Cross-border town naming
Cross-border town naming occurs where towns or villages with the same or equivalent names are divided between two different countries. This does not necessarily imply that those towns or villages are located in geographic proximity, or that they are located near a current border (for that, see Divided cities). Reasons for this taking place may include the following :
- The town or village existed before the border, or even before the modern concept of a border. The border was added later (not always due to war), and divided a community.
- A community on one side of a border grows up to service the border, and takes the name of the adjacent community on the other side of the border.
- Communities grow up on both sides of the border, to service the border, and take the name of the border crossing.
Most of these places are located in Europe, while there are also some examples in North America and Asia. In Europe, until at the first half of the 20th century, and again in the post-Schengen 21st century, such divisions could be mostly ignored by the inhabitants.
Examples
Note that this list includes only places with similar names that are in someway connected (by history, geography or otherwise) across modern-day international borders. Towns that have the same name but bear no relationship to each other are also very common, but not particularly notable.
European Union
Denmark/Germany
- Pebermark / Neupepersmark
- Rosenkrans / Rosenkranz
Denmark/Sweden
Netherlands/Germany
Netherlands/Belgium
Belgium/Germany
Luxembourg/Germany
Belgium/France
Luxembourg/France
France/Germany
France/Switzerland
France/United Kingdom
Germany/Switzerland
Germany/Austria
- Vorderriß / Hinterriß
- Bayrisch Gmain / Großgmain
Germany/Poland
(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.
Germany/Czech Republic
(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.
Czech Republic/Poland
(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.
Czech Republic/Austria
- Český Heršlák / Deutsch Hörschlag
Austria/Slovenia
Italy/France
Italy/Slovenia
Italy/Switzerland
Hungary/Slovakia
Hungary/Romania
Sweden/Finland
Estonia/Latvia
Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina/Serbia
Bosnia-Herzegovina/Montenegro
- Donja Vrbica / Gornja Vrbica
Serbia/Romania
Romania/Ukraine
Romania/Moldova
North America
Canada/United States
- Beebe Plain, Quebec/Beebe Plain, Vermont
- Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec/Champlain, New York
- Philipsburg, Quebec/Highgate Springs, Vermont
- Niagara Falls, Ontario / Niagara Falls, New York
- Sarnia, Ontario /Port Huron, Michigan
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
- North Portal, Saskatchewan / Portal, North Dakota
- Madawaska County, New Brunswick/Madawaska, Maine
United States/Mexico
- Calexico, California / Mexicali, Baja California
- Tecate, California / Tecate, Baja California
- Naco, Arizona / Naco, Sonora
- Nogales, Arizona / Nogales, Sonora
- San Luis, Arizona / San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- Boquillas, Texas / Boquillas del Carmen, Coahuila
- El Paso, Texas / Ciudad Juárez (formerly El Paso del Norte), Chihuahua
- Laredo, Texas / Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
- Progreso, Texas / Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas
South America
Argentina/Chile
Brazil/Uruguay
Africa
Ethiopia/Kenya
Central African Republic /Democratic Republic of the Congo
Gabon/Equatorial Guinea
Republic of the Congo/Democratic Republic of the Congo
Angola/Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malawi/Mozambique
Zambia/Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe/Mozambique
Asia
Azerbaijan/Iran
Georgia/Turkey
Tajikistan/Afghanistan
Hong Kong/China
See also