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The Virtues and Vices of Fixed Territorial Ownership
- SAIS Review of International Affairs
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 27, Number 2, Summer-Fall 2007
- pp. 95-108
- 10.1353/sais.2007.0023
- Article
- Additional Information
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Today, territorial ownership of states is essentially fixed, in marked contrast to earlier periods in history. This change has affected states in two very different ways. In regions in which most states are socio-politically strong, fixed territorial ownership is a blessing. It enhances peace, stability, and cooperation between states. In regions in which most states are socio-politically weak, however, fixed territorial ownership is largely a curse. It perpetuates and exacerbates states' weakness, and contributes to internal conflicts that often spill over across international borders.