Borderlines.
Geography, history and geopolitics.
Award Winning Travel Writing
Borderlines is where ‘Prisoners of Geography’ meets travel blogging. This is Travel Tramp’s geopolitical column.
Learn how geography, politics and history shape the world around, as we answer deep travel questions from the road.
What makes a country a country? What’s the difference between a micronation and a microstate? Why did Transnistria declare independence from Moldova?
You can find answers to all these questions and more as I build a database of the world’s cartographic curiosities and geopolitical oddities.
Latest Border Stories
What are the British Isles? Everything You Need to Know.
What are the British Isles? From the Isle of Mull to the Isles of Scilly, here's everything you need to know about the British Isles! The British Isles is a geographical term describing an archipelago of over 6,000 islands. This archipelago consists of two main...
Is Montenegro in the EU (European Union)? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Montenegro in the EU? Do Montenegrins want to be part of the European Union Community? Why does Montenegro use the Euro? Here's everything you need to know! Montenegro is a small yet geopolitically significant nation in the Balkans, and a destination that often...
Is Montenegro a Country? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Montenegro a country? Was Montenegro part of Yugoslavia? When did Montenegro declare independence from Serbia? Here's everything you need to know! In the Balkans, the lines of nationhood are seemingly subject to constant change. The sovereignty of small...
Where are the Balkans? Everything You Need to Know.
Where are the Balkans? How many countries are in the Balkans? What is Balkanization? Here's everything you need to know! Defining the Balkans - both geographically and politically - is as intricate as the region's long, layered history of migration, conflict and...
Is Moldova a Country? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Moldova a country? When did Moldova declare independence from the Soviet Union? Is Transnistria a sovereign nation? Here's everything you need to know about Moldova, one of the least visited countries in Europe. Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is often...
Is Transnistria a Country? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Transnistria a country? What's it like to visit Transnistria? Where even is Transnistria? In this article, we answer all your burning questions about this little-known Breakaway Territory between Ukraine and Moldova. Navigating the complex geopolitics of Eastern...
The Cyprus Buffer Zone (What Is It and How to Visit).
The Cyprus buffer zone is a haunting divide that separates this Mediterranean island between Greek and Turkish communities. In 1974 the Turkish invasion of Cyprus left the island torn in two, as the Greek and the Turkish communities were divided and separated by the...
Is Georgia a Country? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Georgia a country? Is Georgia in the Caucasus? How many breakaway territories are there in Georgia? Here's everything you need to know about Georgia and its geopolitics before you travel! Mention 'Georgia' and it's not uncommon for people to think of the deep...
Is Abkhazia a Country? Everything You Need to Know.
Is Abkhazia a country? Is Abkhazia in Georgia? Do any countries recognise Abkhazia as an independent nation? Here's everything you need to know. Navigating the labyrinth of geopolitics in the Caucasus region can often leave even the most astute observers scratching...
The Ledra Street Border Crossing In Cyprus (Where It Is and How to Cross)
The Ledra Street Border Crossing in Cyprus slices straight through the middle of the road. The crossing point cuts one of the island's busiest shopping streets in two. It's unnatural. It's a divide that has split the Turkish Cypriot community from the Greek Cypriot...
richard@travel-tramp.com