Fences. They separate, protect, and divide. They keep things in, and others things out, and they do so simply by being stationary yet stable borders. Sure, you may be able to hop a fence between your home and your neighbor’s, but when it comes to the longest fences in the world, this is not an option. Most of these fences were erected to provide boundaries between countries, others were built to stop illegal immigration, and still others were meant to stop drug trafficking, smuggling, and intercountry conflicts. Whatever the reason, these fences offer protection as well as much needed limitations, making them an impressive necessity all around the world.
Check Out the Top 5 Longest Fences in the World
The Great Wall of China
Okay, so maybe it’s not so much a fence as a great literal wall, but the Great Wall of China certainly serves the function of one of the most impressive fences in the world. Built to keep the Mongolians at bay, the Great Wall stretches a staggering 13,000 miles in length and took decades to erect. It is considered one of the several wonders of the world, even if it did not fulfill its ultimate purpose.
The Australian Dingo Fence
The longest fence in the world is by far the Australian Dingo Fence, and it was erected simply to keep those pesky dingos away from the fertile land of southeast Australia where the sheep and cattle graze. A staggering 3,500 miles, it stretches the equivalent distance from New York to London and costs about £550,000 to maintain annually It contains 623,777 wooden and steel posts and 5,614,000 meters of wire mesh that stands 180 centimeters, or 18 inches, high as well as a further 30 centimeters underground. It spans two Australian States, Queensland, and South Australia, and is known by four different names:
- Great Barrier Fence or Wild Dog Barrier Fence (Queensland)
- Queensland Border Fence
- South Australian Border Fence (South Australia)
- Dog Fence (South Australia)
The Dingo Fence also contains a gate so that people (and the occasional dingo if you aren’t careful) can pass through. In fact, there is a £200 penalty for leaving the gate open. If you visit, be mindful of the gate!
The United States-Mexico Barrier
The forbidding barrier between the US and Mexico stretches a whopping 2,087 miles, though it is not yet finished. Due to the heavy opposition on both sides of the border, production and plans of completion are on hold. When and if it is finished, however, the fence will stretch from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Coast.
Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier
India and Bangladesh share about 2,545 miles between them, and the Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier covers 2,030 of those miles. This fence was erected mainly to cease drug smuggling between the countries. Though the fence is now completed, there were reportedly many clashes and high tension between the Indian and Bangladesh border forces during its construction.
Turkmen-Uzbekistan Barrier
Coming in at 1, 056 miles, the Turkmen-Uzbekistan Barrier was erected to commemorate Turkmenistan’s dictator Saparmurat Niyazov. The story goes that, in 2001, Niyazov himself decided that his country needed something grandiose and important to remember him by after he’s gone—the Turkmen-Uzbekistan Barrier being the result. He further claimed his motives for constructing the huge boundary was to prevent illegal immigration as well as smuggling between the countries. As far as the Turkmen and Uzbeks were concerned, however, the project was entirely underwhelming and unnecessary.
Of course, this is just the tip of the “longest fences” iceberg. There are many more impressive fences sporting awe-inspiring lengths and heights throughout the world. If you ever find yourself in the listed locations, it might be worth a trip to see these unique and impressive boundaries!