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Field Listing :: Disputes - international
This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.

By Country Listing of the values for the Disputes - international field
Country | Disputes - international
--- | ---
Afghanistan | Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps and since 2014 have met to discuss collaboration on the Taliban insurgency and counterterrorism effortsAfghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurveyIran protests Afghanistan's restricting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during droughtPakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activitiesRussia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries
Albania | none
Algeria | Algeria and many other states reject Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; the Polisario Front, exiled in Algeria, represents the Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicAlgeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smugglingdormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the National Liberation Front's (FLN) assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco
American Samoa | Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olosega) in its 2006 draft independence constitution
Andorra | none
Anguilla | none
Antarctica | the Antarctic Treaty freezes, and most states do not recognize, the land and maritime territorial claims made by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK (some overlapping) for three-fourths of the continentthe US and Russia reserve the right to make claimsno formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees westthe International Whaling Commission created a sanctuary around the entire continent to deter catches by countries claiming to conduct scientific whalingAustralia has established a similar preserve in the waters around its territorial claim
Antigua and Barbuda | none
Arctic Ocean | Canada and the US dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelfDenmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submissionrecord summer melting of sea ice in the Arctic has renewed interest in maritime shipping lanes and sea floor explorationNorway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010
Argentina | Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed to no longer seek settlement by forceUK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talksterritorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claimsuncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in questionin 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentinathe two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regimethe joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur)contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Bolivia
Armenia | the dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instabilityresidents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and AzerbaijanTurkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valleyin 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has falteredlocal border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian bordersethnic Armenian groups in the Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian Government
Aruba | none
Ashmore and Cartier Islands | Australia has closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishingIndonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef
Atlantic Ocean | some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Australia | in 2018, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a permanent maritime border treaty, scrapping a 2007 development zone and revenue sharing arrangement between the countriesAustralia asserts land and maritime claims to AntarcticaAustralia's 2004 submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf extends its continental margins over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent beyond its claimed EEZall borders between Indonesia and Australia have been agreed upon bilaterally, but a 1997 treaty that would settle the last of their maritime and EEZ boundary has yet to be ratified by Indonesia's legislatureIndonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing
Austria | none
Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified the Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the seathe dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instabilityresidents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijanlocal border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian bordersbilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian
Bahamas, The | disagrees with the US on the alignment of the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary
Bahrain | none
Bangladesh | Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the SeaIndian Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implementedBangladesh is struggling to accommodate more than 700,000 newly arrived Rohingya, a Burmese Muslim minority from Arakan State, who fled violence in Rakhine State, Burma, since 2017, joining a Rohingya refugee population of 200,000-300,000 living in Cox's Bazar District that arrived after bouts of violence in the 1990s and 2000sthe Bangladesh-Burma border remains tense, with a Burmese military build-up along the border and a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence the Burmese border authorities are constructing designed to deter illegal cross-border transit
Barbados | Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zonejoins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Belarus | boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuaniaas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its border with Belarus
Belgium | none
Belize | Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to approximately half of Belize, but agrees to the Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interiorboth countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, but this vote was suspended indefinitelyBelize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty
Benin | talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona RiverBenin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso near the town of Koualoulocation of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved
Bermuda | none
Bhutan | lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China’s Chumbi salient
Bolivia | Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian productscontraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of its border regions with all of its neighbors (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru)
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute
Botswana | none
Bouvet Island | none
Brazil | uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in questionsmuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil borderColombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Brazil's border region with Venezuela
British Indian Ocean Territory | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islandsnegotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians, who were evicted between 1967-73; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago were granted UK citizenship and the right of return; in 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago; in 2008 a House of Lords' decision overturned lower court rulings, once again denying the right of return to Chagossiansin addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein
British Virgin Islands | none
Brunei | per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Bruneinonetheless, Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Louisa Reef
Bulgaria | none
Burkina Faso | adding to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighborsdemarcation is currently underway with Mali; the dispute with Niger was referred to the ICJ in 2010, and a dispute over several villages with Benin persistsBenin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou
Burma | over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countriesthe Naf River on the border with Bangladesh serves as a smuggling and illegal transit routeBangladesh struggles to accommodate 29,000 Rohingya, Burmese Muslim minority from Arakan State, living as refugees in Cox's BazarBurmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border with Bangladesh in 2010Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the SeaBurmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in Chinafencing along the India-Burma international border at Manipur's Moreh town is in progress to check illegal drug trafficking and movement of militantsover 100,000 mostly Karen refugees and asylum seekers fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma were living in remote camps in Thailand near the border as of May 2017
Burundi | Burundi and Rwanda dispute two sq km (0.8 sq mi) of Sabanerwa, a farmed area in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965cross-border conflicts persist among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in the Great Lakes region
Cabo Verde | none
Cambodia | Cambodia is concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam constructionCambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundaryin 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear Temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a UN World Heritage siteCambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activitiesprogress on a joint development area with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands
Cameroon | Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008Cameroon and Nigeria agreed on maritime delimitation in March 2008sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem Riveronly Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Canada | managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Gulf of Maine, including the disputed Machias Seal Island and North RockCanada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelfUS works closely with Canada to intensify security measures for monitoring and controlling legal and illegal movement of people, transport, and commodities across the international bordersovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenlandcommencing the collection of technical evidence for submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in support of claims for continental shelf beyond 200 nm from its declared baselines in the Arctic, as stipulated in Article 76, paragraph 8, of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Cayman Islands | none
Central African Republic | periodic skirmishes persist over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan
Chad | since 2003, ad hoc armed militia groups and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into ChadChad wishes to be a helpful mediator in resolving the Darfur conflict, and in 2010 established a joint border monitoring force with Sudan, which has helped to reduce cross-border banditry and violenceonly Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Chile | Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile has offered instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian natural gasChile rejects Peru's unilateral legislation to change its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis favoring Peru; in October 2007, Peru took its maritime complaint with Chile to the ICJterritorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claimsthe joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur)
China | continuing talks and confidence-building measures work toward reducing tensions over Kashmir that nonetheless remains militarized with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas)India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other mattersChina claims most of India's Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayaslacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China's Chumbi salientBurmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in ChinaChinese maps show an international boundary symbol off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Seas, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon explorationChina asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Bruneithe 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some partiesVietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands;China and ASEAN began formal South China Sea Code of Conduct negotiations in March 2018, but it remains unclear the timeline for a final agreement and how it would be enforced; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwanthe Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwancertain islands in the Yalu and Tumen Rivers are in dispute with North KoreaNorth Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privations and oppression, by building a fence along portions of the border and imprisoning North Koreans deported by ChinaChina and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 AgreementChina and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but, as of 2016, energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, remained intent on building seven hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests Chinese and Hong Kong authorities met in March 2008 to resolve ownership and use of lands recovered in Shenzhen River channelization, including 96-hectare Lok Ma Chau Loop
Christmas Island | none
Clipperton Island | none
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | none
Colombia | in December 2007, ICJ allocated San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but did not rule on 82 degrees W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaraguamanaged dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of VenezuelaColombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countriesColombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank
Comoros | claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel
Congo, Democratic Republic of the | heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledged in 2004 to abate tribal, rebel, and militia fighting in the region, including northeast Congo, where the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), organized in 1999, maintains over 16,500 uniformed peacekeepersmembers of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army forces continue to seek refuge in Congo's Garamba National Park as peace talks with the Uganda Government evolvethe location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool areaUganda and DRC dispute Rukwanzi Island in Lake Albert and other areas on the Semliki River with hydrocarbon potentialboundary commission continues discussions over Congolese-administered triangle of land on the right bank of the Lunkinda River claimed by Zambia near the DRC village of Pweto
Congo, Republic of the | the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undefined except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Cook Islands | none
Coral Sea Islands | none
Costa Rica | Costa Rica and Nicaragua regularly file border dispute cases over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island to the International Court of Justice (ICJ); in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013, the ICJ, regarding the disputed territory, ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region
Cote d'Ivoire | disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana
Croatia | dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreementsince the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Piranski Bay and four villages, and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009, however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders, which led to Slovenia lifting its objections to Croatia joining the EU; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirementsSerbia and Croatia have an unresolved border dispute along the Danube river and numerous other unresolved bilateral issues dating back to the conflicts in the 1990s
Cuba | US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to the United States and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease
Cyprus | hostilities in 1974 divided the island into two de facto autonomous entities, the internationally recognized Cypriot Government and a Turkish-Cypriot community (north Cyprus)the 1,000-strong UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has served in Cyprus since 1964 and maintains the buffer zone between north and southon 1 May 2004, Cyprus entered the EU still divided, with the EU's body of legislation and standards (acquis communitaire) suspended in the northTurkey protests Cypriot Government creating hydrocarbon blocks and maritime boundary with Lebanon in March 2007
Czechia | none
Denmark | Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nmsovereignty dispute with Canada over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and GreenlandDenmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission
Djibouti | Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in SomaliaKuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail linkin 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea
Dominica | Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Dominican Republic | Haitian migrants cross the porous border into the Dominican Republic to find workillegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find better work
Ecuador | organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border, which thousands of Colombians also cross to escape the violence in their home country
Egypt | Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundaryEgypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its mapsGazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai borderSaudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir
El Salvador | International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras boundary, in 1992, with final agreement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca advocating Honduran access to the PacificEl Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not identified in the ICJ decision, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca
Equatorial Guinea | in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River and imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision delayed final delimitationUN urged Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane and lesser islands and to create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Eritrea | Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation StatementSudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groupsin 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea
Estonia | Russia and Estonia in May 2005 signed a technical border agreement, but Russia in June 2005 recalled its signature after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of TartuRussia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty textRussia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estoniaas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia implements strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Eswatini | in 2006, Swazi king advocated resorting to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa
Ethiopia | Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statementthe undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo regionEthiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist courts from Mogadishu in January 2007"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopiacivil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia
European Union | as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia has no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco and with the UK over Gibraltarthe EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 22 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements or "acquis" (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europethese agreements became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), Switzerland since 2008, and Liechtenstein since 2011 bringing the total current membership to 26the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal mattersnine of the 13 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen on 21 December 2007; of the four remaining EU states, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia are obligated to eventually join, while Cyprus' entry is held up by the ongoing Cyprus dispute
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by forceUK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks
Faroe Islands | because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferredIceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim to UNCLOS that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Fiji | none
Finland | various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the former Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands
France | Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova IslandComoros claims MayotteMauritius claims Tromelin Islandterritorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French GuianaFrance asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land)France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
French Polynesia | none
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the US Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): claimed by Madagascar; the vegetated drying cays of Banc du Geyser, which were claimed by Madagascar in 1976, also fall within the EEZ claims of the Comoros and France (Glorioso Islands); Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): claimed by Mauritius
Gabon | UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Gambia, The | attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states
Gaza Strip | the status of the Gaza Strip is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiationsIsrael removed settlers and military personnel from Gaza Strip in September 2005
Georgia | Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia
Germany | none
Ghana | disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire
Gibraltar | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy
Greece | Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean SeaGreece rejects the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedoniathe mass migration of unemployed Albanians still remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy
Greenland | managed dispute between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Canada's Ellesmere Island and GreenlandDenmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission
Grenada | none
Guam | none
Guatemala | annual ministerial meetings under the Organization of American States-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean SeaGuatemala persists in its territorial claim to half of Belize, but agrees to Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interiorboth countries agreed in 2008 to hold referenda to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution; Guatemala’s referendum is scheduled for 15 April 2018Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the US
Guernsey | none
Guinea | Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa Rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga, occupied since 1998
Guinea-Bissau | a longstanding low-grade conflict continues in parts of Casamance, in Senegal across the border; some rebels use Guinea-Bissau as a safe haven
Guyana | all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundaryGuyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their watersSuriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari Rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne
Haiti | since 2004, peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti have assisted in maintaining civil order in Haiti; the mission currently includes 6,685 military, 2,607 police, and 443 civilian personneldespite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countriesHaiti claims US-administered Navassa Island
Heard Island and McDonald Islands | none
Holy See (Vatican City) | none
Honduras | International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the PacificEl Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of FonsecaHonduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum
Hong Kong | Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods
Howland Island | none
Hungary | bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continue in 2006 with Slovakia over Hungary's failure to complete its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danubeas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary has implemented the strict Schengen border rules
Iceland | Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nmthe European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority filed a suit against Iceland, claiming the country violated the Agreement on the European Economic Area in failing to pay minimum compensation to Icesave depositors
India | since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas) India and Pakistan resumed bilateral dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian SeaPakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat StatePrime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implementedBangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the SeaJoint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani RiverIndia maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
Indian Ocean | some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Indonesia | Indonesia has a stated foreign policy objective of establishing stable fixed land and maritime boundaries with all of its neighborsthree stretches of land borders with Timor-Leste have yet to be delimited, two of which are in the Oecussi exclave area, and no maritime or Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundaries have been established between the countriesall borders between Indonesia and Australia have been agreed upon bilaterally, but a 1997 treaty that would settle the last of their maritime and EEZ boundary has yet to be ratified by Indonesia's legislatureIndonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catchesland and maritime negotiations with Malaysia are ongoing, and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes SeaIndonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalizing their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam IslandIndonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guineamaritime delimitation talks continue with PalauEEZ negotiations with Vietnam are ongoing, and the two countries in Fall 2011 agreed to work together to reduce illegal fishing along their maritime boundary
Iran | Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed Helmand River tributaries during droughtIraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian GulfIran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by IranAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the seaAfghan and Iranian commissioners have discussed boundary monument densification and resurvey
Iraq | Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian GulfTurkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq
Ireland | Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Isle of Man | none
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 negotiationIsrael continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West BankIsrael withdrew its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West Bank in August 2005Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied Syria (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights)since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization headquartered in Jerusalem monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Italy | Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Jamaica | none
Jan Mayen | none
Japan | the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilitiesJapan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan
Jarvis Island | none
Jersey | none
Johnston Atoll | none
Jordan | 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstanfield demarcation of the boundaries commenced with Uzbekistan in 2004 and with Turkmenistan in 2005ongoing demarcation with Russia began in 2007demarcation with China was completed in 2002creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains under discussionAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea
Kenya | Kenya served as an important mediator in brokering Sudan's north-south separation in February 2005Kenya provides shelter to an estimated 580,000 refugees, including Ugandans who flee across the border periodically to seek protection from Lord's Resistance Army rebelsKenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoraliststhe boundary that separates Kenya's and Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times
Kingman Reef | none
Kiribati | none
Korea, North | risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppressionNorth Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen RiversMilitary Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundaryNorth Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
Korea, South | Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundarySouth Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
Kosovo | Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent stateethnic Serbian municipalities living in Kosovo along the northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundaryseveral thousand NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in KosovoKosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008
Kuwait | Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iranno maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstandisputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistandelimitation of 130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes over enclaves and other areas
Laos | southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flutalks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; Cambodia and Laos have a longstanding border demarcation disputeconcern among Mekong River Commission members that China's construction of eight dams on the Upper Mekong River and construction of more dams on its tributaries will affect water levels, sediment flows, and fisheriesCambodia and Vietnam are concerned about Laos' extensive plans for upstream dam construction for the same reasons
Latvia | Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latviaboundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuaniathe Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rightsas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Lebanon | lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in disputesince 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heightsthe roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon has been in place since 1978
Lesotho | South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration
Liberia | as the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) continues to drawdown prior to the 1 March 2018 closure date, the peacekeeping force is being reduced to 434 soldiers and two police unitssome Liberian refugees still remain in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and GhanaLiberia shelters almost 15,000 Ivoirian refugees, as of May 2017; in 2017, Liberia's 3 refugee camps will be converted into "settlements" and remaining Ivoirian refugees will be integrated into local communities
Libya | dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Moroccovarious Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya
Liechtenstein | none
Lithuania | Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to strict Schengen border rulesboundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuaniaas of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation
Luxembourg | none
Macau | none
Macedonia | Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar | claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)the vegetated drying cays of Banc du Geyser, which were claimed by Madagascar in 1976, also fall within the EEZ claims of the Comoros and France (Glorioso Islands, part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands)
Malawi | dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River; Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory, while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake; the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake
Malaysia | while the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some partiesMalaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islandsdisputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straitsin 2008, ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia, but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledgeland and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Seaseparatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activitiesPhilippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneoper Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Bruneipiracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Maldives | none
Mali | demarcation is underway with Burkina Faso
Malta | none
Marshall Islands | claims US territory of Wake Island
Mauritania | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
Mauritius | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islandsclaims French-administered Tromelin Island
Mexico | abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangementsthe US has intensified security measures to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across its border with MexicoMexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the USBelize and Mexico are working to solve minor border demarcation discrepancies arising from inaccuracies in the 1898 border treaty
Micronesia, Federated States of | none
Midway Islands | none
Moldova | Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops
Monaco | none
Mongolia | none
Montenegro | none
Montserrat | none
Morocco | claims and administers Western Sahara whose sovereignty remains unresolvedMorocco 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; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island)discussions have not progressed on a comprehensive maritime delimitation, setting limits on resource exploration and refugee interdiction, since Morocco's 2002 rejection of Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary IslandsMorocco serves as one of the primary launching areas of illegal migration into Spain from North AfricaAlgeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and trafficking arms and drugsthe National Liberation Front's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco is a dormant dispute
Mozambique | South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration
Namibia | concerns from international experts and local populations over the Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls along the Angola-Namibia borderthe governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange RiverNamibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river
Nauru | none
Navassa Island | claimed by Haiti, source of subsistence fishing
Nepal | joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani RiverIndia has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of illegal cross-border activities
Netherlands | none
New Caledonia | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
New Zealand | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Nicaragua | the 1992 ICJ ruling for El Salvador and Honduras advised a tripartite resolution to establish a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca, which considers Honduran access to the PacificNicaragua and Costa Rica regularly file border dispute cases to the ICJ over the delimitations of the San Juan River and the northern tip of Calero Island; in Februay 2018, the ICJ determined Pacific and Atlantic ocean maritime borders as well as land borders, including the status of Calero Island; in 2009, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rican vessels carrying out police activities could not use the river, but official Costa Rican vessels providing essential services to riverside inhabitants and Costa Rican tourists could travel freely on the river; in 2011, the ICJ provisionally ruled that both countries must remove personnel from the disputed area; in 2013, the ICJ rejected Nicaragua's 2012 suit to halt Costa Rica's construction of a highway paralleling the river on the grounds of irreparable environmental damage; in 2013 regarding the disputed territory, the ICJ ordered that Nicaragua should refrain from dredging or canal construction and refill and repair damage caused by trenches connecting the river to the Caribbean and upheld its 2010 ruling that Nicaragua must remove all personnel; in early 2014, Costa Rica brought Nicaragua to the ICJ over offshore oil concessions in the disputed region; in 2015, the ICJ ruled that Costa Rica had sovereignty over the northern part of Isla Portillos and that Nicaragua was in breach of Costa Rican territorial sovereignty since 2010. The ICJ ordered Nicaragua to make reparations to Costa Rica, and after both parties failed to agree on the reparation sum, the ICJ ruled an amount in February 2018; Nicaragua filed a case against Colombia in 2013 over the delimitation of the continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast, as well as over the alleged violation by Colombia of Nicaraguan maritime space in the Caribbean Sea
Niger | Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo regionlocation of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolvedonly Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty that also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundariesthe dispute with Burkina Faso was referred to the ICJ in 2010
Nigeria | Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phaseout of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issuesthe ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementationonly Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundarieslocation of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved
Niue | none
Norfolk Island | none
Northern Mariana Islands | none
Norway | Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf)Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submissionNorway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010
Oman | boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public
Pacific Ocean | some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Pakistan | various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the regionKashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas)UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease-fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed standoff in the Siachen glacier regionPakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributariesto defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian SeaPakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat Statesince 2002, with UN assistance, Pakistan has repatriated 3.8 million Afghan refugees, leaving about 2.6 millionPakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activitiesAfghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps
Palau | maritime delineation negotiations continue with Philippines, Indonesia
Palmyra Atoll | none
Panama | organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama
Papua New Guinea | relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists
Paracel Islands | occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
Paraguay | unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for violent extremist organizations
Peru | Chile and Ecuador rejected Peru's November 2005 unilateral legislation to shift the axis of their joint treaty-defined maritime boundaries along the parallels of latitude to equidistance lines which favor Peruorganized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia have penetrated Peru's shared borderPeru rejects Bolivia's claim to restore maritime access through a sovereign corridor through Chile along the Peruvian border
Philippines | Philippines claims sovereignty over Scarborough Reef (also claimed by China together with Taiwan) and over certain of the Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnamthe 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputantsin March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly IslandsPhilippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalfmaritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau
Pitcairn Islands | none
Poland | as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine
Portugal | Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Puerto Rico | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work
Qatar | none
Romania | the ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitationRomania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Russia | Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countriesChina and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with the 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputesthe sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilitiesRussia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with GeorgiaAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the seaNorway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following World War II but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demandsRussia and Estonia signed a technical border agreement in May 2005, but Russia recalled its signature in June 2005 after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of TartuRussia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty textRussia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia; Russia remains involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine while also occupying Ukraine’s territory of Crimea Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, where strict Schengen border rules applypreparations for the demarcation delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commencedthe dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov is suspended due to the occupation of Crimea by RussiaKazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement with the USDenmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission
Rwanda | Burundi and Rwanda dispute two sq km (0.8 sq mi) of Sabanerwa, a farmed area in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces in Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), Rwanda, and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade ago due largely to UN peacekeeping, international mediation, and efforts by local governments to create civil societiesnonetheless, 57,000 Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states, including Zambia, Gabon, and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 to escape drought and recriminations from traditional courts investigating the 1994 massacresthe 2005 DROC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of the border remains in place
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha | none
Saint Kitts and Nevis | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Saint Lucia | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | none
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Samoa | none
San Marino | none
Sao Tome and Principe | none
Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activitiesKuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with IranSaudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir
Senegal | cross-border trafficking in persons, timber, wildlife, and cannabis; rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces in the Casamance find refuge in Guinea-Bissau
Serbia | Serbia protests the US, and other states', recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent stateethnic Serbian municipalities living in Kosovo along the northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundaryseveral thousand NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in KosovoSerbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in disputeSerbia and Croatia have an unresolved border dispute along the Danube river and numerous other unresolved bilateral issues dating back to the conflicts in the 1990s
Seychelles | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone opposes Guinean troops' continued occupation of Yenga, a small village on the Makona River that serves as a border with Guinea; Guinea's forces came to Yenga in the mid-1990s to help the Sierra Leonean military to suppress rebels and to secure their common border but have remained there even after both countries signed a 2005 agreement acknowledging that Yenga belonged to Sierra Leone; in 2012, the two sides signed a declaration to demilitarize the area
Singapore | disputes persist with Malaysia over each country’s extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straitsin 2008, ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia, but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledgein 2017, Malaysia filed a challenge to the 2008 ruling and applied for ownership of South Ledge; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Slovakia | bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continued between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danubeas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovakia has implemented strict Schengen border rules
Slovenia | since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Piranski Bay and four villages, and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009, however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders, which led Slovenia to lift its objections to Croatia joining the EUas a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Slovenia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirements
Solomon Islands | from 2003 to 2017, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security
Somalia | Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007"Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states"Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claimsthe undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo regionKenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
South Africa | South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migrationthe governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force
South Sudan | South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment, final alignment pending negotiations and demarcationfinal sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudanperiodic violent skirmishes with South Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republicthe boundary that separates Kenya and South Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times
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 Oceanseveral states have expressed an interest in extending those continental shelf claims under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to include undersea ridgesthe 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 exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west
Spain | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomyafter voters in the UK chose to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum, Spain again proposed shared sovereignty of Gibraltar; UK officials rejected Spain’s joint sovereignty proposalMorocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island)Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North AfricaPortugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Spratly Islands | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China (including Taiwan) and Vietnamparts of them are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippinesdespite no public territorial claim to Louisa Reef, Brunei implicitly lays claim by including it within the natural prolongation of its continental shelf and basis for a seabed median with Vietnamclaimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka | none
Sudan | the effects of Sudan's ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring statesChad wishes to be a helpful mediator in resolving the Darfur conflict, and in 2010 established a joint border monitoring force with Sudan, which has helped to reduce cross-border banditry and violenceas of April 2017, more than 610,000 Sudanese refugees are being hosted in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South SudanSudan, in turn, is hosting about 507,000 refugees, including more than 375,000 from South SudanSudan accuses South Sudan of supporting Sudanese rebel groupsSudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of the Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundaryperiodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African RepublicSouth Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment, final alignment pending negotiations and demarcationfinal sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan
Suriname | area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the CourantyneGuyana seeks UN Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitration to resolve the longstanding dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
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
Sweden | none
Switzerland | none
Syria | Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force patrolling a buffer zone since 1964lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in disputesince 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms in the Golan Heights2004 Agreement and pending demarcation would settle border dispute with Jordan
Taiwan | involved in complex dispute with Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam over the Spratly Islands, and with China and the Philippines over Scarborough Reefthe 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputantsParacel Islands are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnamin 2003, China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting
Tajikistan | in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002talks continue with Uzbekistan to delimit border and remove minefieldsdisputes in Isfara Valley delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan
Tanzania | dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River; Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory, while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake; the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake
Thailand | separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activitiesSoutheast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flutalks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong Riverdespite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activitiesCambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundaryin 2011, Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage siteThailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burmain 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailandapproximately 105,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border
Timor-Leste | three stretches of land borders with Indonesia have yet to be delimited, two of which are in the Oecussi exclave area, and no maritime or Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundaries have been established between the countriesmaritime boundaries with Indonesia remain unresolvedin 2018, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a permanent maritime border treaty, scrapping a 2007 development zone and revenue sharing arrangement between the countries
Togo | in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundarytalks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River
Tokelau | Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olosega) in its 2006 draft independence constitution
Tonga | none
Trinidad and Tobago | Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's EEZin 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian watersGuyana has expressed its intention to include itself in the arbitration, as the Trinidad and Tobago-Venezuela maritime boundary may also extend into its waters
Tunisia | none
Turkey | complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Seastatus of north Cyprus question remainsTurkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraqin 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has falteredTurkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley
Turkmenistan | cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river statesfield demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005 and with Uzbekistan in 2017, but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Kazakhstan due to indecision over how to allocate the sea's waters and seabedbilateral talks continue with Azerbaijan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian
Turks and Caicos Islands | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Tuvalu | none
Uganda | Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its bordersUgandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National ParkLRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Ukraine | 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains unratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border securitydelimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete and demarcation began in 2012the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov is suspended due to the occupation of Crimea by RussiaUkraine and Moldova signed an agreement officially delimiting their border in 1999, but the border has not been demarcated due to Moldova's difficulties with the break-away region of TransnistriaMoldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's Transnistria Region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troopsthe ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitationRomania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
United Arab Emirates | boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been publishedIran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies
United Kingdom | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countriesSpain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomyMauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory)in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted UK citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of returnin addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources thereinUK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsterritorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claimIceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
United States | the US has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international bordersabundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratificationCanada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelfThe Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundaryUS Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the leaseHaiti claims US-administered Navassa IslandUS has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other statesMarshall Islands claims Wake IslandTokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges | none
Uruguay | in 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regimeuncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in questionsmuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border
Uzbekistan | prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river statesfield demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas
Vanuatu | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France
Venezuela | claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundaryGuyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their watersdispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of VenezuelaColombian organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border regionUS, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean SeaDominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
Vietnam | southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian fluCambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along borderCambodia accuses Vietnam of a wide variety of illicit cross-border activitiesprogress on a joint development area with Cambodia is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islandsan estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in Chinaestablishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islandsthe decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and TaiwanBrunei claims a maritime boundary extending beyond as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Lousia Reefthe 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputantsVietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islandsin March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly IslandsEconomic Exclusion Zone negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing, and the two countries in Fall 2011 agreed to work together to reduce illegal fishing along their maritime boundary
Virgin Islands | none
Wake Island | claimed by Marshall Islands
Wallis and Futuna | none
West Bank | the current status of the West Bank is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiationIsrael continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West BankIsrael withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Western Sahara | no country has recognized Morocco’s claim to the Western Saharaseveral states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeriamore than 100,000 Sahrawi refugees continue to be sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria, which has hosted Sahrawi refugees since the 1980s
World | stretching over 250,000 km, the world's 325 international land boundaries separate 195 independent states and 71 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entitiesethnicity, 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 boundariesmost maritime states have claimed limits that include territorial seas and exclusive economic zones; overlapping limits due to adjacent or opposite coasts create the potential for 430 bilateral maritime boundaries of which 209 have agreements that include contiguous and non-contiguous segmentsboundary, borderland/resource, and territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to violent or militarizedundemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries tend to encourage illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontationterritorial disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they may be brought on by resource competitionethnic and cultural clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial fragmentation and internal displacement of the estimated 20.8 million people and cross-border displacements of approximately 12.1 million refugees and asylum seekers around the world as of mid-2013over half a million refugees were repatriated during 2012other sources of contention include access to water and mineral (especially hydrocarbon) resources, fisheries, and arable landarmed conflict prevails not so much between the uniformed armed forces of independent states as between stateless armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental degradation
Yemen | Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities
Zambia | in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river
Zimbabwe | Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the riverSouth Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

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