Exclaves: Pieces of Land That Are Surrounded by Another Country

Exclaves are pieces of land that are surrounded by another country, but remain part of the original country. They are often created when two countries have a shared border, but one of them has a piece of land that juts out and is not connected to the mainland. Exclaves can be found all over the world, and they can be the result of historical events, such as wars or treaties.

Examples of exclaves include:

1. The Vatican City, which is an independent city-state located within Rome, Italy. It is surrounded by Italy on all sides, but it is not part of Italy.
2. The Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, which is a piece of land that is surrounded by Lithuania and Poland. It was created after World War II, when the Soviet Union annexed the region.
3. The Ceuta and Melilla enclaves in North Africa, which are territories owned by Spain but surrounded by Morocco. They have been Spanish territories since the 16th century.
4. The Lesotho kingdom, which is a small country located entirely within South Africa. It was formed in the 19th century as a result of the British colonization of southern Africa.
5. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan, which is an exclave that is surrounded by Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. It has its own government and laws, but it is still part of Azerbaijan.

Exclaves can be interesting from a geopolitical perspective, as they can create unique situations where a country has territory that is not physically connected to the rest of its land. They can also lead to border disputes and other geopolitical tensions between countries.