List of border conflicts

The following is a list of border conflicts between two or more countries. The list includes only those fought because of border disputes. See list of territorial disputes for those that do not involve fighting. Over 50% of the world’s borders today were drawn as a result of British and French imperialism. The British and French drew the modern borders of the Middle East, 80% of the borders of Africa, in Asia after the independence of the British Raj and French Indochina and the borders of Europe after World War I as victors, as a result of the Paris treaties.[1][2][3]

19th century

Start Finish Conflict Combatants Disputed Territories Fatalities
1811 1812 Portuguese invasion of the Banda Oriental Portugal v. United Provinces Banda Oriental Unknown
1816 1820 Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental Portugal v. Federal League Banda Oriental Unknown
1825 1828 Cisplatine War Empire of Brazil v. United Provinces Banda Oriental Unknown
1837 1839 Tarija War Argentine Confederation v. Peru–Bolivian Confederation Peru–Bolivian Confederation Tarija Department Unknown
1846 1848 Mexican–American War United States v. Mexico Texas
Santa Fe de Nuevo México
Alta California
~29,000
1859 1859 Pig War (1859) United States v. United Kingdom (Colony of Vancouver Island) San Juan Islands None
1879 1883 War of the Pacific Chile v. Bolivia and Peru Litoral Department ~10,000
1896 1896 Battle of Shangi Congo Free State v. Kingdom of Rwanda Southwestern Rwanda Unknown

20th century before World War II

Start Finish Conflict Combatants Disputed Territories Fatalities
1910 1918 Border War United States v. Mexico Mexico–United States border region 100+
1932 1935 Chaco War Bolivia v. Paraguay Northern Gran Chaco ~100,000
1938 1938 Battle of Lake Khasan Soviet Union v. Japan Manchukuo–Soviet Union border region ~1,300
1939 1939 Slovak–Hungarian War Slovakia v. Hungary Eastern Slovakia 69
1939 1939 Battles of Khalkhin Gol Soviet Union and Mongolia v. Japan and Manchukuo Manchukuo–Soviet Union border region ~48,000

1945–2000

Start Finish Conflict Combatants Disputed Territories Fatalities
1945 1945 Levant Crisis France v. United Kingdom Syria-Lebanon and Transjordan 0
1946 1948 Beitashan Incident  China v. Soviet Union and  Mongolia Chinese–Mongolian border Unknown
1947 1948 Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 India v. Pakistan Jammu and Kashmir ~3,000
1954 1954 Annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli India v. Portugal Dadra and Nagar Haveli 46
1956 1956 Suez Crisis Israel v. Egypt Sinai Peninsula
Suez Canal Zone
2,848-4,198
1957 1958 Ifni War Morocco v. France and Spain Spanish Ifni ~1,500
1962 1962 Sino-Indian War China v. India Aksai Chin ~4,000
1965 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Pakistan v. India Kashmir ~6,800
1969 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict Soviet Union v. China Zhenbao Island
Ussuri River
72-800
1971 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Pakistan v. India Kashmir
East Pakistan
~4,000+
1978 1979 Uganda–Tanzania War Uganda v. Tanzania Kagera Salient ~4,500
1979 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War China v. Vietnam Cao Bằng
Lạng Sơn
Spratly Islands
~56,000
1982 1982 Falklands War Argentina v. United Kingdom Falkland Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
904
1984 2022 Whisky War Denmark v. Canada Hans Island 0
1984 1987 Siachen conflict Pakistan v. India Siachen Glacier ~2,400
1985 1985 Agacher Strip War Burkina Faso v. Mali Agacher Strip 140+
1987 1987 Sumdorong Chu standoff India v. China Sumdorong Chu Unknown
1987 1988 Thai–Laotian Border War Laos and Vietnam v. Thailand Chat Trakan district
Botene district
295
1999 1999 Kargil War India v. Pakistan Kargil district ~4,500
1998 2000 Eritrean–Ethiopian War Eritrea v. Ethiopia Badme 300,000
1998 2018 Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict Eritrea v. Ethiopia Eritrea–Ethiopia border 100,000

21st century

Start Finish Conflict Combatants Disputed Territory Fatalities
2000 2006 2000–2006 Shebaa Farms conflict Israel v. Hezbollah Shebaa farms 30
2001 2001 2001 Bangladesh–India border clashes Bangladesh v. India Bangladesh–India border region 20
2001 2002 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff India v. Pakistan Kashmir 789–1,874
2002 2002 Perejil Island crisis Morocco v. Spain Perejil Island 0
2003 2005 Conflict in Tuzla Island Ukraine v. Russia Tuzla Island 0
2006 2006 2006 Lebanon War Israel v. Hezbollah,
Amal Movement,
Lebanese Communist Party,
PFLP-GC, and SSNP in Lebanon
Northern District
Southern Lebanon
Golan Heights
1,619-2,254
2008 2008 Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict Djibouti v. Eritrea Ras Doumeira 144
2008 2008 2008 Mardakert clashes Azerbaijan v. Republic of Artsakh Line of Contact 4-20[4][5]
2008 2008 Russo-Georgian War Georgia v. Russia South Ossetia and Abkhazia 247
2008 2011 2008–2011 Cambodian–Thai border crisis Cambodia v. Thailand Preah Vihear 42
2008 2008 2008 India–Pakistan standoff India v. Pakistan India–Pakistan border region Unknown
2009 2009 2009 Afghanistan–Iran clash Iran Iran v. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan–Iran border 1[6]
2010 2010 2010 Mardakert clashes Azerbaijan v. Republic of Artsakh and Armenia Line of Contact 6+[7]
2010 2010 Costa Rica–Nicaragua San Juan River border dispute Costa Rica v. Nicaragua San Juan River 0
2010 2010 February 2010 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes Armenia v. Azerbaijan Line of Contact 3[8]
2011 2011 Battle of Wazzin Libya Libya v. Tunisia Wazzin 23
2011 2011 2011 India–Pakistan border skirmish India v. Pakistan Kashmir (Kupwara district and Neelum Valley) 8
2012 2012 Heglig Crisis Sudan v. South Sudan Unity State
South Kordofan
262–322
2012 2022 Syrian–Turkish border clashes during the Syrian civil war Syria v. Turkey Akçakale 15+[9]
2012 2012 2012 Armenian–Azerbaijani border clashes Azerbaijan v. Armenia Line of Contact 9[10]
2012 2017 2012–2017 Lebanon–Syria border clashes Lebanon v. Syria Lebanon–Syria border 100+[11]
2013 2013 2013 India–Pakistan border skirmishes India v. Pakistan Kashmir Line of Control 28
2014 2015 2014–2015 India–Pakistan border skirmishes India v. Pakistan Kashmir Line of Control
Indo-Pakistani border region
58-185
2014 2014 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes Azerbaijan v. Armenia Line of Contact 10+[12]
2016 2016 2016 Belize–Guatemala border standoff Belize v. Guatemala Sarstoon River 1
2016 2018 2016–2018 India–Pakistan border skirmishes India v. Pakistan Kashmir 165-232
2017 2017 2017 Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmish Afghanistan v. Pakistan Chaman 8-68
2017 2017 2017 China–India border standoff China v. India and Bhutan Doklam 0[13]
2018 2018 2018 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes Armenia v. Azerbaijan Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Sharur District and Sadarak District) 2–3[14][15][16]
2018 2018 2018 Syrian Kurdish–Turkish border clashes Rojava v. Turkiye Northern Syria 5+[17]
2019 2019 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes India v. Pakistan Line of Control 50-62
2020 2020 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes Armenia v. Azerbaijan Movses, Armenia and Ağdam, Azerbaijan 17-141
2020 2021 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes China v. India Sikkim, Ladakh and Line of Actual Control 50+ on both sides
2020 2021 2020–21 India–Pakistan border skirmishes Pakistan v. India Line of Control, Kashmir 40+[18][19]
2020 2022 Ethiopian–Sudanese border conflict Ethiopia v. Sudan Ethiopian–Sudanese border 90+[20]
2021 2021 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict Kyrgyzstan v. Tajikistan Leilek District 55
2022 2022 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Kyrgyzstan v. Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border 140+[21][22]
2023 2023 2023 Afghanistan–Iran border clash Afghanistan v. Iran Afghanistan–Iran border 3+[23]
2023 2023 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Azerbaijan v. Republic of Artsakh Nagorno-Karabakh 300+[24][25]
2025 2025 2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis Cambodia v. Thailand Cambodia–Thailand border 150+[26][27]

Ongoing

Start Finish Conflict Combatants Disputed Territory Fatalities
2012 Ongoing Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian civil war Israel v. Syria Quneitra Governorate
Golan Heights
44
2021 Ongoing Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis Armenia v. Azerbaijan Armenia–Azerbaijan border 600+[28][29]
2024 Ongoing Afghanistan–Pakistan border conflict Pakistan v. Afghanistan Durand Line 80+[30][31]

See also

References

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