The world is not always what we think it is. This book presents unusual
borders, enclaves and exclaves, divided or non-existent cities and
islands. Numerous conflicts have left countries divided and often
shattered. Remnants of countries can by design or accident be left
behind as a legal anomaly in this complex world.
Most people believe that a country's borders are clearly defined: just
lines that separate countries. Everything on one side of the line
belongs to one country and everything on the other side belongs to
another country. This might be the case most of the time, but there are
unusual exceptions to this unwritten rule.
Examples include:
- Campione d'Italia where Italian residents have to travel 15km through
Switzerland to reach the nearest available Italian territory.
- Tomb of Suleyman Shah which is a tiny Turkish enclave within Syria
which was moved closer to Turkey when Lake Assad was created but still
stayed in Syria.
- Pheasant Island which for half a year belongs to the Spanish city of
Irun, and the remaining half, to its French twin-town, Hendaye.
- Canadian Stanstead and American Beebe Plain where the boundary line
runs along the center of the main street, so that the houses on one side
of the street are in Canada and on the other in the United States.
These and many more instances are captured in this fascinating book full
of strange geographical intrigue.
