Borderless country
A
borderless country may be defined as an
island nation, an insular territory over which a nation-state maintains
sovereignty under
international law, that does not share the land territory of the
island with other nation-states which are sovereign under international law. For example, the
Republic of Ireland shares the island of
Ireland with
Northern Ireland and thus is not borderless.
Madagascar, on the other hand, is defined as a borderless country because it controls an entire island. In the example of
Australia most
geographers would argue that one country controls the entire continental
mainland of a
continent. A borderless nation does not have to be located on a single island, as countries such as the
Federated States of Micronesia can consist of thousands of islands.
Cuba is a disputed case of an island nation because the United States exercises effective sovereignty over part of
Guantanamo Bay.
*
Antigua and Barbuda*
Australia *
Bahamas*
Bahrain*
Barbados*
Cape Verde*
Republic of China (Taiwan)
*
Comoros*
Cyprus *
Dominica*
Fiji*
Grenada*
Iceland*
Jamaica*
Japan*
Kiribati*
Madagascar*
Maldives*
Malta*
Marshall Islands*
Mauritius*
Federated States of Micronesia*
Nauru*
New Zealand*
Palau*
Philippines*
Saint Kitts and Nevis*
Saint Lucia*
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines*
Samoa*
São Tomé and Príncipe*
Seychelles*
Singapore*
Solomon Islands*
Sri Lanka*
Tonga*
Trinidad and Tobago*
Tuvalu*
Vanuatu*
Åland*
Aruba*
American Samoa*
Anguilla*
Ashmore and Cartier Islands*
Baker Island*
Bermuda*
Bouvet Island*
Cayman Islands*
Christmas Island*
Cocos (Keeling) Islands*
Cook Islands*
Coral Sea Islands Territory*
Falkland Islands*
Faroe Islands*
French Polynesia*
French Southern and Antarctic Territories*
Greenland*
Guam*
Guernsey*
Heard Island and McDonald Islands*
Howland Island*
British Indian Ocean Territory*
Isle of Man*
Jan Mayen*
Jarvis Island*
Jersey*
Johnston Atoll*
Kingman Reef*
Martinique*
Mayotte*
Midway Atoll*
Montserrat*
Navassa Island*
New Caledonia*
Niue*
Norfolk Island*
Northern Mariana Islands*
Palmyra Atoll*
Pitcairn Islands*
Puerto Rico*
Réunion*
Saint Helena*
Saint Pierre and Miquelon*
Svalbard*
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands*
Tokelau*
Turks and Caicos Islands*
British Virgin Islands*
U.S. Virgin Islands*
Wake Island*
Wallis and Futuna* Guantanamo Bay in
Cuba is a U.S. lease.
* Australia maintains claims to territory in
Antarctica and as such can technically be regarded as having land borders there (to
Norway,
France and
New Zealand).
* The
Republic of China (often referred as "Taiwan") only controls the islands of
Taiwan,
Matsu,
Kinmen,
Penghu etc. after the
Chinese Civil War, but has not formally renounced claim on areas currently under control of
People's Republic of China,
Mongolia,
Tuva (a
Russian republic), etc. If those territories are taken into account, the Republic of China is not a borderless country.
* The north part of
Cyprus is not controlled by Republic of Cyprus, but due to Turkish invasion there is the
de facto state of
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by
Turkey.
* New Zealand maintain claims to territory in
Antarctica and as such can technically be regarded as having land borders there.
*
Market Reef defines the border between
Finland and
Sweden. The lighthouse on the reef is administred directly from Finland and is usually not considered a part of the autonomous
Åland Islands.
*France claims territory in
Antarctica and as such can technically be regarded as having land borders there. Otherwise, islands administered in this
overseas territory have no land borders.
*
Island nation*
List of island nations*
List of countries that border only one other country
