GATEWAYS OF EUROPE LIMITED’s Post

In the heart of Europe, where the Netherlands and Belgium converge, lies the peculiar town of Baarle. Divided into Baarle-Nassau (Dutch) and Baarle-Hertog (Belgian), this town of just under 10,000 people is a living testament to the European Union’s complexity and paradoxical nature. A Patchwork of Borders The international border crisscrosses through Baarle, marked by white crosses on the pavement, sometimes bisecting buildings, including the town hall. This division results in 22 Belgian enclaves within Dutch territory and six Dutch counter-enclaves within these Belgian enclaves. The result is a patchwork quilt effect on maps, with the border snaking haphazardly around the town. Read the full article in the link below https://lnkd.in/e7bHjEGY

At the end of the 15th century, Portugal was at the forefront of exploration. Driven by both faith and commerce, Prince Henry launched ambitious voyages down the coast of Africa. But the lands beyond Cape Bojador held untold dangers and mysteries. In this documentary, relive the thrilling expeditions of daring Portuguese navigators as they charted course into the unknown. Led by the indomitable Vasco da Gama, witness their epic battles with raging storms, mysterious lands and wary locals. See how young cartographer Alonso de Paiva played a crucial role in their initial contact and cultural exchanges. But tensions were high on these forays into uncharted waters. What challenges would they face around Southern Africa's treacherous tip and what new discoveries lay in store? Follow da Gama's perilous push forward despite mutiny and loss, ultimately unlocking a passage to unimaginable riches. Join the Race for the Unknown and experience the thrills and sacrifices that opened the door to a new age of global exploration and trade. https://lnkd.in/d8jZU9i6

The Channel Islands are a group of islands located in the English Channel just off the coast of France, with a population of around 170,000 people. The Channel Islands' main islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm. Of these islands, Jersey, Guernsey, and Sark are the most well-known and popular destinations for tourists and high-net-worth individuals and a hotspot for expats. The islands are self-governing, with their own legal systems, currencies, and financial regulations. Despite their proximity to France, the islands are not part of the European Union and have an independent relationship with the UK. This video will explore in detail what the Channel Islands are, their history, political systems, investment opportunities, taxes, and benefits. https://hubs.ly/Q021-DTP0

👉 Something typically Polish ===================> A snapshot from a village in Western Pomerania / Poland - something typically Polish. A cross at the crossroads, such as there are many in our country - a symbol of Poles' devotion to faith and tradition, but also the sacrifice we have made fighting for our freedom throughout history. And the stork's nest, synonymous with the safety, peace and good living conditions. The young bird is just preparing for its first flights. Although the eagle is Poland's emblem, the stork also deserves to be called the national bird: every fourth individual from the world's white stork population returns to Poland as its birthplace. The stork-traveller also perfectly reflects the character of the Polish soul - the eternal wanderer, once a convict, an exile. Polish emigration - for historical reasons - is among the most numerous in the world next to Chinese, Italian, Russian and Mexican. According to various estimates, there are between 12 and 20 million Poles and people with Polish roots living outside Poland. #Poland

Outside the world of geopolitics or even polar travel, it’s probably not common knowledge that Svalbard and Spitsbergen are one in the same. At least, depending on who you ask. But why this disagreement over something so easy to simplify? The answer lies, as with many other geographical oddities, in the tangles of history. Read more on our blog. 📷 by Elke Lindner

What’s the difference between Netherlands and Holland? Official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Holland actually only means the 2 provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland.

Searching for the exact location of “clearly-seen” Ithaca, the capital of Odysseus’ Mycenaean island kingdom in Western Greece

It's not just us Brits... https://lnkd.in/gFJaejbp Countries and Territories That Require Driving on the Left   Africa • Botswana • Eswatini • Kenya • Lesotho • Malawi • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • St. Helena • Seychelles • South Africa • Tanzania • Uganda • Zambia • Zimbabwe Asia • Bangladesh • Bhutan • Brunei • East Timor • Hong Kong • India • Indonesia • Japan • Macau • Malaysia • Maldives • Nepal • Pakistan • Singapore • Sri Lanka • Thailand Caribbean/Atlantic • Anguilla • Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas • Barbados • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Dominica • Grenada • Jamaica • Montserrat • St. Kitts and Nevis • St. Lucia • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Trinidad and Tobago • Turks and Caicos • U.S. Virgin Islands Europe • Channel Islands (such as Guernsey and Jersey—no cars are allowed in some parts of the archipelago) • Cyprus • Ireland • Isle of Man • Malta • United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) Oceania • Australia • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands • Cook Islands • Fiji • Kiribati • Nauru • New Zealand • Niue • Norfolk Island • Papua New Guinea • Pitcairn Islands • Samoa • Solomon Islands • Tokelau • Tonga • Tuvalu South America • Falkland Islands • Guyana • Suriname

EXTENSION OF TERRITORIAL WATERS On 1 October 1987, Britain extended its territorial waters from 3 to 12 nautical miles. The previous day, in anticipation of this, Prince Roy declared the extension of Sealand's territorial waters to be 12 nautical miles, so that right of way from the open sea to Sealand would not be blocked by British claimed waters (Sealand being approximately 7miles from British shores). No treaty has been signed between Britain and Sealand to divide up the overlapping areas, but a general policy of dividing the area between the two countries down the middle can be assumed. International law does not allow the claim of new land during the extension of sea rights, so Sealand's sovereignty was safely 'grandfathered'. Some nations might have tried to use this as an excuse to try to subvert international law and claim all of the territory of the smaller and less recognised nation, however, this has not been the case. Britain has made no attempt to take Sealand, and the British government still treats Sealand as an independent State. https://lnkd.in/ed8BH8TU

What (sort of) rhymes with “Vanity that Leads to Dyin’”? Why, it’s the Maginot Line! The Maginot Line has become synonymous with expensive “foolproof” over-engineering that gets whalloped when it comes into contact with blind spots and overweening pride. If you — I did — need a primer on what the Maginot Line actually was, here you go. Knowing that the treaty terms with Germany of the First World War might have been humiliating enough that someone in the future might start another conflict, the French decided to build an impenetrable barrier across their most vulnerable border with Germany. They fortified it with indestructible bunkers, sophisticated underground rail and supply lines, and the confidence that they *knew* they had prevented a future conflict. The only problem was this was all based on the assumption that “well clearly no one would invade us through Belgium’s Forest of Ardennes. It’s just too rough and — well — foresty.” Guess what happened: the brilliant engineering and extensive planning (not to mention billions spent building) of the Maginot line was undermined by that single all-too-human assumption. The Germans, when they came, came through the Ardennes, encircled the unprepared allied armies and forced the retreat at Dunkirk — one of the largest military retreats in human history. Anyway, during our summer holiday, we stopped to see another friend of Lyndsay’s: this time Argentine expat in France Juan Antonio Lo Bello, his lovely Italian wife Elisabetha, and kids Emma and Emiliano. They took us on a Maginot Line bunker tour walk and it was amazing. There was even a decommissioned Panzer Tank we all crawled around in. These are more posca paint pen impressions of the day. I wonder though: what are our own impregnable assumptions, beliefs we found everything we do on, that could roll over under a slight assault from a slightly different quarter. 🤔 _____ #maginotline #france #poscamarkers #travelsketches #assumptions