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 MSN Encarta 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)”. The following summaries of disputed areas and borders are grouped by geographic region.

II.

Israeli-Palestinian Disputed Areas

Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967 during the Six-Day War. Following negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian National Authority assumed administrative control of Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip in 1994 and in the West Bank in early 1996. Under the terms of a 1998 accord, Israel began further withdrawals from the West Bank, but renewed disagreements quickly stalled land transfers. In 2005 Israel evacuated Israeli settlers and withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip. The final status of both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank remains unresolved.

III.

Other Disputed Areas in Asia

A.

Abū Mūsá and the Ţunb Islands

The United Arab Emirates and Iran dispute ownership of the Persian Gulf islands of Abū Mūsá, Ţunb al Kubrá, and Ţunb aş Şughrá.

B.

Arunāchal Pradesh

China claims the northern part of the Indian state of Arunāchal 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.

C.

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.

D.

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.

E.

Jammu and Kashmīr

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

F.

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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) after World War II (1939-1945), but maintained a claim to the southernmost islands. After the USSR dissolved in 1991, Russia continued to claim and occupy all of the islands.

G.

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 cease-fire was established in May 1994, but prospects for a negotiated settlement remain dim.

IV.

Africa

A.

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.

B.

Libya/Algeria Border

Libya claims a small part of southeastern Algeria.

C.

Mayotte

The Indian Ocean island of Mayotte is administered by France, although Comoros, the neighboring 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. 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.

D.

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.

E.

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 cease-fire 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.

V.

South America

A.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

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 continued to assert its claims to the islands after the conflict.

B.

Suriname/French Guiana Border

Suriname claims the area in southwest French Guiana between the Litani and Maroni rivers.

C.

Suriname/Guyana Border

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

D.

Venezuela/Guyana Disputed Border

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