Can You Tell What Countries These International Border Crossings Are In?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Tell What Countries These International Border Crossings Are In?
Image: mantaphoto / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Borders mean different things to different nations. For decades, the USA believed in "manifest destiny," pushing its western border until it reached the Pacific. To the Romans, borders were trophies, trade routes and the abstract ideas of what it meant to be called a Roman. Perhaps no time best illustrated the importance of borders and their meaning than the Cold War, when the communist East and the capitalist/democratic West pressed hard on their borders, causing anxiety up and down the fringe of the Iron Curtain.

A country's borders, in combination with its geography, determines how well it can trade, how well defended it is, what natural resources are available and the size of the population it is capable of supporting. As a result, nations guard their borders, seeing every move of their neighbors as a potential threat. Border crossings can be friendly affairs where commuters travel every day, or they can be militarized death traps through which none shall pass. Border crossings happen by accident, and sometimes they happen deliberately, to trade spies or to trade favors between monarchs. Some borders are disputed, while others have been set in stone for centuries, sometimes literally. Do you think you know the world's many border crossings? It's time to find out how worldly you are!

Victoria Falls
kosmozoo / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
One would definitely want to cross this border for the view. Where is it?
Angel Falls
Niagara Falls
Victoria Falls
Sioux Falls
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Separating Zimbabwe from Zambia, Victoria Falls is a sight to behold. One of the largest waterfalls in the world (there are many measures for this) the best views are said to be on the Zimbabwean side of the falls.

North Korea and South Korea border
johnwoodcock / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing is guarded by some serious military hardware. Between which countries is it?
France and Italy
North Korea and South Korea
The United States and Canada
The United States and Mexico
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Demilitarized Zone or DMZ that separates North and South Korea has a lot of military hardware around it for such a name. Either way, thec is the main border, and it once it was the only border crossing between the Koreas.

Derby Line
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
What is the name of this border crossing on this unassuming street in Vermont?
Morses Line
Fly Fifty
Derby Line
Alburg-Noyan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Derby Line is one of the colloquial names used for a border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. It is located (on the American side) at Derby Line, Vermont, and on the Canadian side, Stanstead, Quebec. There is even a library on the border, which really gives new meaning to the sayings about how books can transport the reader.

Advertisement

John F. Kennedy Airport
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This is one of the busiest ports of entry in the world. What border crossing is it?
Narita International Airport
John F. Kennedy Airport
Zurich Airport
Taoyuan International Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 21st busiest airport in the world, John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major intake point for international travelers coming from the east of North America. A massive airport with many terminals, JFK currently has 54 passenger airlines operating regularly in its main terminals.

Little St Bernard Pass
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Just imagine how quiet this place must be. What border crossing do you think this is?
Little St. Bernard Pass
Livigno Pass
Niederalpl Pass
San Bernardino Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Little St. Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps and a border crossing from Switzerland into northern Italy. Many people do not think of Swiss mountains as the sort of thing one would see in northern Italy, but the people living around Lake Como would beg to differ.

Rio Grande
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
No longer a border crossing, this border crossing was created by natural forces. What border crossing is it?
Gibraltar
Nogales
Cordova Bridge
El Paso
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Rio Grande more or less forms the southernmost border of the United States, but rivers have a way of wiggling around. When an 1897 flood of the river ended, the river was in a different place, but the border was the same. This meant now there was an island off he border of the river, that was in Mexico, necessitating this crossing until 1967.

Advertisement

The Peace Arch
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing separates a country from another country, but the first country isn't connected to itself. What crossing is it?
Khyber Mail
Capitol 400
The Peace Arch
Beit Furik
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thanks to a quirk of the 49th parallel, there's a little bit of America attached to Canada on the north side of Boundary Bay in Washington State. One has to leave the U.S. to get to this bit of America, and to get from that bit of America to Canada involves passing through the Peace Arch in Blaine, Washington.

Grand Trunk Road
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Some border crossings are contentious and heavily guarded, as is this one. Which is it?
Gotthard Rail Tunnel
Grand Trunk Road
Shenzhen Bay Port
Coquelles Eurotunnel Terminus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Wagah-Attari border crossing at Grand Trunk Road is the scene of a daily international dance-off between soldiers from Pakistan and soldiers from India. Conducted at sunset, it's a way for the two sides of a serious international conflict to engage with each other in a way that isn't by fighting.

Reschen Pass
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Heavenly, isn't it? What is the name of this border crossing?
Radstädter Tauern Pass
Reschen Pass
Col de la Lombarde
Bernina Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Reschen Pass is a breathtaking Alpine border crossing and mountain pass between Austria and Italy. Think of it as the scenery from "The Sound of Music" with the cuisine of "Roman Holiday."

Advertisement

Bangunan Sultan Iskandar
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
A modern architecture masterpiece? It's in the eye of the beholder. What border crossing do you believe this to be?
Futian Port
Puerto Fronterizo Mesa de Otay
Luohu Port
Bangunan Sultan Iskandar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Located in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar — or BSI for short — was completed in 2008, and at nearly 2.5 million square feet, it dominates immigration in the region, at least by road. It is the second busiest land border checkpoint in the world.

UN Cyprus Buffer Zone
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border opened up in 2003 but was a strange bit of theater before then. What border crossing is it?
Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel
Saint Malo Port
A-Sawahrah-A-Sharqiyah Checkpoint
UN Cyprus Buffer Zone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before joining the European Union and opening the border, the southern (Greek) part of Cyprus and the northern (Turkish) part of Cyprus had very high tensions around their border, and the United Nations had to step in to keep the peace. Now, with the open border, commerce and tourism win the day!

The Trans-Mongolian Railway
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Where is this exceptionally stark border crossing?
The Trans-Siberian Railway
CNL Berliner
The Trans-Mongolian Railway
Awam Express
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Trans-Mongolian Railway is a scenic but strange way to travel from China to Mongolia. Slicing through a remote and desolate landscape, the journey includes something called "the changing of the bogies," in which the trains are lifted off their trucks (the wheels) and placed on new ones because the train tracks in Mongolia are completely different from what they are in China.

Advertisement

The Diomede Islands
Gabriella Balista / HowStuffWorks
The lonely islands seen here straddle the International Date Line. What border crossing are they?
Crete-Cyprus
Isla Nublar
The Diomede Islands
Easter Island
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Diomede Islands aren't in one country. One, in Alaska, is American, while the other is Russian. Yes, one can be seen from the other. In addition to the border between the two, the International Date Line runs between them.

Checkpoint Charlie
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This may be the most famous border crossing of them all. What is its name?
The DMZ
Belladere–Comendador
Schober Pass
Checkpoint Charlie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After World War II, Germany was a divided country, and Berlin was a divided city. The border crossing in Berlin, famous for many a spy transfer, was Checkpoint C, also known as Checkpoint Charlie.

Changi Airport
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
What you see here is a border crossing that takes up about one fifty-fifth of the entire country. What are we looking at?
Frankfurt Airport
Dubai International Airport
Heathrow Airport
Changi Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Singapore is 277 miles in area. Changi Airport, which services Singapore is 5 square miles in area. That means the airport is just about one fifty-fifth the size of the entire country. This is impressive, given that it's one of the busiest airports in the world.

Advertisement

Malpasse-Jimani
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing is between two nations whose border is visible from space. What border crossing is it?
Malpasse–Jimani
Bielerhöhe
Belladere–Comendador
Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Malpasse–Jimani border crossing between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is the busiest of the three border crossings opened to those who are not from either nation. The other two border crossings are Ouanaminthe–Dajabon and Belladere–Comendador. Due to deforestation in Haiti, the border is often visible in satellite photos.

The Chunnel
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
One nation feared the existence of this border crossing for centuries. Then they built it. What is it?
The Chunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel
State Route 99 Tunnel
Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

For centuries, the British worried about the possibility of the French building a tunnel under the English Channel, fearing that it could be used for an invasion. In the late 20th century, this tunnel, nicknamed the Chunnel, was built in cooperation between the U.K. and the French governments.

Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This lonely spot is the crossing of a border between two major nations. Which of these border crossings is it?
Malpaso
Hochtor
Vladivostok Railway
Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli border crossing between Russia and China is the result of conflicts between Russia and China almost a century ago, and it was the site of an overlooked event in WWII. It was here that a group of Jewish refugees escaping the Nazis were allowed entry into China.

Advertisement

Heathrow Airport
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
What you see here is one of the busiest border crossings in the world. Which of these is it?
Newark International Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Seoul Incheon International Airport
Heathrow Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The second-busiest airport in the world by international passenger travel and the seventh-busiest overall, Heathrow Airport is the busiest transit hub in Europe. Though the border has changed due to Brexit, the fact that this is a major international crossing remains, as anyone who has to wait on line at immigration and customs will attest.

Kavkaz-Krym
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing remains legally a border crossing, but one side disputes it and the other can do little about it. What is it?
Kavkaz–Krym
Kvak-Sylkram
Vischintoff-Nordbern
Skyrim-GoTland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Russia and Ukraine were once both elements of the USSR. In that time, the USSR designated the Crimean Peninsula as part of Ukraine, as a gift from Russia, returning what it had once taken. In recent years, Vladimir V. Putin of Russia's regime illegally annexed the peninsula, rendering this border crossing a relic of a past to which the nations may never return.

Vaalimaa
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
What you see here is a border crossing between two nations with "a history." What border crossing is it?
Øresundsbroen
Sölk Pass
Flexen Pass
Vaalimaa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vaalimaa is one of the two major border crossings between Finland and Russia. The Finns have a long history of being invaded by Russia, going back centuries. They even have a special word to refer to the type of stoic bravery they have had to develop in order to face the Russian armies: "Sisu."

Advertisement

Dubai International Airport
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
The border crossing seen here is the busiest of its kind in the world. Which of these border crossings is it?
Dubai International Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Newark International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dubai International Airport may have opened in 1960, but it has come a long way since then, rising to become the busiest airport by international passenger traffic in the world. It manages this with only three terminals, one of which is for cargo only.

Toronto Pearson International Airport
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
What you see here is a very busy international border crossing for its part of the world. Where are we?
Los Angeles International Airport
Newark International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Located in southeastern Canada, Toronto Pearson International Airport is among the busiest airports in the world, and it is the busiest airport in Canada. Serving both passengers and cargo, this airport has only three terminals.

Øresundsbroen
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This is a gorgeous border crossing. What's its name?
Sommarøy Bridge
Øresundsbroen
Vebjørn Sand Da Vinci Project
Top of the World Highway
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Øresundsbroen, AKA Øresund Bridge, is a border crossing between Denmark and Sweden. The largest bridge to combine trains and motor vehicles, it connects Malmö, Sweden, to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Advertisement

Baarle-Hertog
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This may look like an ordinary town, but its border is more complex than in nearly any other place in the world. Where is this?
Baarle-Hertog
Amsterdam
Copehagen
Sea-Land
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Belgium and the Netherlands have been shaped by wars and deals struck by various European aristocrats over the centuries. One result of this is the combined border towns of Baarle-Hertog, where bits of the Netherlands are dotted throughout the Belgian parts of the city and vice versa.

The South Pole
JakeOlimb / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Stark and white, this is one of the most remote borders in the world. Despite this, one could enter one of many nations here. Where is it?
The South Pole
Top of the World Highway
Flüela Pass
Taba
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The South Pole seems like an odd place for a border to exist at all, but one does. Seven nations, in fact, share a single spot as a border at the South Pole. Those nations, in alphabetical order, are Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Hidalgo
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
The bridge seen here is an old border crossing. Which is it?
Karni Crossing
Hidalgo
Erez
Maloja Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The border crossing at Hidalgo, Texas, has been around a long time. Before it ran over the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge (built in 1926), it consisted of a rickety old ferry.

Advertisement

Taba
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing has tight security because one leads to a resort town. What's its name?
Col des Montets
Cancun
Taba
Erez
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If one wants to get to the resort town of Eilat, Israel, from Egypt, one must pass through the Taba border crossing. Located on the southern tip of Israel, Eilat is a fun little resort town where one can lounge on the beach or go scuba diving, but there are no real historical sites worth mentioning.

Col des Montets
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Connecting two major countries, this border crossing is in a small area where, in a short amount of time, one could travel through several countries. Where is it?
Flüela Pass
Lukmanier Pass
Col des Montets
Umbrail Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Col des Montets is an Alpine mountain pass connecting the picturesque village of Chamonix in France to Martigny in Switzerland. Once in the Swiss Alps, it is possible to get on a cable car which will take you to the top of an Alp in Italy.

Mount Everest
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
A crowded border? It's a bigger problem than you think! What border crossing is this?
Hochtannbergpass
Col Agnel
Umbrail Pass
Mount Everest
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When everyone gawked at the line of climbers waiting to summit Mount Everest, it was more than just a bunch of people checking off an item on their bucket lists. Everest is a border crossing between Nepal and China.

Advertisement

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This border crossing is well away from the edge of the country, but it's very busy. What is it?
Ajaccio–Napoléon Bonaparte Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is an iconic airport, as France was one of the places where aviation was born. Named for the former French president, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is second only to Heathrow in terms of busy European airports.

Northwest Angle
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Normal, huh? The unremarkable place seen here is a unique border crossing. What is it?
Northwest Angle
Niagara Falls
Sölk Pass
Roscoff Port
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Northwest Angle is one of the tiny bits of America isolated in Canada. The two ways to get there from the rest of Minnesota are to take a boat there, or to drive out of the U.S. into Canada, and back into the the U.S.

Hua Hum
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
The glorious location seen here is where one can make the most picturesque crossing possible between these two countries. Where is this?
Hua Hum
Giogo dello Stelvio
Radstädter Tauern Pass
Brenner Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Hua Hum Pass is high in the Andes mountains, where one can go from Chile to Argentina, or vice versa. Not for the faint of heart, literally, this means going to a very high altitude, meaning altitude sickness is possible. In addition to driving, one must load one's vehicle onto a car ferry to cross Pirehueico Lake.

Advertisement

Gongbei Port
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Industrial and very busy, this is a remarkable border checkpoint. Which one is it?
Port of Dover
Hong Kong-China Ferry Terminal
PortMiami
Gongbei Port
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gongbei Port is the busiest land border checkpoint in the world, where China meets Macao. Less glamorous than an airport, it still has plenty of shopping, if you're stuck there waiting for a bus to show up.

Schiphol
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Among the busiest border checkpoints of its kind, this one can be seen from very far away. What is its name?
Amiens–Glisy Aerodrome
Frankfurt Airport
Schiphol Airport
Ajaccio–Napoléon Bonaparte Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Schiphol Airport is the major airport serving the Dutch city of Amsterdam. Located in Holland, it is, of course, visible from far away by air because the nation is flat. If one is on the ground, its location is still apparent because of the approaching and departing aircraft.

Port of Dover
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
The border checkpoint you see here is surrounded by striking natural beauty. Where is it?
Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal
Taipa Ferry Terminal
Port of Dover
Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The White Cliffs of Dover tower over the Port of Dover, and have done so for thousands of years, though the location of the Port of Dover hasn't always been a port. It was the Romans who turned Dover into a port, and it has remained one to this very day.

Advertisement

Splügen Pass
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
The road at this border crossing looks like spaghetti draped across a mountainside. Where is this?
Nufenen Pass
Fuorn Pass
Umbrail Pass
Splügen Pass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Splügen Pass is one of the most beautiful mountain passes in Europe, leading from Switzerland to Italy on a route once prized by the Romans. Marked by a severe switchback, this pass was considered dangerous until the more recent roads were built.

PortMiami
pop_jop / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Concrete, industrial and uninspiring. Which border crossing do you think this is?
PortMiami
Port Canaveral
Port of Helsinki
Colmar Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When it comes to passengers, PortMiami is the largest in the world. Located in Miami, this port on the Gulf of Mexico handles cargo and massive cruise ships.

Istanbul Airport
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
This brand new airport is already one of the busiest in the world! Where is it?
Istanbul Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Heathrow Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Serving passengers traveling to the largest city in Turkey, Istanbul Airport is the replacement for Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which is now more focused on cargo. Opened in 2018, Istanbul Airport was built separately from Istanbul Atatürk Airport because there was no more room for runways at the latter airport.

Advertisement

Amiens–Glisy Aerodrome
bamlou / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
A smaller border crossing focused on private flights, what's the name of this border crossing?
Colmar Airport
Amiens–Glisy Aerodrome
Seoul Incheon International Airport
Ajaccio–Napoléon Bonaparte Airport
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's no surprise that major international airports are border crossings, but not all international airports are major. Focused on private flights and "general aviation," Amiens–Glisy Aerodrome was a major target of allied bombing in WWII, as it was used by the Germans at the time.

You Got:
/40
mantaphoto / E+ / Getty Images