Wondering about the definition of an exclave? Keep reading to learn the meaning of exclave, see some examples, and get a better understanding of this travel glossary term!
What is an Exclave?
An exclave is a part of a country that is not attached to the main body of the country, instead being surrounded by a part or parts of another country or countries.
Some common examples of exclaves include Russia‘s Kaliningrad, which is located between Poland and Lithuania (and the Baltic Sea), and Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, which is completely cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by being surrounded by Turkey, Armenia, and Iran.
More on Exclaves
A semi-exclave is an exclave which is surrounded partly by water, with the rest of it surrounded by borders of another country or countries. Cabinda is an example of a semi-exclave province of Angola.
A pene-exclave is a part one country which can only be reached (on land, usually) by way of another country. Kleinwalsertal is a part of Mittelberg, Vorarlberg, Austria in the north of the country. However, since you can only access it by going through Oberstdorf, Germany, it is considered a pene-exclave.
An exclave differs from an enclave, which is a nation completely surrounded by just one country. An exclave may also be an enclave, but enclaves can not be exclaves, as an exclave is never the “mainland” of a country, just a part of it.
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