Legal Definitions - international enclave

International Enclave

An international enclave refers to a portion of one country'sterritory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of another, distinct country. Essentially, it's a piece of land belonging to one sovereign state that is geographically cut off from its main body and completely enclosed within the borders of a foreign state.

Here are some examples:

• Campione d'Italia: This is an Italian municipality located on the shores of Lake Lugano. However, it is entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton of Ticino. Although it is politically and legally part of Italy, to travel to the rest of Italy by land, residents must pass through Swiss territory.
• How this illustrates the term: Campione d'Italia is a clear international enclave because it is Italian territory completely encircled by Switzerland, a separate sovereign nation.
• Baarle-Hertog: This Belgian municipality consists of numerous separate parcels of land. Many of these parcels are enclaves located within the Netherlands, specifically within the Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau. To complicate matters further, some of these Belgian enclaves even contain smaller Dutch counter-enclaves.
• How this illustrates the term: The various Belgian territories that are completely surrounded by Dutch land are international enclaves. They are parts of Belgium that are geographically isolated and enclosed within the borders of the Netherlands.
• Büsingen am Hochrhein: This is a German municipality situated on the Rhine River. It is entirely surrounded by the Swiss cantons of Schaffhausen, Thurgau, and Zurich. Despite being part of Germany, its economy and daily life are heavily integrated with Switzerland, even using the Swiss franc as its de facto currency.
• How this illustrates the term: Büsingen am Hochrhein is an international enclave because it is a piece of German territory that is geographically separated from the main body of Germany and completely enclosed within the borders of Switzerland.