---
title: "Disputed borders | Guides | Map design"
description: "Display disputed borders according to selected country policies."
---

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at [/llms.txt](https://docs.maptiler.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any URL.

# Disputed borders

Border disputes are a challenge for cartographers: a map shouldn’t take sides in the conflict. MapTiler lets you display disputed borders according to a selected country’s policy.

## Disputed borders

A boundary or territorial dispute is a **disagreement over an area of land claimed by two or more political entities**. Each party publishes its own maps showing the area within its state territory, and **every conflict is unique**.

Most current border disputes are already included in MapTiler maps, so you can adjust the boundaries as you need.

## Tagging in OpenStreetMap

Displaying the disputed borders according to your preference is enabled by the [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/) specialized tags such as `disputed_name` or `claimed_by`. These tags, however not officially approved, are widely used among users. [MapTiler Planet](https://docs.maptiler.com/schema/planet/#boundary) and [OpenMapTiles schema](https://openmaptiles.org/schema/#boundary) used in MapTiler maps have similar tags that are in compliance with the OSM ones.

`Disputed_name` tag contains the name of the disputed area without spaces and is valid for country boundaries only (`admin_level = 2`).

`Claimed_by` tag consists of the ISO2 country code and specifies the country according to which’s policy the borders will be displayed. A list of the ISO2 country codes can be found for example [here](https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/country_code_list.htm).

There is also the basic `disputed` tag which defines whether the border is (`value = 1`) or is not disputed (`value = 0`).

## Change disputed borders in one click

MapTiler allows you to quickly create a map that would be in line with the selected country’s policy.

1.  Log in to your Cloud account and select a map either from your maps or Standard maps section: [MapTiler - Maps](https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/), then click on **Customize a copy**.
2.  Select Settings (Alt+s)
3.  From the Borders drop-down list select **Preferred country borders**.

You can **choose from the following countries’** points of view: Abkhazia, Armenia, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Guyana, India, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Nagorno Karabakh, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, South Ossetia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine and Western Sahara.

Note

Missing a country’s point of view, or need to adjust one? [Contact our support](https://docs.maptiler.com/support/requests/).

## Change disputed borders automatically

In your own map application, the disputed borders can also change automatically to match the policy of the country your map visitor is from. The [Geolocation API](https://docs.maptiler.com/cloud/api/geolocation/) detects the visitor’s country, and your code then applies its borders view. 👉 [Disputed borders by visitor’s location](https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/examples/ip-disputed-borders/) code example

## Advanced changing of disputed borders

If you want to dig a bit deeper into the disputed borders mapping, go to the **Layers** panel. Click on any borders layer and go to the **Data** tab.

In the **Filter** properties, you can work with the disputed attribute tags:

-   `disputed`
-   `disputed_name`
-   `claimed_by`

For highlighting just the borders that are disputed use **disputed Yes option** (or `disputed==1` filter in the JSON editor) and adjust the line styling (you can change color, width or use a dash array).

You can also work with the `claimed_by` tag and [country codes](https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/country_code_list.htm). For example, if you want to see Kashmir from India’s point of view, add the filter `claimed_by == IN`.

With `disputed_name` filter, you can write specific values stored in the borders data. Click on the preferred border on the map > click on disputed\_name > copy the value > add it to the filter with a “plus” button.

![disputed\_borders\_name.png](./17324652106257_370bdfb985.webp)

### Removal of disputed borders

Some claims (such as Moroccan over Western Sahara) require **hiding the disputed borders** between the two territories. You can filter out the border with `claimed_by` or  `disputed_name` tags and then use the **“eye” icon** next to the layer name to hide it.

### Styling

The map design of the disputed borders is often being discussed by cartographers. A **dashed line** is the most commonly used style. This can be achieved in the Style tab under **Advanced outline properties** > **Dasharray.** The format is **number, number** (**lengths** of the alternating dashes, **gaps** that form the dash pattern). Another way to add a bit of uncertainty is a **blur** (under Effects) or adjustment of **opacity**. If preferred, you can also edit the whole layer design in the **JSON editor** (Alt+E).