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Demilitarized Zone Facts

Demilitarized Zone Facts
A demilitarized zone is an area that is marked as having no military installations or troops as per an agreement. The agreement can be signed bilaterally between two nations, often at war, or as part of a multi-nation agreement. Most of the better known demilitarized zones in world history have been the result of two or more nations at war that come to a cease fire agreement. One of the most famous demilitarized zones in world history, and one that is still in effect, is the two and half mile wide demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. The Korean Demilitarized Zone, often abbreviated as DMZ, was established under an agreement between North Korea, China, and the United Nations in 1953. The DMZ runs the width of the Korean Peninsula (160 miles) and is the most heavily armed border in the world.
Interesting Demilitarized Zone Facts:
During the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (1955-1975) separated North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel.
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone ran for less than 100 miles and roughly followed the Ben Hai River. Its eastern terminus was the South China Sea and its Western Terminus was the nation-state of Laos.
National Route 9 paralleled the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone for most of its length.
Khe Sahn was a major U.S. Marine camp just south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. It was the site of a major battle in 1968.
Antarctica is the world's largest demilitarized zone. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 forbids all nations from introducing any type of military weapons to Antarctica, ensuring that the continent only has scientific bases.
There are currently two major demilitarized zones in Syria. The Northern Syria Buffer Zone runs for about seventy-one miles between Turkey and Syria. The other is the Idlib Demilitarized Zone in the region around Aleppo.
The Sinai Peninsula is essentially a demilitarized zone between Israel and Egypt that was established under the Camp David Accords of 1978.
Within the Korean DMZ is the actual border between North and South Korea, which is known as the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
There have been a number of conflicts on the Korean DMZ since 1953. More than fifty American soldiers have died in conflicts along the DMZ, although most happened during the Cold War.
The North Koreans have attempted to build at least four tunnels under the DMZ.
On June 30, 2019, Donald Trump became the first American president to visit North Korea. He entered North Korea on land through the DMZ, met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and then crossed with him across the border to the South Korean side to meet with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.
Norway and Sweden, two of the most peaceful countries in recent times that have good relations and much in common between them, once had a demilitarized zone. The Norwegian-Swedish demilitarized zone was established in 1905 after the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden was peacefully dissolved. There was never any tension along the border and the demilitarized zone was dismantled in 1993.


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