--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 11:57:15 +1000
From: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the most borders <fwd>
Sender: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
 
 
 
It USED to be China, tho France was a contender if one included its
'overseas departments' and extended its territorial waters.
 
China has:
Macao(Portugal),Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, N. Korea.
whether HK counts still, I'm not sure. Taiwan occupies a couple of islands
in Chinese bays, tho it admits these aren't part of Taiwan province.
Chinese claims to the Spratlys put its waters in contact with those of
Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia, besides S.Korea & Japan
That's 15 definitely, and several others possibly
 
Russia has:
Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland
(Remember Kaliningrad is Russian still!), Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
China, Mongolia, N. Korea (only 5 or 10 km on land)
that's 14
its waters touch the US, amongst others (Japan)
 
France has:
Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switz, Italy, Monaco, Spain, Andorra, Holland
(St Maarten in the Caribbean is half French, half Dutch), Fr Guiana touches
Surinam and Brazil.
That's 11.
It is connected to England by the Chunnel (does this count? There is a
border marked in the tunnel)
Extend the waters of Guadeloupe, MArtinique, St Maarten, Fr Polynesia, New
Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, St Pierre et Miquelon, Kerguelen, Basses
d'Indie, etc, and one adds in a lot more: Australia, PNG, South Africa,
Madagascar, Tonga, Fiji,...Do the Channel Islands count separately? They
are enclaved in French waters.
 
Check the latest Guinness book...
 
Brendan Whyte
a border freak
Uni Melbourne
Australia
 
 
At 17:07 14/04/99 -0400, you wrote:
>--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 09:44:16 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
>From: Mark Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: the most borders
>Sender: Mark Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>A patron has asked which country shares the most borders with other
>countries.  Russia seems like a good bet.  Can anyone corroborate
>this or provide an "authoritative" reference?
>
>This question seems vaguely familiar from a past maps-l trivia
>thread, so tell me if you're sure it's come up in the recent past and
>I'll check the maps-l archives.
>
>thanks,
>        Mark
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Mark Thomas / Public Documents & Maps / Perkins Library
>   Duke University / Durham, NC  27708-0177
>      [log in to unmask] / voice: 919-660-5853 / FAX: 919-684-2855
>The train ...
>        traditional, yet environmentally sound.  --Lisa Simpson
>--- End Forwarded Message ---
>
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