14. Cooch Behar Enclaves (Former: India-Bangladesh)
The Cooch Behar enclaves once formed a bewildering patchwork along the India-Bangladesh border, with over 160 enclaves—some containing even smaller enclaves within them. Known locally as chitmahals, these fragmented territories created immense confusion for residents, who often lived isolated from their own governments. In 2015, a historic land swap finally dissolved the enclaves, simplifying the boundary and ending decades of administrative chaos. The story of the Cooch Behar enclaves stands as a testament to the tangled legacy of colonial-era border decisions.
