Border dispute is the conflict and disagreement over a country’s boundaries or territorial claims. This can occur between countries, like the tensions between India and China, or within regions, such as the dispute between Nepal and India over the Susta region. Disputes over borders can also involve the exploitation of natural resources, as well as political or cultural considerations.

Throughout history, physical terrain, political fiat, and conquest have divided the world into independent nations. The result is man-made, sometimes arbitrary, and often conflicting boundaries that have the potential to escalate into regional or global military confrontations.

In some cases, borders are disputed because they were drawn without taking into account the local populations. This can lead to resentment, particularly when people with a connection to a disputed area feel marginalized by the boundary. Borders drawn without taking into account physiographic features, such as rivers, can also create disputes, as these changes may cause one group to lose territory and another to gain it (Berger, 2020).

On other occasions, a country will claim ownership of a disputed area because it is strategically important for economic or military purposes. This is the case with three small islands in the Strait of Hormuz, which are contested by Iran and the UAE. The nation that controls the territory can control oil shipments in and out of the region. This can be a powerful motivation for countries to vie for control of strategic regions that are prone to resource conflicts.