Borderline fun

How a pig started a war: 10 of the funniest border disputes ever

Image: Jim Witkowski

Borders are treated seriously—but not always. From prank invasions to livestock wandering into the wrong country, some of history's most absurd geopolitical clashes are downright comedic. While most of these disputes didn’t lead to war, they certainly led to raised eyebrows, diplomatic side-eyes, and in a few cases, friendly resolutions over a shared drink.

Image: Jordi Vich Navarro

France vs. Spain, 1659–present

After the Treaty of the Pyrenees, France and Spain agreed to co-own a small island in the Bidasoa River. But how? By literally swapping custody every six months.

For centuries, Pheasant Island has switched national flags twice a year without issue—despite having no permanent residents.

Image: Felix W.

Canada vs. Denmark, 1984–2022

For nearly 40 years, Canada and Denmark playfully "invaded" Hans Island, which by the way is a completely barren rock islet, by planting flags and leaving bottles of liquor behind.

In 2022, after many years of endless border pranks (and shared liquor), the two countries finally agreed to split the rock 50/50, calling it the "Whisky War" resolution.

Image: Christopher Carson

USA vs. UK, 1859

It all started when an American farmer shot a British pig rooting in his potato patch on the San Juan Islands. This seemingly minor incident, however, sparked an international crisis that was only narrowly averted after U.S. President James Buchanan himself stepped in.

After this event, troops camped in a peaceful standoff for 12 years until arbitration gave the islands to the U.S. No human lives were lost, but still, sadly, the pig became the sole casualty of the conflict.

Image: Azzedine Rouichi

Egypt vs. Sudan, 1902–present

Due to conflicting colonial maps, Egypt and Sudan both claim the more valuable Hala'ib Triangle—and disown Bir Tawil, a barren strip of desert.

To this day, Bir Tawil remains one of the few unclaimed territories on Earth. Many micronations and would-be monarchs have planted flags there, but no one officially claims it.

Image: Vincent Foret

Belgium vs. Germany, 20th century

After Germany’s defeat in the First World War, it was required to cede vast swaths of land to other European nations. Among these was the Vennbahn, an old railway built under the German Empire.

When the Vennbahn railway tracks were transferred to Belgium, a peculiar situation arose: the railway snaked in and out of what was rightfully German territory, creating hundreds of small German exclaves entirely surrounded by Belgian land.

Image: Priya Singh

India vs. Bangladesh, 1970–2010

New Moore Island was a small, uninhabited sandbar that unexpectedly emerged from the Bay of Bengal in the 1970s, and both countries claimed it—only for the sea to reclaim it in 2010.

The long-winded dispute disappeared as literally as the island itself, with nature doing the diplomacy by sinking the land back underwater.

Image: Cristina Munteanu

Russia vs. China, 2000s

Not exactly a border dispute, but more of an unfulfilled promise and stalled partnership—a massive steel bridge across the Amur River, separating Russia and China, remained unfinished for years, stopping mid-stream due to inactivity on the Russian side.

This created a humorous situation for locals on the Chinese side, who could see that their half of the bridge was completed long ago, yet it led to nowhere. Eventually, Russia completed its half—but only after satellite photos of the disconnected bridge ends went viral.

Image: Caleb Woods

Australia vs. Rabbits, 1900s

Not a nation-vs-nation conflict, but a border of sorts: Australia once built a 2,000-mile fence to separate rabbit-infested regions from rabbit-free ones.

However, the rabbits won in most cases, either by digging under or jumping over. While the fence failed to completely stop them, it did become a bizarre national landmark.

Image: Michael

Imaginary

While there were no actual disputes here, since the territory in question is completely fictional, "Null Island" is a fun example of a made-up place created solely for cartographic purposes.

Located at 0°N, 0°E, this imaginary island is often used humorously in mapping and geographic databases, or as a placeholder for errors—a sort of cartographic joke.

Image: Stephan Seeber

Belgium vs. Prussia, 1816–1919

For almost a century, a small triangle of land with a valuable zinc mine became a "neutral" zone jointly administered by two countries—mainly to circumvent the new border policies established by the 1814 Congress of Vienna.

A flag was even designed, and over time, locals proposed adopting Esperanto as the official language, with some pushing for independence. The League of Nations eventually dissolved the territory, but not before it became Europe’s weirdest almost-country.

Howdy, partner!

From "Well met" to "Hi": Learn 10 historic greetings

Image: Hanri Meades

If you’ve ever found yourself awkwardly wondering how to greet someone, you’re not alone. The way Americans say "hello" has evolved over the centuries, shifting from stiff, almost royal phrases to today’s casual "yo" or even an emoji. Take a look at how greetings have evolved from the bowing and tipping hats era to the casual texting most of us use today.

Image: Brett Wharton

An archaic greeting that was perfectly normal a couple of centuries ago, "good morrow" was used in the same sense as good morning. The word "morrow" was used as a synonym for morning.

Image: Scott May

This expression dates back to the medieval period, when it was used as a friendly greeting. It comes from the idea of "good to meet you," with meet carrying its older sense of "fitting" or "suitable" for a given situation.

Image: Chris Liverani

Quite possibly the most globally recognized greeting, the handshake symbolizes trust and equality. In Ancient Greece, it was used to show that neither person was armed.

Today, handshakes are ubiquitous in professional and diplomatic settings around the world, with small cultural variations in their execution.

Image: Johann Walter Bantz

An old equivalent of "What’s up?", this expression is now encountered more often in P. G. Wodehouse novels than in everyday life. Cheerful and slightly old-fashioned, "What ho!" was a common greeting in the early 20th century.

Image: Alicia Christin Gerald

A solemn greeting mostly used in East Asian cultures, bowing is especially significant in Japan, Korea, and parts of China. It signifies humility and respect. In Japan, a lower bow indicates a higher level of respect, while a quick nod is more casual​.

Image: Nick Monica

This curious phrase may derive either from the nautical sense of trick ("a turn at duty") or from the card game term trick. Once considered a rough or rustic expression—more suited to sailors and common folk—it simply meant "How are you doing?"

Image: Jennifer Kalenberg

An air kiss is a greeting where cheeks touch lightly, but lips do not. It is common in many parts of Europe and Latin America. In France, the number of kisses varies by region, with anywhere from two to four being customary, while in Spain and Italy, two is the norm.

Image: Taylor Brandon

What sounds like a cowboy greeting to many of us is, in fact, a portmanteau—a word formed by combining and shortening other words. In this case, it comes from "How Do You Do." The expression is meant to inquire about someone’s health.

Image: Chris Boland

One of the most common greetings in the English language, "hello," has been in use since the early 1800s.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is a variation of "hallo," which originates from the Old High German term halâ, originally used to hail a ferryman.

Image: Kristina Paparo

Although more associated with modern times, this greeting has been in use since the mid-1800s. It was originally used to attract attention, rather than to greet someone, but it eventually acquired the meaning used today.