Neutral territory
Encyclopedia
A neutral territory is a territory (not a sovereign state) that is not an integral part of any state (neither independent, nor dependent on a single state, nor colonized or under protectorate, nor a concession
), and yet is not terra nullius
, but is the object of an agreement under international law between at least two parties (usually bordering states and/or their colonisers et cetera) that neither shall establish, at least for the duration of the agreement's validity, effective control over it.
When it is a delimited zone bordering at least one of the partners, the term neutral zone applies.
This had been the case in the past for:
In many cases, a neutral zone is also a demilitarized zone
.
Concession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
), and yet is not terra nullius
Terra nullius
Terra nullius is a Latin expression deriving from Roman law meaning "land belonging to no one" , which is used in international law to describe territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or over which any prior sovereign has expressly or implicitly relinquished...
, but is the object of an agreement under international law between at least two parties (usually bordering states and/or their colonisers et cetera) that neither shall establish, at least for the duration of the agreement's validity, effective control over it.
When it is a delimited zone bordering at least one of the partners, the term neutral zone applies.
This had been the case in the past for:
- Neutral Moresnet, a 19th-century neutral zone between the United Kingdom of the NetherlandsUnited Kingdom of the NetherlandsUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
(and later BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) and PrussiaKingdom of PrussiaThe Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
(and later the German EmpireGerman EmpireThe German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
). - in the colonial era, the neutral zone between ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and French IndochinaFrench IndochinaFrench Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, 25 kilometres wide (roughly 15.5 miles) on the east bank of the MekongMekongThe Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
, was placed under French control but formally remained under Thai sovereignty - the Saudi-Iraqi neutral zoneSaudi-Iraqi neutral zoneThe Saudi–Iraqi neutral zone was an area of 7,044 km² on the border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq within which the border between the two countries had not been settled...
- the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zoneSaudi-Kuwaiti neutral zoneThe Saudi–Kuwaiti neutral zone, also known as the Divided Zone, was an area of 5,770 km² between the borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that was left undefined when the border was established by the Uqair Convention of December 2, 1922....
- the Trans-Karakoram TractTrans-Karakoram TractThe Trans-Karakoram Tract is an area of nearly along both sides of the Shaksgam River, is entirely administered by the People's Republic of China as a part of Kargilik County and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in the Kashgar Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, but claimed by Pakistan...
In many cases, a neutral zone is also a demilitarized zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
.