Problem
Boundary disputes between states
Other Names:
Unsettled border disputes Nature:
Boundaries between states, determined as a result of a variety of political, historical and administrative compromises, may be controversial, ambiguous and unstable. Dissatisfaction over a boundary decision may persist long after the signature of the agreement which gave rise to it. Such agreements may be ambiguous as to the exact boundary line if the area is poorly mapped, or if the natural features on which the boundary is based are displaced, as can happen when a river changes its course for instance. This may give rise to boundary disputes, particularly if the displacement process is not recognized.
Incidence:
More than 80 territorial and border disputes are currently unresolved including: Alto Adige/South Tyrol between Austria and Italy; four of the Kuril Islands occupied by Russia and claimed by Japan; Taba between Israel and Egypt; the McMahon Line recognized by India but disputed by China; and the borders between Mali and Burkina Faso, Saudi Arabia and Oman, Saudi Arabia and South Yemen, India and Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, and Kuwait and Iraq.
Broader Problems:
DisputesTerritorial disputes between states Aggravates:
DeporteesConflicting uses of water resourcesBorder incidents and violenceDomination of the world by sovereign states References:
Sharma, S P: International Boundary Disputes and International LawLee, Yong Leng: Razor's Edge: boundaries and boundary disputes in Southeast AsiaDay, Alan J: Border and Territorial Disputes Subject(s):
Government → FrontiersGovernment → Nation state
Law → Arbitration
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST