I.

Introduction

Disputed Areas, territories over which two or more countries or groups of people claim sovereignty. Governments or people who have a stake in the disputes are usually very sensitive about how these regions are portrayed on maps.

This article is intended to be a reference guide to the disputed areas and borders shown on the maps in the Encarta Premium World Atlas. It is not a comprehensive listing of all territorial, border, or other geopolitical disputes between nations or peoples. In dealing with disputed areas, the cartographers have strived to find neutral ground and present opposing points of view where appropriate.

In the World Atlas, disputed borders appear as broken orange lines. Labels for some disputed areas include the word “(disputed)”.

II.

Arunachal Pradesh

China claims the northern part of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The boundary has been disputed since 1914, when the British, who had recently incorporated the tribal territory into British India, proposed a border that China never ratified. Although China invaded the area several times after India became independent in 1947, the proposed border remains the de facto boundary.

III.

Bakassi Peninsula

The Bakassi Peninsula is claimed by both Cameroon and Nigeria. Administered by Cameroon since 1960, the oil-rich peninsula was invaded by Nigerian forces in 1994. Although the question of ownership was subsequently submitted to the International Court of Justice, armed clashes resumed in 1996 and 1998. In October 2002 the court awarded sovereignty of the peninsula to Cameroon. However, Nigeria rejected the ruling and for many months refused to hand over the area. Talks continue to try to end the dispute.

IV.

Cyprus

Following an invasion by Turkish forces in 1974, the northern third of Cyprus came under Turkish control. This area proclaimed itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, but Turkey alone recognizes this republic. The southern portion remains under the control of the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government. The two areas are separated by a United Nations buffer zone.

V.

Falkland Islands

Both the United Kingdom and Argentina claim sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), which the United Kingdom controls. In 1982 Argentina invaded the islands, but the United Kingdom retained control after a brief regional war. Argentina continues to assert its claim to the islands.

VI.

Gaza Strip

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in 1967. Following negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) assumed administrative control of Palestinian areas in 1994. In 2004, Israel’s parliament approved prime minister Ariel Sharon’s plans to withdraw Israeli settlements and troops from the Gaza Strip. The evacuation of the settlements took place in August 2005. The final status of the region remains unresolved.

VII.

Golan Heights

Israel occupied the Golan Heights region of Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Syria refuses to recognize Israel’s authority in the region.

VIII.

Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistan, India, and China each claim all or part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. A ceasefire agreement in 1949 divided the region into two sectors: the eastern part administered by India as the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the western part administered by Pakistan as Azad (“Free”) Kashmir and the Northern Areas. In 1950 China occupied the north-eastern portion of Kashmir, known as Aksai Chin.

IX.

Kenya/Sudan Border

Sudan and Kenya dispute the ownership of an area along their common border known as the Ilemi Triangle. This area is administered by Kenya but claimed by Sudan.

X.

Kuril Islands

Japan and Russia each claim the southern Kuril Islands. Settled by both countries in the 18th century, the Kuril Island chain became Japanese territory through a treaty signed in 1875. Japan ceded the islands to the USSR after World War II, but maintained a claim to the southernmost islands. After the USSR was dissolved in 1991, Russia continued to claim and occupy all of the islands.

XI.

Libya/Algeria Border

Libya claims a small part of south-eastern Algeria.

XII.

Mayotte

The Indian Ocean island of Mayotte is administered by France, although Comoros, the neighbouring island nation, claims sovereignty over it. In 1974 the four islands of the Comoros archipelago voted on whether or not to become independent from France, and only Mayotte voted to remain a French dependency. In the following year the Comoros unilaterally declared independence, claiming Mayotte as part of its territory, but Mayotte chose in a second referendum in 1976 to remain a dependency of France. Comoros bases its claim on the belief that the 1974 referendum was an archipelago-wide vote, while Mayotte views it as an island-by-island decision. The provisional status of Mayotte was resolved in January 2000 when representatives of the island's authorities signed an agreement with the French government, confirming that the island would remain French as a “departmental community” of France. The island's population ratified the agreement in a referendum in July 2000.

XIII.

Nagorno-Karabakh

The Nagorno-Karabakh region is part of Azerbaijan, but Armenians comprise the majority of the population. Between 1988 and 1994 the enclave fought Soviet, then Azerbaijani, forces for secession. A ceasefire was established in May 1994, which left the region under the control of separatist ethnic Armenians. After seven years of an uneasy truce and stalling negotiations, new peace initiatives, brokered by France and Turkey, were formulated in early 2001. Nonetheless, neither Azerbaijan nor the United Nations recognize the region's separation from Azerbaijan.

XIV.

Ogadēn

Somalia claims sovereignty over Ogadēn, an ethnically Somali region of far eastern Ethiopia. In 1977 Somalia invaded Ogadēn in an attempt to annex it, but Somali forces were defeated by the Ethiopian army in 1978. Ethiopia and Somalia signed a peace accord in 1988 but Somalia did not renounce its claim to the region.

XV.

Suriname/French Guiana Border

Suriname claims the area in south-western French Guiana between the Litani and Maroni rivers.

XVI.

Suriname/Guyana Border

Suriname claims the area in Guyana between the Courantyne and New rivers.

XVII.

Venezuela/Guyana Disputed Border

Venezuela claims the area in Guyana west of the Essequibo River.

XVIII.

West Bank

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. Following negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had assumed administrative control of most Palestinian population centres by early 1996. Under the terms of a 1998 accord, Israel began further withdrawals from the West Bank, but renewed disagreements quickly stalled land transfers. The final status of the region remains unresolved.

XIX.

Western Sahara

Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco, although many Western Saharans are seeking independence for the region. A rebel group called the Polisario Front fought Moroccan forces for 15 years until agreeing to a United Nations-administered ceasefire in 1991. Since that time the United Nations has been working with the two sides to hold a referendum on self-determination, but a dispute over who should be allowed to vote has caused it to be delayed repeatedly.