Chapter 1
Bizarre borders and double-take enclaves
Chapter 2
Sovereign microstates and political anomalies
Chapter 3
Natural wonders that defy expectations
Chapter 4
Cultural pockets and linguistic islands
Ch 1 · Bizarre borders and double-take enclaves
schopenhauer Baarle Border Enclaves
Dutch on the left, / Belgian on the right, / one split door!
schopenhauer Pheasant Island is an uninhabited river island that changes its nationality every six months between France and Spain.
schopenhauer Llivia is a Spanish town completely surrounded by French territory, a leftover from a 17th-century treaty.
BETA
schopenhauer Sort Europe's strangest borders to discover the bizarre history behind these geographical oddities.
Fun Fact
Border-splitting beds: In the Arbez Franco-Suisse hotel, a border line runs directly through several rooms, allowing guests to sleep with their head in France and feet in Switzerland.
Glossary
enclave (noun)
A portion of territory entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. The Belgian town of Baarle-Hertog exists as twenty-two separate enclaves completely surrounded by the Netherlands.
A portion of territory entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. The Belgian town of Baarle-Hertog exists as twenty-two separate enclaves completely surrounded by the Netherlands.
Quiz
What determines the official nationality of a border-split building in Baarle-Hertog?
Quiz
Which town is famous for containing over twenty Belgian and Dutch enclaves woven together?
Quiz
Where is the Hotel Arbez, famous for having an international border run through its guest rooms?
Quiz
Which river contains Pheasant Island, the world's oldest jointly governed territory?
Quiz
How often does Pheasant Island change its official governing country between Spain and France?
Quiz
Why did the town of Llivia remain Spanish despite being entirely surrounded by France?