List of territorial disputes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of extant territorial disputes around the world. A claimant's full control is indicated in bold, one or more claimant's partial control indicated in italics.
[edit] Disputes involving states that recognize each other
[edit] In Africa and neighbouring seas
- Bassas da India, Europa Island and Juan de Nova: France and Madagascar[1]
- Badme: Ethiopia and Eritrea[1]
- Banc du Geyser: Madagascar, France and the Comoros
- Bure: Ethiopia and Eritrea
- Cabinda: Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Chagos Archipelago: United Kingdom (as British Indian Ocean Territory), Mauritius and the Seychelles
- Chirac pastures : Morocco and Algeria
- Corisco area : Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
- Glorioso Islands: France, Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Comoros
- Hala'ib Triangle: Egypt and Sudan
- Isla Perejil: Spain and Morocco
- Ilemi Triangle: Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan
- Kangawane Swazi homelands: South Africa and Swaziland
- Kariba Power Station and Sindabezi Island: Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Kasikili/Sedudu: Botswana and Namibia
- Lete Island and neighbouring islands: Benin and Niger (adjudicated by the ICJ in 2005)
- Lunchinda-Pweto province: Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Mayotte: France and Comoros[1]
- Mbanie Island: Gabon and Equatorial Guinea[2]
- North West Niger (about 25,000 square km): Niger and Libya
- Ogaden: Ethiopia and Somalia
- Peñón de Alhucemas: Spain and Morocco
- South East Algeria: Algeria and Libya
- Socotra: Yemen and Somalia
- Tromelin: France and Mauritius
- Tsorona-Zalambessa: Ethiopia and Eritrea
- Yenga (border town): Sierra Leone and Guinea
- Zuqar Island: Eritrea and Yemen
[edit] In the Americas
- Ankoko Island : Guyana and Venezuela
- Arroio Invernada : Brazil and Uruguay
- Atacama corridor: Chile and Bolivia
- Southern half of Belize: Belize and Guatemala
- Bajo Nuevo Bank (Petrel Islands): United States, Jamaica (the only two active claims), Colombia and possibly Honduras
- Bird Island (Isla Aves): Venezuela and Dominica
- Brazilian Island : Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay
- Conejo Island: Honduras and El Salvador
- Falkland Islands: United Kingdom and Argentina[1]
- French Guiana west of the Marouini River: France and Suriname
- Green Island (Fortune), Newfoundland: Canada and France (St Pierre and Miquelon) NOTE Sovereignty undetermined
- Guantanamo Bay: United States of America (lease-holder; naval base and extraordinary detention) and Cuba[1]
- Guyana east of the Upper Courantyne River: Guyana and Suriname
- Guyana west of the Essequibo River (Guayana Esequiba): Guyana and Venezuela
- Hans Island: Denmark and Canada
- Navassa Island: United States of America (having possession) and Haiti[1]
- Río San Juan legal dispute over navigational rights on border: Costa Rica and Nicaragua
- San Andrés and Providencia: Colombia and Nicaragua; Honduras de facto recognizes Colombian claim
- Sapodilla Cays: Belize, Guatemala (formerly claiming all Belize) and Honduras
- Serranilla Bank : United States, Colombia, Nicaragua and possibly Honduras
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands & Shag Rocks: United Kingdom and Argentina[1]
- Southern Patagonian Ice Field between Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Daudet: Argentina and Chile (parts of the border still officially undefined)
- List of areas disputed by the United States (state mentioned first) and Canada (province or territory mentioned second)
- Machias Seal Island (Maine / New Brunswick)
- Strait of Juan de Fuca (Washington / British Columbia)
- Dixon Entrance (Alaska / British Columbia)
- Beaufort Sea (Alaska / Yukon)
- North Rock (Maine / New Brunswick)
- Northwest Passage and other Arctic waters (Claimed by U.S. to be international waters)
- Portland Canal (Alaska/British Columbia)
[edit] In Asia and the Pacific
- Abu Musa: Iran and the United Arab Emirates
- Aksai Chin: People's Republic of China, India and ROC[1][3]
- Arunachal Pradesh (South Tibet): India, People's Republic of China and ROC[3]
- Baitou Mountain / Paektu-san (indefinite boundary): People's Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea and the Republic of China[1][3][4]
- Banaba Island: Kiribati and Fiji
- Bagys and Turkestan (village): Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
- Bhutanese enclaves in Tibet: People's Republic of China and Bhutan, also the Republic of China, unrecognized by either aforementioned state
- Bougainville : Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
- Copper Island, Sea Lion Rock and Sea Otter Islands: Russia and the United States of America
- various areas: Dak Jerman/Dak Duyt, Dak Dang/Dak Huyt, the La Drang area and the islands of Baie/Koh Ta Kiev, Milieu/Koh Thmey, Eau/Koh Ses, Pic/Koh Tonsay and the Northern Pirates/Koh Po : Cambodia and Vietnam
- David-Gareja monastery complex: Azerbaijan and Georgia
- Doi Lang: Myanmar and Thailand
- Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks, Takeshima): South Korea, North Korea and Japan[4] (Japan does not recognizes the statehood of North Korea.)[1]
- 48 square miles (124 km²) of Jordanian territory: Syria and Jordan
- East Jerusalem : Israel and the Palestinian National Authority
- Golan Heights: Israel and Syria
- Shebaa Farms: Israel, Syria, and Lebanon
- Greater and Lesser Tunbs: Iran and the United Arab Emirates
- Hatay: Turkey and Syria
- Indo-Bangladesh enclaves: India and Bangladesh NOTE: well-known enclave system, see article for history, area is disputed.
- Isfara Valley: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikstan
- former Princely State of Junagadh: India and Pakistan
- Kashmir: Pakistan and India[1]
- Kalipani region, also Susta region (part), and Antudanda area: India and Nepal
- Lower Kurile Islands: Russia and Japan[1]
- Kula Kangri: Bhutan and the People's Republic of China
- Ligitan and Sipidan: Malaysia and Indonesia
- Limbang area: Brunei and Malaysia
- Macclesfield Bank: People's Republic of China, Republic of China and Vietnam[3]
- Matthew and Hunter Islands: Vanuatu and France[1]
- Minerva Reef: Tonga and Fiji
- New Moore/ South Talpatty/ Purbasha Island: Bangladesh and India - dispute also deters maritime boundary delimitation in the Bay of Bengal.
- Northern Bhutan: Bhutan and The People's Republic of China
- Qarah and Umm Al Maradim: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
- Quatern Island: India and Pakistan
- Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai :Indonesia and East Timor
- Palmas Islands: Indonesia and Philippines
- Paracel Islands: People's Republic of China, Republic of China and Vietnam[1][3]
- Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh: Singapore and Malaysia
- Prachin Buri area: Thailand and Cambodia
- Pyrdiwah: India and Bangladesh
- Sabah (North Borneo): Malaysia and Philippines
- Sakhalin (southern): Russia (Japan has renounced Sakhalin pursuant to the San Francisco Peace Treaty without recognizing the Russian claim.)
- former Saudi-Iraqi neutral zone: Iraq and Saudi Arabia
- Scarborough Shoal: Philippines, People's Republic of China and Republic of China[3]
- Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai): Japan, People's Republic of China and Republic of China[1][3]
- Shatt Al-Arab: Iran and Iraq
- Siachen Glacier: India and Pakistan
- Sir Creek: India and Pakistan
- Socotra Rock: People's Republic of China, Republic of China, South Korea and North Korea
- Spratly Islands: People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Vietnam, Philippines (part), Malaysia (part) and Brunei (part)[1][3]
- Swains Island: United States and Tokelau
- Tumen River (disputee sovereignty of certain islands): People's Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea and the Republic of China[1][3][4]
- Vozrozhdeniya Island (now a peninsula): Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
- Wake Island: United States and Marshall Islands[1]
- Yalu River (disputee sovereignty of certain islands): People's Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea and the Republic of China[1][3][4]
[edit] In Europe
- Bay of Piran, also hamlets of Bozini, Mlini, Škodelin and Škrile and much of the border area: Slovenia and Croatia
- Ems estuary and Dollart Bay (western part): Netherlands and Germany
- Ferdinandea: Italy, United Kingdom, France, Spain and possibly Malta, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco
- Gibraltar: United Kingdom (as crown colony) and Spain[1]
- Isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain: United Kingdom and Spain
- Imia/Kardak: Greece and Turkey
- Kosa Tuzla Island: Ukraine and Russia
- approximately 2400 acres of Kosovo: Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the UN-administered territory of Kosovo. NOTE This dispute is between The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo.
- Mont Blanc: France and Italy
- Eastern coast of Narva river and Petseri region: Russia and Estonia
- Olivenza: Spain and Portugal
- Pichvni: Georgia and Russia
- Pytalovsky District of the Pskov Oblast/Abrene region: Russia and Latvia
- Rockall: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland
- Sastavci: Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina
- Snake Island: Ukraine and Romania
- Small 3m-by-60m strip next to Vatican City: the Holy See and Italy
[edit] Disputes between a state and its subnational entities, or between subnational entities
- Black Hills: United States government and the Lakota Nation
- Ceara and Piaui
- Southern edge of Labrador: Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador
[edit] Disputes involving parties that each have some territory under control but do not recognize each other
- See also: List of unrecognized countries
- Abkhazia: Republic of Abkhazia and Georgia
- Northern Cyprus: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Republic of Cyprus
- mainland China: People's Republic of China, Republic of China[3]
- Heixiazi / Bolshoy Ussuriyskiy:
- Eastern half: Russia and Republic of China[5]
- Western half: People's Republic of China and Republic of China
- Israel proper: Israel and (unofficially) the Palestinian National Authority (The map of "liberated Palestine" on the official website of the PNA, official PA schoolbooks, and official emblem of the PNA, PLO, and other groups all include Israel's entire territory)[6]
- Kachin State (north part west of Gaoligong Mountain (zh:高黎贡山), the white area on the lower (south) portion of the accomanying Chinese map west of Yunnan): Myanmar and Republic of China[5]
- North Korea: Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea. The ROK's constitution states that "The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands."[7]
- South Korea: Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Lachin corridor: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan
- Nagorno-Karabakh: Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan
- Pamir Mountains (the white area on the left-hand (west) portion of the accomanying Chinese map west of Xinjiang):
- Northern and central parts: Tajikstan and Republic of China[5]
- Southern part: Afghanistan and Republic of China[5]
- Puntland: Puntland and Somalia
- Sixty-Four Villages East of the Heilongjiang River: Russia and Republic of China[5]
- Somaliland: Somaliland and Somalia
- South Ossetia: Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia
- Northern and eastern Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam
- 'border' checkpoint near Strovilia: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the United Kingdom (in regard to its' Sovereign Base Areas). NOTE: Technically, of course, this also involves Cyprus; the checkpoint is partially on UN-administered land, and Cyprus claims all of the island.
- Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy, Matsu Islands, Pratas Islands: Republic of China and People's Republic of China. The ROC's constitution states that "The modifications of the functions, operations, and organization of the Taiwan Provincial Government may be specified by law."[8] The PRC's consitution states "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. It is the lofty duty of the entire Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, to accomplish the great task of reunifying the motherland."[9]
- Transnistria: Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and Moldova
- Tannu Uriankhai: Russia, Mongolia and Republic of China[5]
- Western Sahara: Morocco and Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. NOTE:- The United Nations considers the area a non-decolonized territory with Spain as the formal administrative power, although they do not occupy or claim it as their territory.
- West Bank: Israel and the Palestinian National Authority
[edit] Formally frozen dispute
- See also demilitarized zone
The Antarctic Treaty System, formed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica and provides administration for the continent, which is carried out through consultative member meetings. It freezes the territorial claims of all signatories (all claimants have acceded) for as long as the treaty is in force. However, it is not a final settlement; parties can choose to withdraw from the System at any time. Furthermore, only a minority of states have signed it, and it is not formally sanctioned by the United Nations. Thus, Antarctica remains the only part of the planet any (non-signatory) state can still lay claim to as terra nullius (on the grounds of it not having been part of any existing state's legal and effective territory).
When the Constitution of the Republic of China was adopted on 25 December 1947, the Republic of China did recognize the statehood of the People's Republic of Mongolia with Soviet pressure. After the UN General Assembly Resolution 505 was passed in 1952, the Republic of China withdrew such a recognition in 1953 and therefore claimed Greater Mongolia. The Republic of China has once again recognized the statehood of Mongolia in 2002, thus freezing the territorial claim, but as the Constitution of the Republic of China still mentions Mongolia in Article 119 that has not been superseded, there are different opinions as to whether such a recognition is constitutional. On 26 November 1993, the Judicial Yuan in its Interpretation 328 called the constitutional territory beyond the reach of judicial review and thus avoided the question as whether Mongolia should be considered the constitutional territory of the Republic of China.
[edit] Disputes between a state and a secessionist group with no territorial control
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Field Listing - Disputes - international, CIA World Factbook
- ^ Compte rendu du déplacement d'une délégation du groupe interparlementaire France-Afrique centrale au Gabon, en Guinée équatoriale et à Sao Tomé-et-Principe, parliamentary report of the French Senate, 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Republic of China (ROC) now based in Taiwan is involved in territorial disputes with many countries near China while not recognized by any of them due to having no diplomatic relations. The ROC recognizes neither the People's Republic of China (PRC) nor its border agreements or treaties with any other countries while Article 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of China states that "The territory of the Republic of China according to its existing national boundaries shall not be altered except by resolution of the National Assembly."
- ^ a b c d The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) do not recognize each other.
- ^ a b c d e f Relinquished by the People's Republic of China but still claimed by the Republic of China.
- ^ When the Palestinians say "End of occupation", what do they mean?
- ^ s:Constitution of the Republic of Korea, Article 3
- ^ s:Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, Article 9, Section 2
- ^ s:Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Preamble