International Land Exchanges

 Blog#6

                Land Swapping & Acquisitions between the countries

 

Abstracts:

                        The acquisition of land is a type of course of action to acquire or transfer of land between two countries for different reasons using different modes; such as:           

1.     Land Swapping with mutual agreement,

For example, The Bharat-Bangladesh Pact for Land Swapping

2.     Purchase/Sell of land

For example, US purchased Alaska from Russia

3.     Acquiring a land on the basis of power

For example, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are under China and Crimea and Don Boaco are under Russia due to their power.

 

Introduction:

       Like general people or industrialist, countries also remain in try for land acquisition and deals in different ways under different scenario. However, it might be in the form of mutual agreement or capture of land using powers or purchased or may be due to geopolitical influence. On the tapestry of the global map the boundaries of most countries have been changing with time. In this article we will see and try to understand some of the cases from different category.

 

 Case Studies:

1.  Land Swapping with Mutual Agreement 

Land Swapping agreement between India and Bangladesh

The Prime Ministers of both the countries- India and Bangladesh signed on the Land Boundary Agreement in 1974 to exchange enclaves and simplify the international boundary between them. The agreement was again amended on 7^th May, 2017 by both the countries, when the Indian Parliament passed the 100^th Amendment to the Indian Constitution. During the Maiden visit of the Indian Prime Minister- Shri Narendra Modi to Bangladesh (on 6-7 June, 2015), this agreement was ratified. Under this agreement, India received 51 Bangladeshi Enclaves (7,110 acres) in the Indian Mainland, while Bangladesh received 111 Indian Enclaves (17,160 acres) in the Bangladeshi Mainland. However the Enclave residents were free to choose either three of these:

i)                   Reside in the enclave itself,

ii)              Change your citizenship respective to the new political status of that enclave, or

iii)      Come back to your own respective country (as per pre-agreement situation.  

 

          These enclaves were exchanged on the midnight of 31^st July 2015 and the residents were transferred on 30^th November 2015. After the agreement, India lost an area around 40 square kilometres to Bangladesh in the Land Boundary Agreement.

The economic divide among countries worldwide carries over into patterns of land purchases and sales. The United States and large economies and trading markets of Asia and the Middle East represent at least thirty percent of global land purchases since year 2000, according to the Land Matrix, an independent land monitoring initiative. In contrast, the largest sellers of land globally include Russia—also among the top buyers—as well as developing countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Since year 2000, the United States has been one of the most active countries in the world, and is continuously purchasing land and hence has secured the top position in the matter of land trade, purchasing approximately 4 million hectares of land worldwide, which is equivalent to the land area of Switzerland.

    Followed by Malaysia, which ranks a close second, accounting for 3.9 million hectares of land purchases during the same period, and then Russia, China, and Singapore to round out the top five.

The countries who sold the largest amount of land are Russia (6.3 million hectares of land), followed by Papua New Guinea (4 million hectares of land) and Brazil (3.8 million hectares of land).  Indonesia, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine are the ones who closely follow Brazil in total land area sold.

Land Matrix seeks data on land transactions to improve transparency and accountability in the transfer of land rights. The initiative focuses in particular on land for agricultural production, timber extraction, carbon trading, industry, renewable energy production, conservation, and tourism in low- and middle-income countries. Since 2000, growing of wood and fibre was the leading reason for land purchases, followed by the purchase of land for growing food crops and for access to bio fuels.

 

 

 

2.     Purchase/Sell of land

 

The purchases and sell of the land between the countries have also done on a large number. Most of the big countries are involved in such deals. The deals are necessary for expanding the business world wide and to fulfil different kind of need in the interests of those countries.

We have List of territory purchased by a sovereign nation from another sovereign nation:

 

 

Territory	Purchased by	Purchased from	Cost	Year	Area	Cost/Area	Agreement (article)
Isle of Man, Hebrides, Kintyre and islands of the Firth of Clyde[1][2]	Scotland	Norway	4,000 marks sterling, 100 mark annuity	1266	~8,000 km²	~0.5 marks sterling/km²	Treaty of Perth
Dunkirk and  Fort-Mardyck	France	England	5,000,000 livres	1662	~44 km²	~113,500 livres/km²	Sale of Dunkirk
Estonia, Livonia, Ingria, and Southeast Finland (Kexholmslän and part of Karelian Isthmus)	Russia	Sweden	2,000,000 silver Swedish riksdaler	1721	~100,000 km²	~2,000 Riksdaler/km²	Treaty of Nystad
Saint Croix	Denmark–Norway	France	750,000 livres	1733	210 km²	3571 livres/km²
Louisiana	United States	France	$15,000,000 USD	1803	2,140,000 km²	7 USD/km²	Louisiana Purchase
Florida	United States	Spain	$5,000,000 USD	1819	~200,000 km²	~5 USD/km²	Adams–Onís Treaty
Singapore	United Kingdom	Johor	$60,000 Spanish dollars[11]	1824	728 km²	~82 Spanish dollars/km²
Tranquebar, Serampore, and other continental holdings of Danish India	United Kingdom	Denmark	125,000 GBP or 1,125,000 Danish krone	1845	~44 km²	~2840 GBP/km² or ~25,600 Kr/km²
California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona	United States	Mexico	$18,250,000 USD	1848	1,360,000 km²	13.4 USD/km²	Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Southern Arizona and New Mexico	United States	Mexico	$10,000,000 USD	1853	76,800 km²	130 USD/km²	Gadsden Purchase
Danish Gold Coast	United Kingdom	Denmark	10,000 GBP	1850	~12,000 km²	~1.2 GBP/km²
Saxe-Lauenburg	Prussia	Austria	2,500,000 Danish rigsdaler[15]	1865	1,000 km²	2,500 Rigsdaler/km²	Gastein Convention
Alaska	United States	Russia	$7,200,000 USD	1867	1,717,856 km²	4 USD/km²	Alaska Purchase
Dutch Gold Coast	United Kingdom	Netherlands	46,939.62 Dutch guilders	1872			Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870–1871
Saint Barthélemy	France	Sweden	320,000 French francs	1878	21 km²	15,238 Francs/km²
Philippines	United States	Spain	$20,000,000 USD	1898	300,000 km²	20 USD/km²	Treaty of Paris
Caroline Islands	Germany	Spain	25,000,000 ESP	1899	1,160 km²	21,551 ESP/km²	German–Spanish Treaty
Palau
Mariana Islands
Cagayan Sulu and Sibutu	United States	Spain	$100,000 USD	1900	467 km²	214 USD/km²	Treaty of Washington
Acre (state)	Brazil	Bolivia	£2,000,000	1903	142,800 km²	14 GBP/km²	Treaty of Petrópolis
Danish West Indies	United States	Denmark	$25,000,000 USD	1916	400 km²	62,500 USD/km²	Treaty of the Danish West Indies
Jäniskoski-Niskakoski territory	Soviet Union	Finland	700,000,000 FIM	1947	176 km²	700 FIM/km²
Gwadar	Pakistan	Muscat and Oman	5,500,000,000 PKR	1958	265 km²	20,754,716 PKR/km²	Gwadar Purchase
Elten, Selfkant, and Suderwick	West Germany	Netherlands	280 million DM	1963	69 km²	4.1 million DM/km²	Ausgleichsvertrag
Tiran Island and Sanafir Island	Saudi Arabia	Egypt	$22,000,000 USD in oil and development aid	2017	113 km²		Agreement of maritime delimitation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt

 

             This is a list of purchases of territory by a sovereign nation from another sovereign nation:

Territory: Isle of Man, Hebrides, Kintyre and islands of the Firth of Clyde

Purchased by: Scotland

Purchased from: Norway

Cost*: 4,000 marks sterling

Year: 1266

Area: 8,000 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 0.5 mark sterling

Principle Article: Treaty of Perth

 

 

Territory: Dunkirk and Fort Mardyck

Purchased by: France

Purchased from: England

Cost*: 5 million livres

Year: 1622

Area: 44 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 113,500 livres

Principle Article: Sale of Dunkirk

 

 

Territory: Estonia, Livonia, Ingria and Southeast Finland

Purchased by: Russia

Purchased from: Sweden

Cost*: 2 million Swedish Riksdaler

Year: 1721

Area: 0.1 million square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 2,000 Riksdaler

Principle Article: Treaty of Nystad

 

 

Territory: Saint Croix

Purchased by: Denmark-Norway

Purchased from: France

Cost*: 0.75 million Livres

Year: 1733

Area: 210 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 3,571 Livres

 

 

Territory: Louisiana

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: France

Cost*: 15 million USD

Year: 1803

Area: 2.14 million square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 7 USD

Principle Article: Louisiana Purchase

 

 

Territory: Florida

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Spain

Cost*: 5 million USD

Year: 1819

Area: 0.2 million square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 5 USD

Principle Article: Adams-Onis Treaty

 

 

Territory: Singapore

Purchased by: United Kingdom

Purchased from: Johor

Cost*: 60,000 Spanish Dollars

Year: 1824

Area: 728 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 82 Spanish Dollars

 

 

Territory: Tranquebar, Serampore, and other Continental holdings of Danish India

Purchased by: United Kingdom

Purchased from: Denmark

Cost*: 125,000 GBP

Year: 1845

Area: 44 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 2,840 GBP

 

 

Territory: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Mexico

Cost*: 18.25 million USD

Year: 1848

Area: 1.36 million square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 13.4 USD

Principle Article: Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo

 

 

Territory: Southern Arizona and New Mexico

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Mexico

Cost*: 10 million USD

Year: 1853

Area: 76,800 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 130 USD

Principle Article: Gadsden Purchase

 

 

Territory: Danish Gold Coast

Purchased by: United Kingdom

Purchased from: Denmark

Cost*: 10,000 GBP

Year: 1850

Area: 12,000 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 1.2 GBP

 

 

Territory: Saxe-Lauenburg

Purchased by: Prussia

Purchased from: Austria

Cost*: 2.5 million Danish rigsdaler

Year: 1865

Area: 1,000 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 2,500 Rigsdaler

Principle Article: Gaste in Convection

 

 

Territory: Alaska

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Russia

Cost*: 7.2 million USD

Year: 1867

Area: 1,717,856 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 4 USD

Principle Article: Alaska Purchase

 

 

Territory: Dutch Gold Coast

Purchased by: United Kingdom

Purchased from: Netherlands

Cost*: 46,939.62 Dutch Guilders

Year: 1872

Principle Article: Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870-1871

 

 

Territory: Saint Barthelemy

Purchased by: France

Purchased from: Sweden

Cost*: 0.32 million French Francs

Year: 1878

Area: 21 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 15,238 Francs

 

 

Territory: Philippines

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Spain

Cost*: 20 million USD

Year: 1898

Area: 0.3 million square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 20 USD

Principle Article: Treaty of Paris

 

 

Territory: Caroline Islands, Palau, Mariana Islands

Purchased by: Germany

Purchased from: Spain

Cost*: 25 million ESP

Year: 1899

Area: 1,160 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 21,551 ESP

Principle Article: German-Spanish Treaty

 

 

Territory: Cagayan Sulu and Sibutu

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Spain

Cost*: 0.1 million USD

Year: 1900

Area: 467 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 214 USD

Principle Article: Treaty of Washington

 

 

Territory: Acre

Purchased by: Brazil

Purchased from: Bolivia

Cost*: 2 million Pounds

Year: 1903

Area: 142,800 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 14 GBP

Principle Article: Treaty of Petropolis

 

 

Territory: Danish West Indies

Purchased by: United States

Purchased from: Denmark

Cost*: 25 million USD

Year: 1916

Area: 400 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 62,500 square kilometres

Principle Article: Treaty of the Danish West Indies

 

Territory: Janiskoski-Niskakoski territory

Purchased by: Soviet Union

Purchased from: Finland

Cost*: 700 million FIM

Year: 1947

Area: 176 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 700 FIM

 

 

Territory: Gwadar

Purchased by: Pakistan

Purchased from: Muscat and Oman

Cost*: 5.5 billion PKR

Year:  1958

Area: 265 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 20,754,716 PKR

Principle Article: Gwadar Purchase

 

 

Territory: Elten, Selfkant, and Suderwick

Purchased by: West Germany

Purchased from: Netherlands

Cost*: 280 million DM

Year: 1963

Area: 69 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre: 4.1 million DM

Principle Article: Ausgleichsvertrag

 

 

Territory: Tiran Island and Sanafir Island

Purchased by: Saudi Arabia

Purchased from: Egypt

Cost*: 22 million USD in oil and development aid

Year: 2017

Area: 113 square kilometres

Cost per kilometre:

Principle Article: Agreement of maritime delimitation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt

 

3.     Acquiring a land on the basis of power

 

(a)  China

1. Tibet

Area: 1228400 square kilometres

Date of annexation: 7^th October, 1950

Ethnicity: Han (Chinese), Hui (Chinese Muslims), Monba, Lhoba

 

Inner Mongolia

 Area: 1.183 million square kilometres

Date of annexation: 658 BCE

Ethnicity: Mongols, Han (Chinese), Daur, Manchu

 

Xinjiang

Area: 1.665 million square kilometres

Date of annexation: 1^st October, 1955

Ethnicity: Uyghurs, Hui, Kazakhs, Mongols, Tajiks

 

            Hong Kong

Area: 2755 square kilometres

Date of annexation: 1^st July, 1997

Ethnicity: Native people of Hong Kong, Pakistanis, Filipino, Indians

 

 

(b)  Russia

Donetsk:

Area: 358 square kilometres

Date of annexation:  30^th September, 2022

Ethnicity: Ukrainians, Donbas

 

Kherson

Area: 135.7 square kilometres

Date of annexation: 30^th September, 2022

Ethnicity: Ukrainians, Russians

 

Luhansk

Area: 257 square kilometres

Date of annexation:  30^th September, 2022

Ethnicity: Ukrainians, Russians

 

Zaporizhzhia

Area: 334 square kilometres

Date of annexation: 30^th September, 2022

Ethnicity: Ukrainians, Russians

 

Conclusion:

            The concept of nation and country is different and we can see this clearly in the above data. For example, the Indian Sub-Continent includes many countries of the South-Eastern Asia, and on its honour an ocean is named as Indian Ocean; but today, the country is present Bharat. The countries increase or decrease their boundary line on basis of the geopolitical scenario at a point of time; but the national identity never changes.   

 

*References for Abbreviations Used for Cost:

FIM: Functional Independence Measure

PKR: Pakistani Rupee

DM: Deutsche Mark

ESP: Spanish Peseta

USD: United States Dollar

GBP: Great British Pound

 

 

Total words: 2100 Approx.

Sources of Data:

Wikipedia

World Bank websites

Other course materials

Static Times websites

Google and other websites