List of national four-country border sets
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[edit] Geometry and geography
In geometric 2-space, no more than four continuous two-dimensional shapes can all share one-dimensional boundaries with each other. There are two ways this is possible, with three mutually-bordering shapes combining to form an enclave within the fourth (figure 1), or a single shape forming an enclave within the combination of three mutually-bordering shapes (figure 2). However, not all nations can be represented by single continuous two-dimensional shapes, and so the number of nations which can possibly share a border with each other is not necessarily limited to four.
[edit] Current national four-country border sets
In typical cases, a four-country border set is formed when three mutually-bordering nations form a ring around a landlocked fourth (which borders only the other three), creating a "triclave" (see figure 2). Paraguay, Luxembourg, Burundi, and Malawi are examples of nations that form the center of such configurations. However, exclaves and remote national territories create other possibilities. As of the 2006 breakup of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, there are nine four-nation sets in the world in which each nation shares a boundary (land or fresh water) with each other.
[edit] In South America
Paraguay-Brazil-Argentina-Bolivia
| Borders(km) |  PAR |
 BRA |
 ARG |
 BOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAR |
- | 1290 | 1880 | 750 |
| BRA |
1290 | - | 1224 | 3400 |
| ARG |
1880 | 1224 | - | 832 |
| BOL |
750 | 3400 | 832 | - |
[edit] In Europe
Luxembourg-France-Germany-Belgium
| Borders(km) |  LUX |
 FRA |
 GER |
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} BEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUX |
- | 73 | 138 | 148 |
| FRA |
73 | - | 451 | 620 |
| GER |
138 | 203 | - | 167 |
| BEL |
148 | 241 | 167 | - |
Bosnia and Herzegovina-Serbia-Montenegro-Croatia[1]
| Borders(km) |  BIH |
 SRB |
 MNE |
 CRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIH |
- | 302 | 225 | 932 |
| SRB |
302 | - | 203 | 241 |
| MNE |
225 | 203 | - | 25 |
| CRO |
932 | 241 | 25 | - |
Belgium-Germany-Kingdom of the Netherlands-France[2]
| Borders(km) | BEL |
GER |
 NED |
FRA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL |
- | 167 | 450 | 620 |
| GER |
167 | - | 577 | 451 |
| NED |
450 | 577 | - | 10 |
| FRA |
620 | 451 | 10 | - |
Belarus-Lithuania-Poland-Russia[3]
| Borders(km) |  BLR |
 LTU |
 POL |
 RUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLR |
- | 502 | 407 | 959 |
| LTU |
502 | - | 91 | 227 |
| POL |
407 | 91 | - | 206 |
| RUS |
959 | 227 | 206 | - |
[edit] In Asia[4]
Nakhichevan(Azerbaijani exclave)-Armenia-Turkey-Iran
| Borders(km) |  AZE |
 ARM |
 TUR |
 IRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZE |
- | 221[5] | 9 | 179[5] |
| ARM |
221[5] | - | 268 | 35 |
| TUR |
9 | 268 | - | 499 |
| IRN |
179[5] | 35 | 499 | - |
[edit] In Africa[6]
Burundi-Rwanda-Tanzania-Congo(Kinshasa)[7]
| Borders(km) |  BDI |
 RWA |
 TAN |
 COD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDI |
- | 209 | 451 | 233 |
| RWA |
209 | - | 217 | 217 |
| TAN |
451 | 217 | - | 459 |
| COD |
233 | 217 | 459 | - |
Rwanda-Uganda-Congo(Kinshasa)-Tanzania[7]
| Borders(km) | RWA |
 UGA |
COD |
TAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RWA |
- | 169 | 217 | 217 |
| UGA |
169 | - | 765 | 396 |
| COD |
217 | 765 | - | 459 |
| TAN |
217 | 396 | 459 | - |
Malawi-Mozambique-Zambia-Tanzania
| Borders(km) |  MWI |
 MOZ |
 ZAM |
TAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MWI |
- | 1569 | 837 | 475 |
| MOZ |
1569 | - | 419 | 756 |
| ZAM |
837 | 419 | - | 338 |
| TAN |
475 | 756 | 338 | - |
[edit] Former border sets of at least four countries
The first two sets below include boundaries shared by former colonial empires (specifically territorial claims in South America, Africa, India, Europe, and the East and West Indies), and thus do not reflect geographic enclaves or triclaves.
| Countries | From | To | Terminal Event |
|---|---|---|---|
 FRA[8],  NED[9], .gif/22px-Bandera_de_España(1701-1748).gif){kind=small} ESP[10], .svg/22px-Flag_Portugal_(1707).svg.png){kind=small} POR[11], .svg/22px-Union_flag_1606_(Kings_Colors).svg.png){kind=small} GBR[12] |
1704 | 1713 | Signing of the Treaty of Utrecht on 11 April 1713 |
BEL[13],  POR[14],  GER[15], FRA[16],  GBR[17], NED[18] |
late 1800s | 1914 | Outbreak of World War I |
 AFG,  SUN,  PAK[19], IRN |
1947 | 1991 | Breakup of the Soviet Union |
 UNK[20],  SCG[21],  ALB,  MKD |
1999 | 2006 | Formal dissolution of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro |
[edit] See also
- List of land border lengths
- List of countries that border only one other country
- List of national border changes since World War I
- List of island nations
- List of divided islands
- Landlocked
- Enclave
- List of enclaves and exclaves
- Foreign Enclaves in China
- Island country
- Quadripoint
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bosnia and Herzegovina has 20 km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea while Croatia borders Montenegro only through the non-contiguous southern portion of the Dubrovačko-neretvanska county (technically an exclave, though connected to the rest of Croatia by territorial waters)
- ^ The only land boundary between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France is on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten), where the Netherlands Antilles meets the French Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
- ^ The Russian Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave on the Baltic Sea creates Russian borders with bother Lithuania and Poland. Belarus does not border Kaliningrad, but does share boundaries with mainland Russia, Lithuania, and Poland.
- ^ The 40km border between China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Russia's Altai Republic is all that prevents Mongolia, Kazhakstan, Russia, and the People's Republic of China from forming a four-nation border set.
- ^ a b c d Numbers refer to the Nakhichevan exclave of Azerbaijan; the total lengths of the Azerbaijani-Armenian and Azerbaijani-Iranian borders are 787km and 611km, respectively. Turkey does not border the main portion of Azerbaijan.
- ^ The 2km border between Zambia and Botswana at Africa's "four corners" is all that prevents the group Botswana-Namibia-Zimbabwe-South Africa from satisfying the criteria of four mutually-bordering nations (click here for more information)
- ^ a b The border between Congo-Kinsasha and Tanzania is entirely aquatic; the two nations are separated by Lake Tanganyika
- ^ Between 1704 and 1713, France and her colonies neighbored the Netherlands (on Saint Martin), Spain (in Europe), Portugal (between French Guyana and Portuguese Brazil) and Great Britain (between the Indian settlements of Hughli and Chandernagar).
- ^ Between 1704 and 1713, the Netherlands and her colonies neighbored France (on Saint Martin), Spain (in Europe between Dutch Republic and the Spanish Netherlands), Portugal (between Dutch Suriname and Portuguese Brazil), and Great Britain (between the Indian settlements of Pulicat and Madras.
- ^ Between 1704 and 1713, Spain and her colonies neighbored France (in Europe), the Netherlands (in Europe between Spanish Netherlands and the Dutch Republic), Portugal (in Europe and South America), and Great Britain (with the 1704 British capture of Gibraltar).
- ^ Between 1704 and 1713, Portugal and her colonies neighbored France (between Portuguese Brazil and French Guyana), the Netherlands (between Brazil and Dutch Suriname), Spain (in Europe and South America), and Great Britain (between the Indian settlements of Daman and Diu and Surat).
- ^ Between 1704 and 1713, the Kingdom of Great Britain (and prior to the 1707 Acts of Union, the Kingdom of England) and her colonies neighbored France (between the Indian settlements of Chandernagar and Hughli), the Netherlands (between the Indian settlements of Madras and Pulicat), Spain (with the 1704 British capture of Gibraltar), and Portugal (between the Indian settlements of Daman and Diu and Surat)
- ^ European Belgium bordered France, the Netherlands, and Germany. The Belgian Congo bordered Portuguese Angola and several French and British colonies in Africa.
- ^ European Portugal bordered Spain. In 1914, the African colonies of Mozambique, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau bordered territories held by Germany (Namibia and Tanganyika), Great Britain, France, and Belgium. The colony of Timor Leste bordered the Dutch East Indies.
- ^ Immediately prior to World War I, European Germany bordered the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. African colonies shared boundaries with territories held by Great Britain, Portugal, France, and Belgium
- ^ European France shared borders with Belgium and Germany. Vast French holdings in colonial Africa abutted colonies possessed by Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal. In South America, French Guyana bordered Dutch Suriname.
- ^ British colonies in Africa shared boundaries with territories held by France, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal. In South America, British Guyana bordered Dutch Suriname.
- ^ The European Netherlands shared borders with Germany and Belgium. The Dutch Eastand West India Companies controlled territories that bordered colonies of Portugal (on the island of Timor), Great Britain (Guyana), and France (French Guyana).
- ^ From 15AUG1947 to 16DEC1971, Pakistan included modern-day Bangladesh (known as East Pakistan)
- ^ The United Nations has been administering the region of Kosovo (in southern Serbia) since 1999
- ^ From 27APR1992 to 4FEB2003, the union of Serbia and Montenegro was called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)
[edit] Sources
- CIA World Factbook CIA World Factbook (public domain)
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency (or compare codes)
