Cross-border town naming

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 (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 (sometimes by war), dividing a community.
• A community on one side of a border grows up to service the border and then 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, taking the name of the border crossing.

Most places are in Europe, but there are also some examples in North America and Asia. In Europe, until the first half of the 20th century and again since the Schengen Agreement in the late 20th 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.

Africa

Cross-border town	Countries
Moyale and Moyale	Ethiopia / Kenya
Mobaye and Mobayi-Mbongo	Central African Republic / Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cocobeach and Cogo	Gabon / Equatorial Guinea
Loukolela and Lukolela	Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mulanje and Milange	Malawi / Mozambique
Chirundu and Chirundu	Zambia / Zimbabwe
Mukumbura and Mucumbara	Zimbabwe / Mozambique
Tin Zaouatine and Tinzaouaten	Algeria / Mali

Asia

Cross-border town	Countries
Astara and Astara	Azerbaijan / Iran
Julfa and Julfa
Biləsuvar and Bileh Savar
Luohu District and Lowu	China / Hong Kong SAR
Shatoujiao Subdistrict and Sha Tau Kok
Khorgas and Khorgas	China / Kazakhstan
Sarpi and Sarp	Georgia / Turkey
Padang Besar and Padang Besar	Malaysia / Thailand
Dibba /Al Buraimi-Al Ain	Oman / UAE
Al-Mazyunah and Shahan District	Oman / Yemen
Ishkoshim and Ishkashim	Tajikistan / Afghanistan
Sarahs and Sarakhs	Turkmenistan / Iran
Kara-Suu and Qorasuv	Uzbekistan / Kyrgyzstan

Europe

Cross-border town	Countries
Helsingør and Helsingborg	Denmark / Sweden
Rhederbrug, Rhederveld and Rhede	Netherlands / Germany
Barnflair (Ter Apel) and Barnfleer
Veenebrugge and Vennebrügge
Zwillbroek and Zwillbrock
Ubach over Worms and Übach-Palenberg
Spijk and Spyck
Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog	Netherlands / Belgium
Clinge and De Klinge
Koewacht and Koewacht
Putte and Putte
Lichtenbusch and Aachen-Lichtenbusch	Belgium / Germany
Stubach and Stupbach
Obereisenbach, Untereisenbach and Übereisenbach	Luxembourg / Germany
Wallendorf-Pont and Wallendorf
Bollendorf-Pont and Bollendorf
Echternach and Echternacherbrück
Wasserbillig and Wasserbilligerbrück
Comines-Warneton and Comines	Belgium / France
Wervik and Wervicq-Sud
Quiévrain and Quiévrechain
Gœgnies-Chaussée and Gognies-Chaussée
Grand-Reng and Vieux-Reng
Mondorf-les-Bains and Mondorff	Luxembourg / France
Leiding and Leidingen	France / Germany
Petite-Rosselle and Großrosseln
Grosbliederstroff and Kleinblittersdorf
Obergailbach and Niedergailbach
Scheibenhard and Scheibenhardt
Lauterbourg and Neulauterburg
Neuf-Brisach and Breisach
Kembs and Klein Kembs
Huningue and Kleinhüningen	France / Switzerland
Lucelle and Lucelle, Kleinlützel
Saint-Gingolph and Saint-Gingolph
Île des Faisans and Isla de los Faisanes (Konpantzia / Île de l’hôpital / Île de la Conférence)	France / Spain
Rheinfelden-Baden (Badisch-Rhyfälde) and Rheinfelden (Rhyfälde)	Germany / Switzerland
Laufenburg and Laufenburg
Reckingen (Küssaberg) / Rekingen
Vorderriß and Hinterriß	Germany / Austria
Bayerisch Gmain and Großgmain
Altwarp and Nowe Warpno	Germany / Poland
Rosow and Rosówek
Hohenwutzen and Osinów Dolny (Niederwutzen)
Zäckericker Loose and Siekierki (Zäckerick)
Güstebieser Loose and Gozdowice (Güstebiese)
Altrüdnitzer Ausbau and Stara Rudnica (Altrüdnitz)
Neulietzegöricke and Stare Łysogórki (Altlietzegöricke)
Zelliner Loose and Czelin (Zellin)
Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn nad Odrą (Küstrin)
Lebus and Nowy Lubusz (Neulebus)
Kunitzer Loose / Kunice (Kunitz)
Aurith and Urad (Aurith)
Guben and Gubin
Zelz and Siedlec (Zelz)
Klein Priebus and Przewóz (Priebus)
Görlitz and Zgorzelec
Altlandsberg and Gorzów ((Neu))Landsberg)
Altentreptow and Trzebiatów (Treptow)
Seifhennersdorf and Horní Jindřichův (Oberhennersdorf)	Germany / Czech Republic
Zinnwald and Cínovec (Zinnwald)
Deutschgeorgenthal and Český Jiřetín (Georgendorf)
Deutscheinsiedel and Mníšek (Böhmisch Einsiedel)
Deutschneudorf and Nová Ves v Horách (Gebirgsneudorf)
Deutschkatharinenberg and Hora Svaté Kateřiny (Böhmisch Katherinenberg)
Hammerunterwiesenthal and České Hamry (Böhmisch Hammer)
Oberwiesenthal and Loučna (Böhmisch Wiesenthal)
Neualbenreuth and Mýtina (Altalbenreuth)
Bayerisch Eisenstein and Železná Ruda (Markt Eisenstein)
Pelhřimovy and Pielgrzymów	Czech Republic / Poland
Opavice and Opawica
Krásné Loučky / Krasne Pole
Chomýž and Chomiąża
Český Těšín (Czeski Cieszyn) / Cieszyn
Horní Líštná and Leszna Górna
Dziewięcierz and Devyatyr (Дев'ятир)	Poland / Ukraine
Uhrusk and Novouhruzke (Новоугрузьке)
Tokary and Tokary (Токари, Такары)	Poland / Belarus
Usnarz Górny and Usnar-Dolnyy (Уснар-Дольный)
Minkowce and Minkovcy
Nowodziel and Novodel
Český Heršlák and Deutsch Hörschlag	Czech Republic / Austria
České Velenice and Gmünd
Bad Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona	Austria / Slovenia
Deutschfeistritz and Slovenska Bistrica (Windischfeistritz)
Graz and Slovenj Gradec
Deutschlandsberg and Podčetrtek (Windischlandsberg)
Oberdrauburg and Dravograd (Unterdrauburg)
Unterloibl and Podljubelj (Unterloibl)
Moncenisio and Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis	Italy / France
Briga Alta and La Brigue
Gorizia and Nova Gorica	Italy / Slovenia
Lavena Ponte Tresa and Ponte Tresa	Italy / Switzerland
Cremenaga and Ponte Cremenaga
Ponte Chiasso and Chiasso
Komárom and Komárno	Hungary / Slovakia
Sátoraljaújhely and Slovenské Nové Mesto
Balassagyarmat and Slovenské Ďarmoty
Esztergom and Štúrovo
Nagylak and Nădlac	Hungary / Romania
Újszalonta and Salonta
Kelebia and Kelebija	Hungary / Serbia
Rio de Onor and Rihonor de Castilla	Portugal / Spain
Karesuando and Kaaresuvanto	Sweden / Finland
Kuttainen and Kuttanen
Katkesuando and Kätkäsuvanto
Muonionalusta and Muonio
Kihlangi and Kihlanki
Pello and Pello
Övertorneå and Ylitornio
Karungi and Karunki
Valga and Valka	Estonia / Latvia
Hrvatska Kostajnica and Kostajnica	Croatia / Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hrvatska Dubica and Kozarska Dubica
Stara Gradiška and Gradiška
Dolina and Donja Dolina, Gornja Dolina
Orubica and Orubica
Slavonski Kobaš and Kobaš
Dubočac and Bosanski Dubočac
Slavonski Brod and Brod
Svilaj and Donji Svilaj, Gornji Svilaj
Slavonski Šamac and Šamac
Bosanska Rača and Sremska Rača	Bosnia and Herzegovina / Serbia
Zvornik and Mali Zvornik
Metaljka and Metaljka	Bosnia and Herzegovina / Montenegro
Mali Žam and Jamu Mare	Serbia / Romania
Požeženo and Pojejena
Veliki Gaj and Gaiu Mic
Chilia Veche and Kiliya	Romania / Ukraine
Sculeni and Sculeni	Romania / Moldova
Ungheni and Ungheni

North America

Towns and cities listed have names of a common origin across an international boundary; matching pairs across provincial or state boundaries (such as Kansas City or Lloydminster) are common but are not listed here.

Cross-border town	Countries
Beebe Plain, Quebec and Beebe Plain, Vermont	United States / Canada
Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
North Portal, Saskatchewan and Portal, North Dakota
Madawaska County, New Brunswick and Madawaska, Maine
Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California	United States / Mexico
Tecate, California and Tecate, Baja California
Naco, Arizona and Naco, Sonora
Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora
San Luis, Arizona and San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora
El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (formerly El Paso del Norte, 1852–1888)
Boquillas, Texas and Boquillas del Carmen, Coahuila
Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Progreso, Texas and Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas

South America

Cross-border town	Countries
Antofagasta de la Sierra and Antofagasta	Argentina / Chile
Coquimbito and Coquimbo
San Sebastián
Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazú	Brazil / Argentina
Guajará-Mirim and Guayaramerín	Brazil / Bolivia
Oiapoque and Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock	Brazil / French Guiana
Chuí and Chuy	Uruguay / Brazil
Acegua and Aceguá

See also

• List of divided cities
• Transborder agglomeration