A border barrier, border fence or border wall is a separation barrier that runs along or near an international border. Such barriers are typically constructed for border control purposes such as curbing illegal immigration, human trafficking, and smuggling.[1][2] Some such barriers are constructed for defence or security reasons. In cases of a disputed or unclear border, erecting a barrier can serve as a de facto unilateral consolidation of a territorial claim that can supersede formal delimitation. A border barrier does not usually indicate the location of the actual border, and is usually constructed unilaterally by a country, without the agreement or cooperation of the other country.

Examples of border walls include the ancient Great Wall of China, a series of walls separating China from nomadic empires to the north. The construction of border barriers increased in the early 2000s; half of all the border barriers built since World War II which ended in 1945, were built after 2000.[3]

List of current barriers

Border Barriers in the World

Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Name Countries affected Built and maintained by Date built Length (km) Type Deaths during crossing attempts References
Argentina–Paraguay Argentina and ParaguayArgentina20141.3Anti-illegal immigration [4]
Austrian border barrierAustria, Italy, and SloveniaAustria20153.7Anti-illegal immigration [5]
Belize–Guatemala Belize and GuatemalaBelizeProposed, agreedN/ADisputed territory and anti-illegal immigration
Botswana–Zimbabwe Botswana and ZimbabweBotswana2003500Protection of livestock against disease (Botswana), anti-immigration (purported from Zimbabwe officials) 8[6]
Brunei–Malaysia Brunei and the city of Limbang, MalaysiaBrunei200520Anti-illegal immigration
Bulgaria–Turkey barrier Bulgaria and TurkeyBulgaria201430Anti-illegal immigration [7]
Calais border barrierUnited Kingdom and FranceUnited Kingdom and France20161Anti-illegal immigration [8]
Ceuta border fence Spain and MoroccoSpain20018Anti-illegal immigration 13–18 depending on estimates.[9]
Costa Rica–Nicaragua Costa Rica and NicaraguaCosta RicaProposedN/AAnti-illegal immigration
Green Line (Cyprus) Cyprus and Northern CyprusCyprus and the United Nations1964180Buffer Zone
Chinese–Korean border fence China and North KoreaChina20111,416Anti-illegal immigration [10]
Chile-Bolivia ditch Chile and Bolivia Chile 2022 (Under construction) N/A Anti-illegal immigration [11]
Denmark–Germany border fenceDenmark and GermanyDenmark201970Wildlife control (official), Anti-immigration (third party claims) [12][13][14]
Dominican–Haiti border fence Dominican Republic and HaitiDominican RepublicUnder construction 2022N/AAnti-illegal immigration and crime [15][16]
Egypt–Gaza barrier Egypt and Gaza StripEgypt1979, subterranean barrier under construction3.1Anti-terrorism and anti-illegal immigration [17]
Estonia–Russia barrier Estonia and RussiaEstonia2018110Anti-intrusion, illegal trade and illegal immigration [18]
Finland–Russia border barrier Finland and RussiaFinland2023200Against Russian intrusion, illegal trade and illegal immigration [19]
Greece–Turkey border Greece and TurkeyGreece2012, expanded 2021[20][21]200Anti-illegal immigration [22][23][24][25]
North Macedonia–Greece barrier North Macedonia and GreeceNorth Macedonia201530Anti-illegal immigration [26]
Malaysia–Thailand border Thailand and MalaysiaThailandProposed650Anti-terrorism
Melilla border fence Spain and MoroccoSpain199811Anti-illegal immigration
Hungary–Serbia barrier Hungary and SerbiaHungary2015175Anti-illegal immigration [27][28][29][30][31]
Hungary–Croatia barrier Hungary and CroatiaHungary201541Anti-illegal immigration
India–Bangladesh barrier India and BangladeshIndiaUnder construction3,268Anti-illegal immigration
India–Myanmar barrier India and MyanmarIndiaUnder construction1,624Anti-drug smuggling and anti-terrorism
India-Nepal barrier India and NepalIndiaUnder construction ?Anti-illegal immigration Anti-terrorism
India–Pakistan barrier India and PakistanIndia2004550Anti-terrorism [32]
Iran–Pakistan barrier Iran and PakistanPakistan[33] and IranUnder construction959Anti-terrorism and Anti-drug smuggling [34][35][36]
Israel-West Bank barrier Israel and Palestine Israel Partially Completed 708 Anti-terrorism and disputed territory [37]
Israel-Egypt barrier Israel and Egypt Israel 2013 245 Anti-illegal immigration
Israel-Lebanon barrier Israel and Lebanon Israel 2018 11 Conflict zone
Israel-Gaza barrier Israel and Gaza Strip Israel 1994 N/A Anti-terrorism
Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan barrier Kazakhstan and UzbekistanKazakhstan200645Anti-drug smuggling
Korean Demilitarized Zone North Korea and South KoreaNorth Korea and United Nations Command1953248Conflict zone
Kruger National Park South Africa and MozambiqueSouth Africa1975120Anti-illegal immigration 89 (Army), over 200 (Various churches)
South Africa–Zimbabwe Border South Africa and ZimbabweSouth Africa2000s225Anti-illegal immigration, anti-drug smuggling, anti-weapon smuggling [38][39][40][41]
Kuwait–Iraq barrier Kuwait and IraqKuwait1991193Conflict zone
Latvia–Russia border fence Latvia and RussiaLatvia201590Anti-illegal immigration [42]
Libya–Tunisia barrier Libya and TunisiaTunisiaTBA460Anti-terrorism, Anti-illegal immigration
Lithuania-Belarus barrier Lithuania and BelarusLithuania2021[43]502Anti-illegal immigration [44][45]
Lithuania–Russia border fence Lithuania and RussiaLithuania2017130Anti-smuggling, anti-illegal immigration, anti-intrusion [46]
Moroccan Western Sahara Wall Morocco and Western SaharaMorocco19802,700Conflict zone [47][48]
Norway–Russia border barrier Norway and RussiaNorway20160,2Anti-illegal immigration [49]
Pakistan–Afghanistan barrier Pakistan and AfghanistanPakistanongoing2,670Anti-terrorism, anti-illegal immigration, anti drug smuggling [50][51]
Poland–Belarus barrier Poland and BelarusPoland2022[52]186Anti-illegal immigration 21[53][54][55][56][57][58]
Saudi–Yemen barrier Saudi Arabia and YemenSaudi Arabia200475Anti-illegal immigration
Saudi–Iraq barrier Saudi Arabia and IraqSaudi Arabia2014900Anti-illegal immigration and conflict zone [59][60][61]
Slovenia–Croatia barrier Slovenia and CroatiaSlovenia2016220Anti-illegal immigration [62][63][64]
Serbia–North Macedonia barrier Serbia and North MacedoniaSerbia2020240Anti-illegal immigration [65]
Turkey–Syria border barrier Turkey and SyriaTurkey2018828Anti-terrorism, anti-illegal immigration and smuggling [66]
Turkey–Iran border barrier Turkey and IranTurkey2019144Anti-terrorism, anti-illegal immigration and smuggling
Turkmen–Uzbekistan barrier Turkmenistan and UzbekistanTurkmenistan20011,700Anti-illegal immigration
Ukraine–Russia barrier Ukraine, Russia and BelarusUkraineUnder construction2,000Anti Weapon Smuggling and Conflict zone
United Arab Emirates–Oman barrier United Arab Emirates and OmanUnited Arab Emirates2018410Anti-illegal immigration
Mexico–United States barrier United States and MexicoUnited StatesPartially Constructed1,000Anti-illegal immigration and smuggling [67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76]
Uzbek–Afghanistan barrier Uzbekistan and AfghanistanUzbekistan2001209Anti-illegal immigration
Uzbek–Kyrgyzstan barrier Uzbekistan and KyrgyzstanUzbekistan1999870Conflict zone
Hong Kong-China barrier and Forts Hong Kong and ChinaUnited Kingdom and Hong Kong1950s ?Anti-terrorism Anti-illegal immigration
(Gibraltar) United Kingdom-Spain barrier (Gibraltar) United Kingdom and Spain United Kingdom and Gibraltar1909 ?Anti-terrorism Anti-illegal immigration
United States-Cuba barrier (Guantanamo Bay) United States and CubaUnited States and Cuba1961 ?Anti-terrorism Anti-illegal immigration
Ethiopia-Eritrea barrier Ethiopia and EritreaEthiopia and Eritrea1990s–2000s ?Anti-terrorism

Border barriers in history

Map of the Roman Empire, along with locations of limes
The extent of the Ming dynasty and its walls, which formed most of what is called the Great Wall of China today

Antiquity

Middle Ages

Early modern period

Defunct barriers in modern times

Other

See also

References

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