The presence of disputed border territories of Japan. Who claims the territory of Russia

Territorial disputes There are quite a lot of islands and territories around the nationality of certain islands and territories, and, as practice shows, it is quite difficult to regulate them.

Relations between Russia and Japan have been overshadowed by the issue of unsettled status for half a century four islands Kuril ridge. Solution Kuril problem postponed indefinitely, but relations between Russia and Japan only suffer from this.

Often the islands of discord become a pretext for political and diplomatic battles and sometimes lead to bloody armed conflicts. As a rule, the reason for the battles is not the islands themselves, but what is next to them - oil, commercial fishing areas, etc. The possession of one or another island gives the state the right to economic control over a vast area of the ocean. At the same time, sometimes the claims of the powers on a piece of land forgotten by God are sometimes perceived as a political curiosity.

One of the textbook examples of the successful settlement of a territorial dispute is the dispute over uninhabited island Clipperton, which were led by France and Mexico. At the beginning of the 18th century, the British pirate Clipperton discovered the island, in 1855 France declared it its territory on the basis that Clipperton had been a privateer in the service of the King of France for some time. In 1897, the island was captured by Mexico, which declared it its property on the grounds that it was located near its territorial waters and was actively used by Mexican fishermen and sailors. In 1935, international arbitration awarded the right to the island to France.

In the 1970s, compromises were reached between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar (the Hawar Islands). In 2000 Saudi Arabia and Yemen decided on jurisdiction over the Farasan Islands, while Yemen and Eritrea, through international mediation, agreed on the fate of the Hanish Islands.

Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. South Atlantic

Two major islands and about 100 small ones. The islands were discovered by the British navigator Francis Drake back in the era of the Great geographical discoveries(regardless of him, these islands were discovered by the Spaniards). And since then, the UK considers that they are under British jurisdiction. However, they are located near the Argentine coast and about 16 thousand km from London. Disputes between Argentina and Great Britain about the ownership of the islands began in the early 19th century, when the first British settlers appeared on the islands. In 1980, about 1.8 thousand people permanently lived on the islands.

In 1982, Argentine troops captured the Falklands. These actions were condemned by the UN Security Council. The British Expeditionary Force, which arrived at the islands, pushed back the Argentines. During the fighting, 250 British and 750 Argentine soldiers were killed. Argentina has not given up its rights to the islands. The conflict is unlikely to be resolved in the near future, as large deposits of oil have been discovered in the Falklands area.

Machias Seal Island. North Atlantic, Gulf of Maine near US and Canadian coasts

The two-hectare island is claimed by the United States and Canada. Machias Seal Island was first landed by an American captain in 1826. However, in 1828 a British guard post was established on it (Canada was part of the British Empire). Diplomatic battles over the ownership of a piece of land were fought in the middle of the 19th century, but gradually lost their intensity. Now this question periodically pops up in the press. The diplomatic departments of both states prefer not to raise it. Now there is a lighthouse on the island and two caretakers - Canadians - live permanently. In addition to them, several million sea birds live on the island. American and Canadian tourists are free to visit the island.

Islands in Corisco Bay. Coast of West Africa

Several tiny patches of land, the largest of which is the islands of Bagne, with an area of several hundred square meters, are the subject of a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The reason for the dispute is the unsettled state borders that were formed back in the colonial era. Skirmishes between the police, military and civilians of both states have been ongoing for about 20 years, since it is in this area that fishermen from both countries have been intensively fishing. Attempts by the Organization of African Unity to resolve the conflict, undertaken in the mid-1980s, did not lead to concrete results. In the 1990s, oil fields were discovered in the area, which makes the settlement of the dispute even more difficult.

Hans Island. North Atlantic, near Greenland

Little island is not indicated at all geographical maps. Denmark claims that the island was discovered by the Vikings, geographically closer to Greenland than to Canada and therefore belongs to it. Canada refers to the fact that the island once belonged to the UK. Near the island is actively conducted fishing, and the Eskimos use it for migration. At the end of 2002, Denmark sent a patrol ship to the island to demonstrate its priority. The move sparked outrage in Canada. The parties are now negotiating the fate of the island.

San Andres and Providencia Islands. caribbean sea

A group of islands and coral reefs off the coast of Nicaragua. They have a number of resorts. The islands are the subject of a dispute between Nicaragua and Colombia. In 1928, the two countries entered into a treaty recognizing Nicaragua's sovereignty over the Mosquito Coast and Colombia's sovereignty over the islands. In 1979, after the victory of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, Managua announced that it would denounce the 1928 treaty under the pretext that in 1928 Nicaragua was under the control of US troops. The islands have been declared integral part Nicaragua.

This territorial dispute is extremely difficult to resolve, because the ownership of the islands depends maritime boundaries not only Nicaragua and Colombia, but also Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica and Panama. Through the mediation of the Organization of American States, the parties agreed not to use force in resolving this conflict - all military formations and warships withdrawn from the disputed area.

Sapodilla Caeis Islands. caribbean sea

The islands are part barrier reef. Nobody lives on them. The government of Belize declared its sovereignty over the islands, which caused protests from neighboring Honduras and Guatemala, which also claimed their rights to these pieces of land. The subject of the dispute is, first of all, the fish stocks of this area, as well as their tourism opportunities (9 thousand tourists visit them annually). The parties exchanged notes of protest and are now preparing lawsuits for filing in international courts.

Navassa Island. caribbean sea

The island, with an area of approximately 10 km², is located between the coasts of Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica and is now the subject of a dispute between the United States and Haiti. In 1857, American entrepreneurs began to develop guano reserves on the island, and the United States declared it its territory. In 1858, the Empire of Haiti made a similar declaration. There were no armed conflicts between the parties to the dispute. In 1898, the development of guano was completed, and the island lost its permanent population. A lighthouse operates on it and Haitian fishermen periodically land. The United States intends to create a nature reserve on it.

Perejil Islands, Veles de la Gomera, Penon, Chafarinas and others. Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean Sea

These uninhabited islands are the subject of a dispute between Spain and Morocco (formerly - Spanish colony). Small islands are constantly used by drug dealers, smugglers and illegal immigrants. In addition, they are located in a busy shipping area.

In July 2002, Moroccan troops captured the island of Perejil and left behind a six-man garrison. Spain first tried to resolve the conflict through diplomacy, and then landed rangers and returned the island. Neither side suffered losses. Morocco, which managed to declare Perekhil its territory, called the actions of Spain a declaration of war, but did not take any retaliatory steps. The parties refused direct negotiations, so the conflict was resolved with the help of mediators. Now, no state flags or other signs of nationality have been installed on the territory of the island, and there are no permanent military posts.

Imia Island (Kardak). Aegean Sea

In December 1996, the rocks of Imia ( Greek name) or Kardak (Turkish) became a pretext for conflict between Greece and Turkey. The history of the islands is very confused. They were part of Ottoman Empire before Greece gained independence in the 18th century. After that, no one claimed the islands until the Dodecanese archipelago, which includes Imia, was occupied by Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1923, the islands were transferred by Italy to Greece. In the 1970s, Turkey made a number of statements proving that Italy, which seized these islands from Turkey, did not have the right to transfer them to Greece.

In 1996, a Turkish ship wrecked off the coast of Imia, which turned for help not to the Greeks, but to the Turks. This was the beginning of the conflict, because Greece perceived the entry of Turkish military rescuers into its territorial waters as an act of aggression. A week later, a correspondent for the leading Turkish newspaper Hürriyet landed on the island, tore Greek flag, fluttering on the island, and set Turkish. A few hours later, Greek sailors landed on the island and restored the status quo. Near Imia, military squadrons of both states began to cruise.

The conflict was stopped by the international community, but both countries did not give up their claims. Attempts to resolve the issue in an international court are rejected by Turkey, which believes that its historical rights to these territories do not need to be confirmed, and the agreements referred to by the Greeks were not approved by the League of Nations (the forerunner of the UN).

Bassas da India, Europe, Juan de Nova and Gloriose Islands. Indian Ocean near the African coast of Madagascar

Having strategic importance the islands (the largest has an area of 200 m²) are the subject of a dispute between France and Madagascar (formerly French colony). The conflict did not go beyond the exchange of diplomatic notes. Now controlled by France.

Tromelin Island. Indian Ocean, near the east coast of Madagascar

Dispute between France and Mauritius. The conflict did not go beyond the exchange of diplomatic notes. Now controlled by France.

Chagos Archipelago (practically, the geographical center of the Indian Ocean)

65 islands, the largest of which is Diego Garcia, with an area of 40 km². The subject of the dispute between Mauritius and Great Britain. Diego Garcia has a large air base of great strategic importance. From it, in particular, American bombers made sorties during military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Once Mauritius and Chagos were a colony of France and were under a single control. Then these colonies were captured by Great Britain. After it was decided in 1965 to grant independence to Mauritius, Great Britain tore away the Chagos from it. In 1972, when the decision was made to create military base, Great Britain resettled approximately 2 thousand indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago (mostly descendants of black slaves) to Mauritius. Now they demand the return of their lands. The conflict did not go beyond the exchange of diplomatic notes and protest demonstrations.

South Talpatty Island (New Moor). Indian Ocean, Ganges Delta

The "new" island - South Talpatti - the Bangladeshi name, New Moore - the Indian - arose as a result of land reclamation by the waters of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The island is important because it can control the shipping process in the busy delta. In addition, significant oil reserves have been explored nearby. So far, the conflict has not entered an active stage, since it is not clear what India and Bangladesh should share - now there are not even accurate maps islands.

Abu Musa Island and Tanb Islands. Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz

Dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The islands are now controlled by Iran, which took control of them in 1971. The history of ownership of the islands is complicated: at first they were part of Persia and Iran, in the 19th century the British drove the Iranians away and created their own naval base there to fight pirates, and when the UAE was granted independence, they transferred the rights to these islands to the new state. The Iranians captured these territories two days before the withdrawal of British troops and the formal declaration of independence of the UAE. The conflict between Iran and the UAE periodically flares up and turns into a phase of an exchange of harsh statements.

Spratly archipelago. Pacific Ocean

A group of about 100 islets and reefs in the South China Sea. Approximately 7 billion tons of high-quality oil have been discovered nearby. Oil is shallow, but international energy companies refuse to develop these deposits until issues of the nationality of the islands are resolved. The subject of dispute between China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines - these powers have placed their garrisons on 45 islands. Brunei has also claimed part of the archipelago since 1984, but there are no Brunei soldiers in the conflict zone yet. The struggle for these islands has repeatedly led to armed conflicts. In particular, in 1974, a naval battle took place between the navies of China and South Vietnam. In 1988, the Chinese sank a Vietnamese transport carrying soldiers.

Paracel Islands. Pacific Ocean. South China Sea

dispute between China and Vietnam. China took over the islands in 1974 after a fierce battle with the South Vietnamese garrison. Today, several hundred people live on the islands, who mainly fish and serve a large military air base built by China. The islands are of great strategic importance - they are a kind of "key" to South China Sea. In addition, the waters adjacent to them are rich in fish.

Pedra Blanca Island (Pulau Batu Puteh) and two small islands. Indian Ocean, Singapore Strait

Islet is disputed territory between Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore built a lighthouse on the island, prompting Malaysian protests. The island has no economic value and can only be used as a navigational landmark. The parties perceive their rights to these territories as a matter of national honor. Singapore and Malaysia are constantly negotiating the fate of the islands, and the naval exercises of both countries are taking place near them.

Matthew and Hunter Islands. Pacific Ocean, roughly midway between Australia and South America

Once the islands were jointly owned by France and Great Britain and administratively belonged to the New Hebrides archipelago. In 1975, France officially declared the islands its territory. In 1980, the New Hybrids gained independence, became the Republic of Vanuatu and laid claim to the islands. In 1982, the islands were officially declared part of Vanuatu (under the names Unaenag and Umaenupane). There is a small French garrison on the islands. Sovereignty over the islands gives the right to claim control over a large part of the Pacific Ocean.

Takeshima Islands (Tok-Do, Liancourt). Pacific Ocean, between South Korea and Japan

uninhabited islands ( total area about 250 meters²) were discovered by French sailors, and since 1904 they have been declared part of Japan. They were under the administrative control of Korea, which at that time was part of the Japanese Empire. After Korea gained independence, it laid claim to the island. In 1952 South Korea officially declared Takeshima its territory and planted its own flag. In response, Japanese sailors landed on the island, arrested six Koreans, and hoisted the flag of Japan. A few hours later, superior Korean forces recaptured the islands. For six decades, South Korea has built a radio station and a lighthouse on the island and constantly keeps a garrison of 12 people on it. All these acts provoked notes of protest sent by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Negotiations about the fate of the island have been ongoing since 1965.

In Japan, there is the Takeshima Society, which demands the return of ancestral Japanese lands. She organizes many actions together with the "Society of the Northern Territories", demanding the transfer of four islands of the Kuril chain to Japan. Control over Takeshima gives the right to control over 20 thousand km² of ocean rich in fish.

Senkaku Islands. Pacific Ocean, East China Sea

Eight islets, with a total area of 7 km². Oil reserves have been discovered near them. The islands were discovered by Chinese navigators, but in 1895 Japan declared them their property, to which the then Chinese government did not pay attention. Now the islands are the subject of a dispute between Japan, China and Taiwan, but are controlled by the Japanese Navy. Periodically, extremist demonstrators from Japan, China and Taiwan go to the islands and try to install national flags. Sometimes these actions turn into violent fights with representatives of the opposite camp or the Japanese military. In 1996, one person died as a result of a similar collision. In 2003, the Japanese government announced that it intended to lease three of the islands to a Japanese entrepreneur. Taiwan and China immediately issued strong statements condemning the decision.

28 SEPTEMBER,

On September 28, 1939, the Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany was signed. It was signed by German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov. We decided to talk about the five disputed territories of Russia with other states.

The treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was concluded on September 28, 1939. It was signed after the invasion of Poland by the armies of Germany and the USSR by German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov. According to this agreement, the territory of Poland was divided between Germany and the USSR. The text of the treaty and a map with the border line between the USSR and Germany were published in the Soviet press. Under this treaty, Lithuania passed into the sphere of influence of the USSR. This provided the Soviet Union with German non-intervention in relations with Lithuania, which resulted in the establishment of the Lithuanian SSR on June 15, 1940.

DISPUTE ISLANDS

The Kuril Islands include 30 large and many small islands. They are included in Sakhalin region Russia and are of great military-strategic and economic importance. However, the southern islands of the archipelago - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group - are disputed by Japan, which includes them in the Hokkaido prefecture.

Moscow's principled position is that the southern Kuril Islands became part of the USSR, whose successor was Russia, and are an integral part of the territory Russian Federation on legal grounds following the results of the Second World War, enshrined in the UN Charter, and Russian sovereignty over them, having the appropriate international legal confirmation, is beyond doubt.

In Japan, they say that the northern territories are the centuries-old territories of this country, which continue to be under the illegal occupation of Russia. According to the Japanese position, in case of confirmation of ownership northern territories to Japan, she is ready to flexibly approach the time and order of their return. In addition, since Japanese citizens living in the northern territories were forcibly evicted by Joseph Stalin, Japan is ready to come to terms with Russian government so that those living there Russian citizens did not suffer the same tragedy. In other words, after the return of the islands to Japan, she intends to respect the rights, interests and desires of the Russians now living on the islands.

TAKEN ONE AND A HALF ISLANDS

Problem disputed islands Tarabarov and Bolshoy Ussuriysky arose in 1964, when a new draft agreement on the border between Russia and China was developed. And the story was like this. In 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was concluded, when Russia recognized China's rights to lands on the right bank of the Amur and in Primorye. In the middle of the 19th century, taking advantage of the weakness of China, Russia annexed 165.9 thousand square kilometers of Primorye, which were under joint control. China was left without access to the Sea of Japan. During World War II, between Stalin and PLA commander-in-chief Mao Zedong, who controlled northern regions China, an agreement was concluded on drawing the border line along the Chinese bank of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. Thus, China was actually deprived of the right to use the fairway of these rivers, but received support from the USSR.

In 2004, an agreement was signed between Russia and China on the Russian-Chinese state border on its eastern part. The document defines the border in two sections: in the area of Bolshoy Island in the upper reaches of the Argun River (Chita Region) and in the area of the Tarabarov and Bolshoy Ussuriysky Islands at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers near Khabarovsk. Tarabarov is completely given to China, and Ussuriysky is only partially. The border line, according to the document, runs both along the middle of the rivers and on land. The territory of both sites (about 375 sq. km) is distributed approximately in half.

WANTED TO CUT OFF A PIECE

Estonia lays claim to the Pechora district of the Pskov region and the right bank of the Narva River with Ivangorod. On May 18, 2005, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Estonia, Sergey Lavrov and Urmas Paet, signed agreements on the state border and delimitation of maritime spaces in Narva and Gulf of Finland, fixing the passage of the state border between the two states along the former administrative border between the RSFSR and the Estonian SSR "with a slight adjustment on the terms of adequate territorial compensation." One of the main subjects of negotiations on the Russian-Estonian border is the Saatse boot. It was planned to transfer it to Estonia, exchanging it for other territories. The agreement was not ratified by Russia, due to the amendments made to it by the Estonian side.

FISH WAR

For almost half a century, Russia has been waging an undeclared fish war with Norway. Most of the fighting takes place on the territory of the famous "twilight zone" in the Barents Sea. This is a disputed body of water the size of half Germany or Italy, two-thirds of the UK.

The essence of the dispute boils down to the fact that Russia drew the border along the coast of the island of Svalbard, Norway believed that the border should be equidistant from Svalbard on the one hand and Franz Josef Land and the island New Earth with another. Since the states were on friendly terms, the dispute over the border rarely resulted in any actions, and occasionally there were detentions of Russian fishing boats. However, in the future, the dispute escalated, since hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in the Barents Sea, including in the disputed territories. In April 2010, the parties agreed that the new delimitation line would divide the disputed territory into two equal parts, the 40-year-old dispute was finally settled on September 15, 2010 after the signing of the agreement "On the delimitation of maritime spaces and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean" transfer of 90 thousand sq. m. km. in favor of Norway.

CRIMEA - A TERRITORY OF DISPUTES

For many years, disputes around perhaps the most beautiful and favorite vacation spot of the Soviet people have not subsided. Crimea is not only an "all-Union health resort", but also a strategic territory.

In 1991, when it broke up Soviet Union relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated. The people living in Russia, after the loss of so many territories, remembered the Crimea, which could be returned, because. transferring it to Ukraine in 1954 was disapproved by many. At the same time, 80 percent of Crimean residents said they consider themselves citizens of Russia, and Crimea is part of its territory. But Ukraine had one very significant lever of pressure on Russia - the Black Sea Fleet. In January 1992, the then President of Ukraine L. Kravchuk announced that he had taken the Black Sea Fleet under his guardianship. It was a collapse for Russia. But the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine is a very huge loss for Russia.

DISPUTE ISLANDS

The Kuril Islands include 30 large and many small islands. They are part of the Sakhalin region of Russia and are of great military-strategic and economic importance. However, the southern islands of the archipelago - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group - are disputed by Japan, which includes them in the Hokkaido prefecture.

Moscow's principled position is that the southern Kuril Islands became part of the USSR, of which Russia became the legal successor, and are an integral part of the territory of the Russian Federation on legal grounds following the results of the Second World War, enshrined in the UN Charter, and Russian sovereignty over them, which has an appropriate international legal confirmation, no doubt.

In Japan, they say that the northern territories are the centuries-old territories of this country, which continue to be under the illegal occupation of Russia. According to the Japanese position, in the event that the northern territories belong to Japan, it is ready to flexibly approach the time and procedure for their return. In addition, since the Japanese citizens living in the northern territories were forcibly evicted by Joseph Stalin, Japan is ready to come to an agreement with the Russian government so that the Russian citizens living there will not suffer the same tragedy. In other words, after the return of the islands to Japan, she intends to respect the rights, interests and desires of the Russians now living on the islands.

TAKEN ONE AND A HALF ISLANDS

The problem of the disputed islands of Tarabarov and Bolshoi Ussuriysky arose in 1964, when a new draft agreement on the border between Russia and China was developed. And the story was like this. In 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was concluded, when Russia recognized China's rights to lands on the right bank of the Amur and in Primorye. In the middle of the 19th century, taking advantage of the weakness of China, Russia annexed 165.9 thousand square kilometers of Primorye, which were under joint control. China was left without access to the Sea of Japan. During World War II, between Stalin and the commander-in-chief of the PLA Mao Zedong, who controlled the northern regions of China, an agreement was concluded on drawing the border line along the Chinese bank of the Amur and Ussuri rivers. Thus, China was actually deprived of the right to use the fairway of these rivers, but received support from the USSR.

WANTED TO CUT OFF A PIECE

Estonia lays claim to the Pechora district of the Pskov region and the right bank of the Narva River with Ivangorod. On May 18, 2005, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Estonia, Sergey Lavrov and Urmas Paet, signed agreements on the state border and delimitation of maritime spaces in the Narva and Gulf of Finland, fixing the passage of the state border between the two states along the former administrative border between the RSFSR and the Estonian SSR "with a slight adjustment on the conditions adequate territorial compensation”. One of the main subjects of negotiations on the Russian-Estonian border is the Saatse boot. It was planned to transfer it to Estonia, exchanging it for other territories. The agreement was not ratified by Russia, due to the amendments made to it by the Estonian side.

FISH WAR

The essence of the dispute boils down to the fact that Russia drew the border along the coast of the island of Svalbard, Norway believed that the border should be equidistant from Svalbard on the one hand and Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya on the other. Since the states were on friendly terms, the dispute over the border rarely resulted in any actions, and occasionally there were detentions of Russian fishing boats. However, in the future, the dispute escalated, since hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in the Barents Sea, including in the disputed territories. In April 2010, the parties agreed that the new delimitation line would divide the disputed territory into two equal parts, the 40-year-old dispute was finally settled on September 15, 2010 after the signing of the agreement "On the delimitation of maritime spaces and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean" transfer of 90 thousand sq. m. km. in favor of Norway.

CRIMEA - A TERRITORY OF DISPUTES

In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated. The people living in Russia, after the loss of so many territories, remembered the Crimea, which could be returned, because. transferring it to Ukraine in 1954 was disapproved by many. At the same time, 80 percent of Crimean residents said they consider themselves citizens of Russia, and Crimea is part of its territory. But Ukraine had one very significant lever of pressure on Russia - the Black Sea Fleet. In January 1992, the then President of Ukraine L. Kravchuk announced that he had taken the Black Sea Fleet under his guardianship. It was a collapse for Russia. But the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine is a very huge loss for Russia.

Claims against Russia by Asian states

The Kuril Islands are today a stumbling block for the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan. Since the end of the Second World War between these countries, it has not been signed, although Japan finally capitulated on September 6, 1945. Today, these two states are in a state of truce, the Japanese demand to give them part of the Kuril ridge.

The border with China is demarcated, but it has claims against Russia. And today Tarabarov and the Big Ussuri Islands on the Amur River are controversial. Here the borders are not even delimited. But China follows a different path, it systematically populates the territory of the Russian Federation with its citizens. The water space and shelves of the Caspian Sea are divided by Russian-Iranian agreements. reappeared on political world states, and these are Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, demand to divide the bottom of the Caspian Sea in a new way. Azerbaijan is not waiting, it is already developing the subsoil.

European claims

Today, Ukraine has a territorial claim to Russia, it does not want to accept the loss of Crimea. Earlier there were disputes about the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, which Russia proposed to consider internal between the two countries, while Ukraine demanded their separation. There are problems, and they are very difficult to solve. Latvia tried to make claims about the Pytalovsky region, but for the sake of the possibility of joining the EU, it refused.

Despite the fact that rumors are circulating in the media about Estonian claims to the Ivangorod region, official Tallinn did not make any claims. Kaliningrad region plans to annex Lithuania, but it is unlikely that she will want a war with Russia.

Norway is not satisfied with the Russian border between the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Norway demands to establish a border exactly in the middle between the islands belonging to the two countries, it wants to revise the boundaries of Russian polar possessions. In 1926, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee established the border of the polar possessions of the USSR, including in the state all the islands in the north of the Eastern Hemisphere, including the North Pole. Today, many countries consider this document illegal.

Disputed territories that in the future may cause a conflict between Russia and its neighbors.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would like to resolve the issue of ownership with Russia Kuril Islands and sign a peace treaty. According to him, “solving the issue of the northern territories is a long-standing desire Japanese people". How Japan intends to resolve the issue, Abe did not specify. Countries have not been able to sign a peace treaty since the end of World War II.
We decided to recall the history of the Kuril Islands, and at the same time other disputed territories, which in the future may cause a conflict between Russia and its neighbors.
The dispute between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, the islands were inhabited by the Ainu people and a permanent Russian or Japanese population did not yet exist on them. Expeditions to the Kuriles were carried out by both Russians and Japanese, but the parties did not exercise any real control over the territories until the 19th century.
The first full-fledged delimitation treaty was signed by Russia and Japan in 1855 - it recognized the right of the Japanese to the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands, as well as to the Habomai group of islands. The remaining islands of the Kuril chain remained with Russia. It is on the basis of this treaty that Japan today puts forward claims to the territory of the southern Kuriles.
Subsequently, the islands changed hands more than once - in 1875, Russia, in exchange for South Sakhalin, gave Japan all Kuril ridge, and in 1905, after the defeat in the Russo-Japanese war, she also gave up South Sakhalin. In 1945, the USSR entered the war with Japan at the request of the United States on the terms of the subsequent return of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin.
After the victory in the war, Soviet troops occupied the agreed territories, but Japan did not recognize the transfer of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands to the USSR. The reason was that, according to Japanese cartography, they do not belong to the Kuril Islands, being the historical Japanese province of Chisima.
At the same time, the Soviet Union agreed to transfer the islands of Habomai and Shikotan to Japan in exchange for the recognition of the remaining territories for the USSR, but these conditions did not suit Japan and the peace treaty between the countries was never signed.
In the USSR, the very fact of contesting the territories was not recognized until 1991, so there were no political negotiations on this topic. The active political phase in the issue of the Kuril Islands resumed already between Japan and the Russian Federation.
In 2007, Russia was asked to return to the terms of the 1955 armistice with the transfer of Habomai and Shikotan, but Japan refused and preferred to continue to count everything southern Kuriles their "northern territories".
In 2010 and 2012, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the disputed territories along with other high-ranking officials, which caused a disapproving reaction from Japan. A new attempt by the Japanese authorities to rapprochement on the issue of resolving the territorial dispute has not yet received a response from the Russian side.

2. Amur Islands and Altai

The eastern part of the border between Russia and China runs along the Amur River and its tributary, the Ussuri. In the channels of these rivers there are a huge number of islands, the territorial status of which was repeatedly disputed by the two sides throughout the 20th century.
So, in 1969, an armed conflict broke out between the troops of the USSR and the PRC over Damansky Island, as a result of which control over it actually passed from Soviet side to the Chinese. In 1991, the island was finally assigned to the PRC by signing an agreement.
In 2005, Russia and China signed another border demarcation agreement between the two states, according to which 337 square kilometers were assigned to the PRC. island territories, previously in fact under the control of Russia. Part of Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, Tarabarov Island and also other, smaller islands located near Khabarovsk, in the place where the Ussuri flows into the Amur, went to China.
According to the Russian authorities, the transfer of disputed territories to China was made in order to normalize relations between the two countries and avoid a possible military conflict in the future. At the same time, already in 2012, China demanded that a section of the border in the Altai Mountains be moved deep into the Russian Federation.
The PRC hoped to get 17 hectares of land, through which, perhaps in the future, a gas pipeline will pass to the country rising sun. Thus, by transferring disputed territories to China in 2005, the Russian authorities by no means got rid of Chinese claims to our land, but rather created a dangerous precedent.
At the same time, in China itself, the mood for the return of the former imperial borders is quite strong. The local press does not hesitate to publish maps on which the lands of Siberia and the Far East are designated as historical Chinese territory.

3. Pytalovo

In 1920 between Soviet Russia and Latvia signed a peace treaty, according to which the parties recognized the sovereignty of the two states. At the same time, there was also state border. As a result, part of the Ostrovsky district of the former Russian Empire.
In 1940, Stalin brought Soviet troops into Latvia, and in 1944 the territory of the former Ostrovsky district again returned to the RSFSR, and it became the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region.
After the collapse of the USSR, Latvia recognized its presence as part of the USSR as an occupation and, on this basis, put forward territorial claims to the Pytalovsky region. At the same time, the Russian authorities, referring to this issue, in the transfer of disputed territories Baltic country refused categorically.
In 2007, the Latvians made concessions and the border was finally fixed the way it remained after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Latvia decided that the claims were not worth the deterioration of relations with Russia, in addition, the country needed to resolve territorial disputes in order to join NATO.

4. Saatses boot

Estonia also had territorial claims against Russia. However, they were not connected with the historical right of Estonia to certain Russian territories, but with a banal inconvenience.
The fact is that one of the Estonian highways, built back in the USSR, partly passes through the territory of the Pechora district of the Pskov region, protruding into the lands of Estonia and resembling boots in shape. To drive along this road, one has to cross the state border twice.
Russia has introduced a special regime in this area, according to which Estonian vehicles have the right to pass the Russian section of the road without border inspection, but it is forbidden to stop and walk there.
The Russian authorities intended to resolve these inconveniences in 2005 by transferring the Saatses boot to Estonia in exchange for almost 100 hectares of forest land. But the signing of the already finished agreement fell through due to the introduction by the Estonian side of the text of amendments that did not suit the Russian Federation.
As a result, in 2014, the countries signed another demarcation agreement recognizing operating borders left over from the collapse of the USSR. Estonia, like Latvia, at a certain stage was forced to curtail the issue of transferring borders due to the rules for joining NATO.

5. Karelia

During its history, Karelia has become a disputed territory more than once. It belonged to the Novgorod Republic, Sweden and the Russian Empire. In 1920, after civil war and the first Soviet-Finnish war, West Side Karelia was transferred to Finland.
The territory was returned after the Second World War, although part historical area Karelia has remained a part of Finland - the administrative units of North and South Karelia still exist there. Since the end of World War II, the Russian-Finnish border has not changed and has never been challenged by the official Finnish government.
However, in Lately, moods are growing in Finland for the return of Karelian lands - according to opinion polls, at least a third of the population is in favor of uniting Karelia under the Finnish flag. Recently, several political organizations have emerged advocating the return of the disputed territory.

6. Svalbard

The Svalbard Islands were first visited in the 12th century by the Pomors who inhabited Rus'. Finally opened they were famous Dutch navigator Willem Barents in 1596. Since then, whaling and walrus hunting have been regularly carried out on the island, until by XIX the animals were completely exterminated.
On Russian maps at that time, this territory was designated as part of the Russian Empire, although Denmark and Great Britain also had claims to it. At the same time, in fact, the islands remained without any control until the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1920, Norway, taking advantage of the collapse of the Russian Empire, declared its rights to Svalbard. After that, an international treaty was signed on a special legal status Svalbard, according to which the archipelago was recognized as the territory of the Norwegian crown.
At the same time, all countries that signed the treaty had the right to conduct commercial and research activities on the islands. Svalbard was also recognized as a demilitarized zone.
Between the world wars, coal mining was actively carried out on the archipelago, in addition, Svalbard became one of the centers of polar aviation. During the war, many mines were destroyed, but after mining resumed - mainly thanks to the efforts of Norway and the USSR.
By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, Svalbard's coal reserves had run out and the Norwegian settlements on the island refocused their economy on Arctic tourism. The Norwegian authorities took a position of protecting the ecological situation in the archipelago, introducing new laws in the 2000s that severely limited the activities of organizations on the islands.
The Russian part of Svalbard could not adapt to the new realities and currently lives on government subsidies. However, Russian population Svalbard is no more than 500 people, most of whom live in the village of Barentsburg. At the same time, about two thousand Norwegians live on the islands.

Russia and Norway have not officially disputed the ownership of Svalbard, although the countries have recently had territorial claims against each other. They concerned primarily the drawing of the border in the waters of the Barents Sea. The Russian side drew the border along the coast of the island of Spitsbergen, while the Norwegians insisted that the border should pass at an equal distance from Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land.
The dispute entered an active phase when hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in this sea area. In addition, there is a brisk fishing industry, and Russian and Norwegian border guards often arrested fishing boats here. In 2010, the dispute was resolved by the signing of a demarcation agreement, which was drawn up on a compromise basis.

7. Alaska

Alaska was discovered by Russian navigators in the 18th century and until 1867 was controlled by the so-called Russian-American company. However, after the unsuccessful Crimean War, it became clear that Russia was simply not able to protect such a remote and undeveloped territory as Alaska.
In addition, after Alexander II carried out large-scale reforms, the treasury was very short of money, and the government decided to sell the peninsula. The amount of the deal with the US authorities amounted to 7.2 million dollars, that is, 4.74 dollars per square kilometer.
Almost immediately after the sale, gold was discovered in Alaska, but the mining industry began to develop actively only towards the end of the 19th century, when a gold rush occurred in America. In 1959, Alaska became a state, and now there is extensive mining, including oil.
Since the sale of the peninsula, official Russia has never expressed its rights to it, although a reminder of the Russian past of Alaska keeps popping out of the lips of politicians. Of course, in the wake of these sentiments is Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who has long been proposing to demand Alaska back from the United States. After the events in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation, talk about the return of Alaska resumed with renewed vigor, although for the most part they are more of a comic nature.