Territorial Disputes in International Relations: Conceptual Approaches, Drivers of Emergence, and Classification Criteria

Abstract

This article examines territorial disputes in international relations through conceptual, political, and legal perspectives. It clarifies the distinctions between territorial claims, territorial disputes, and border disputes, while examining their principal forms, determinants, and development dynamics. Particular attention is given to historical, identity, resource, strategic, and power-related factors shaping territorial disputes and their escalation.