- 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 (for that, see 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 (not always due to war), and divided a community.
- A community on one side of a border grows up to service the border, and 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, and take the name of the border crossing.
Most of these places are located in Europe, while there are also some examples in North America and Asia. In Europe, until at the first half of the 20th century, and again in the post-Schengen 21st 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.
European Union
Denmark/Germany
- Pebermark / Neupepersmark
- Rosenkrans / Rosenkranz
Denmark/Sweden
Netherlands/Germany
- Rhederbrug, Rhederveld / Rhede
- Barnflair (Ter Apel) / Barnfleer
- Veenebrugge / Vennebrügge
- Zwillbroek / Zwillbrock
- Ubach over Worms / Übach-Palenberg
- Spijk / Spyck
Netherlands/Belgium
Belgium/Germany
- Lichtenbusch / Aachen-Lichtenbusch
- Stubach / Stupbach
Luxembourg/Germany
- Obereisenbach, Untereisenbach / Übereisenbach
- Wallendorf-Pont / Wallendorf
- Bollendorf-Pont / Bollendorf
- Echternach / Echternacherbrück
- Wasserbillig / Wasserbilligerbrück
Belgium/France
- Comines-Warneton / Comines
- Wervik / Wervicq-Sud
- Quiévrain / Quiévrechain
- Goegnies-Chaussée / Gognies-Chaussée
- Grand-Reng / Vieux-Reng
Luxembourg/France
France/Germany
- Leiding / Leidingen
- Petite-Rosselle / Großrosseln
- Grosbliederstroff / Kleinblittersdorf
- Obergailbach / Niedergailbach
- Scheibenhard / Scheibenhardt
- Lauterbourg / Neulauterburg
- Neuf-Brisach / Breisach
- Kembs / Klein Kembs
France/Switzerland
- Huningue / Kleinhüningen
- Lucelle / Lucelle, Kleinlützel
- Saint-Gingolph / Saint-Gingolph
France/United Kingdom
Germany/Switzerland
- Rheinfelden / Rheinfelden
- Laufenburg / Laufenburg
- Reckingen / Rekingen
Germany/Austria
- Vorderriß / Hinterriß
- Bayrisch Gmain / Großgmain
Germany/Poland
- Altwarp / Nowe Warpno
- Rosow / Rosówek
- Hohenwutzen / Osinów Dolny (Niederwutzen)*
- Zäckericker Loose / Siekierki (Zäckerick)*
- Güstebieser Loose / Gozdowice (Güstebiese)*
- Altrüdnitzer Ausbau / Stara Rudnica (Altrüdnitz)*
- Neulietzegöricke / Stare Lysogorski (Altlietzegöricke)*
- Zelliner Loose / Czelin (Zellin)*
- Küstrin-Kietz / Kostrzyn nad Odrą (Küstrin)*
- Lebus / Nowy Lubusz (Neulebus)*
- Kunitzer Loose / Kunice (Kunitz)*
- Aurith / Urad (Aurith)*
- Guben / Gubin
- Zelz / Siedlec (Zelz)*
- Klein Priebus / Przewóz (Priebus)*
- Görlitz / Zgorzelec
- Altlandsberg / Gorzów ((Neu))Landsberg)*
- Altentreptow / Trzebiatów (Treptow)*
(*) 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
- Seifhennersdorf / Horní Jindřichův (Oberhennersdorf)*
- Zinnwald / Cínovec (Zinnwald)*
- Deutschgeorgenthal / Český Jiřetín (Georgendorf)*
- Deutscheinsiedel / Mníšek (Böhmisch Einsiedel)*
- Deutschneudorf / Nová Ves v Horách (Gebirgsneudorf)*
- Deutschkatharinenberg / Hora Svaté Kateřiny (Böhmisch Katherinenberg)*
- Hammerunterwiesenthal / České Hamry (Böhmisch Hammer)*
- Oberwiesenthal / Loučna (Böhmisch Wiesenthal)*
- Neualbenreuth / Mýtina (Altalbenreuth)*
- Bayerisch Eisenstein / Železná Ruda (Markt Eisenstein)*
(*) 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
- Pelhřimovy / Pielgrzymów
- Opavice / Opawica
- Krásné Loučky / Krasne Pole
- Chomýž / Chomiąż
- Český Těšín (Czeski Cieszyn)* / Cieszyn
- Horní Líštná / Leszna Górna
(*) 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
- Český Heršlák / Deutsch Hörschlag
Austria/Slovenia
- Bad Radkersburg / Gornja Radgona
- Deutschfeistritz / Slovenska Bistrica (Windischfeistritz)*
- Graz / Slovenj Gradec
- Deutschlandsberg / Podčetrtek (Windischlandsberg)*
- Oberdrauburg / Dravograd (Unterdrauburg)*
- Unterloibl / Podljubelj (Unterloibl)*
Italy/France
- Moncenisio / Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis
- Briga Alta / La Brigue
Italy/Slovenia
Italy/Switzerland
- Lavena Ponte Tresa / Ponte Tresa
- Cremenaga / Ponte Cremenaga
- Ponte Chiasso / Chiasso
Hungary/Slovakia
Hungary/Romania
Sweden/Finland
- Karesuando / Kaaresuvanto
- Kuttainen / Kuttainen
- Katkesuando / Kätkäsuvanto
- Muonionalusta / Muonio
- Kihlangi / Kihlanki
- Pello / Pello
- Alatornio, Övertorneå / Ylitornio
- Karungi / Karunki
Estonia/Latvia
Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Hrvatska Kostajnica / Bosanska Kostajnica
- Dubica / Bosanska Dubica
- Nova Gradiška, Stara Gradiška
- Slavonski Brod / Bosanski Brod
- Slavonski Šamac / Bosanski Šamac
- Svilaj / Donji Svilaj, Gornji Svilaj
Bosnia-Herzegovina/Serbia
- Srpska Rača / Sremska Rača
- Zvornik / Mali Zvornik
Bosnia-Herzegovina/Montenegro
- Donja Vrbica / Gornja Vrbica
Serbia/Romania
- Mali Žam / Jamu Mare
- Požeženo / Pojejena
- Veliki Gaj / Gaiu Mic
Romania/Ukraine
- Chilia Veche / Kiliya
Romania/Moldova
North America
Canada/United States
- Beebe Plain, Quebec/Beebe Plain, Vermont
- Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec/Champlain, New York
- Philipsburg, Quebec/Highgate Springs, Vermont
- Niagara Falls, Ontario / Niagara Falls, New York
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
- North Portal, Saskatchewan / Portal, North Dakota
- Madawaska County, New Brunswick/Madawaska, Maine
United States/Mexico
- Calexico, California / Mexicali, Baja California
- Tecate, California / Tecate, Baja California
- Naco, Arizona / Naco, Sonora
- Nogales, Arizona / Nogales, Sonora
- San Luis, Arizona / San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
- Boquillas, Texas / Boquillas del Carmen, Coahuila
- El Paso, Texas / Ciudad Juárez (formerly El Paso del Norte), Chihuahua
- Laredo, Texas / Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
- Progreso, Texas / Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas
- Brownsville, Texas / Matamoros, Tamaulipas[relevant? ]
South America
Argentina/Chile
- Antofagasta de la Sierra / Antofagasta
- Coquimbito / Coquimbo
- San Sebastián / San Sebastián
Brazil/Uruguay
- Chuí / Chuy
Africa
Ethiopia/Kenya
Central African Republic /Democratic Republic of the Congo
Gabon/Equatorial Guinea
Republic of the Congo/Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Loukolela/Lukolela
Angola/Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Tembo Aluma / Tembo
Malawi/Mozambique
- Mulanje / Milange
Zambia/Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe/Mozambique
- Mukumbura / Mucumbara
Asia
Azerbaijan/Iran
Georgia/Turkey
- Sarpi / Sarp
Tajikistan/Afghanistan
- Ishkoshim / Ishkashim
Hong Kong/China
- Lo Wu (羅湖) / Luohu (罗湖) - names are identical in Chinese.
- Sha Tau Kok (沙頭角) / Shatoujiao (沙头角) - names are identical in Chinese.
- Man Kam To (文錦渡) / Wenjindu (文锦渡) - names are identical in Chinese.
See also
Categories:
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