African Quadripoint – Only Place on the Earth, Where Four Distinct Territories’ are Touched
Tauheed Ahmad Nawaz
African Quadripoint is only one place on the earth where the corners of four countries come together Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia
Do you know what is African Quadripoint? There’s only one place on the earth where the corners of four countries come together. However, you’ve heard about a number of instances where the borders of 2 or 3 nations touched. But the distinct territories are a very rare confluence of 4 nations coming together in one spot. That only exists in Africa where the corners of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia come together at the confluence of the Cuando (also called Chobe).
African Quadripoint may not have been used before 1964 when it was perhaps invented by the Office of the Geographer of the United States Department of State. It is a popular tourist spot where states come together which are usually decked out with monuments and bronze medallions, the African quadripoint sits in the middle of a river that cuts between the countries.
It has been theorized that the point is not a true quadripoint but instead a pair of tri-points separated by thin strips of real estate. Irrespective of the quibbling, the understandable jurisdictional headache of having four countries. So close to one another has resulted in some conflict. Moreover, at one point, the ferry that carried individuals across the river from Namibia to Botswana became a point of contention, with both countries laying claim to the transport.
A little amount of fighting broke out but it was rather subdued for an international incident. Though numerous maintain that slight changes in the flow of the Zambezi river and the exact geographical borders have eliminated an actual quadripoint. The countries are all so close that the only difference is academics. If you visit the border at any time you will find hundreds of trucks lined up to cross on the ferry.
It can take days and even weeks for some truckers to get between the borders because of the backlog. The best way to experience the Kazungula is to cross on foot. However, in case you can skip the queue of trucks and jump on the ferry relatively quickly. Kazungula is in general a lovely place where you can go to relish the scenery and at the very least, contemplate the feeling of being surrounded by four different countries (almost).
