Political Geography
Enclave
An enclave is a territory (or part of a territory) entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. Strictly speaking, it is an "enclave" from the perspective of the surrounding state and an "exclave" from the perspective of the state it belongs to.
Notable examples include Vatican City and San Marino (independent states within Italy), Lesotho (surrounded by South Africa), and Russia's Kaliningrad (between Lithuania and Poland).
Surrounding state: Italy
Independent state insideVatican City
Independent state insideSan Marino
Surrounding state: South Africa
Independent state insideLesotho
Territory detached from its home state: Russia's Kaliningrad
Lithuania
Russian territoryKaliningrad
Poland
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an enclave?
- An enclave is a piece of territory entirely surrounded by the territory of another state. From the surrounding state's perspective it is an enclave; from the home state's perspective the same piece of land is called an exclave.
- What are famous examples of enclaves?
- Russia's Kaliningrad, located between Lithuania and Poland, is a classic example. Entire countries surrounded by a single neighbor include Vatican City and San Marino (within Italy) and Lesotho (within South Africa).