so much so that it is mentioned in both links in the post.
posted by brokkr at 8:08 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by brokkr at 8:08 AM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Map of the Navajo Nation.If I read that map correctly, there is a Navaho enclave inside the Hopi Nation which is itself an enclave inside the Navaho Nation which is an enclave inside the United States.
posted by brokkr at 8:10 AM on May 7, 2014
Yup.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:30 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:30 AM on May 7, 2014
I feel like this would be a good introduction video for beginners when they first start playing Civ V.
posted by Fizz at 9:37 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by Fizz at 9:37 AM on May 7, 2014
If I read that map correctly, there is a Navaho enclave inside the Hopi Nation which is itself an enclave inside the Navaho Nation which is an enclave inside the United States.
My favorite aspect of that: the state of Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe Daylight Savings Time. The Hopi Nation within Navajo land does not observe Daylight Savings Time.
posted by troika at 9:41 AM on May 7, 2014 [11 favorites]
My favorite aspect of that: the state of Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe Daylight Savings Time. The Hopi Nation within Navajo land does not observe Daylight Savings Time.
posted by troika at 9:41 AM on May 7, 2014 [11 favorites]
Well, the Hopi and Navaho at least have open borders and access to U.S. public resources. That gnarled and shitty setup on the India-Bangladesh border with third-order enclaves and people unable to access public works of any sort is probably worse-than-Gaza-Strip depressing.
posted by psoas at 9:44 AM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by psoas at 9:44 AM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
The complex border to keep an eye on now is Kaliningrad, that part of Russia that's a Baltic Sea port and shares a border with Poland and Lithuania. Formerly known as Königsberg, part of Ostpreuß which was historicaly in the German empire. The Soviets took it after WW2, and after the end of the Soviet Union when Lithuania and Poland became truly independent a deal was made to keep Kaliningrad Russian.
Russia is quite committed to keeping Kaliningrad Russian, it's an important port for them. And no one in the West seems to want to change that. But the main land access is via highways through Lithuania and Latvia and Russia occasionally makes noises about wanting to keep those routes secure. So the those Baltic nations are understandably quite nervous watching what's happening in Ukraine, wondering what it means for them.
As for Navajo and Hopi, part of the context there is that they are quite different peoples. The Hopi identify themselves with the other Pueblo Indians in New Mexico. Navajo are a different affiliation with a very different language and history.
posted by Nelson at 9:51 AM on May 7, 2014
Russia is quite committed to keeping Kaliningrad Russian, it's an important port for them. And no one in the West seems to want to change that. But the main land access is via highways through Lithuania and Latvia and Russia occasionally makes noises about wanting to keep those routes secure. So the those Baltic nations are understandably quite nervous watching what's happening in Ukraine, wondering what it means for them.
As for Navajo and Hopi, part of the context there is that they are quite different peoples. The Hopi identify themselves with the other Pueblo Indians in New Mexico. Navajo are a different affiliation with a very different language and history.
posted by Nelson at 9:51 AM on May 7, 2014
B Mandelbrot invented fractals after pondering differing border measurements between Belgium and the Netherlands - I wonder whether it was Baarle that helped kick off that train of thought.
posted by progosk at 11:47 AM on May 7, 2014
posted by progosk at 11:47 AM on May 7, 2014
Baarle inspired this great novel
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:24 PM on May 7, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:24 PM on May 7, 2014 [4 favorites]
Inspired by that Belgian guy, I'm moving my front door to New Zealand!
Hang on... Erm...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 2:31 PM on May 7, 2014
Hang on... Erm...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 2:31 PM on May 7, 2014
Russia is quite committed to keeping Kaliningrad Russian
The strategy involves giant hovercrafts.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:33 PM on May 7, 2014
The strategy involves giant hovercrafts.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:33 PM on May 7, 2014
I've been to Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog. It is quite a lovely little towns in its own right, with a truly fabulous and enormous bottle shop (warehouse door and front door in different countries).
The country-in-country borders are actually painted on the street, mostly as a tourist attraction (or so I was told).
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:23 PM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
The country-in-country borders are actually painted on the street, mostly as a tourist attraction (or so I was told).
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:23 PM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm kind of curious as to how Baarle worked before the EU, though. Sure, it's no big deal crossing a border now, but what about before the Schengen Agreement, or before the Treaty of Rome?
posted by tavella at 5:25 PM on May 7, 2014
posted by tavella at 5:25 PM on May 7, 2014
> I'm kind of curious as to how Baarle worked before the EU, though. Sure, it's no big deal crossing a border now, but what about before the Schengen Agreement, or before the Treaty of Rome?
This got me curious enough to dig up the text of the Treaty of London to see if it's addressed. It is not, but there are plenty of provisions that suggest a somewhat amicable split. For instance: "The use of the canals which traverse both countries shall continue to be free and common to the inhabitants of both."
Surely it was a bigger deal back then to cross a border within Europe, but I doubt it was much of a big deal to cross a border between the Netherlands and a country that used to be part of the Netherlands, even before the Schengen Agreement.
posted by savetheclocktower at 8:12 PM on May 7, 2014
This got me curious enough to dig up the text of the Treaty of London to see if it's addressed. It is not, but there are plenty of provisions that suggest a somewhat amicable split. For instance: "The use of the canals which traverse both countries shall continue to be free and common to the inhabitants of both."
Surely it was a bigger deal back then to cross a border within Europe, but I doubt it was much of a big deal to cross a border between the Netherlands and a country that used to be part of the Netherlands, even before the Schengen Agreement.
posted by savetheclocktower at 8:12 PM on May 7, 2014
I've been working on an exclaves and enclaves post forever, but I'm having trouble framing it. I hope you don't mind if I just drop the skeleton here.
Enclave listing that mentions that 'Dahala Khagrabari is the world's only enclave within an enclave within an enclave'.
This paper mentions that Cooch-Behar has the world's biggest cluster of exclaves and enclaves. An extensive study.
"One of the Bangladeshi enclaves is Dahagram-Angarpota, which is no doubt the world's only part-time enclave. The villages in the enclave are connected with the rest of Bangladesh through the Tin Bigha Corridor, a tiny area leased by Bangladesh but controlled by India." Previously the corridor was open daily but only for 12 hours. This was changed in September 2011 and it is now open 24 hours.
Baarle-Nassau. 8 different enclaves, 7 of which are embodied in the Belgian exclaves of Baarle-Hertog. The history of Baarle. Examples of Baarle • •
"A moment in July 1945 when Suite 212 at Claridges Hotel in London was designated by the UK Government as being Yugoslav territory. By this device, the British conspired with the Yugoslav monarchy, then in exile in London, to ensure that the heir to the Yugoslav throne was born on Slavic soil."
Phillip Adams interview with Vitali Vitaliev.
posted by unliteral at 11:16 PM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
Enclave listing that mentions that 'Dahala Khagrabari is the world's only enclave within an enclave within an enclave'.
This paper mentions that Cooch-Behar has the world's biggest cluster of exclaves and enclaves. An extensive study.
"One of the Bangladeshi enclaves is Dahagram-Angarpota, which is no doubt the world's only part-time enclave. The villages in the enclave are connected with the rest of Bangladesh through the Tin Bigha Corridor, a tiny area leased by Bangladesh but controlled by India." Previously the corridor was open daily but only for 12 hours. This was changed in September 2011 and it is now open 24 hours.
Baarle-Nassau. 8 different enclaves, 7 of which are embodied in the Belgian exclaves of Baarle-Hertog. The history of Baarle. Examples of Baarle • •
"A moment in July 1945 when Suite 212 at Claridges Hotel in London was designated by the UK Government as being Yugoslav territory. By this device, the British conspired with the Yugoslav monarchy, then in exile in London, to ensure that the heir to the Yugoslav throne was born on Slavic soil."
Phillip Adams interview with Vitali Vitaliev.
posted by unliteral at 11:16 PM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
I recently bought a book about the border between East and West Germany (or, as they call it here, the "intra-German border") and it also dealt with the curious enclaves in Berlin. One of them was uninhabited - it was an allotment garden community with its own wall erected around it, complete with East German border control to check the West Berliners who wanted to do a bit of gardening on a nice summer day.
Outside Berlin it also describes a case of a house divided - the residential part was sitting in the state of Hesse, but had an annex with a small printing company located in the state of Thuringia. Originally built that way to circumvent a higher Hessian tax on printing materials, it backfired when the house was suddenly straddling the iron curtain. The passage between the two parts was blocked up by the residents, and the East German border patrol unceremoniously appropriated the printing shop for a guard post.
If you read German and are interested in borders or the cold war, I can highly recommend this book.
posted by brokkr at 12:33 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
Outside Berlin it also describes a case of a house divided - the residential part was sitting in the state of Hesse, but had an annex with a small printing company located in the state of Thuringia. Originally built that way to circumvent a higher Hessian tax on printing materials, it backfired when the house was suddenly straddling the iron curtain. The passage between the two parts was blocked up by the residents, and the East German border patrol unceremoniously appropriated the printing shop for a guard post.
If you read German and are interested in borders or the cold war, I can highly recommend this book.
posted by brokkr at 12:33 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
I believe Baarle was one of the inspirations for China Mieville's The City and The City.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 3:30 AM on May 8, 2014
posted by aeschenkarnos at 3:30 AM on May 8, 2014
Thanks, Brokkr. Added it to my reading list, as the former border has been a point of interest of mine since moving to Thuringia.
posted by frimble at 4:05 AM on May 8, 2014
posted by frimble at 4:05 AM on May 8, 2014
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posted by frimble at 12:01 AM on May 7, 2014