The world as we know it is divided into different geographical regions. However, more than these, it is the political division between countries that tends to create tension, fights and even full-fledged wars, claiming thousands of lives in the process. Here are 5 such territorial disputes that have not simmered down till today.
Jammu and Kashmir
This territorial dispute between India and Pakistan has existed ever since the partition of India in 1947. The dispute involved three major warsthat claimed thousands of lives in both countries. To this day, the turmoil in the state of Jammu and Kashmir continues, although both countries have signed numerous pacts to reduce the tension in the region.
South and East China Sea Disputes
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The strategic importance of a number of islands along the South and East China seas has led to many neighboring countries fighting for control in the region. While the Paracel Islands are jointly claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Spratly Islands are claimed by Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines. The Senkaku Islands are being disputed over by Japan and China. Altogether, the mix creates a rather confusing and dangerous situation.
The North Pole
Whoever thought a place like the North Pole would become the subject of a territorial dispute? Sadly it has, thanks to global warming which has started melting the Arctic ice. No sooner than this started happening, a number of countries in the region started fighting for control over the Northwest Passage for scientific, military and commercial reasons. Some of the countries that are involved in this dispute to claim the North Pole include Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark and the U.S.
Taiwan
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China is territorially divided into two regions, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan (also called ROC or the Republic of China). Although both countries share the same land, they don’t recognize each other. The PRC and ROC also make it a point to display their power of control on the regions each of them has majority in.
Palestine
Image Source : HindustanTimes.Com
No territorial dispute list will be complete without mentioning Israel and Palestine. Starting over thousands of years ago, this dispute is based on religion and continues to be an open war fought between the Jews and Muslims. The land of Palestine has been claimed by both partieswho have resorted to killing thousands of innocent civilians on both sides for the same purpose. The intervention from the UN to create a separate state for Israel in 1947 caused a full blown war to erupt between the parties in 1948, and tensions and incidents continue to this day.
Territorial disputes tend to create lots of political tensions between countries. These disputes also claim thousands of lives in the process of these countries trying to claim a piece of land for themselves.