15 International Borders You Won't Find on Most Maps

In Eurode (Kerkrade-Herzogenrath), the border runs down the middle of a street called Nieuwstraat/Neustraße. The town functions as one community despite being in two countries, with a shared central square. Buildings on opposite sides of the street are in different nations but share the same postal service.

This is Europe's only truly integrated bi-national city, where the border is virtually invisible in daily life.

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In the town of Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog, the Dutch-Belgian border runs right through buildings, including a café where you can sit in two countries at once. The border is marked by crosses on the ground, and some houses are split between nations, with different tax laws applying to different rooms. This complex border resulted from medieval land swaps and feudal agreements dating back to the 12th century.

Some residents' front doors are split between two countries, requiring them to choose their official residence based on where their front door is located.

The world's longest uninterrupted peace park, Morokulien, straddles the Norway-Sweden border. This neutral zone celebrates over 200 years of peace between the nations since 1814. The park features a unique 'Peace Monument' that stands exactly on the border, with one foot in each country. It's one of the few places where you can legally be in two Nordic countries simultaneously.

This border represents the longest-standing peace between any two nations in modern history.

The town of Olivenza, currently administered by Spain but claimed by Portugal, represents one of Europe's few remaining territorial disputes. While the nearby Guadiana River serves as a natural border between parts of Spain and Portugal, Olivenza itself is situated east of the river.

The sovereignty dispute remains unresolved, as the International Court of Justice has not issued a definitive ruling on the matter.

Until 2015, India and Bangladesh shared the world's most complex border system, with 162 enclaves—pieces of one country completely surrounded by the other. Some enclaves even contained counter-enclaves (enclaves within enclaves). The situation was finally resolved through a historic land swap agreement, ending centuries of confusion for thousands of residents.

One famous enclave was a piece of India, inside Bangladesh, inside India, inside Bangladesh.

At a single point on the Zambezi River, four countries nearly meet: Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia. They miss forming a perfect quadripoint by just a few hundred meters. This area, near Victoria Falls, is the only place in Africa where tourists can easily view four countries from one spot.

This almost-quadripoint is one of the few places where four countries come within meters of meeting.

The Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet, is marked by three obelisks in different colors representing each country. Located at the confluence of the Iguazu and Paraná rivers, visitors can view all three countries simultaneously from specially built viewing platforms.

This is one of the few international tripoints where tourists can easily visit all three countries in one day.

The border between China and Nepal runs directly through the summit of Mount Everest, making it the highest international border in the world at 29,032 feet (8,849 meters). Climbers can stand in two countries at once at the peak, though they must choose which country to obtain their climbing permits from.

This is the highest international border on Earth, literally dividing the top of the world.

The border between Morocco and Spain's Ceuta enclave is the only land border between Africa and Europe. It is marked by a double fence system with advanced surveillance technology and is one of the most heavily monitored borders in the world.

This is the only place where Africa and Europe share a land border.

At the tripoint of Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary lies a unique picnic table where visitors can eat lunch in three countries simultaneously. The spot is marked by a triangular monument and has become a popular tourist destination since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

This is the only place where you can eat lunch in three EU countries at once.

The UAE-Oman border zigzags through the Hajar Mountains, creating a dramatic border crossing. In some places, the border follows ancient tribal boundaries, and some communities straddle both nations, reflecting historical tribal territories. These border communities have existed for centuries before the modern countries were formed.

The border between Switzerland and Italy has experienced shifts due to melting glaciers in the Alps, particularly near the Matterhorn, as climate change affects the natural watershed boundaries. The border in this region follows the watershed divide, making it one of the few international boundaries that can change naturally due to environmental factors.

The Norway-Russia border is one of the few places where NATO directly meets Russia. It features a unique 'no man's land' where crossing on foot is strictly forbidden. The border is marked by yellow posts on the Norwegian side and striped posts on the Russian side, with no physical fence between them.

This is one of the few borders where it's illegal to cross on foot, even at official crossing points.

The border between Zambia and Zimbabwe runs through the middle of Victoria Falls, creating one of the world's most spectacular natural borders. Visitors can view the falls from either country, and a 'uni-visa' allows tourists to move freely between both nations in the falls area.

This is the only major waterfall in the world that forms an international border.

The border between Denmark and Germany does not run across a beach on the island of Sylt. The island of Sylt is entirely in Germany. There is no border on the beach marked by posts. Beachgoers cannot cross between countries on Sylt, and the border does not shift with sand movement. During low tide, there is no sandbar that allows crossing between countries on Sylt.

This is one of the few international borders where natural tides can temporarily erase the boundary line.

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