Island Vulnerability Tripoints
https://www.islandvulnerability.org/tripoints.html
See also Borders.
Island Vulnerability explores the challenges which isolated geographies face when dealing with risk and disasters by examining the processes which create, maintain, and could be used to reduce their vulnerability. Border regions can demonstrate many risk, disaster, development, and vulnerability challenges which are similar to islands, although some capital cities are border settlements such as Asunción, Lomé, Kinshasa, and Brazzaville. Comparisons and contrasts between islands (of different types) and borders (of different types, including tripoints) require more work.
This Island Vulnerability Tripoints page provides examples of tripoints, illustrating that, at times, an artificial line is drawn, irrespective of hazards, vulnerabilities, risks, disasters, and resiliences, potentially influencing them all through arbitrary changes in management approaches. In cases where the border conforms to a physical feature--for example, delineated by a river or mountain range--issues of transboundary hazard, vulnerability, risk, and disaster still emerge. A river might flood both banks of a river with a similar hazard, but a disaster might occur on one bank but not the other indicating different vulnerabilities and different resilience needs.
Tripoints:
- Andorra - France - Spain (east)
- Andorra - France - Spain (west)
- Austria - Germany - Switzerland
- Austria - Italy - Slovenia
- Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland (north)
- Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland (south)
- Belgium - France - Luxembourg
- Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg
- Belgium - Germany - Netherlands
- China - Hong Kong - Macau
- France - Germany - Luxembourg
- France - Germany - Switzerland
See also Borders.
The illustration of a border here does not imply any comment on, support for, or refutation of any disputes.
Andorra - France - Spain (east)
Looking down at the point where Andorra, France, and Spain meet at the eastern side of Andorra.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2026)
Walking along the Andorra-France border, then the France-Spain border, and then the Andorra-Spain border.
Click the image for an MP4 video (opens in this window).
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2026)
On the Andorra-Spain border looking in France at the point where Andorra, France, and Spain meet at the eastern side of Andorra.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2026)
Andorra - France - Spain (west)
Looking along the Andorra-Spain border up the slope toward the ridge with the point where Andorra, France, and Spain meet at the western side of Andorra.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2026)
Looking along the Andorra-Spain border up the slope toward the ridge with the point where Andorra, France, and Spain meet at the western side of Andorra.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2026)
Austria - Germany - Switzerland
Looking towards the Austria - Germany - Switzerland Tripoint in Bodensee Obersee (Lake Constance) from Lindau, Germany.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Italy - Slovenia
Three markers of the Austria - Italy - Slovenia Tripoint (Dreiländereck).
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Italy - Slovenia Tripoint (Dreiländereck) plaque.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Italy - Slovenia Tripoint (Dreiländereck) with resting chairs.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Two markers of the Austria - Italy - Slovenia Tripoint (Dreiländereck), both fully in Slovenia with the fence marking the border with Austria.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland (north)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland Northern Tripoint looking along the Austria-Liechtenstein border towards Switzerland.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2003)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland Northern Tripoint looking from Switzerland to the Austria-Liechtenstein border.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland Northern Tripoint looking along the Austria-Switzerland border towards the Austria-Liechtenstein border.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland (south)
Austria - Liechtenstein - Switzerland Southern Tripoint viewed from Augstenberg, Liechtenstein towards Austria and Switzerland.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Belgium - France - Luxembourg
Belgium - France - Luxembourg Tripoint viewed from Belgium with a France-Belgium border marker at the left.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - France - Luxembourg Tripoint viewed from France with a France-Belgium border marker at the left.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - France - Luxembourg Tripoint viewed from Luxembourg.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg
Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking from Germany with border markers on each side of the river.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking from Belgium with two border markers visible.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking towards Germany along the Belgium-Luxembourg border.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking along the border with Germany.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Netherlands
(Drielandenpunt. Neutral Moresnet also used to meet here.)
Belgium - Germany - Netherlands (Drielandenpunt.)
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Netherlands (Drielandenpunt.)
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
Belgium - Germany - Netherlands (Drielandenpunt.)
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
In three countries simultaneously: Belgium - Germany - Netherlands (Drielandenpunt.)
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
China - Hong Kong - Macau
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port Artificial Island belongs to mainland China. People departing mainland China can go to Hong Kong or Macau from there and people coming from Hong Kong or Macau via the delta bridge converge there. Neither Hong Kong nor Macau are separate countries from the People's Republic of China, but there are hard customs and immigration borders between each pair of this trio. In both directions, people pass through customs and immigration on the island. Consequently, this island (at the entry/exit point) might be a customs/immigration tripoint, but it is not a physical tripoint. As a customs/immigration tripoint, it might be unique in the world, unless anyone could contact me with other examples.
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port Artificial Island entrance and exit.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port Artificial Island entrance and exit.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port Artificial Island checkpoint with the bridge behind.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port Artificial Island checkpoint.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2024)
France - Germany - Luxembourg
France - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking from Luxembourg.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
France - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint with the pole marking Germany on the left and Luxembourg on the right.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
France - Germany - Luxembourg Tripoint looking from Luxembourg.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2023)
France - Germany - Switzerland
France - Germany - Switzerland Tripoint looking from France towards the Germany-Switzerland border.
(Copyright Ilan Kelman 2002)
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