Exclaves and Enclaves of the World

An exclave is territory separated from its parent country by another country. An enclave is territory fully surrounded by another country. Many places are both.

Major Exclaves

Large Exclaves

Alaska (USA) — Purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. Mocked as "Seward's Folly" at the time. Now a key source of oil and natural gas
Kaliningrad (Russia) — Originally Königsberg, Germany. Acquired by the USSR after WWII. Became an exclave when the Soviet Union dissolved, surrounded by Lithuania and Poland. Home of Russia's Baltic Fleet
Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan) — Separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia. Soviet-era border delineation between Armenia and Azerbaijan contributed to lasting territorial tensions
Cabinda (Angola) — Separated by the DRC. Produces 60% of Angola's oil. A separatist movement has been active for decades

Colonial Legacies

Ceuta & Melilla (Spain) — Spanish territories on the Moroccan coast. Spanish for over 500 years. Morocco claims sovereignty over them; Spain maintains they are integral Spanish territory. EU territory on the African continent
Oecusse (East Timor) — East Timorese territory inside Indonesian West Timor. Boundaries left over from Portuguese colonial era
Musandam (Oman) — Separated from Oman by the UAE. Strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz
Temburong (Brunei) — Malaysia's Sarawak state splits Brunei in two. Connected by a sea bridge since 2020

European Mini-Exclaves

Medieval feudal boundaries left a patchwork of tiny exclaves across Europe.

Büsingen (Germany) — A German village completely surrounded by Switzerland. Population 1,500. German law applies, but it's in the Swiss customs area
Campione d'Italia (Italy) — An Italian town on Switzerland's Lake Lugano. Uses Swiss francs and Swiss postal codes
Baarle-Hertog (Belgium↔Netherlands) — The world's most complex border. 22 Belgian enclaves and 8 Dutch enclaves intertwined. National borders run through individual buildings
Llívia (Spain) — A Spanish town on the French side of the Pyrenees. Left behind due to a quirk in the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees

Country Enclaves — Nations Fully Surrounded by Another

Lesotho — The only fully independent country completely surrounded by a single nation (South Africa). Population 2.2 million
San Marino — Surrounded by Italy. The world's oldest republic (founded 301 AD)
Vatican City — Inside the city of Rome. The world's smallest country at 0.44 km². Headquarters of the Catholic Church