Fact Finder - Geography

Fact
The Country with a Border Inside a Building
Category
Geography
Subcategory
Tricky Geography Questions
Country
Netherlands / Belgium
Description
The town of Baarle-Hertog (Belgium) and Baarle-Nassau (Netherlands) is home to the world's most complex border. It consists of 22 Belgian enclaves within the Netherlands and several Dutch counter-enclaves within those. The borders are so fragmented that they frequently slice through streets, parking lots, and even individual houses and shops. There is a famous case where a house is split between the two nations; in such instances, the nationality of the residents is determined by the location of their front door. If the front door is moved, the residents could technically change their country of residence without moving houses. The border is marked on the ground by white crosses and 'B' or 'NL' indicators, allowing people to stand in two countries simultaneously while eating at a single café table.