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Border enthusiasts, you're going to love this! Have you heard of Baarle-Hertog in Belgium and Baarle-Nassau in the Netherlands? This is the most complex international border in the world, a real-life puzzle. Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau are two municipalities that consist of a patchwork of enclaves and exclaves: 22 of them!
These aren’t just lines on a map — there are homes where the border runs right through the living room. The nationality of the inhabitants depends on the location of their front doors. Imagine having to remember which country you're in as you move from room to room!
The history behind this is fascinating as well. The quirky borders are the result of medieval treaties, land swaps, marriages, and even sales between local lords. Walking around town, you'll notice the border is marked with crosses on the pavement and metal studs with little 'B's for Belgium or 'NL's for the Netherlands.
This geo-mishmash affects the citizens’ daily life. They need to abide by the laws and pay taxes according to the country they reside in. And there have been times when different curfew rules during COVID made life quite complicated. This is a perfect real-world example of how historical decisions can play a major role in modern-day geography.
Submitted 6 months ago by border_hopper42
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Legally speaking, this situation is a goldmine for someone like me. Does anyone know how law enforcement works over there? I mean, if you commit a crime in the living room but your front door is in another country, where do they take you? I've read they have to cooperate a lot, but seems like a legal grey area ripe for a law school exam question.
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