List of divided cities

A divided city is one which, as a consequence of political changes or border shifts, currently constitutes (or once constituted) two separate entities, or an urban area with a border running through it. Listed below are the localities and the state they belonged to at the time of division.

Especially notable examples of divided cities are divided capitals, including Nicosia (since 1974), Jerusalem (1948–1967; de jure ongoing since 1948), Berlin (1949–1990) and Beirut (1975–1990).

Former cities now divided

Africa

Americas

Asia

• Tell Abyad, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
• Tell Abyad, Syria
• Akçakale, Turkey
• Arappınar, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
• Kobanî, Syria
• Mürşitpınar, Turkey
• Astara, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828)
• Astara, Azerbaijan
• Astara, Iran
• Dibba, Portuguese fort
• Dibba Al-Fujairah (دبا الفجيرة), ruled by the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE
• Dibba Al-Hisn (دبا الحصن), ruled by the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE
• Dibba Al-Baya (دبا البيعة), ruled by the Governorate of Musandam, Oman
• Ghajar divided between Israel and Lebanon
• Hili, India, divided since 1947 after partition of India
• Hili, India
• Hili, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh (1971–)
• Jerusalem (de facto reunited in 1967)
• West Jerusalem, Israel
• East Jerusalem (al-Quds), Palestine; Which was under Jordanian control 1948–1967, under Israeli control since 1967, claimed by Jordan 1967–1988; recognized by the international community as Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation 1967–present
• Julfa, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828)
• Julfa, Azerbaijan
• Jolfa, Iran
• Lo Wu <small>(the romanization used in Hong Kong)</small> / Luohu <small>(the romanization used in mainland China)</small>
• 1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
• 1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone (pronounced Rakō) and British Hong Kong
• 1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
• 1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
• Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, divided since 1974 after the Turkish invasion on the island and still divided (North Nicosia).
• Padang Besar, Malay Peninsula, divided between Malaysia and Thailand. (Note: it is not clear whether the town constituted a single settlement divided by an international border, or is instead an example of a geographical twin city. However, both towns' names, and the majority of their inhabitants, are of Malay origin.)
• Padang Besar, Malaysia
• Padang Besar, Thailand
• Rafah divided between the Gaza Strip and Egypt
• Rafah, Egypt
• Resülayn, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
• Ra's al-'Ayn, Syria
• Ceylanpınar, Turkey
• Sha Tau Kok <small>(the romanization used in Hong Kong)</small> / Shatoujiao <small>(the romanization used in mainland China)</small>
• 1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
• 1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone (pronounced Satōgaku) and British Hong Kong
• 1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
• 1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
• 1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
• Aleppo, Syria, divided between SSG and YPG after the 2024 Battle of Aleppo.

Europe

• Baarle, divided since 1194, modern NL–BE division since 1831
• Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands
• Baarle-Hertog, Belgium
• Bad Muskau, Germany
• Bad Muskau, Germany
• Łęknica, Poland
• Bad Radkersburg, Austria-Hungary
• Bad Radkersburg, Austria
• Gornja Radgona, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now Slovenia)
• Berlin (since reunited) in Germany
• West Berlin, closely associated with West Germany
• East Berlin, East Germany
• Bliederstroff, Lorraine (officially divided under the Treaty of Paris in 1815)
• Grosbliederstroff, France
• Kleinblittersdorf, Germany
• Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Engerau (Petržalka), Austria (reunited after World War II)
• Brod-on-Sava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
• Brod in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Slavonski Brod in Croatia
• Deryneia, Cyprus (de facto divided since 1974)
• Deryneia, Cyprus
• Kato Deryneia, North Cyprus
• Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
• Frankfurt (Oder), East Germany, now Germany
• Słubice, Poland
• Forst (Lausitz), Germany
• Forst (Lausitz), Germany
• Zasieki, Poland
• Gmünd, Austria-Hungary
• Gmünd, Austria
• České Velenice, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic
• Gorizia, Italy
• Gorizia, Italy
• Nova Gorica, Yugoslavia, now Slovenia
• Görlitz, Germany
• Görlitz, East Germany, now Germany 60,000
• Zgorzelec, Poland 38,000
• Guben, Germany
• Guben, East Germany, now Germany 22,000
• Gubin, Poland 19,000
• Herzogenrath, divided since 1815 at the Congress of Vienna (before that, department of Meuse-Inférieure)
• Herzogenrath, Germany (47,187)
• Kerkrade, Netherlands (47,681)
• Komárom, Austria-Hungary
• Komárom, Hungary
• Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia
• Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo
• ethnic-Albanian south (Republic of Kosovo-controlled)
• ethnic-Serb north (North Kosovo)
• Küstrin, Germany
• Kostrzyn nad OdrÄÂ, Poland
• Küstrin-Kietz, Germany
• Laufenburg, divided between Switzerland and Germany
• Laufenburg, Switzerland
• Laufenburg, Germany
• Mödlareuth, Germany (now without boundary wall)
• Mödlareuth, Gefell, Thuringia, East Germany
• Mödlareuth, Töpen, Bavaria, West Germany
• Mostar (since reunited) in Bosnia and Herzegovina between Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Narva, Russian Empire/Soviet Union
• Narva, Estonia
• Ivangorod, Russia
• Pello
• Rheinfelden
• Rheinfelden (Aargau) (Switzerland)
• Rheinfelden (Baden) (Germany)
• Rijeka, Croatia
• Fiume, Italy (1924–1944)
• SuÅ¡ak, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (reunited after World War II)
• Rome, Papal States
• Rome, Italy
• Vatican City
• Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland (since March 4, 1569)
• Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland
• Saint-Gingolph, France
• Saltney, divided between England and Wales
• Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the Dayton Agreement which politically defined the country's political structure, has most of the city within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while some suburbs are within the boundaries of the other entity, Republika Srpska.
• Sátoraljaújhely, Austria-Hungary
• Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary
• Slovenské Nové Mesto, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia
• Siget, Austria-Hungary
• Sighetu Marmației, Romania
• Solotvyno, the Ukraine
• Teschen, Austrian Silesia
• Cieszyn, Poland
• Český Těšín, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic
• Walk, Livonia
• Valga, Estonia
• Valka, Latvia
• Veľké Slemence
• divided between Slovakia and Ukraine (connected with an exclusive border just for the village, the only one in the Schengen area)

Oceania

• Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, Australia
• Coolangatta, Queensland
• Tweed Heads, New South Wales

Cities that arose next to each other across a boundary line

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

South America

See also

• Border town
• Cross-border town naming
• List of divided islands
• Transborder agglomeration

Notes and references

Notes:

References: