Demilitarized zone

A DZ may sometimes form a de facto international border, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Other examples of demilitarized zones are a 14 km (8.7 mi) wide area between Iraq and Kuwait; Antarctica (preserved for scientific exploration and study); and outer space (space more than 100 km or 62 mi from the Earth's surface).

Some zones remain demilitarized after an agreement has awarded control to a state which (under the DZ terms) had originally ceded its right to maintain military forces in the disputed territory.

It is also possible for powers to agree on the demilitarization of a zone without formally settling their respective territorial claims, enabling the dispute to be resolved by peaceful means such as diplomatic dialogue or an international court.

Several demilitarized zones have also unintentionally become wildlife preserves because their land is unsafe for construction or less exposed to human disturbances (including hunting).

The mission of UNCMAC is to supervise the Military Armistice Agreement between the two Koreas along the 151 mile Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The Korean Demilitarized Zone incorporates territory on both sides of the ceasefire line as it existed at the end of the Korean War (1950–53).
The UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus marks the southernmost points that the Turkish troops occupied during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974.
Old map of the Gibraltar peninsula
Historical map of the promontory of Gibraltar.
Map of the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Vietnam in 1969
Turkish and American soldiers provide security for a joint ground patrol in the Northern Syria Buffer Zone , 24 September 2019