International panhandles

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/a-few-salient-points/

But surely the two most striking international panhandles are the Wakhan Corridor in Central Asia and the Caprivi Strip, in southern Africa [4].

Both were 19th-century British attempts to modulate the ambitions of other colonial powers (the Russian and German empires, respectively). These “great games” [5] were played out in the smoke-filled salons and conference rooms of Europe; hardly a thought was given to the locals.