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An international zone is a type of extraterritoriality governed by international law, or similar treaty between two or more nations. The term can also refer to the areas of international airports outside customs and immigration controls. These areas often contain duty-free shopping, but they are not extraterritorial. In areas of conflict there may be international zones called green zones that form protective enclaves to keep diplomats safe. Countries in conflict may also have international zones separating each other.
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Green Zone (Iraq)
Iraq has its international zone around the Republican Palace in central Baghdad in a crook of the Tigris River. This area was and still is the heavily fortified headquarters for the coalition and Iraqi Reconstruction Ministries. The official name started as the "Green Zone" but was later changed to the "International Zone" in June 2004 with the return of sovereignty to the Iraqi people.
Vienna after World War II
French, British, American and Soviet troops divided Vienna into four zones, and a small international zone of the historical center of Vienna was governed in rotation by troops of those countries
International airports
The international zone in an international airport is the area where arriving international passengers have not formally entered the country by clearing arrival customs and immigration controls, and departing passengers have formally exited the country by clearing exit immigration control.
Transit passengers can take connecting international flights in the international zone without clearing customs and immigration controls, and in most cases do not require a visa. Some countries, however, require passengers of certain nationalities to hold a direct airside transit visa even when they would not need to pass through border controls. A major exception is the United States, where all passengers arriving on international flights are subject to customs and immigration inspections. Hence, transiting at a U.S. airport require at least a C-1 transit visa, or a travel authorization for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers.
A common feature of the international zone is duty-free shopping for departing and transit passengers.
International zones in airports are fully under the jurisdiction of the country where they are located and local laws apply. Persons caught committing an unlawful act (e.g. possession of contraband such as illegal drugs) in the international zone are liable for prosecution.
United Nations Headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City that exists on international territory. The territory is administered by the United Nations, but is still subjected to most local, state, and federal laws. The United Nations has three additional, subsidiary, regional headquarters or headquarter districts. These are located in Geneva (Switzerland), Vienna (Austria), and Nairobi (Kenya). These adjunct offices also enjoy certain extraterritorial privileges.
Channel Tunnel
The United Kingdom and France established "international zones" or "control zones" at both ends of the Channel Tunnel, which crosses underneath the English Channel. British authorities exercise authority within the control zone on the French side, and French authorities exercise authority within the control zone on the UK side. Violations in the control zone are treated as if they occurred within the territory of the adjoining state within that zone, and extradition is not required to remove a violator to the operating state for prosecution. Officers of the adjoining state may carry firearms within the control zone.
Tangier
The city of Tangier, Morocco, was an international zone from 1912 to 1956.
Ottawa Civic Hospital, Canada
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as the family had been living in there since June 1940 after the occupation of the Netherlands by Germany. The maternity ward of Ottawa Civic Hospital in which Princess Margriet was born was temporarily declared to be extraterritorial by the Canadian government. Making the maternity ward outside of the Canadian domain caused it to be unaffiliated with any jurisdiction and technically international territory. This was done to ensure that the newborn Princess would derive her citizenship from her mother only, thus making her solely Dutch and still viable for the Dutch line of succession to the throne.
Proposals for Jerusalem
Under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the city of Jerusalem was supposed to become an International Zone. This was never implemented, the city becoming the scene of fierce fighting in 1948 which culminated with its partition between Israel and Jordan. Nineteen years later in 1967 the Jordanian occupied part was captured and unilaterally annexed by Israel. However, the idea of an international zone in Jerusalem, embracing at least the highly sensitive Old City of Jerusalem, continues to be floated by various would-be mediators.