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.
Montserrat: A small island split in half by a volcano
Monserrat is a small island owned by the UK that experienced a significant volcanic eruption in 1995 rendering half the island unlivable.
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.
Dixon Entrance: An ongoing US/Canada maritime border dispute
The Dixon Entrance is a small strait of water in the Pacific Ocean along the border of the US and Canada and the source of an ongoing border dispute.
The 51st State: Can Washington DC be the next official US state?
Washington DC is the seat of the US Government and has a population of more than 600,000 though its residents do not get a voice in Congress – there have recently been calls to create a 51st State.
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.
St Pierre and Miquelon: French islands 12 miles from Canada
Off the coast of the Canadian Province of Newfoundland on the far eastern part of the country lies St Pierre and Miquelon, an island duo that technically belongs to France and sits 12 miles off the coast of Canada.
Chile & Argentina Border: Undefined due to decades-long dispute
The Chile-Argentina border is 3,300 miles long, though there is a 40-mile stretch that is still disputed between the countries to this day.
Kinmen & Lienchiang: Taiwanese islands just miles from China
There are two small island chains (administered by the ROC as “counties”) that are located within 10 miles or less from mainland China called Kinmen & Lienchiang counties.
Nahwa & Madha Enclaves: A country in a country in a country
We are in the northern regions of both the UAE and Oman and charting a very peculiar border phenomenon – enclaves