Hi, it’s Katrina!
From switching custody every 6 months, to having a line drawn right through your town,
here are 8 of the world’s most bizarre international borders.
8.
The Northwest Angle
The northernmost part of the contiguous United States is a 123-square-mile piece of land
that’s located at the northwestern corner of Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods.
It’s known as the Northwest Angle and can only be accessed by boat or by first crossing
through Canada.
Much of it is owned by the Red Lake Nation of the Chippewa Tribe.
This bizarre arrangement is mainly the result of the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
In recognizing American independence, Great Britain agreed upon a US-Canada boundary from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River that was complicated due to the errors of
a map maker named John Mitchell, who mistakenly portrayed Lake of the Woods as intersecting
with the Mississippi River.
Whoops!!
As you’ve guessed by now, British explorer David Thompson proved in 1798 that the Mississippi
River’s northernmost point did not intersect with Lake of the Woods.
American and British diplomats attempted to renegotiate the boundary in 1807 by suggesting
the 49th parallel as the established defining point of the northern boundary westward of
the Mississippi.
However, the Americans refused to alter anything that would change the treaty under which they
gained their independence.
So everything got kind of confusing.
In the 1870’s, the borderline concerning the Northwest Angle was re-surveyed, and both
Great Britain and Canada offered to purchase the territory from the US.
Despite the small piece of land holding little value, the Americans steadfastly refused to
sell.
During the 1990’s, threats of secession were made due to fishing regulations, but
an agreement was eventually worked out.
Earlier this year, a petition was started by an anonymous proponent of the Northwest
Angle being handed over to Canada.
Residents of the Northwest Angle, known as Angleites, have taken the proposed redefining
of boundaries with a grain of salt.
While they’re grateful for their American roots, the Angleites are on “nothing but
friendly terms” with their Canadian neighbors.
When passing from Canada into the Northwest Angle, or vice versa, you have to make a video
phone call to the appropriate country’s customs agents via a telephone at a Northwest
Angle convenience store called Jim’s Corner.
Have any of you been there?
Let me know in the comments below!!
7.
The Diomede Islands
The Diomede islands are a pair of rocky islands situated in the middle of the Bering Strait,
between Alaska and Siberia.
The Big Diomede island belongs to Russia, while the smaller one belongs to the United
States.
Despite being only 2.5 miles (4 km) apart from one another, the islands straddle the
International Date Line, which marks the border between Russia and the United States.
The islands therefore lie within two time zones with a vast time difference.
As a result of this boundary, Big Diomede is 23 hours ahead of Little Diomede.
Due to this difference, Big Diomede has earned the nickname the Tomorrow Island, while Little
Diomede is known as the Yesterday Isle.
Catchy right??
Yupik Inuit originally inhabited the islands around 3,000 years ago.
Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnyov was the first European explorer to reach the islands in
1648.
The islands were rediscovered 80 years later by Danish navigator Vitus Bering.
In 1867, the US purchased Alaska from Russia, including Little Diomede.
Thereafter, Big Diomede became a Russian military base, while Little Diomede was developed into
a small community of around 75 people, which contained a school and a church.
During World War II, the inhabitants of Big Diomede were driven from the island.
Meanwhile, Little Diomede residents who strayed too close to the border were taken prisoner
by the Russians.
Today, both islands are home to separate indigenous populations, each numbering in the hundreds.
Despite being so close, they have different national affiliations and time zones.
6.
Baarle -Hertog/Baarle-Nassau
One of the world’s most elaborate international borders is that which zig-zags along the Belgian
town of Baarle-Hertog and the Dutch town of Baarle-Nassau.
The two countries agreed to install a series of white crosses throughout town, marked with
either a “B” or an “NL” to identify what country a given area belonged to.
This delineation of boundaries is so precise, the line runs through homes, storefronts,
lawns, shops, and even a cafe.
At one point, restaurants that were split by the boundary simply shifted table service
from the Dutch side to the Belgian side when Dutch law required the establishments to close
early.
When it comes to voting in elections, a citizen’s jurisdiction is determined by the location
of their front door.
This confusion dates back to the Middle Ages, when the land was split up between the Duke
of Brabant, who took ownership of Baarle-Hertog, while the medieval house of Nassau claimed
Baarle-Nassau.
In 1831, Belgium declared its independence from the Netherlands, and the confusing boundary
went without official determination until 1995.
To this day, the properties look mostly the same, resembling a typical red-brick Dutch
town, and around three-quarters of the region’s 9,000 residents are Dutch passport holders.
Aside from being differentiated by the crosses that dot the town, there are some other differences
between the Dutch and Belgian properties, including the more architecturally diverse
aspects of the Belgian plots.
Many of today’s residents have dual citizenship, and their peaceful coexistence serves as an
example of how two different communities can live harmoniously alongside one another.
The area is also a hotbed for tourism and the boundary is beneficial for the local economy,
even though the dichotomy continues to present hurdles when it comes to things like building
permits.
Day to day life can be a tad complicated!
What do you think about this boundary?
Does it makes sense to have a line like this drawn through the middle of a town?
Let me know in the comments below!
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We’d love to have you!
5.
Wagah-Attari Border Ceremony
At first glance, there’s nothing unique about the Wagah border between Pakistan and
India.
Since 1959, however, this border has been the site of a daily flag-lowering ritual carried
out jointly by the Border Security Force of India and the Pakistan Rangers.
Every evening, two hours before sunset, the respective agencies engage in a simultaneous
dance-like drill.
The ceremony serves as a paradoxical representation of the countries’ rivalries, as well as
brotherhood and cooperation.
The nightly ceremony occurs at the Wagah border, which is part of the Grand Trunk Road.
Until the 1999 opening of the Aman Setu in Kashmir, it was the only road link between
the countries of India and Pakistan.
A blustering parade from both sides marks the beginning of the ceremony, which is ended
by a perfectly-coordinated lowering of the two nations’ flags.
This daily regal event draws many tourists, and has now become a time honored tradition.
4.
Khunjerab Pass
At an elevation of 15,397 feet (4,693 meters), the Khunjerab Pass, which marks the Pakistani
and Chinese border, is the world’s highest paved international crossing.
It’s also the highest point along the 807.8-mile-long (1,300 km) Karakoram Highway, which spans
from the Punjab province of Pakistan into China, eventually becoming China National
Highway 314.
AND it’s one of the most dangerous roads in the world!!
Along with being located at a high altitude, the roadway, which was completed in 1982,
presents the hazard of rough terrain: on the Pakistani side, the road is gravel, and on
the Chinese side, it’s made of “bad asphalt.”
The pass is closed to all vehicles except large trucks between December and April due
to the possibility of mudslides.
During the winter season, the pass is often snow-covered, and is therefore generally closed
to all vehicles from November 30 to May 1.
Things like potholes, flash floods, intermittent road construction, and police checkpoints
may also slow one’s journey.
The road may be impassable when wet, especially during and after a storm, even when a vehicle
is engaged in four wheel drive.
Drivers are advised against taking cars down the Khunjerab Pass, and it is suggested that
they remain in four wheel drive along the way.
In addition to being the world’s highest international paved crossing, the Khunjerab
Pass also boasts the world’s highest-elevation ATM, which is located on the Pakistani side
of the pass, courtesy of the National Bank of Pakistan and 1Link.
3.
DERBY LINE
Much like the Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau border I told you about earlier, the Derby
Line, which separates Vermont from Canada, runs straight through an ordinary town, and
even through some people’s homes.
It also runs through the town’s main street and library.
For years, residents on “both sides” have thought nothing of the quirky boundary.
Nobody knows for sure why the border is so disorganized.
Some say that it’s because the surveyors were drunk; others contend that it was merely
a mistake.
Either way, residents along the Derby Line have lived harmoniously since the early 1700’s.
Scott Wheeler, a local hobbyist historian, explained in a 2016 interview with Janet Weinstein
of ABC News that things are so peaceful, the countries are separated by flower pots, rather
than a military-enforced border wall.
Actually, the downtown area is home to a physical line of potted plants that represent the international
boundary.
Not surprisingly, love occasionally blossoms along the Derby Line between residents of
different countries.
When an American resident named Bryan Marovich fell head-over-heels for a lounge singer named
Tanya Mueller, having her over to his apartment was no big deal: it was located right along
the Derby Line, and even had both an American and a Canadian address.
While security has increased along the Derby Line, no physical wall has been built between
them.
2.
Pheasant Island
Pheasant Island is a small island situated in the Bidasoa River between northern Spain
and southern France.
It’s just a fraction of a square kilometer in size, yet since 1659, ownership of this
tiny island has passed between Spain and France more than 700 times.
There’s nothing exciting about Pheasant Island - nobody lives there and it isn’t
a tourist destination - in fact, neither country allows people to visit, despite the island
once being a popular location for the handing off of brides and grooms during royal marriages
between France and Spain.
However, Pheasant Island marks an important historical site, where the French and the
Spanish negotiated an end to their lengthy war.
One part of the agreement was that sovereignty of the island, which was considered neutral
territory, was to be furthermore shared between the two countries.
Since then, the island has been under Spanish rule between February 1 and July 1, and under
French rule during the remainder of each ear.
What do you think about this solution?
You rule this part of the year, I’ll rule the other part!
Great!
To this day, Pheasant Island isn’t used for much, and has been eroded to nearly half
its original size, due to snow rushing down into the river from the Pyrenees.
Yet, the tradition of shared sovereignty between France and Spain remains strong, and the island
continues to be routinely handed over every six months.
1.
Korea’s Demilitarized Zone
The border between North and South Korea is known as the DMZ, or the Demilitarized Zone.
This 2.5-mile-wide, 160-mile-long zone marks the cease-fire line that halted the brutal
Korean War in 1953 via the Korean War Armistice Agreement.
It is heavily fortified on both sides, both of whom are ever-prepared to go into battle
if necessary.
The Demilitarized Zone is known as the most tense place on the planet.
Some 60 years after the cease-fire that put a halt to the Korean War, North and South
Korea are still technically at war.
Armed guards stand just feet from the border, and in the years since the cease-fire, violence
has occasionally erupted along the Demilitarized Zone.
Depending on which side of the DMZ you find yourself on, there are starkly contrasting
narratives of the war.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the DMZ is a hotspot for tourism, attracting
some 1.2 million visitors annually.
The most visited part of the DMZ is the Joint Security Area, also known as the Panmunjom
truce area, which is identifiable by the Military Armistice Commission Conference Room, a bright
blue building that straddles the Military Demarcation Line.
This area is surprisingly quiet, and has been described by past visitors as “haunting”
and “unsettling.”
Bill Clinton, who visited in 1993, referred to it as the “scariest place on Earth.”
Thanks for watching!
What did you think of these borders?
Let me know in the comments below!
Don’t forget to subscribe, and I’ll see you next time!