List of countries and territories by land and maritime borders
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This is a list of countries and territories by land and maritime borders. For each country or territory, the number and identity of other countries and territories that neighbor it are listed. Land borders and maritime boundaries are included and are tabulated separately and in combination. For purposes of this list, "maritime boundary" includes boundaries that are recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which includes boundaries of territorial waters, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones. However, it does not include lake or river boundaries, which are considered land boundaries.
Also included is the number of unique sovereign states1 that a country or territory shares as neighbors. If the number is higher due to multiple dependencies or unrecognized states bordering the state, the larger number is shown in brackets.
Footnotes are provided to provide clarity regarding the status of certain countries and territories.
See also
- List of political and geographic borders
- List of countries and territories by land borders
- List of countries and territories by maritime boundaries
- List of maritime boundary treaties
- List of territorial disputes
- Landlocked country
Notes
| a.^ | The Government of India also considers Afghanistan to be a bordering country. This is because it considers the entire Kashmir region to be a part of India including the portion bordering Afghanistan. A ceasefire sponsored by the UN in 1948 froze the positions of Indian and Pakistani-held territory. As a consequence, the region bordering Afghanistan is in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan area. |
- ^ a b c The concept of state sovereignty is somewhat imprecise and there are disagreements about whether certain territories are sovereign. There are currently 194 states that are generally regarded as "fully" sovereign: this includes the 193 member states of the United Nations plus Vatican City. Some of these states have under their jurisdiction territories, dependencies, or collectivities that are clearly non-sovereign geographical areas. These territories are generally regarded as being subsumed within the overarching sovereignty of the governing state. For example, the United Kingdom holds sovereignty over the territory of Gibraltar, even though Gibraltar is not considered to be part of the United Kingdom. There are a few territories in the world that are neither clearly sovereign nor clearly subsumed under another state's sovereignty. Often, these territories have declared themselves to be sovereign, but they are either not widely recognized as such or lack some of the necessary conditions for sovereign statehood. In these cases, explanatory footnotes indicate how the territory is treated for the purposes of this list.
- ^ a b c A number in parentheses indicates the number of unique sovereign states that the country or territory shares as neighbours.
- ^ In 1992, Abkhazia declared sovereignty from Georgia. Georgia disputes the declaration and considers Abkhazia to be part of its territory. The only sovereign states that recognize Abkhazia's sovereignty are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru. Because of the low level of international recognition, Abkhazia is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x This is a territorial claim in Antarctica. Territorial claims in Antarctica have been recognized only between the few countries making claims in the area. Because some of the claims overlap and there is a low number of recognition for these claims, Antarctic territorial claims are not included in this chart when listing countries' neighboring countries and territories. The specific Antarctic claims are included in this chart, but only in reference to each other.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o This territory is part of the widely dispersed French Southern and Antarctic Lands, an overseas territory of France.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar This territory is not sovereign but is a British overseas territory. Its territory constitutes part of the sovereign territory of the United Kingdom but strictly speaking is not part of the United Kingdom itself.
- ^ a b c d e In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Although Kosovo's sovereignty has been recognized by about 65 states, it is not a member of the United Nations and Serbia disputes its sovereignty, claiming that Kosovo remains one of its provinces. The dispute has been referred to the International Court of Justice. For purposes of this list, Kosovo is considered to be a sovereign country. If Kosovo is considered part of Serbia, some numbers in the table would be reduced by one (e.g., when a state borders both Serbia and Kosovo). Other numbers would remain the same (e.g., when a state borders Kosovo but not Serbia).
- ^ a b c d e Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory. Administration is split between Morocco and the largely unrecognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, both of which claim sovereignty over the entire territory (see Legal status of Western Sahara). For purposes of this list, Western Sahara is considered to be a sovereign country.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai This territory is not sovereign, but is an insular area of the United States. U.S. territories are considered to be part of the sovereign territory of the United States.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand. The Cook Islands controls a portion of its own foreign affairs, including the establishment and regulation of borders. However, the Cook Islands is not a member of the United Nations and is part of the Realm of New Zealand, with Cook Island people being New Zealand citizens. For purposes of this list, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue, and Tokelau are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- ^ a b c d e Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand. Niue controls a portion of its own foreign affairs, including the establishment and regulation of borders. However, Niue is not a member of the United Nations and is part of the Realm of New Zealand, with Niuean people being New Zealand citizens. For purposes of this list, Niue, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Tokelau are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory within the Realm of New Zealand.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad This territory is not sovereign, but is an overseas collectivity of France, and as such it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- ^ a b c d e f Claims to territory overlap.
- ^ a b Argentina claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which is a British overseas territory.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j This territory is not sovereign, but is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For purposes of this list, Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m This territory is not sovereign but is part of the sovereign territory of Australia.
- ^ a b c d e f g h New Caledonia is not sovereign but is a sui generis collectivity of France and as such it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The maritime boundary is in the Caspian Sea. Some consider the Caspian Sea to be a lake.
- ^ a b c Madagascar claims sovereignty over Bassas da India, Europa Island, and Juan de Nova Island.
- ^ a b c d This territory is not sovereign and is a dependent territory of Norway. It is not part of the Kingdom of Norway, but it is considered to be part of the sovereign territory of Norway.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l This territory is not sovereign, but is a country within the Kingdom of Denmark. For purposes of this list, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland are considered constituent parts of one sovereign state.
- ^ For information on the Republic of China, see the listing in this table under "Taiwan".
- ^ a b Hong Kong is not sovereign but since 1997 has been a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy, including separate passports and a defined international boundary within China, but it is not considered a separate sovereign state for the purposes of this list.
- ^ a b Macau is not sovereign but since 1999 has been a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Macau has a high degree of autonomy, including separate passports and a defined international boundary within China, but it is not considered a separate sovereign state for the purposes of this list.
- ^ Clipperton Island is not sovereign but is property of the government of France; as such, it is part of the sovereign territory of France.
- ^ a b c Madagascar claims sovereignty over the Glorioso Islands.
- ^ a b Northern Cyprus declared independence in 1983, shortly after Turkey invaded the island in response to a coup d'état by Greek Cypriots that was backed by Greece. Cyprus disputes the declaration of sovereignty and considers Northern Cyprus to be part of its territory. The United Nations and the European Union also do not recognize the sovereignty of Northern Cyprus. The only sovereign state that recognizes Northern Cyprus's sovereignty is Turkey. Northern Cyprus also lacks some of the indicators of legal sovereignty, relying heavily on Turkey for its continuing existence separate from Cyprus. Because of these factors, Northern Cyprus is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ Does not include the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
- ^ a b c d e f g In 1988, the Palestinian Liberation Organization declared as sovereign the State of Palestine. Although Palestinian sovereignty is recognized by about 130 countries, Palestine is not a member of the United Nations and lacks other indicators of legal sovereignty. The State of Palestine/Palestinian territories consists of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In this list, for purposes of counting bordering states, the Palestinian territories are considered to be a single sovereign entity.
- ^ Excluding French collectivities and territories.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i This territory is not sovereign but it a British Crown Dependency. Crown Dependencies are possessions of the British Crown but strictly speaking are not part of the United Kingdom.
- ^ a b Excluding Adélie Land.
- ^ a b c This territory is not sovereign but is an overseas territory of France.
- ^ India borders Afghanistan only via Kashmir, a territory disputed between India and Pakistan. If Pakistan's territorial claims are accepted, India and Afghanistan do not border one another.
- ^ a b The Isle of Man shares maritime boundaries with countries of the United Kingdom but has no maritime boundaries with other sovereign states.
- ^ More specifically, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island. Madagascar claims sovereignty over all these islands.
- ^ a b The Marshall Islands claims sovereignty over Wake Island, which is an insular area of the United States.
- ^ a b Madagascar claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island.
- ^ More specifically, Bassas da India, Europa Island, and Juan de Nova Island.
- ^ The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic declared independence from Azerbaijan in 1991. However, neither Azerbaijan nor any other state or international organization has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as a sovereign state. For this reason, Nagorno-Karabakh is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ Includes Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, but excludes Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
- ^ Does not include the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau.
- ^ Not including Bouvet Island or Svalbard.
- ^ Includes autonomous regions of Portugal.
- ^ Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. However, neither Somalia nor any other state or international organization has recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state. For this reason, Somaliland is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ In 1990, South Ossetia declared sovereignty from Georgia. Georgia disputes the declaration and considers South Ossetia to be part of its territory. The only sovereign states that recognize South Ossentia's sovereignty are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru. Because of the low level of international recognition, South Ossetia is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ The maritime boundary between Norway and Russia is continuous from the north edge of the European mainland to the sea between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land. In other words, there are not two separate Russian boundaries for Russia–Norway and Russia–Svalbard. Svalbard therefore acts only to extend the otherwise existing Russia–Norway boundary.
- ^ In 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, the government and leaders of the Republic of China (ROC), led by Chiang Kai-shek, retreated from mainland China to the island of Taiwan. In Taiwan, the ROC continues to claim sovereignty over all China, including the mainland and Taiwan. The People's Republic of China (PRC), which has governed mainland China since the ROC government retreated, also claims to be the sole representative of all China, including Taiwan. Even though the ROC government in Taiwan has never asserted that Taiwan's sovereignty is separate from that of China's, for many practical purposes Taiwan is treated by other countries and international organizations as a country that is separate from the PRC. For the purposes of this list, Taiwan is considered to be an entity that is separate from China.
- ^ In the early 1990, Transnistria attempted to separate itself, first from the Moldavian SSR and then from sovereign Moldova. Moldova disputes Transnistrian sovereignty and considers it to be part of its territory. There are no sovereign states that recognize Transnistria's sovereignty. Because of the lack of international recognition, Transnistria is not considered a sovereign state for the purposes of this list and is not included in other countries' listings of neighboring countries and territories.
- ^ The United Kingdom does not include British overseas territories or Crown dependencies.
- ^ Excluding U.S. insular areas.
References
- Anderson, Ewan W. (2003). International Boundaries: A Geopolitical Atlas. Routledge: New York. 10-ISBN 157958375X/13-ISBN 9781579583750; OCLC 54061586
- Charney, Jonathan I., David A. Colson, Robert W. Smith. (2005). International Maritime Boundaries. Hotei Publishing: Leiden. 10-ISBN 0792311876/13-ISBN 9780792311874; 10-ISBN 904111954X/13-ISBN 9789041119544; 10-ISBN 9041103457/13-ISBN 9789041103451; 10-ISBN 9004144617/13-ISBN 9789004144613; 10-ISBN 900414479X/13-ISBN 9789004144798; OCLC 23254092
- Jagota, S. P. (1985). Maritime Boundary. Martinis Nijhoff: Dordrecht. 10-ISBN 902473133X/13-ISBN 9789024731336; 10-ISBN 9024726166/13-ISBN 9789024726165; OCLC 1175640
- Prescott, John Robert Victor. (1985). The Maritime Political Boundaries of the World. London: Methuen. 10-ISBN 0416417507/13-ISBN 9780416417500; OCLC 12582178
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