Notes from research so far
• DMZ is area where no military personnel, activities, or installments are allowed
• Usually the result of a treaty or agreement
• They can form a kind of border (example separation of North and South Korea) but don’t necessarily need to
• Space is a DMZ! So is Antarctica!
• There are currently thirteen DMZs on Earth and they are pretty spread out.
• A lot of DMZs become wildlife preserves or even just stay demilitarized
• There are fourteen former DMZs
• They can vary pretty dramatically in size from a few kilometers or less to massive (all of space)
• They are actually a subcategory of buffer zone which is a neutral zone between two+ bodies of land, and they are usually set up to avoid violence like in the case of a DMZ
• Demilitarization is the reduction of a country’s military forces usually through the reduction of soldiers or military equipment
• Demilitarization is often imposed after wars, particularly to the losing side, as a means of punishment and to prevent future violence
• There are usually towns or other gathering places within DMZs that become neutral zones
• Just because a region is marked as a DMZ does not necessarily mean that the border the DMZ creates is enforced. In the case of North/South Korean DMZ, there have been troop crossings and continued violence throughout the years especially during the initial years of the DMZ. This means that the DMZ is not totally effective in stopping violence or avoiding conflict.
• The most prominent DMZ is the Korean DMZ between North and South Korea
• DMZs are formed by verbal or written agreements. They are usually very detailed and outline how a DMZ should be fortified and watched. Sometimes there are even policing forces placed within or around the DMZ to ensure that both sides are abiding by the terms of their agreement.
• There is also a type of DMZ called a DMZ Network that works as a border between a private and public server. Basically, you use the DMZ Network to protect your private server from potentially untrustworthy public servers.
