Wikipedia / List of divided cities
Wikipedia / List of divided cities
A divided city is one which, as a consequence of political changes or border shifts, currently constitutes (or once constituted) two separate entities, or an urban area with a border running through it. Listed below are the localities and the state they belonged to at the time of division.
Especially notable examples of divided cities are divided capitals, including Nicosia (since 1974), Jerusalem (1948–1967; de jure ongoing since 1948), Berlin (1949–1990) and Beirut (1975–1990).
Former cities now divided
Africa
Joint | Parts | |
North Galkayo (administered by Puntland) | South Galkayo (administered by Galmudug) | |
Americas
Joint | Parts | |
Bristol, U.S. | ||
Carmen de Patagones, Buenos Aires Province | ||
El Paso del Norte, Mexico (divided in 1848 after the Mexican–American War) | El Paso, Texas, United States | Ciudad Juárez, Mexico |
Laredo, New Spain/Mexico | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas(The Mexican city was founded when the border was established, by people moving over the border from what had just become the US city) | |
Lloydminster, Canada, divided between Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1905–1930.The community was founded in 1903 in what was then the Northwest Territories, and located on the Fourth Meridian of the Dominion Land Survey, which became the boundary between the newly created provinces two years later. In 1930, the community was reunited as a single town under the shared jurisdiction of both provinces, and reincorporated as a single city in 1958. | ||
Nogales | Nogales, Arizona, U.S. | Nogales, Sonora, Mexico |
Planaltina, Brazil when Federal District was set as the new national capital in 1960 | ||
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Founded 1668 (France); split 1818, when south bank transferred to USA, while north bank remained British, now Canadian. | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada | |
Texarkana, United States | ||
Washington, DC, U.S., and suburbs | Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)—originally in Maryland, moved to the District of Columbia | |
Alexandria, Virginia—originally in Virginia, moved to District of Columbia, moved back to Virginia |
Asia
Tell Abyad, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
Arappınar, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
Astara, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828)
Dibba, Portuguese fort
Dibba Al-Fujairah (دبا الفجيرة), ruled by the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE
Dibba Al-Hisn (دبا الحصن), ruled by the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE
Dibba Al-Baya (دبا البيعة), ruled by the Governorate of Musandam, Oman
Hili, India, divided since 1947 after partition of India
Hili, India
Hili, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh (1971–)
Jerusalem (de facto reunited in 1967)
East Jerusalem (al-Quds), Palestine; Which was under Jordanian control 1948–1967, under Israeli control since 1967, claimed by Jordan 1967–1988; recognized by the international community as Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation 1967–present
Julfa, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828)
Lo Wu (the romanization used in Hong Kong) / Luohu (the romanization used in mainland China)
1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone (pronounced Rakō) and British Hong Kong
1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
Padang Besar, Malay Peninsula, divided between Malaysia and Thailand. (Note: it is not clear whether the town constituted a single settlement divided by an international border, or is instead an example of a geographical twin city. However, both towns' names, and the majority of their inhabitants, are of Malay origin.)
Rafah divided between the Gaza Strip and Egypt
Resülayn, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
Sha Tau Kok (the romanization used in Hong Kong) / Shatoujiao (the romanization used in mainland China)
1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone (pronounced Satōgaku) and British Hong Kong
1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
Aleppo, Syria, divided between SSG and YPG after the 2024 Battle of Aleppo.
Europe
Baarle, divided since 1194, modern NL–BE division since 1831
Baarle-Hertog, Belgium
Bad Muskau, Germany
Bad Muskau, Germany
Bad Radkersburg, Austria-Hungary
Berlin (since reunited) in Germany
West Berlin, closely associated with West Germany
Bliederstroff, Lorraine (officially divided under the Treaty of Paris in 1815)
Grosbliederstroff, France
Kleinblittersdorf, Germany
Engerau (Petržalka), Austria (reunited after World War II)
Brod-on-Sava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Deryneia, Cyprus (de facto divided since 1974)
Deryneia, Cyprus
Kato Deryneia, North Cyprus
Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
Frankfurt (Oder), East Germany, now Germany
Forst (Lausitz), Germany
Forst (Lausitz), Germany
Gmünd, Austria
Gorizia, Italy
Gorizia, Italy
Nova Gorica, Yugoslavia, now Slovenia
Görlitz, Germany
Görlitz, East Germany, now Germany 60,000
Guben, Germany
Guben, East Germany, now Germany 22,000
Herzogenrath, divided since 1815 at the Congress of Vienna (before that, department of Meuse-Inférieure)
Herzogenrath, Germany (47,187)
Kerkrade, Netherlands (47,681)
Komárom, Hungary
Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia
ethnic-Albanian south (Republic of Kosovo-controlled)
ethnic-Serb north (North Kosovo)
Küstrin, Germany
Küstrin-Kietz, Germany
Laufenburg, divided between Switzerland and Germany
Mödlareuth, Germany (now without boundary wall)
Mödlareuth, Gefell, Thuringia, East Germany
Mödlareuth, Töpen, Bavaria, West Germany
Mostar (since reunited) in Bosnia and Herzegovina between Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Narva, Russian Empire/Soviet Union
Ivangorod, Russia
Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, divided since 1964 and still divided (North Nicosia).
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden (Aargau) (Switzerland)
Rheinfelden (Baden) (Germany)
Fiume, Italy (1924–1944)
Sušak, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (reunited after World War II)
Rome, Italy
Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland (since March 4, 1569)
Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland
Saint-Gingolph, France
Saltney, divided between England and Wales
Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the Dayton Agreement which politically defined the country's political structure, has most of the city within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while some suburbs are within the boundaries of the other entity, Republika Srpska.
Sátoraljaújhely, Austria-Hungary
Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary
Sighetu Marmației, Romania
Solotvyno, the Ukraine
divided between Slovakia and Ukraine (connected with an exclusive border just for the village, the only one in the Schengen area)
Oceania
Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, Australia
Cities that arose next to each other across a boundary line
Africa
Cross-border town | Countries |
/ | |
Brazzaville and Kinshasa | / |
/ |
Asia
Cross-border town | Countries |
Blagoveshchensk and Heihe | / |
Jaigaon and Phuntsholing | / |
Johor Bahru and Singapore | / |
/ | |
/ | |
/ |
Europe
Cross-border town | Countries |
/ | |
Konstanz and Kreuzlingen | / |
Monaco and Beausoleil, Alpes-Maritimes, Les Moneghetti, Saint-Antoine, Figuièra, Les Salines | / |
/ | |
Zvornik, and Mali Zvornik | / |
/ |
North America
Cross-border town | Countries |
/ | |
/ | |
/ | |
New York City and its neighbors (Jersey City, West New York, Hoboken, New Jersey, etc.) across the Hudson River | |
/ | |
/ | |
Tegucigalpa and Comayagua | |
/ |
South America
Cross-border town | Countries |
/ | |
/ | |
/ |
See also
Notes and references
Notes:
a. | There was international controversy on the status of Jerusalem in 1948 which has been further complicated since 1967. See positions on Jerusalem for further information. |
References: