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Territorial dispute

 
Territorial Dispute

 
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Territorial dispute
 
 
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A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
s, or over the possession or control of land by one state after it has conquered it from a former state no longer currently recognized by the occupying power. e disputes are often related to the possession of natural resource
Natural resource

Renewable resources Renewable resources are sometimes living resources,, which can restock themselves if used sustainably and not over- harvested....
s such as river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
s, fertile farmland, mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 or oil
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 resources, although the disputes can also be driven by culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
, religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
 and ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism

Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of Kinship and descent from previous generations....
.






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A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
s, or over the possession or control of land by one state after it has conquered it from a former state no longer currently recognized by the occupying power.
Kashmir Map

Context and definitions

These disputes are often related to the possession of natural resource
Natural resource

Renewable resources Renewable resources are sometimes living resources,, which can restock themselves if used sustainably and not over- harvested....
s such as river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
s, fertile farmland, mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 or oil
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 resources, although the disputes can also be driven by culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
, religion
Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of myth, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendence quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth....
 and ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism

Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of Kinship and descent from previous generations....
. In many cases territorial disputes result from vague and unclear language in a treaty that set up the original boundary.

Territorial disputes are a major cause of war
War

...
s and terrorism
Terrorism

Terrorism, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is the systematic use of terror, "violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands." At present, there is no internationally agreed upon definition of terrorism....
, as states often try to assert their real, or imagined, sovereignty
Sovereignty

File:Leviathan gr.jpgSovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a State, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is a supreme lawmaking authority....
 over a territory through invasion, and non-state entities try to influence the actions of politicians through terrorism. International law does not support the use of force by one state to annex the territory of another state. The says: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations."

In some cases such as the Aksai Chin
Aksai Chin

Aksai Chin is an area located in north eastern Kashmir in the Ladakh area, adjacent to East Turkistan and Tibet , both restive and seditious countries held by China....
, the Taiwan straits, and Kashmir
Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administerd state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir...
, both sides will define a line of control
Line of Control

Specifically, the term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu - a line which, still to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de-facto border....
 that serves as a de-facto international border. Although these lines are often clearly demarcated, they do not have the legitimacy of an agreed international boundary.
  • The term border dispute applies only to the many cases where a limit territory bordering more than one state (including an enclave in one state, e.g. Nagorno Karabakh) is claimed by two or more, not the very existence of a whole state challenged (e.g. the Republic of China
    Republic of China

    The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
    , which the People's Republic of China
    People's Republic of China

    The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
     regards as a defunct and illegitimate entity, with its current jurisdiction of Taiwan
    Taiwan

    Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
     claimed by the PRC as its 23rd province).
  • The term occupied territories
    Occupied territories

    Occupied territories is a term of art in international law. In accordance with Article 42 of the Laws and Customs of War on Land ; October 18, 1907, Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army....
     (see that article) in general refers to regions distinct from the recognized territory of a sovereign state but which it controls, especially with military forces. Even though a long-term occupation is generally maintained as a means to act upon a territorial claim, this is not a prerequisite, as occupation may also be strategic (such as creating a buffer zone
    Buffer zone

    In geography, a buffer zone is any zone area that serves the purpose of keeping two or more other areas distant from one another, for whatever reason....
     or a preventive move to prevent a rival power obtaining control) or a means of coercion (as a punishment, to impose some internal measures or for use as a bargaining chip).
    • Since the latter part of the 20th century, the term "occupied territories" has, in some contexts, come to refer specifically to the West Bank
      West Bank

      The West Bank is the eastern Part of the Palestinian territories on the west bank of the River Jordan in the Middle East. To the west, north, and south the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel....
       and Gaza Strip
      Gaza Strip

      The Gaza Strip is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the south, east and north....
      , whose status is hotly disputed. It is also used for the case of the occupied North of the Republic of Cyprus.
  • The term irredentism
    Irredentism

    Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged....
     (see that article) applies to those border disputes and other territorial claims that one party justifies on the basis of former cultural or ethnic attachment.


Current territorial disputes

See List of territorial disputes
List of territorial disputes

This is a list of extant territorial disputes around the world. Bold indicates one claimant's full control; italics, one or more claimants' partial control....
 and List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
List of active autonomist and secessionist movements

This is a list of currently active Autonomous entity and secessionist movements around the world.Entries on this list meet two criteria: they are active movements with living, active members, and they are seeking greater autonomy or self-determination for a geographic region ....
.

See also

  • Fait accompli
  • Status quo ante bellum
    Status quo ante bellum

    The term status quo ante bellum comes from Latin meaning literally, the state in which things were before the war.The term was originally used in treaty to refer to the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of prewar leadership....
  • Ethnic cleansing
    Ethnic cleansing

    Ethnic cleansing is a euphemism referring to the persecution through imprisonment, expulsion, or killing of members of an ethnic minority by a majority to achieve ethnic homogeneity in majority-controlled territory....
  • Lebensraum
    Lebensraum

    served as a major motivation for Nazi Germany's territorial aggression. In his book Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler detailed his belief that the German people needed Lebensraum , and that it should be taken in the East....
  • Irredentism
    Irredentism

    Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged....
  • Rio Grande border disputes
    Rio Grande border disputes

    The Rio Grande has changed course several times in recorded history, leading to a number of border disputes, both international and between individual U.S....
  • Thalweg
    Thalweg

    Thalweg is a term adopted into English language usage for geography and geomorphology. It signifies the deepest continuous line along a valley or watercourse....
     re waterways


Sources and references

  • - click on any state for the listing (after the chronological lists of statesmen) of Territorial Disputes it is party to
  • [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2070.html Territorial disputes] in CIA World Factbook
  • Queen's University Belfast online audio archive


External references

  • (Peter Middlebrook
    Peter Middlebrook

    Dr. Peter J. Middlebrook is a leading English political economist/Political Scientist specialising in the reconstruction and development of Transition economy and post-conflict economies....
    )