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Cross-border town naming

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Cross-border town naming occurs where towns or villages with the same or equivalent names are divided between two different countries. This does not necessarily imply that those towns or villages are located in geographic proximity or that they are located near a current border (divided cities). Reasons for this taking place may include the following:

  • The town or village existed before the border or even before the modern concept of a border. The border was added later (sometimes by war), dividing a community.
  • A community on one side of a border grows up to service the border and then takes the name of the adjacent community on the other side of the border.
  • Communities grow up on both sides of the border to service the border, taking the name of the border crossing.

Most places are in Europe, but there are also some examples in North America and Asia. In Europe, until the first half of the 20th century and again since the Schengen Agreement in the late 20th century, such divisions could be mostly ignored by the inhabitants.

Examples

Note that this list includes only places with similar names that are in someway connected (by history, geography or otherwise) across modern-day international borders. Towns that have the same name but bear no relationship to each other are also very common but not particularly notable.

Europe

Denmark–Sweden

Netherlands–Germany

Netherlands–Belgium

Belgium–Germany

Luxembourg–Germany

Belgium–France

Luxembourg–France

France–Germany

France–Switzerland

France–England

France–Spain

Germany–Switzerland

Germany–Austria

Germany–Poland

(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.

Germany–Czech Republic

(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.

Czech Republic–Poland

(*) In some cases there have been added exonyms to show the relationship between the towns more clearly for people not familiar with the respective languages.

Czech Republic–Austria

Austria–Slovenia

Italy–France

Italy–Montenegro

Italy–Slovenia

Italy–Switzerland

Hungary–Slovakia

Hungary–Romania

Portugal–Spain

Sweden–Finland

Estonia–Latvia

Croatia–Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia-Herzegovina/Serbia

Bosnia-Herzegovina–Montenegro

Serbia–Romania

Romania–Ukraine

Romania–Moldova

North America

Towns and cities listed have names of a common origin across an international boundary; matching pairs across provincial or state boundaries (such as Kansas City or Lloydminster) are common but are not listed here.

Canada–United States

United States–Mexico

South America

Argentina–Chile

Brazil–Argentina

Brazil–Bolivia

Brazil–French Guiana

Brazil–Uruguay

Africa

Ethiopia–Kenya

Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gabon–Equatorial Guinea

Republic of the Congo–Democratic Republic of the Congo

Angola–Democratic Republic of the Congo

Malawi–Mozambique

Zambia–Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe–Mozambique

Asia

Azerbaijan–Iran

Georgia–Turkey

China-Hong Kong SAR

Tajikistan–Afghanistan

Oman–UAE

See also

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