{"id":389,"date":"2008-10-10T17:57:13","date_gmt":"2008-10-10T22:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/?p=389"},"modified":"2022-05-26T13:58:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T18:58:07","slug":"condominium-not-that-kind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/condominium-not-that-kind\/","title":{"rendered":"Condominium (not that kind)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A condominium is a concept in international law that describes a geographic area shared in equal sovereignty by two nations. As a practical matter, it creates a genuinely unusual and often impractical solution. A condominium isn’t distinctly part of any one nation but by agreement it’s within the control of both. So it has no standing on its own and has no independent sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of situation does not generally last for long since it depends upon a shared arrangement between independent sovereign states. Eventually the arrangement collapses as one or the other tires of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some condominiums that exist in the modern world, courtesy of Wikipedia’s condominium page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mosel River Condominium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mosel<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Generally a river border belongs to one country or the other. They will split it along the thalweg<\/a> or use some other method. That is not the case with the Mosel River that runs between Luxembourg and Germany. They both control it jointly in a condominium arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice the circle drawn on the topographic map where France abuts the condominium. The French border runs down the middle, but follow it north and notice that the borders of Luxembourg and German BOTH hug their respective banks! The point on the little river island where France and the condominium intersect is the “DEFRLU Tripoint.” I’m not sure if it’s really a tripoint that’s actually a line running along the southern edge of the condominium, or not really a tripoint at all. Either way, it’s very odd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pheasant Island<\/h2>\n\n\n\n