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@2070 Disputes - international
Afghanistan
thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran and
Pakistan; isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in
Pakistan make cross-border activities difficult to control;
prolonged regional drought strains water-sharing arrangements for
Amu Darya and Helmand River states
Albania
the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the
rights of ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region
of Serbia and Montenegro, and in the northern Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, while continuing to seek regional
cooperation; some outside ethnic Albanian groups voice union with
Albania
Algeria
Libya claims about 32,000 sq km in a dormant dispute still
reflected on its maps in southeastern Algeria; armed bandits based
in Mali attack southern Algerian towns; border with Morocco remains
closed over mutual claims of harboring militants, arms smuggling;
Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects
Moroccan administration of Western Sahara
American Samoa
none
Andorra
none; border is undemarcated in sections but is not in
dispute (a few French farmers still remain upset about the transfer
of 35 hectares of land to Andorra)
Angola
gives shelter to thousands of refugees from the Democratic
Republic of the Congo while thousands of Angolan refugees still
remain in neighboring states as a consequence of the protracted
civil wars in both states
Anguilla
none
Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty
Summary in Government type entry); sections (some overlapping)
claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK;
the US and most other states do not recognize the territorial claims
of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and
Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims have been made in the
sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; several states
with land claims in Antarctica have expressed their intention to
submit data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf to extend their continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea
ridges
Antigua and Barbuda
none
Arctic Ocean
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Argentina
claims UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its
constitution, but in 1995 ceded the right to settle the dispute by
force; Beagle Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal
mediation in 1984, but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil
discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and
Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at
convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money
laundering, smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and harbors
Islamist militants; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay
over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim leaves the tripoint
with Argentina in question
Armenia
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in
Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies 16% of Azerbaijan -
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues
to mediate dispute; border with Turkey remains closed over
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; traditional demands regarding former
Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided; ethnic Armenian groups in
Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with
Armenia
Aruba
none
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
nationalist group in Indonesia
reportedly seeks to populate reefs to assert claims; Australia has
moved to close reefs to Indonesian traditional fishing and to create
a national park while prospecting for hydrocarbons in the vicinity
Atlantic Ocean
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Australia
maritime delimitation and resource sharing agreements
signed with East Timor resolve dispute over "Timor Gap" hydrocarbon
reserves; no agreement reached on dividing Timor Sea with Indonesia
(see Ashmore and Cartier Islands disputes); Australia asserts a
territorial claim to Antarctica and to its continental shelf (see
Antarctica)
Austria
minor disputes with Czech Republic and Slovenia continue
over nuclear power plants and post-World War II treatment of
German-speaking minorities
Azerbaijan
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in
Nagorno-Karabakh and militarily occupies about one-sixth of
Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and
Russia ratify Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on
equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth
allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in
disputed waters; ICJ decision expected to resolve dispute with
Turkmenistan over sovereignty of certain Caspian oilfields
Bahamas, The
have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary with
the US
Bahrain
none
Baker Island
none
Bangladesh
discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small
section of river boundary, demarcate and fence the porous land
boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves, allocate divided
villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade and violence;
Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic
sections of the porous boundary; dispute with India over New
Moore/South Talpatty Island in the Bay of Bengal prevents maritime
boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's
meager resources
Barbados
none
Bassas da India
claimed by Madagascar
Belarus
1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over
unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging
illegal border crossing; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain
undemarcated despite European Union financial support
Belgium
none
Belize
Guatemala has claimed half of southern Belize; Guatemalan
squatters continue to settle along the border despite a 2000
agreement; OAS brokered a Differendum in 2002 that created a small
adjustment to land boundary, a large Guatemalan maritime corridor in
the Caribbean, a joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays,
and a substantial US-UK financial package, but agreement was not
brought to a popular referendum
Benin
two villages are in dispute along the border with Burkina
Faso; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria,
remains undemarcated, but states accept 2001 arbitration over
disputed Niger River islands; several villages along the Okpara
River are in dispute with Nigeria; in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved
the boundary stones - joint commission presently resurveying the
boundary
Bermuda
none
Bhutan
approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, 90%
of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for
Refugees camps, place decades-long strains on Nepal
Bolivia
continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the Atacama
corridor ceded to Chile in 1884; Chile demands water rights to
Bolivia's Rio Lauca and Silala Spring
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and
Montenegro have delimited about half of their boundary, but sections
along the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with
Croatia on problem sections of the Una River and villages at the
base of Mount Pljesevica
Botswana
established a commission with Namibia to resolve small
residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu
marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents
protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric
dam on Popa Falls; dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge
Bouvet Island
none
Brazil
unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay
borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug
trafficking, and harbors Islamist militants; uncontested dispute
with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and
Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina
British Indian Ocean Territory
Mauritius and Seychelles claim the
Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in
Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to
repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by
the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the
chain
British Virgin Islands
none
Brunei
Involved in dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; Brunei established an
exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern
Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the
offshore reefs; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to
ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of
conduct"
Bulgaria
joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with
Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920
Burkina Faso
two villages are in dispute along the border with
Benin; Burkina Faso border regions have become a staging area for
Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught
in regional fighting; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso of
supporting Ivorian rebels
Burma
despite continuing border committee talks, significant
differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the
handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border
activities
Burundi
Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the
boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
Uganda to gain control over populated and natural resource areas;
government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence
continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts
Cambodia
completed boundary demarcation with Thailand; accuses
Vietnam of moving and destroying boundary markers and encroachments,
initiating border incidents; accuses Thailand of preventing access
to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in
1962; maritime boundary with Vietnam hampered by dispute over
offshore islands
Cameroon
ICJ ruled in 2002 on the Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime
boundary by awarding the potentially petroleum-rich Bakassi
Peninsula and offshore region to Cameroon; Nigeria rejected cession
of the peninsula, but the parties have formed a Joint Border
Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced
with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary; Lake
Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger,
and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region,
which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and
militias; Nigeria agreed to ratify the treaty and relinquish
sovereignty of disputed lands to Cameroon by December 2003
Canada
managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon
Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; uncontested dispute
with Denmark over Hans Island sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel
between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
Cape Verde
none
Cayman Islands
none
Central African Republic
internal political instabilities with
fighting and violence overlap into Chad and CAR, leaving refugees
and rebel groups in both countries; violent ethnic skirmishes
persist along the border with Sudan
Chad
internal political instabilities with fighting and violence
overlap into Chad and Central African Republic, leaving refugees and
rebel groups in both countries; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in
southern Libya; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories
Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty
over lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among
local populations and militias; Chad rejects Nigerian request to
redemarcate boundary, the site of continuing cross-border incidents
Chile
Bolivia continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the
Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884; dispute with Peru over the
economic zone delimited by the maritime boundary; Chile demands
water rights to Bolivia's Rio Lauca and Silala Spring; Beagle
Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984,
but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial
claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps
Argentine and British claims
China
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with
Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but
which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; much of the
rugged, militarized boundary with India is in dispute, but the two
sides have participated in more than 13 rounds of joint working
group sessions on this issue; India objects to Pakistan ceding lands
to China in 1965 boundary agreement that India believes are part of
disputed Kashmir; China, as well as Taiwan, claims
Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) islands;
negotiations with Tajikistan resolved the longstanding boundary
dispute; China and Kazakhstan have resolved their border dispute and
are working to delimit their large open borders to control
population migration, illegal activities, and trade; Kyrgyzstan's
constitutional court rules that 1,270 sq km ceded to China in 2000
delimitation agreement were legally transferred; certain islands in
Yalu and Tumen rivers are in uncontested dispute with North Korea
and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is indefinite - China
objects to illegal migration of North Koreans into northern China;
China continues to seek a mutually acceptable solution to the
disputed alluvial islands with Russia at the confluence of the Amur
and Ussuri rivers and a small island on the Argun river as part of
the 2001 Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation;
boundary agreements signed in 2002 with Tajikistan cedes 1,000 sq km
of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China's relinquishing
claims to 28,000 sq km; demarcation of land boundary with Vietnam
continues but maritime boundary and joint fishing zone agreement
remains unratified; China occupies Paracel Islands also claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan
Christmas Island
none
Clipperton Island
none
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
none
Colombia
Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and
against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary
involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the
Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank;
maritime boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela;
Colombian drug activities penetrate Peruvian border area
Comoros
claims French-administered Mayotte
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from
neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel
movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state -
Tutsi, Hutu, Lendu, Hema and other conflicting ethnic groups,
political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in
Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda - heads of the
Great Lakes states pledge to end conflict, but localized violence
continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; most of the Congo River
boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement
has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except
in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Congo, Republic of the
most of the Congo River boundary with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has
been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in
the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)
Cook Islands
none
Coral Sea Islands
none
Costa Rica
legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on
border with Nicaragua
Cote d'Ivoire
rebel fighting extended to neighboring states and has
driven out nationals and foreign workers to nearby countries; the
Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting
Ivorian rebels
Croatia
discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina on sections
of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Pljesevica;
parliamentarians are far from ratifying the Croatia-Slovenia land
and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of
Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to
Croatia; in late 2002, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro adopted an
interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula,
allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but
discussions could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and
Montenegro to come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the
new federal union; Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral
property and ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border
changes after the Second World War
Cuba
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual
agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Cyprus
hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto
autonomous areas, a Greek Cypriot area controlled by the
internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot
area, separated by a UN buffer zone; UN deadline on sides accepting
a federation plan for reunification have expired, diminishing
chances of Turkish-Cypriot participation in EU membership in 2004
Czech Republic
Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for
1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918;
individual Sudeten German claims for restitution of property
confiscated in connection with their expulsion after World War II;
Austria has minor dispute with Czech Republic over the Temelin
nuclear power plant and post-World War II treatment of
German-speaking minorities
Denmark
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark,
Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary
agreement in the Rockall area); dispute with Iceland over the Faroe
Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 NM; disputes with
Iceland, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental
shelf boundary outside 200 NM; Faroese are considering proposals for
full independence; uncontested dispute with Canada over Hans Island
sovereignty in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and
Greenland
Djibouti
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with
"Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to
various factions in Somalia including the Somali Transitional
National Government in Mogadishu
Dominica
protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves
Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending
over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Dominican Republic
despite efforts to control illegal migration,
destitute Haitians continue to cross into the Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee meets regularly
to survey and delimit the land boundary; some East Timor refugees
delay return from camps in Indonesia; maritime delimitation and
resource-sharing agreements signed with Australia resolved dispute
over "Timor Gap" hydrocarbon reserves, but maritime agreement with
Indonesia awaits further discussions
Ecuador
none
Egypt
Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular
areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along
the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence -
Egypt is economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle" north of the
Treaty line
El Salvador
in 1992, the ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones"
(disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, but they
remain largely undemarcated; in 2002, El Salvador filed an
application to the ICJ to revise the decision on a section of
bolsones; the ICJ also advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime
boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca with consideration of Honduran
access to the Pacific; El Salvador claims tiny Conejo Island, not
mentioned by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca
Equatorial Guinea
in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement
of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf
of Guinea, but states have not yet agreed to abide by the decision;
creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with
Gabon is hampered by dispute over small islets on Mbane/Mbagne bank,
administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s
Eritrea
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 independent
boundary commission delimitation decision, but demarcation,
scheduled to begin in 2003, has been hampered by technical delays
and Ethiopian concerns that the decision ignored "human geography"
and awarded Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war, to Eritrea,
demarcation of the boundary has been postponed indefinately; UN
Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitors a 25
km wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation;
Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea
protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea
by the ICJ in 1999
Estonia
Russia continues to reject signing and ratifying the joint
December 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia
Ethiopia
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 independent
boundary commission delimitation decision, but demarcation,
scheduled to begin in 2003, has been hampered by technical delays
and Ethiopian concerns that the decision ignored "human geography"
and awarded Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war, to Eritrea,
demarcation of the boundary has been postponed indefinately;
Ethiopia maintains only an administrative line and no international
border with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains
alliances with local clans in opposition to the Transitional
National Government in Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide
port facilities and trade ties to land-locked Ethiopia; efforts to
demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have been delayed by civil
war there
Europa Island
claimed by Madagascar
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
claimed by Argentina whose forces
briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek
settlement by force
Faroe Islands
Faroese are considering proposals for full
independence; Denmark dispute with Iceland over the Faroe Islands
fisheries median line boundary of 200 NM; Denmark disputes with
Iceland, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental
shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Fiji
none
Finland
none
France
Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius
claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and
French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land);
Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia, claimed by France
and Vanuatu
French Guiana
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and
Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
French Polynesia
none
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
"Adelie Land" claim in
Antarctica is not recognized by the US
Gabon
creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco
Bay with Equatorial Guinea is hampered by dispute over small islets
on Mbane/Mbagne bank, administered and occupied by Gabon since the
1970s
Gambia, The
none
Gaza Strip
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with
current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement
- permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Georgia
boundary with Russia has been largely delimited, but not
demarcated with several small, strategic segments remaining in
dispute and OSCE observers monitoring volatile areas such as the
Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia;
Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to
return to Georgia; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of
Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with Armenia
Germany
none
Ghana
Ghana has received many refugees and returning nationals
escaping rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Gibraltar
Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum
against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between
Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony
Glorioso Islands
claimed by Madagascar
Greece
Greece and Turkey have resumed discussions to resolve their
complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the
Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Turkey; dispute with The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over its name
Greenland
uncontested dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans
Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland
Grenada
none
Guadeloupe
none
Guam
none
Guatemala
Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in Belize border
region; OAS brokered Differendum in 2002 creating small adjustment
to land boundary, large Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean,
joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial
US-UK financial package, but agreement was not brought to popular
referendum leaving Guatemalan claim to southern half of Belize intact
Guernsey
none
Guinea
domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups in Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone have created skirmishes, deaths, and
refugees in border areas
Guinea-Bissau
separatist war in Senegal's Casamance region results
in refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling and other illegal
activities, and political instability in Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by
Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and
Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the
Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute
Haiti
despite efforts to control illegal migration, destitute
Haitians continue to cross into Dominican Republic; claims
US-administered Navassa Island
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
none
Holy See (Vatican City)
none
Honduras
in 1992, ICJ ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones"
(disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border, but they
still remain largely undemarcated; in 2002, El Salvador filed an
application to the ICJ to revise the decision on a section of
bolsones; the ICJ also advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime
boundary in the Golfo de Fonseca with consideration of Honduran
access to the Pacific; El Salvador claims tiny Conejo Island, not
mentioned by the ICJ, off Honduras in the Golfo de Fonseca; Honduras
claims Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize but agreed to creation
of a joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean
in the 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; Nicaragua filed a claim
against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ
over a complex maritime dispute in the Caribbean Sea
Hong Kong
none
Howland Island
none
Hungary
Hungary has yet to amend status law extending special social
and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring states,
who protest the law
Iceland
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark,
Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary
agreement in the Rockall area); dispute with Denmark over the Faroe
Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 NM; disputes with
Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental
shelf boundary outside 200 NM
India
much of the rugged, militarized boundary with China is in
dispute, but the two sides have participated in more than 13 rounds
of joint working group sessions on this issue; India objects to
Pakistan ceding lands to China in 1965 boundary agreement that India
believes are part of disputed Kashmir; with Pakistan, armed
stand-off over the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues;
disputes with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing and the
terminus of the Rann of Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary
delimitation; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to work on
resolution of disputed boundary sections; dispute with Bangladesh
over New Moore/South Talpatty Island in the Bay of Bengal prevents
maritime boundary delimitation
Indian Ocean
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Indonesia
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet
regularly to survey and delimit land boundary; East Timor refugees
delay return from camps in Indonesia; maritime delimitations with
Australia and East Timor await further discussions; ICJ awarded
Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002; Indonesian
secessionists, squatters and illegal migrants create repatriation
problems for Papua New Guinea
Iran
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on
Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in
region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite
restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over
maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues
from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League
support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands
and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea
into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally
agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened
Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters
Iraq
despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with
Iran over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and
other issues from eight-year war persist; land and Shatt al Arab
boundary demarcation put an end to claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan
and Warbah islands, but no maritime boundary exists with Kuwait in
the Persian Gulf; Iraq protests Turkey's hydrological projects to
regulate the Tigris and Euphrates rivers upstream
Ireland
disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe
Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Israel
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current
status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement -
permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan
Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of
Golan Heights)
Italy
Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and
ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the
Second World War
Jamaica
none
Jan Mayen
none
Japan
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai
group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by
Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do)
disputed with South Korea; Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) claimed by
China and Taiwan
Jarvis Island
none
Jersey
none
Johnston Atoll
none
Jordan
none
Juan de Nova Island
claimed by Madagascar
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan and China have resolved their border dispute
and are working to delimit their large open borders to control
population migration, illegal activities, and trade; delimitation of
boundary with Russia is scheduled for completion in 2003 -
delimitations with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are complete with
demarcations underway - delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is largely
complete; equidistant seabed treaties have been signed with
Azerbaijan and Russia in the Caspian Sea but no resolution has been
made on dividing the water column among any of the littoral states;
no resolution of Caspian seabed boundary with Turkmenistan
Kenya
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi triangle"
Kingman Reef
none
Kiribati
none
Korea, North
with China, certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers
are in uncontested dispute; a section of boundary around Paektu-san
(mountain) is indefinite; China objects to illegal migration of
North Koreans into northern China; Military Demarcation Line within
the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South
Korea since 1953
Korea, South
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide
Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953;
Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) are disputed with Japan
Kuwait
the Kuwait 1994 land and Khawr 'Abd Allah channel boundary
demarcation ended Iraqi claims to Kuwait and Bubiyan and Warbah
islands; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are negotiating maritime boundary
with Iran
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan's constitutional court has ruled that 1,270 sq
km ceded to China in a 2000 delimitation agreement were legally
transferred; delimitation with Kazakhstan is largely complete with
only minor disputed areas; disputes in Isfara Valley delay
completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; serious disputes with
Uzbekistan around Uzbek enclaves mar progress on delimitation efforts
Laos
demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam
is nearing completion, but with Thailand several areas including
Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with
Thailand and Vietnam over squatters
Latvia
the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation
treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998
maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns
over oil exploration rights
Lebanon
Syrian troops in central and eastern Lebanon since October
1976; Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Lesotho
none
Liberia
rebels and refugees contribute to border instabilities with
Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea; the Ivorian Government
accuses Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels
Libya
Libya has claimed more than 32,000 sq km in southeastern
Algeria and about 25,000 sq km in Niger in currently dormant
disputes; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in
southern Libya
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for
1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918
Lithuania
in May 2003, the Russian Parliament ratified a 1997 land
and maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, which had ratified the
treaty in 1999, legalizing limits of former Soviet republic borders;
the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary
treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil
exploration rights; discussions are still ongoing among Russia,
Lithuania, and the EU concerning a simplified transit document for
residents of the Kaliningrad coastal exclave to transit through
Lithuania to Russia
Luxembourg
none
Macau
none
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
the Albanian government
calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in
F.Y.R.O.M. while continuing to seek regional cooperation; ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo continue to protest 2000 F.Y.R.O.M.-Serbia and
Montenegro boundary treaty, which transfers small tracts of land to
F.Y.R.O.M.; dispute with Greece over country's name persists
Madagascar
claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands,
and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Malawi
dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake
Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
Malaysia
involved in complex dispute over Spratly Islands with
China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and possibly Brunei; claimants
in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties
in the South China Sea," a mechanism to ease tension but which fell
short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; disputes over
deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation
on Johor, maritime boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca
Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration
on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and
Sipadan islands off the coast of Sabah, also claimed by Indonesia
and Philippines, to Malaysia; a small section of the
Malaysia-Thailand boundary in the Kolok River remains in dispute
Maldives
none
Mali
armed bandits based in Mali attack southern Algerian towns
Malta
none
Man, Isle of
none
Marshall Islands
claims US territory of Wake Island
Martinique
none
Mauritania
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in
recent years
Mauritius
Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered
British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who
reside chiefly in Mauritius, but were granted UK citizenship and the
right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin
Island
Mayotte
claimed by Comoros
Mexico
prolonged regional drought in the border region with the US
has strained water-sharing arrangements
Micronesia, Federated States of
none
Midway Islands
none
Moldova
difficulties with the Transnistria region complicate border
crossing and customs with Ukraine, facilitating smuggling, arms
transfers, and other illegal activities
Monaco
none
Mongolia
none
Montserrat
none
Morocco
claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty
remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have
failed and parties thus far have rejected other proposals; Morocco
protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta,
Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de
Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also
rejected Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the
Canary Islands in 2002 to set limits to undersea resource
exploration and refugee interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish
fishermen to fish temporarily off the coast of Western Sahara after
an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing grounds
Mozambique
none
Namibia
commission established with Botswana to resolve small
residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu
marshlands along the Linyanti River; Botswana residents protest
Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on
Popa Falls; managed dispute with South Africa over the location of
the boundary in the Orange River; dormant dispute remains where
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge; Angolan
rebels and refugees still reside in Namibia
Nauru
none
Navassa Island
claimed by Haiti
Nepal
joint border commission continues to work on small disputed
sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter
border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents
Netherlands
none
Netherlands Antilles
none
New Caledonia
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia
claimed by France and Vanuatu
New Zealand
territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Nicaragua
territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de
San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank region; with respect
to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ
referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed
Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution
among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required;
legal dispute over navigational rights of San Juan River on border
with Costa Rica
Niger
Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant
dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with
Nigeria, remains undemarcated but states accept 2001 arbitration
over disputed Niger River islands; Lake Chad Commission continues to
urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify
delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of
armed clashes among local populations and militias
Nigeria
ICJ ruled in 2002 on the Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime
boundary by awarding the potentially petroleum-rich Bakassi
Peninsula and offshore region to Cameroon; Nigeria rejected the
cession of the peninsula but the parties formed a Joint Border
Commission to peaceably resolve the dispute and commence with
demarcation in other less-contested sections of the boundary;
several villages along the Okpara River are in dispute with Benin;
Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad,
Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region,
which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and
militias; Nigeria agreed to ratify the treaty and relinquish
sovereignty of disputed lands to Cameroon by December 2003
Niue
none
Norfolk Island
none
Northern Mariana Islands
none
Norway
Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud
Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia
and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents
Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits
within the Svalbard Treaty zone
Oman
boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for
entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah
enclaves
Pacific Ocean
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Pakistan
thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Pakistan;
isolating terrain and close ties among Pashtuns in Pakistan make
cross-border activities difficult to control; armed stand-off with
India over the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues - India
objects to Pakistan ceding lands to China in 1965 boundary agreement
that India believes are part of disputed Kashmir; disputes with
India over Indus River water sharing and the terminus of the Rann of
Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary delimitation
Palau
none
Palmyra Atoll
none
Panama
none
Papua New Guinea
Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal
migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
Paraguay
unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay
borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and drug
trafficking, and harbors Islamist militants
Peru
Bolivia continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the
Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884
Philippines
involved in complex dispute over Spratly Islands with
China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and possibly Brunei; claimants in
November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell
short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; Sultanate of Sulu
granted Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue its
sovereignty claim over Malaysia's Sabah State but Malaysia rejects
claim
Pitcairn Islands
none
Poland
small boundary changes made with Slovakia in 2003
Portugal
Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories
around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Puerto Rico
none
Qatar
none
Reunion
none
Romania
has not resolved claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmyinyy
(Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks
based on 1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years;
joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Bulgaria based
on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920; Hungary has yet
to amend status law extending special social and cultural benefits
to ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who protest the law
Russia
China continues to seek a mutually acceptable solution to the
disputed alluvial islands at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri
rivers and a small island on the Argun River as part of the 2001
Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation; the
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group
identified by the Russians as the "Southern Kurils" and by Japan as
the "Northern Territories" occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now
administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; boundary with Georgia has
been largely delimited but not demarcated with several small,
strategic segments remaining in dispute and OSCE observers
monitoring volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti
region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; equidistant seabed treaties
have been signed with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea
but no resolution on dividing the water column among any of the
littoral states; Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in
the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's
territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone; Russia continues
to reject signing and ratifying the joint 1996 technical border
agreement with Estonia; the Russian Parliament refuses to consider
ratification of the boundary treaties with Estonia and Latvia, but
in May 2003, ratified land and maritime boundary treaty with
Lithuania, which ratified the 1997 treaty in 1999, legalizing limits
of former Soviet republic borders; discussions are still ongoing
among Russia, Lithuania and the EU concerning a simplified transit
document for residents of the Kaliningrad coastal exclave to transit
through Lithuania to Russia; land delimitation with Ukraine is
ratified, but maritime regime of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait is
unresolved; delimitation with Kazakhstan is scheduled for completion
in 2003; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Maritime Boundary
Agreement with the US in the Bering Sea
Rwanda
Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries
of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to
gain control over populated areas and natural resources - government
heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence continues
despite UN peacekeeping efforts
Saint Helena
none
Saint Kitts and Nevis
protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect
to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf
extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Saint Lucia
protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves
Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending
over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
none
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
protests Venezuela's claim to give
full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan
EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the
Caribbean Sea
Samoa
none; note - some EEZ demarcations, including the one with
American Samoa, are undefined
San Marino
none
Sao Tome and Principe
none
Saudi Arabia
nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist
demarcation of boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been
negotiating a long-contested maritime boundary with Iran; because
the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the
boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate
Senegal
separatist war in Casamance region results in refugees and
cross-border raids, arms smuggling, other illegal activities, and
political instability in Guinea-Bissau
Serbia and Montenegro
the Albanian government calls for the
protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside its borders in
the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro while continuing to seek
regional cooperation; several ethnic Albanian groups in Kosovo voice
union with Albania; has delimited about half of the boundary with
Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in
dispute; in late 2002, Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia adopted an
interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula,
allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but
discussions could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and
Montenegro to come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the
new federal union
Seychelles
claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British
Indian Ocean Territory)
Sierra Leone
large UN peacekeeping presence ended civil war but
rebel gang fighting, ethnic rivalries, illegal diamond trading,
corruption, and refugees spill over into neighboring states beset
with their own civil disorder, refugees, and violence
Singapore
disputes with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to
Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation works on Johor, maritime
boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu
Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute
within three years
Slovakia
small boundary changes made with Poland in 2003; Hungary
has yet to amend status law extending special social and cultural
benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, who protest the law
Slovenia
parliamentarians are far from ratifying the
Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would
have ceded most of Piran Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and
several villages to Croatia
Solomon Islands
none
Somalia
"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to
land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional
states; "Puntland" secessionists clash with "Somaliland"
secessionists to establish territorial limits and clan loyalties,
each seeking support from neighboring states; Ethiopia maintains
only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern
Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to
the unrecognized Transitional National Government in Mogadishu
South Africa
managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the
boundary in the Orange River
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
briefly occupied by
military force in 1982 - claimed by Argentina in constitution but
declares it will no longer seek settlement by force
Southern Ocean
Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica
entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK
assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in
the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in
extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS) to include undersea ridges;
the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime
claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US
and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims have
been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
Spain
Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against
"total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and
UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain's
control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de
Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas
Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's
unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in
2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee
interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily
off the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish
fishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to
territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Spratly Islands
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China,
Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the
Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone
that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has
not publicly claimed the island; claimants in November 2002 signed
the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea",
a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally
binding "code of conduct"
Sri Lanka
none
Sudan
the north-south civil war has drawn Sudan's neighbors into the
fighting, sheltering refugees, and infiltration by rebel groups -
Kenya and Uganda have acted as mediators; Sudan accuses Eritrea of
supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous
boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan;
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to
administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the
1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn
their military presence; Egypt is economically developing the
"Hala'ib triangle"
Suriname
area disputed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and
Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); area disputed by
Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari
[Kutari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea
boundary with Guyana is in dispute
Svalbard
despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their
maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights
beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone
Swaziland
none
Sweden
none
Switzerland
none
Syria
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Lebanon claims Shaba'a
farms in Golan Heights; Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon
since October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects
regulating upper Euphrates waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any
perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province
Taiwan
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with
China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but
which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; Paracel
Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; claims
Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as
does China
Tajikistan
prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing
difficulties for Amu Darya river states; boundary agreements signed
in 2002 cede 1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return
for China relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands;
negotiations with China resolved the longstanding boundary dispute;
talks have begun with Uzbekistan to demine and delimit border;
disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with
Kyrgyzstan
Tanzania
disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake
Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
Thailand
completion of boundary demarcation with Cambodia hampered
by accusations of moving and destroying boundary markers,
encroachments, initiating border incidents, and sealing off Preah
Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962;
demarcation complete except for a 1 kilometer segment at the mouth
of the Kolok River in dispute with Malaysia; demarcation with Laos
complete except for certain Mekong River islets and complaints of
Thai squatters; despite continuing border committee talks,
significant differences remain with Burma over boundary alignment
and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal
cross-border activities
Togo
in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint
commission presently resurveying the boundary
Tokelau
none
Tonga
none
Trinidad and Tobago
none
Tromelin Island
claimed by Mauritius
Tunisia
none
Turkey
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece
in the Aegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and
Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper
Euphrates waters; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian
claim to Hatay province; border with Armenia remains closed over
Nagorno-Karabakh
Turkmenistan
prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing
difficulties for Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan has not
committed to follow either Iran or the other littoral states in the
division of the Caspian Sea seabed and water column; ICJ decision
expected to resolve dispute with Azerbaijan over sovereignty over
Caspian oilfields; demarcation of land boundary with Kazakhstan is
underway - maritime boundary not resolved
Turks and Caicos Islands
none
Tuvalu
none
Uganda
Tutsi, Hutu, and other ethnic groups, associated political
rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting
in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control
over populated areas and natural resources; government heads pledge
to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN
peacekeeping efforts; conflict in Sudan has extended rebel forces
and refugees into Uganda
Ukraine
1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains unratified over
unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging
illegal cross-border activities; land delimitation of boundary with
Russia is complete, but maritime regime of the Sea of Azov and Kerch
Strait remains unresolved; difficulties in the Transnistria region
of Moldova complicate border crossing and customs, facilitating
smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities; has not
resolved Romanian claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake)
Island and Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks based
on 1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years
United Arab Emirates
because the treaties have not been made public,
the exact alignment of the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still
unknown and labeled approximate; boundary agreement signed and
ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's
Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves; UAE engage direct talks
and Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation
of Lesser and Greater Tunb islands and Abu Musa island
United Kingdom
Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum
against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between
Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Mauritius and
Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean
Territory) and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in
Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to
repatriation since eviction in 1965; Argentina claims the Falkland
Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and
Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic
Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean
claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe
Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
United States
prolonged drought in the Mexico border region has
strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary
Agreement in the Bering Sea awaits Russian Duma ratification;
maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort
Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal
Island and North Rock; The Bahamas have not been able to agree on a
maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from
Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no
territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do
so) and does not recognize the claims of any other state; Marshall
Islands claims Wake Island
Uruguay
uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the
Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with
Argentina
Uzbekistan
prolonged regional drought creates water-sharing
difficulties for Amu Darya river states; delimitation with
Kazakhstan complete with demarcation underway; serious disputes with
Kyrgyzstan around Uzbek enclaves mar progress on delimitation
efforts; talks have begun with Tajikistan to determine and delimit
border
Vanuatu
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by
Vanuatu and France
Venezuela
claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime
boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and the
Caribbean Sea; US, France and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's
claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan
EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the
Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest the claim and other states'
recognition of it
Vietnam
demarcation of the land boundary with China continues, but
maritime boundary and joint fishing zone agreement remains
unratified; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed
encroachments along border; China occupies Paracel Islands also
claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in a complex dispute over
Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and
possibly Brunei; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to
ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of
conduct"
Virgin Islands
none
Wake Island
claimed by Marshall Islands
Wallis and Futuna
none
West Bank
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current
status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement -
permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Western Sahara
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, but
sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has
remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a
referendum have failed and parties have rejected other proposals;
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent
years; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily off the
coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing
grounds
World
Globally, there are over 250,000 km of international land
boundaries that separate the world's 192 independent states, along
with 70 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other
miscellaneous entities. Maritime states have claimed limits and have
so far established over 130 maritime boundaries and joint
development zones to allocate ocean resources and to provide for
their national security at sea. On land, ethnicity, culture, race,
religion, and language have divided states into separate political
entities as much as history, physical terrain, political fiat, or
conquest, resulting in sometimes arbitrary and imposed boundaries.
All of these factors have contributed to a wide array of boundary,
borderland, and territorial disagreements that vary in intensity
from unresolved or dormant to outright war. Territorial disputes may
evolve from historical and/or cultural animosities, or they may be
brought on by resource competition. Ethnic clashes continue to be
responsible for territorial fragmentation around the world.
Undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries encourage
illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and
political confrontation over boundary allocations. Other sources of
contention include the use of water and mineral (especially
petroleum) resources, fisheries, dams, and nuclear power plants.
Many islands or island groups are also disputed, including those at
sea and in streams. Nonetheless, many nations are actively
cooperating to clarify, delineate, and demarcate their international
borders. The tragic aspect of international discord is the impact on
the sustenance and welfare of populations caught in the conflict. It
is frequently left to members of the world community to cope with
enormous refugee situations, and the resultant hunger, disease, and
impoverishment that they create.
Yemen
Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish islands
awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999; nomadic groups in border
region with Saudi Arabia resist demarcation of boundary
Zambia
dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe boundaries converge
Zimbabwe
dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia,
and Zimbabwe boundaries converge