Cyprus
Milos Bicanski/Getty ImagesGraffiti on the wall in the divided capital of Nicosia, Cyprus on March 27, 2013.
Tucked away in the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Turkey, the island of Cyprus is a hotly-disputed territory. In 1974, Turkish forces invaded Cyprus to wrest it from Greek control, and it has remained in political limbo ever since.
A wall separates the northern Turkish side from the Greek southern side, and both countries still lay claim to the island and its land. While the wall has kept the nationally unrecognized Turkish province physically separate, it has caused a political rift that extends beyond Cyprus’ borders.
The EU and the United Nations recognize the island’s south side, while only Turkey can trade with and access the north. This division, and by relation the wall, has played a role in keeping Turkey out of the European Union.
India and Pakistan
Arif Ali/Getty ImagesEvery evening, the section of the border where Wagah, Pakistan meets Atari, India sees a well-attended ceremony in which soldiers from each side meet in the middle to shake hands, lower their respective flags, and call it a day.
India and Pakistan have been fighting since 1947, when British colonial rule ended in the creation of the two countries as we now know them. The countries, which both now have nuclear weapons, continue to be a site of brinkmanship to this day.
Acts of military showmanship along the countries’ many border walls still take place daily, though both networks of tunnels and wall weak points keep these barriers from being fully effective. According to NBC, India has tried to use cameras, camels, and cowbells to make the wall more effective in keeping Pakistani militants out. Nothing has been 100 percent effective, and tensions between the two nations remain high.
In January 2016, the countries suspended peace talks after India blamed Pakistan for letting militants cross the border to attack an air base. In response, India is expanding the wall in Punjab state with laser sensors that will alert security forces of any breaches. The cycle continues.
