About This Quiz
Do you know how many countries share a border with the United States, Canada or Mexico? Know where the longest and shortest international borders can be found, or which countries have natural borders formed by lakes and rivers? Any idea which countries are completely land-locked, or which nations share a border that straddles Mt. Everest? Take our quiz to test your world borders IQ!
Around 200 million years ago, the world had no borders -- literally. All the land was joined together to form a supercontinent known as Pangaea. Over time, this land gradually broke apart to form the continents we know today, and over the past few thousand years, that land was divided by man into individual nations.
While the borders between these roughly 200 global nations look pretty much the same on a map, they are significantly different in real life. Some are heavily guarded to keep people out -- or in. Others are marked by crossing gates, fences, walls, ropes or nothing at all. Some borders are so complex that they drift back and forth between two different countries, forming pockets and enclaves that can leave you wondering whether you're home or abroad. Others are home to elaborate ceremonies or statues symbolizing peace and unity between neighboring nations.
Think you know everything about the borders of the various countries, and how these countries are located in relation to one another? Take our quiz to find out!
Canada doesn't have a whole lot of other countries sharing its borders, but it does have an impressive coastline. At 125,000 miles, it's the longest coastline of any nation and is bordered by the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
At a million square miles, Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world. This nation, which straddles both Europe and Asia, also happens to be the world's largest landlocked nation.
China borders 16 countries, more than any other nation on Earth. Russia ranks second, with 14 countries sharing its borders.
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The Diomede Islands lie in the Bering Strait, with each of the two islands located on either side of the International Date Line. The larger of the two islands is part of Russia, while the smaller of the two is part of the United States.
The border between Nepal and China lies somewhere along the rocky heights of Mount Everest. This remote border also happens to be the highest international border in the world.
The 2.5 mile demilitarization zone between North and South Korea is considered the most heavily guarded border on Earth. It's also not an actual border, because the countries have technically still been at war since a cease-fire was agreed upon in the '50s.
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The longest land border between any two countries can be found between the U.S. and Canada. It includes the border between the mainland U.S. and Canada, as well as between Alaska and Canada, and totals more than 5,500 miles.
While the border between the U.S. and Canada is the longest land border on the planet, it is broken up between the continental U.S. and Alaska. In terms of the longest continuous land border, the one between Russia and Kazakhstan comes out on top.
Neighboring countries Egypt and Sudan disagree where their borders lie. Both lay claim to an area known as the Hala'ib Triangle, while neither want to own a smaller area called Bir Tawil. As a result, Bir Tawil is the largest unclaimed piece of land on Earth outside Antarctica.
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In 1989, Poland was bordered by the USSR, East Germany and Czechoslovakia. None of these countries exist any longer, so Poland has all new neighbors -- though its own borders haven't actually changed at all.
Botswana and Zambia share the world's shortest international border -- it's less than a tenth of a mile long. The borders of Namibia and Zimbabwe are also located very close to this short border crossing.
The city of Baarle straddles the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. The two countries did their best to mark the physical location of the border using painted lines and crosses on the ground -- though some of these lines pass right through stores, restaurants and even homes.
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When a country is totally land-locked because it is bordered by countries which themselves are land-locked, it is said to be double land-locked. Two countries on Earth share this feature -- Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan.
The earliest fortifications that make up the Great Wall date back to around 700 BC. The wall itself was designed to keep out invaders from the north, and today separates China from Mongolia.
The 5,500-mile border between the U.S. and Canada passes largely through wilderness. Despite this, it's easy to spot, because it's marked by a 20-foot wide clearing where all trees have been removed. This dead zone is known as "The Slash."
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An enclave is an independent nation located entirely within another country's borders. One example is Vatican City, which is located entirely within the country of Italy.
The border between India and Bangladesh is home to 80 percent of the world's enclaves. There was even an ultra-rare third-order enclave until the 21st century, in which a piece of India was located within a piece of Bangladesh, which was located inside a piece of India within Bangladesh. It was called Dahala Khagrabari if you want to investigate further how this worked.
Mexico borders three other countries. The Rio Grande runs along the border between Mexico and the United States, and to its south, Mexico borders Guatemala and the northern tip of Belize.
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The Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan hosts an elaborate gate-locking ritual every evening. For 45 minutes, guards in fanned hats perform a high-kicking dance before locking the gate between the two countries for the night.
Just 16 countries share a border with only one neighbor. This list includes some pretty large players, including Canada and Portugal.
The U.S. shares a border with only two countries. To the north is Canada, and to the south, separated by the Rio Grande, is Mexico.
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Spain borders three countries, including France, Portugal and Andorra. It's also separated from Morocco by the very narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
Vatican City is both the smallest land-locked country and the smallest country overall. It is located entirely within the borders of Italy.
Despite its massive size, Canada shares a border with just one other country. Its shared border with the U.S. stretches more than 5,500 miles.
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In 2015, NASA shared an image taken from the International Space Station. It showed the highly visible border between India and Pakistan glowing bright orange. The orange lights were put in place to help discourage smuggling between the two nations.
The border between Poland and Ukraine has a pretty cool feature embedded into the landscape. Giant grassy fish serve as a symbols of unity between the two nations.
The Tumen River runs 324 miles, at one point serving as a natural border between China, Russia and North Korea. Though heavily polluted, it is a popular tourist spot, with restaurants and other attractions along its banks.
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Lake Constance in Europe has no borders, and is considered a common area by the surrounding countries. It serves as a natural border between Germany to the north, Switzerland to the south and Austria to the east.
Located in central Europe, Germany shares a border with nine countries. They include Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Since 1904, people passing between one spot along the Argentina-Chile border have found themselves faced with a statue of Christ the Redeemer. Weighing 4 tons, it signifies peace between the two nations.
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