The South China Sea is a body of water tucked between China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. The Sea is vitally important to all countries and has recently been the source of significant border tensions stemming from China’s claim to the vast majority of the area.
Kaesong Industrial Zone: An outpost of business within North Korea
Along the heavily militarized border between North Korea and South Korea sits Kaesong Industrial Zone, intended to be a method to increase cooperation between the two countries.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway: Highest rail route in the world
Starting in Xining in Central China, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is one of the most unique rail routes in the world as it traverses mountains along the Tibet Plateau on its way to the city of Lhasa.
Chinese Spy Balloon: Suspicious balloon travels over sensitive US military sites
In early February 2023, the US government reported the presence of a high altitude balloon travelling over US and Canadian airspace. It was quickly found to be a Chinese spy balloon, part of the country’s developing surveillance capabilities.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu: Indian Union Territory enclaves
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are small Union Territories in India that are technically 3 separate districts bunched together. These districts do not border each other but rather are surrounded by larger Indian states like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Kuril Islands: A decades-long Japan-Russia conflict
The Kuril Islands are a set of islands that stretches more than 800 miles from the north of Japan to the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
Hulhumale: A man-made island set to house 240,000+ people
Hulhumale is a partially-completed man-made island which, along with the Male airport, will be one of the largest land reclamation projects in the country.
Diego Garcia: An American military outpost in the middle of the Indian Ocean
Diego Garcia is an isolated island in the middle of the Indian Ocean that is claimed by the UK and home to a US military installation.
Kumano Kodo: An ancient pilgrimage route in Japan
The Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage route dating back more than 1,000 passing various Shinto shines and holy sites.
BTC Pipeline: Moving oil through Azerbaijan, Georgia & Turkey
The BTC pipeline transports oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea through three countries – Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.