List of divided cities
A divided city is one which, as a consequence of political changes or border shifts, currently constitutes two separate entities, or an urban area with a border running through it. Listed below are the localities and the state they belonged to at the time of division.
Especially notable examples of divided cities are divided capitals, including Nicosia, Jerusalem, Berlin and Beirut.
Former cities now divided
Africa
Americas
Asia
- Tell Abyad, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
- * Tell Abyad, Syria
- * Akçakale, Turkey
- Arappınar, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
- * Kobanî, Syria
- * Mürşitpınar, Turkey
- Astara, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay
- *Astara, Azerbaijan
- *Astara, Iran
- Dibba, Portuguese fort
- * Dibba Al-Fujairah, ruled by the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE
- * Dibba Al-Hisn, ruled by the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE
- * Dibba Al-Baya, ruled by the Governorate of Musandam, Oman
- Ghajar divided between Israel and Lebanon
- Hili, India, divided since 1947 after partition of India
- * Hili, India
- * Hili, East Pakistan, now Bangladesh
- Jerusalem
- * West Jerusalem, Israel
- * East Jerusalem, Palestine; Which was under Jordanian control 1948–1967, under Israeli control since 1967, claimed by Jordan 1967–1988; recognized by the international community as Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation 1967–present
- Julfa, divided under the Treaty of Turkmenchay
- *Julfa, Azerbaijan
- *Jolfa, Iran
- Lo Wu / Luohu
- * 1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
- * 1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone and British Hong Kong
- * 1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
- * 1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
- Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, divided since 1974 after the Turkish invasion on the island and still divided.
- Padang Besar, Malay Peninsula, divided between Malaysia and Thailand.
- * Padang Besar, Malaysia
- * Padang Besar, Thailand
- Rafah divided between the Gaza Strip and Egypt
- * Rafah, Egypt
- Resülayn, divided along the Baghdad Railway under the Treaty of Ankara in 1921
- * Ra's al-'Ayn, Syria
- * Ceylanpınar, Turkey
- Sha Tau Kok / Shatoujiao
- * 1898–1911: divided between the Qing Empire and British Hong Kong
- * 1912–1939: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1939–1941: divided between Japanese occupation zone and British Hong Kong
- * 1941–1945: both under Japanese occupation.
- * 1945–1949: divided between Guangdong Province, Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1949–1997: divided between Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China and British Hong Kong
- * 1997–present: the People's Republic of China possesses the sovereignty of the entire town since Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom in 1997; the part that was previously possessed by British Hong Kong is now administered by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the rest of the town is still administered by Guangdong Province. Border controls are still in use.
- Aleppo, Syria, divided between SSG and YPG after the 2024 Battle of Aleppo.
Europe
- Baarle, divided since 1194, modern NL–BE division since 1831
- * Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands
- * Baarle-Hertog, Belgium
- Bad Muskau, Germany
- * Bad Muskau, Germany
- * Łęknica, Poland
- Bad Radkersburg, Austria-Hungary
- * Bad Radkersburg, Austria
- * Gornja Radgona, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
- Berlin in Germany
- * West Berlin, closely associated with West Germany
- * East Berlin, East Germany
- Bliederstroff, Lorraine
- * Grosbliederstroff, France
- * Kleinblittersdorf, Germany
- Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
- * Bratislava, Slovakia
- * Engerau, Austria
- Brod-on-Sava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- * Brod in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- * Slavonski Brod in Croatia
- Deryneia, Cyprus
- * Deryneia, Cyprus
- * Kato Deryneia, North Cyprus
- Frankfurt, Germany
- * Frankfurt, East Germany, now Germany
- * Słubice, Poland
- Forst, Germany
- * Forst, Germany
- * Zasieki, Poland
- Gmünd, Austria-Hungary
- * Gmünd, Austria
- * České Velenice, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic
- Gorizia, Italy
- * Gorizia, Italy
- * Nova Gorica, Yugoslavia, now Slovenia
- Görlitz, Germany
- * Görlitz, East Germany, now Germany 60,000
- * Zgorzelec, Poland 38,000
- Guben, Germany
- * Guben, East Germany, now Germany 22,000
- * Gubin, Poland 19,000
- Herzogenrath, divided since 1815 at the Congress of Vienna
- * Herzogenrath, Germany
- * Kerkrade, Netherlands
- Komárom, Austria-Hungary
- * Komárom, Hungary
- * Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia
- Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo
- * ethnic-Albanian south
- * ethnic-Serb north
- Küstrin, Germany
- * Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland
- * Küstrin-Kietz, Germany
- Laufenburg, divided between Switzerland and Germany
- * Laufenburg, Switzerland
- * Laufenburg, Germany
- Mödlareuth, Germany
- * Mödlareuth, Gefell, Thuringia, East Germany
- * Mödlareuth, Töpen, Bavaria, West Germany
- Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina between Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Narva, Russian Empire/Soviet Union
- * Narva, Estonia
- * Ivangorod, Russia
- Pello
- Rheinfelden
- *Rheinfelden
- *Rheinfelden
- Rijeka, Croatia
- * Fiume, Italy
- * Sušak, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Rome, Papal States
- * Rome, Italy
- * Vatican City
- Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland
- * Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland
- * Saint-Gingolph, France
- Saltney, divided between England and Wales
- Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after the Dayton Agreement which politically defined the country's political structure, has most of the city within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while some suburbs are within the boundaries of the other entity, Republika Srpska.
- Sátoraljaújhely, Austria-Hungary
- * Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary
- * Slovenské Nové Mesto, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia
- Siget, Austria-Hungary
- * Sighetu Marmației, Romania
- * Solotvyno, the Ukraine
- Teschen, Austrian Silesia
- * Cieszyn, Poland
- * Český Těšín, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic
- Walk, Livonia
- * Valga, Estonia
- * Valka, Latvia
- Veľké Slemence
- * divided between Slovakia and Ukraine
Oceania
- Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, Australia
- *Coolangatta, Queensland
- *Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Cities that arose next to each other across a boundary line