In political geography, an enclave is a piece of land belonging to one country (or region etc.) that is totally surrounded by another country (or region). An exclave is a piece of land that is politically attached to a larger piece but not physically contiguous with it (connected to it) because they are completely separated by a surrounding foreign territory or territories. Many entities are both enclaves and exclaves.
Each enclave listed in this section has an administrative level equivalent to that of the one other entity that entirely surrounds it. Each enclave is also a part of a main region; hence, it is an exclave of that region.
| Name[1] [2] | data-sort-type="number" | Area (km2) | Exclave of | Enclaved within | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apipé Islands (4) | ~320 |  Argentina (Corrientes Province – Ituzaingó Department) |  Paraguay (Misiones Department – Ayolas District) | -27.5167°N -107°W | Four adjacent islands (Isla Apipé Grande, Isla Apipé Chico, Isla Los Patos and Isla San Martín) with territorial water borders in the Río Paraná, 39 km east of Isla Entre Rios. Island areas are about 276, 23.8, 11.8 and 3.7 km2, respectively. | |
| Isla Entre Ríos | ~36 | Argentina (Corrientes Province – Berón de Astrada Department) | Paraguay (Ñeembucú Department – Cerrito District) | -27.4167°N -87°W | Uninhabited island with territorial water border in the Río Paraná, 39 km west of Isla Apipé. | |
| 1.84 | Argentina (Buenos Aires Province – La Plata Partido) | -34.1797°N -58.25°W | Territorial water border on the Uruguay side of Río de la Plata. Designated as a nature reserve under the jurisdiction of Argentina in 1973. | |||
| ~40 |  Armenia (Gegharkunik Province) | 40.6333°N 75°W | Controlled by Azerbaijan since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1992. | |||
| Torres Strait Islands (7) | ~2,200 (including water area) |  Australia (Queensland – Shire of Torres and Torres Strait Island Region) | -9.4231°N 142.5361°W | The islands of Anchor Cay, Aubusi Island, Black Rocks, Boigu Island (89.6 km2), Bramble Cay (0.036 km2), Dauan Island (4 km2), Deliverance Island, East Cay, Kaumag Island, Kerr Islet, Moimi Island, Saibai Island (107.9 km2), Turnagain Island (12 km2) and Turu Cay, along with their territorial seas, form seven enclaves within the maritime area of Papua New Guinea under a treaty effective in 1985. The territorial sea of each island does not extend beyond three nautical miles.[3] [4] The mainland of Papua New Guinea is only 6 km from Boigu. | ||
| 7.05 |  Austria (Tyrol state – Reutte District) |  Germany (Bavaria state – Swabia administrative region) | 47.5717°N 37.3°W | Connected at a quadripoint at the summit of the mountain Sorgschrofen (1636 m); accessible only through Germany. Vinokurov (2007) states, "For all purposes, a connection in a single point does not mean anything. It is just like being completely separated. One cannot pass through a single point, nor is it possible to transport goods. It is not even possible to lay a telephone line." | ||
| Barkhudarli | ~10 |  Azerbaijan (Qazakh District) | Armenia (Tavush Province) | 40.9933°N 45.2253°W | Controlled by Armenia since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in May 1992; west-southwest of the town of Qazax. | |
| Yukhari Askipara | ~28 | 41.0661°N 45.0233°W | A destroyed village controlled by Armenia since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in May 1992; west of the town of Qazax. | |||
| 8 | Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Sadarak District) | Armenia (Ararat Province) | 39.7883°N 101°W | Controlled by Armenia since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in May 1992; north of Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan. | ||
| Yaradullu (north and south) | 0.12 and 0.06 | Azerbaijan (Ağstafa District) | Armenia (Tavush Province) | 41.0144°N 45.4367°W | Two farmland enclaves just across the border from the village of Yaradullu (55 m at the closest point). They are 750 m and 1500 m southwest of the municipality of Tatlı on the west bank of the Akhum River; approximately 300x400 m and 300x200 m. The surrounding Armenian territory has been occupied by Azerbaijan since the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in May 1992, so that these two small pockets of land are de facto no longer exclaves. | |
| Dahagram-Angarpota | 25.95 |  Bangladesh (Rangpur Division – Lalmonirhat district) |  India (West Bengal state – Cooch Behar district) | 26.3°N 145°W | Dahagram–Angarpota is a composite enclave of two adjoining chhits. It is separated from the contiguous area of Bangladesh at its closest point by . The enclave has an estimated population of 20,000. After the exchange of enclaves with India under the Land Boundary Agreement on 31 July 2015, Bangladesh retained it as an exclave. The Tin Bigha Corridor, a strip of Indian territory wide running from the enclave to the Bangladesh mainland at its nearest approach, was leased to Bangladesh for 999 years for access to the enclave.[5] [6] | |
| Baarle-Hertog (22 parcels) | 2.3448 |  Belgium (Antwerp province – Baarle-Hertog municipality) |  Netherlands (North Brabant province – Baarle-Nassau municipality) | 51.4369°N 4.9286°W (H1) | A group of 22 Belgian enclaves in the southern Netherlands. Enclaves H1 and H2 are connected at a single point. | |
| 3.9584 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska – Rudo municipality) |  Serbia (Zlatibor District – Priboj municipality) | 43.5583°N 19.425°W | Homeland of Bosnia-Herzegovina is to the north. Sastavci is the name of the neighbouring village in Serbia. | ||
| West Kowloon Port (aka. Mainland Port Area) | 0.11 |  China (Guangdong province – Futian district) |  Hong Kong (Yau Tsim Mong district) | 22.304°N 114.165°W | China's immigration/customs border crossing that is located within Hong Kong; compartments of operating passenger trains on the rail link in Hong Kong are also considered part of Mainland Port Area.[7] It is not contiguous with the rest of China. Effectively ceded to China in 2018 for a token HK$1,000 per year. | |
| 3,577, including water area[8] |  Colombia (San Andrés y Providencia Department) | 14.4003°N -81.1297°W[9] (QS32) | On 19 November 2012, the International Court of Justice upheld Colombia's claim to Quitasueño, plus a 12-NM territorial zone, and re-defined Nicaragua's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), thus surrounding the island bank.[10] It deemed one of the bank's 54 features to be an island at high tide (elevation 70 cm, area 1 m2)[11] and created enclaves as an equitable solution.[12] The area of the bank, excluding the 12-mile zone, is ~290 km2. | |||
| ~2,800, including water area | 14.2869°N -80.3633°W (Southwest Cay) | On 19 November 2012, ICJ upheld Colombia's claim to Serrana, plus a 12-NM territorial zone, and re-defined Nicaragua's EEZ, surrounding the island bank. The land area is ~0.11 km2, and the area of the bank, excluding the 12-mile zone, is ~322 km2.[13] Colombia decried the loss of maritime areas and creation of "'enclaves' around Quitasueño and Serrana that could restrict" access. | ||||
| Brezovica Žumberačka (2) | 0.0183+ |  Croatia (Karlovac County – Ozalj town) |  Slovenia (Metlika municipality) | 45.6894°N 15.3033°W | The first enclave contains four dwellings surrounded by agricultural land near the Slovenian village of Brezovica pri Metliki. It is about 437 m long and 60 m wide covering 1.83 ha. Confirmed by both Croatian and Slovenian cadaster maps, it lies about 100 metres away from the main border at the closest point.[14] [15] [16] [17] A second enclave lies within 300 metres of the first. It was created on 29 June 2017 when the Permanent Court of Arbitration decided that a disputed 2.4 ha parcel is part of Slovenia and that the border follows Slovenian cadastral limits, thus completing the encirclement of the second Croatian enclave.[18] [19] Croatia has stated that it will ignore the arbitration decision.[20] | |
| 1.694 |  Cyprus (Larnaca District) | 34.9925°N 33.7803°W | Small exclave surrounded by Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory in southeastern Cyprus. The degree of sovereignty and legitimacy of the Sovereign Base Areas is disputed by the Republic of Cyprus.[21] [22] | |||
| 0.947 | 35.0175°N 33.7436°W | Small exclave surrounded by Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory. | ||||
| ~0.28 | 34.9844°N 33.7436°W | North of Dhekelia Power Station from which it is separated by a British road; the closest point between the two territories is 21 metres. | ||||
| ~0.161 | 34.9803°N 33.7458°W | Partially borders the coast but enclosed by UK land and waters disputed between Cyprus and the UK; the power station is owned by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC); no permanent population. | ||||
| 1.826 | Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia state – Aachen district – Roetgen municipality) | Belgium (Liège province – Raeren municipality) | 50.66°N 6.19°W | West of Vennbahn trackbed; northernmost German enclave, mainly home to industrial and warehouse structures. | ||
| 9.98 | Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia state – Aachen district – Roetgen and Simmerath municipalities) | Belgium (Liège province) | 50.6367°N 6.2422°W | Western part of, southern part of Roetgen, and intervening forest (Forst Rötgen); west and south of Vennbahn trackbed. From 1922 to 1958, the center portion (between Grenzweg and a boundary with three turning points west of the Schleebach stream) was Belgian territory. Until 1949, the east–west road that connected the two outer (German) portions was also German territory; therefore, the German land formed one oddly-shaped enclave (that also included the road to Konzen). In 1949, it was split into two enclaves when Germany ceded the roads to Belgium;[23] in 1958, Belgium returned the east–west road and also ceded the centre section of the current enclave to Germany. | ||
| 0.016 | Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia state – Aachen district – Monschau town) | Belgium (Liège province – Eupen municipality) | 50.5978°N 6.2481°W | Part of city of Monschau, west of Vennbahn trackbed; smallest German exclave, consisting of a house and a garden. | ||
| 12.117 | Belgium (Liège province) | 50.565°N 6.2181°W | West of Belgium's Vennbahn trackbed. | |||
| 0.937 | 50.5247°N 6.1942°W | Part of city of Monschau, west of Vennbahn trackbed; southernmost Vennbahn enclave after 1949 (when Belgium annexed the enclave). | ||||
| 7.62 | Germany (Baden-Württemberg state – Konstanz district) | 47.7°N 50°W | At its closest, less than from Germany proper (to the east). Part of Swiss customs | |||
| 1.6 |  Italy (Lombardy region – Province of Como) |  Switzerland (Canton Ticino – Lugano District) | 45.9694°N 8.9736°W | Uses the Swiss franc, Former part of Swiss customs (until 2020). Separated by less than 1 km, at the shortest distance, from the rest of Italy by Lake Lugano and mountains, but the terrain requires a 14 km road journey to reach the nearest Italian town, Lanzo d'Intelvi. | ||
| Barak (de facto) | 2.07[24] |  Kyrgyzstan (Kara-Suu District – Osh Region) |  Uzbekistan (Andijan Region) | 40.6667°N 118°W | Kyrgyzstan's 1991 pre-independence border is the de jure international border, but much of it is hotly disputed with its neighbors. In August 1999, the area around Barak was occupied by Uzbekistan, cutting it off from Kyrgyz territory. Uzbek forces dug up and blockaded the road to Ak-Tash[25] while also allegedly seizing large areas of Kyrgyz land that had been loaned in the Soviet era but never returned.[26] They entrenched themselves within much of Kyrgyz border territory and refused to leave.[27] Barak became a de facto enclave only 1.5 km from the shifted main border.[28] Four Uzbek enclaves and Barak are major sticking points in delimitation talks,[29] and disputes have centered on the areas of Barak, Sokh, Gava and Gavasay (stream).[30] (Map) In August 2018 Kyrgyz and Uzbek authorities agreed to a land swap that would eliminate the exclave. The exchange process may take up to two years.[31] | |
| 130.0 (incl a territorial water area) |  Malawi (Northern Region – Likoma District) |  Mozambique (Niassa Province – Lago District) | -12.0667°N 78°W | Lacustrine enclave, including smaller islets, with territorial water border in Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa); only ~5 kilometres from the Mozambique shore; combined land area of Likoma Is. and the smaller Chizumulu Is. is 18 km2. | ||
| Chizumulu Island (incl Lundu Is., Papia Is., Ngkyvo Is.) | 101.4 (incl 2-NM territorial water area) | -12.0167°N 34.6206°W | Lacustrine enclave with territorial water border in Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa); Malawian mainland is 46 km away. | |||
| Baarle-Nassau (8 parcels) | 0.150684 | Netherlands (North Brabant province – Baarle-Nassau municipality) | Belgium (Antwerp province – Baarle-Hertog municipality) | 51.4119°N 4.8711°W (N8) | Seven of the eight Dutch enclaves are counter-enclaves inside two Belgian enclaves (H1 and H8); one is in the main body of Belgium (N8). | |
| (and beach) | ~0.46 |  Nicaragua (Río San Juan Department) |  Costa Rica (Limón Province) | 10.932°N -83.6701°W | On 2 Feb 2018, the ICJ rendered a decision in a border dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica regarding . Nicaragua was left with just the Laguna Los Portillos and its short strip of beach. The court also decided that the sea just outside of the lagoon would be Costa Rican waters. The ICJ concluded that the whole beach is Costa Rican except for the part directly between the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea – now a tiny enclave of Nicaraguan territory separated from the rest of the country.[32] | |
| ~75 |  Oman (Musandam Governorate) | 25.2833°N 73°W | Halfway between the Omani fragment on the Musandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman; surrounds the UAE counter-enclave of Nahwa. | |||
| 4.54 | (Bryansk Oblast – Zlynkovsky District) |  Belarus (Gomel Region – Dobrush Raion) | 52.48°N 31.5642°W | Contains two small villages that have been depopulated since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. | ||
| 12.84 |  Spain (Catalonia autonomous community – Province of Girona/Cerdanya comarca) |  France (Occitania region – Pyrénées-Orientales department) | 42.4667°N 60°W | To the east of Andorra, separated from the rest of Spain by a corridor about 2 km wide containing the French communes of Ur and Bourg-Madame. | ||
| ~96.7 |  Tajikistan (Sughd Province – Isfara District) | Kyrgyzstan (Batken Province – Batken District) | 39.8511°N 70.6333°W | South of the mountain Ak-Tash; population is 95% Tajik and the rest Kyrgyz. | ||
| "Lolazor" | ~0.88 | Kyrgyzstan (Batken Province – Leilek District) | 40.0681°N 69.5447°W | Near the railway station of Stantsiya Kayragach, next to the Kyrgyz–Tajik border; also referred to as "Western Qal'acha" due to proximity to the Tajik town of Qal'acha; apparently there is no named settlement. | ||
| Sarvan (also Sarvaksoi, Sarvaki-bolo) | 8.4 | Tajikistan (Sughd Region – Asht District) | Uzbekistan (Namangan Region – Pop district) | 40.9667°N 70.6156°W | Long, narrow territory located in the Fergana and Isfara valleys region where Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. | |
| ~5.2 |  United Arab Emirates (Sharjah emirate) | Oman (Musandam Governorate) | 25.2667°N 72°W | A counter-enclave surrounded by Madha, reported to consist of around forty houses.[33] | ||
| (5 islands) | ~23 |  Uruguay (Río Negro Department) | Argentina (Entre Ríos Province – Gualeguaychú and Uruguay departments) | -32.9833°N -64°W | Five adjacent islands (Isla Filomena Grande, Isla Filomena Chica, Isla Palma Chica, Isla Bassi, Isla Tres Cruces) with territorial water borders in the Uruguay River. Uninhabited islands that form part of the Esteros de Farrapos National Park. | |
| ~234 | Uzbekistan (Fergana Region – Sokh district) | Kyrgyzstan (Batken Region) | 40.0442°N 71.0942°W | Large enclave with 99% Tajik population, the rest Kyrgyz and almost no ethnic Uzbeks. | ||
| Chon-Qora or Qalacha (the 2 Uzbek villages in the enclave) | ~3 | 40.2436°N 71.0372°W | Tiny enclave lying on the Sokh River, immediately north of Sokh; measures about 3 km long by 1 km wide, with the Uzbek villages of Chon-Qora (or Chongara 40.2508°N 71.0375°W) and Qalacha (40.2361°N 71.0367°W) at either end; the Kyrgyz village of Chong-Kara (or Chon-Kara 40.2603°N 71.0114°W) lies 2 km northwest.[34] [Note: The Kyrgyz Cyrillic alphabet contains three characters not present in the Uzbek alphabet. One of these characters is romanised from Kyrgyz as the digraph ''ng'', which is not present in romanised Uzbek words.][35] | |||
| Jani-Ayil (also Jangy-ayyl or Khalmion) | ~0.8 | Uzbekistan (Fergana Region – Fergana district) | Kyrgyzstan (Batken Region – Kadamjay District) | 40.2025°N 71.6661°W | Tiny enclave north-northwest of the Shakhimardan enclave; within 1 km of the Uzbek main border; the Kyrgyz towns of Jangy-Ayyl (40.1822°N 71.6803°W) and Khalmion (40.2122°N 71.6328°W) lie outside opposite edges of this enclave. | |
| Shakhimardan | ~38.2 | 39.9831°N 71.805°W | Located in a narrow valley in the Alay Mountains where the rivers Ok-su and Kok-su meet to form the Shakhimardan-sai. | |||
| ~180,000 |  Japan | 26.3167°N 187°W | Surrounded by Japan's EEZ; it lies between the territorial zones of Honshu, Shikoku, the Bonin Islands, Okino-tori-shima and Okinawa Island | |||
| ~1,300 | 44.3167°N 190°W | Surrounded by New Zealand's EEZ; it lies between the territorial zones of the Chatham Islands, North Island and the Bounty Islands | ||||
| ~14,000 | 49.5333°N 179°W | Surrounded by New Zealand's EEZ; it lies between the territorial zones of Campbell Island, South Island and the Antipodes Islands | ||||
| ~3,700 | -24.2°N -143.3°W | Surrounded by France's EEZ; it lies between the territorial zones of the Bass Islands, Raivavae, Nukutepipi, and Tematagi |
See also: List of countries that border only one other country. Each enclave listed in this section has a legal status equivalent to the one other entity that entirely surrounds it. None of the enclaves has a separate main region of which it is a part.
Some enclaves are sovereign states, completely surrounded by another one, and therefore not exclaves. Three such sovereign countries exist:
The same logic applies to many of the sub-national enclaves listed immediately following.
| Country | data-sort-type="number" | Area (km2) | Enclaved within | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30,355 | -29.6 28.3 | ||||
| 61.2 | 43.9416666666667 0.00833333333333333 | ||||
| 0.44 | Italy (Metropolitan City of Rome Capital – Rome) | 41.9033333333333 0.453333333333333 |
| Name | Area (km2) | Parent Country | Enclaved within | Coordinates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2358 | -35.5°N 149°W | |||||
| 414.65 | 48.2167°N 40°W | Vienna was the capital of Lower Austria until 1922, when it became a province of its own. Between 1922 and 1986, Lower Austria did not have its own capital, and the province's administration had its seat in Vienna. | ||||
| 47 | 40.75°N 105°W | |||||
| 3.57263 | 40.5083°N 95°W | |||||
| 9 | 41.2°N 57.1°W | |||||
| 29.12 | 39.8217°N 91.3°W | |||||
| 95 | 40.6133°N 55.5°W | |||||
| 161.38 | Flemish Region (Flemish Brabant) | 50.8333°N 26°W | ||||
| 678.46 | 11.5583°N 156.5°W | |||||
| 496 | 50.0667°N 42°W | City serves as Region's capital | ||||
| 8.7 | 55.6817°N 43.5°W | |||||
| 527 | Oromia Region (Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne) | 8.9833°N 85.5°W | ||||
| 334 | Oromia Region (East Hararghe Zone) | 9.2833°N 53°W | ||||
| 891.7 | 52.5°N 13.4°W | |||||
| 525.2 | 47.5°N 19.1°W | City serves as County's capital. | ||||
| 682 | 43.2833°N 132°W | |||||
| Astana | 710.2 | 51.1883°N 97.2°W | ||||
| 57 | 45.8667°N 83°W | |||||
| 127 | 42.8833°N 110°W | |||||
| 72.48 | 55.89°N 58.9°W | City serves as Municipality's capital | ||||
| 60.56 | 56.6483°N 23.7139°W | City serves as Municipality's capital | ||||
| 17.48 | 56.51°N 47.5°W | City serves as Municipality's capital | ||||
| 243 | 3.1433°N 142°W | |||||
| 49 | Selangor (Sepang District) | 2.93°N 142.5°W | ||||
| 245 | Koulikoro Region (Kati Cercle) | 12.6167°N 66°W | ||||
| 3275 | 49.3667°N 124°W | |||||
| 239.3 | 13.52°N 8.5°W | |||||
| 271.8 | 25.0833°N 154°W | |||||
| 228 | 44.4333°N 32°W | |||||
| 7600 | 44.6°N 40°W | |||||
| 501.24 | 35.15°N 176°W | |||||
| 1599 | 33.5°N 58°W | |||||
| 124.6 | 38.56°N 113.9°W | City serves as Region's capital | ||||
| 12 | 10.6317°N 77.6°W | |||||
| 839 | 50.4333°N 62°W | City serves as Oblast's capital | ||||
| 126 | 15.4167°N 58°W | City of Sana'a serves as capital of both Governorates |
See main article: List of cities surrounded by another city.
An exclave must always be grouped with a main region of which it is a legal part. In the case of international waters, the main region consists of all international waters not in EEZs. All potential paths of travel from the exclave to its main region must cross one or more different administrative-territorial regions having the equivalent legal level. Each exclave listed in this section borders on more than one other region.
| Name | data-sort-type="number" | Area (km2) | Exclave of | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 | 39.3333°N 75°W | Bounded by Armenia, Iran, and Turkey | |||
| Strovilia (de facto) | 35.095°N 33.9°W | Borders the British Sovereign Base Area (SBA) of Dhekelia and the de facto independent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is unrecognised internationally. The TRNC has occupied and controlled the exclave; on 30 June 2000 the TRNC unilaterally absorbed it, despite United Nations condemnation and lack of recognition. | |||
| Gulf of Fonseca outer tridominium | ~190 | 13.0833°N -133°W | Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua border the Gulf of Fonseca, a closed sea under international law. Each enjoys a 3-nautical mile littoral zone of sovereignty along its shores and islands in the gulf. The remaining water area in the gulf comprises a tridominium that is shared in common among all three nations. The littoral zones (territorial waters) abut each other in a way that forms two separate areas of tridominium waters in the gulf. The outer area opens directly to the Pacific Ocean and is separated from the inner area by the territorial waters of Salvadoran and Nicaraguan islets. The inner area is bordered by the waters of all three countries. The larger outer area is bordered only by the waters of El Salvador and Nicaragua and the closing line of the gulf, such that one cannot travel within the gulf from Honduras to the outer area except by passing through El Salvadoran and Nicaraguan waters. Therefore, the outer water area is an exclave of Honduras that is shared territorially with two other countries.[80] [81] [82] All three nations are "entitled outside the closing line to territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. Whether this situation should remain in being or be replaced by a division and delimitation into three separate zones is, as inside the Gulf also, a matter for the three States to decide." | ||
| Gaza Strip (de jure) | 360 | 31.4167°N 54°W | Bounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, where the territorial sea and contiguous zone of Palestine are surrounded by those of Israel (the waters of Palestine and Egypt are separated by an Israeli corridor). | ||
| ~190,000 | 57.1°N -183°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Russia and the United States (Alaska).[83] | |||
| ~310,000 | 71.6333°N 43°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Norway (including Svalbard), Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Jan Mayen (Norway) and Iceland | |||
| ~20,000 | 25.6833°N -88°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Mexico (EEZ defined by Cape Catoche and Scorpion Reef in the Gulf of Mexico), the United States (EEZ defined by Loggerhead Key and the Gulf coast) and Cuba (EEZ extends northwest from Cayo Ines de Soto) | |||
| -12.5167°N 99°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Mauritius (Agalega Islands), Tromelin Island (France), Madagascar and Seychelles (Farquhar Atoll) | ||||
| 16.0667°N 130°W | In the South China Sea, the EEZs that are defined by Taiwan (Pratas Reef), the Philippines (Luzon Island and Cabra I.), the Spratly Islands of Dao Dinh Ba and Flat Island, and the Paracel Island of Dao Hoang Sa enclose an exclave. National sovereignty over many of the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea is disputed. Hence, depending upon the claims involved, this exclave may be considered as being created by the EEZs of Taiwan and the Philippines, or by the EEZs of Taiwan, the Philippines and Viet Nam, or by the EEZs of Taiwan and mainland China, or by the EEZ of mainland China alone. | ||||
| ~100,000 | -14.1167°N -193°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of French Polynesia, Cook Islands and Kiribati | |||
| ~77,000 | -15.2667°N 173°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Fiji | |||
| ~380,000 | 2.7167°N 195°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Palau, Micronesia, Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea | |||
| ~1,400,000 | 15.4333°N 133°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Japan (outer islands, including Okino-tori-shima), Palau, the Philippines, Northern Marianas Islands and Micronesia | |||
| ~800,000 | -5°N 176°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Nauru, Tuvalu, Micronesia, Northern Marianas Islands, Papua-New Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands | |||
| 17,467 | 25.65°N -138°W | Surrounded by the EEZs of Mexico (EEZ defined by Scorpion Reef and Cayo Arenas in the Gulf of Mexico) and the United States (EEZ defined by the Gulf of Mexico coast, including Wolf Island (south of Freeport, Texas, and Raccoon Island, Louisiana)) – This exclave no longer exists per se. In areas with natural resource deposits on the continental shelf, the UNCLOS allows nations to claim territory beyond the EEZ to a maximum of 350 NM. On 9 June 2000, the U.S. and Mexico divided the Western Gap by a line equidistant from both countries' coastlines. The new boundary divided the Western Gap, giving 38% of the area (6562 km2) to the U.S. and 62% to Mexico (10,905 km2).[84] |
Semi-enclaves and semi-exclaves are areas that, except for possessing an unsurrounded sea border, would otherwise be enclaves or exclaves.[90] [91] Semi-enclaves can exist as independent states that border only one other state. Vinokurov (2007) declares, "Technically, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada also border only one foreign state, but they are not enclosed in the geographical, political, or economic sense. They have vast access to international waters. At the same time, there are states that, although in possession of sea access, are still enclosed by the territories of a foreign state."[90] (At the time of publication, Canada and Denmark did not share a border.) Therefore, Vinokurov applies a quantitative principle: the land boundary must be longer than the coastline. Thus he classifies a state as a sovereign semi-enclave if it borders on just one state, and its land boundary is longer than its sea coastline.[90] Vinokurov affirms that "no similar quantitative criterion is needed to define the scope of non-sovereign semi-enclaves/exclaves."[90] [92]
Malaysia and the South China Sea
Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean France and the Mediterranean SeaA pene-exclave is a part of the territory of one country that can be approached conveniently — in particular by wheeled traffic — only through the territory of another country.[95] Such areas are enclaves or exclaves for practical purposes, without meeting the strict definition; hence they are also called functional enclaves or practical enclaves.[90] Many pene-exclaves partially border their own territorial waters (i.e., they are not surrounded by other nations' territorial waters). A pene-enclave can also exist entirely on land, such as when intervening mountains render a territory inaccessible from other parts of a country except through alien territory. Thus, a pene-exclave has land borders with other territory but is not completely surrounded by the other's land or territorial waters. They can exhibit continuity of state territory across territorial waters but, nevertheless, a discontinuity on land, such as in the case of Point Roberts.[90] Along rivers that change course, pene-enclaves can be observed as complexes comprising many small pene-enclaves.[90] Attribution of a pene-enclave status to a territory can sometimes be disputed, depending on whether the territory is considered to be practically inaccessible from the mainland or not.[90]
See main article: List of divided islands.
| Name | data-sort-type="number" | Area (km2) | Exclave of | Enclaved within | Coordinates | Notes | Existed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indo-Bangladesh enclaves (91 parcels) | 21.8 | Bangladesh (Rangpur Division – Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram districts) | India (West Bengal state – Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts) | approx. 26.3°N 145°W | All parcels were both enclaves and exclaves. 21 of the 91 former Bangladeshi exclaves were counter-enclaves. These 91 Bangladeshi enclaves were extinguished on 31 July 2015, when the long-delayed Land Boundary Agreement with India was implemented, leaving Dahagram-Angarpota as the only extant enclave.[134] | 1949 – 2015 | |
| Indo-Bangladesh enclaves (106 parcels) | 69.5 | India (West Bengal state – Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts) | Bangladesh (Rangpur Division – Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram districts) | 26.15°N 88.7622°W (former third-order enclave) | All parcels were both enclaves and exclaves. Three of the 106 former Indian exclaves were counter-enclaves and one was the world's only counter-counter enclave. All of the 106 Indian exclaves were extinguished on 31 July 2015, when the long-delayed Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh was implemented. | 1949 –2015 | |
| Peanut Hole, High Seas[135] | ~46,000 | 53.3°N 149.6°W | Was previously surrounded by Russia's EEZ in the Sea of Okhotsk between 1991 and 2014; lying between the territorial zones of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island. In March 2014, the area became a part of Russia's exclusive economic zone and was no longer a part of international waters.[136] (Note: EEZs are not areas of sovereignty, but rather of sovereign rights and functional jurisdiction.) | 1991 –2014 | |||
| Tarchen, Cherkip Gompa, Dho, Dungmar, Gesur, Gezon, Itse Gompa, Khochar, Nyanri, Ringung, Sanmar and Zuthulphuk[137] [138] |  Bhutan | Tibet | 1640s –1959 | ||||
See also: List of former foreign enclaves in China.
Between 1963 and 2002, the N274 road between Roermond and Heerlen, which was part of sovereign Dutch territory, passed through the German Selfkant, which had been annexed by the Netherlands in 1949. Selfkant, except for the road, was returned to Germany in 1963. Until the road was also returned to Germany in 2002, the western portion of Selfkant was an exclave of Germany.
Sometimes land is ceded temporarily to another country as a form of legal fiction.
Ethiopia
