Most insane country borders you never knew existed

Delhi, India

What if I told you that some countries are separated by...barely anything. Going from one country to another is literally like crossing the street. Sometimes, rather than a brief border void, something quirky falls on the line straddling the two countries, highlighting the casual relations between them.

Scroll down for some of the most porous and interesting international borders: 

• Norway and Sweden:

Blanketed with ice and dense forests, Norway and Sweden have a lot in common. In the above picture, the border trail in the middle divides the two countries, with Norway on the right and Sweden on the left. Adventure travellers use the area to race snowmobiles. This is not the only quirky border the two share: in other places there are walkways with basically only chalk lines dividing the two countries, such as in the picture below. 

Norway-Sweden border (Twitter)

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Norway-Sweden border (Twitter)

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• Netherlands and Belgium: 

A quaint little town of Baarle falls both in Netherlands and Belgium. It means that the town is essentially split in two, with the Belgium side officially recognised as Baarle-Hertog and the side in Netherlands, recognised as Baarle-Nassau. There are places where buildings and cafes fall within both countries. 

Belgium-Netherlands border through a cafe (Twitter)

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• Ethiopia and Somalialand:

The inhabitants of these countries must get along pretty well. The two neighbours are literally divided by only a string that signifies its border. 

Ethiopia-Somalia border (Twitter)

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• Russia and the United States: 

Little is known about the Diomede Islands, situated between mainland Alaska and Siberia, that fall under both Russian and American territory. They are 2.4 miles apart from one another; the Big Diomede is Russian while the Little Diomede is a part of the US. Time-wise, the Russian island is 21 hours ahead of the American island.

Diomede Islands (Twitter)

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• Spain and Portugal:

The European countries have a zipline that people can take in Spain and land in Portugal. Littles less than half a mile long, anyone wanting to enter Portugal from Spain can look forward to one of the most exciting ways to travel. And the best is you gain an hour’s time, as the latter falls in a different time zone. 

Spain-Portugal border (Twitter)

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• United States and Mexico:

Bordering countries America and Mexico have a road running between them, and this road has a very stark contrast on either side. While the American side is largely barren, the Mexican side is bustling with buildings and industry. 

United States-Mexico border (Twitter)

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• United States and Canada:

The countries share the world’s longest border, which covers all possible biodiversity. The border runs through the town of Derby Line which splits some buildings in half. Thick forest cover is carefully cleared out every year to make way for a distinguishable boundary between the two nations. The process is called Slash which is a treeless zone, 20 feet wide. 

United States- Canada border (Twitter)

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• Poland and Ukraine:

The two countries Poland and Ukraine share a peaceful border where the artist Jaroslaw Koziara has designed two fishes in a unique manner on the grasslands. It symbolises the unity they share.

Poland-Ukraine border (Twitter)

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• Argentina/Paraguay/Brazil:

The three South American nations share a natural border. The Parana River and Iguazu River splitt the three countries right where the landmasses meet.

Parana and Iguazu Rivers borders between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. (Twitter)

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• Argentina and Chile:

A statue of Jesus known as Christ the Redeemer of the Andes was put up in 1904 to signify peace between the two South American countries. There is also The Eyes of the Salt Flat, a natural miracle on the border between Argentina and Chile.

'Christ the Redeemer of the Andes' statue at the Argentina and Chile border (Twitter)

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• Germany and the Netherlands:

Germany and Netherlands have a unique border where one building is a part of each country. There is literally a dividing line in the middle of the floor, serving as a national border. So on one side you have a German mailbox and a German policeman, and on the other a Dutch mailbox and a Dutch policeman.

Germany-Netherlands border through a building (Twitter)

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Are you planning on packing your bags to check them out? I feel like doing so!

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)