state border / national border
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state border
The political and geographical dividing line between two federal states within a country such as Germany or Austria.
Bei der Fahrt von Bayern nach Hessen überquerten wir die Landesgrenze ohne es zu merken.
On the drive from Bavaria to Hesse, we crossed the state border without noticing it.
national border
The border of a sovereign state; the dividing line to the territory of a neighboring state. In this meaning, the word 'Staatsgrenze' (national border) is used more often.
Wegen der Pandemie wurde der Verkehr an der Landesgrenze streng kontrolliert.
Because of the pandemic, traffic at the national border was strictly controlled.
The word consists of 'Land' (state/country, in the form 'Landes') and 'Grenze' (border). The '-es-' connects the two nouns. So it literally describes the border of a state or country.
An der Landesgrenze gibt es oft Kontrollen.
There are often controls at the national border.
Common verbs used with 'Landesgrenze' (state/national border) describe movement or an action at the border. These include 'überqueren' (to cross), 'passieren' (to pass), 'sichern' (to secure), and 'kontrollieren' (to control/check).
Täglich überqueren tausende Pendler die Landesgrenze.
Thousands of commuters cross the state border every day.
To describe a position, you use 'an der Landesgrenze' (at the state/national border, dative). To describe movement across the border, you use 'über die Landesgrenze' (across the state/national border, accusative).
Das Dorf liegt direkt an der Landesgrenze.
The village is located right on the state border.
The context tells you whether the border meant is within a country (m01) or between two countries (m02). If federal states like 'Sachsen' (Saxony) and 'Brandenburg' are mentioned, it is an internal German border. If countries like 'Deutschland' (Germany) and 'Polen' (Poland) are mentioned, it is a national border.
Die Landesgrenze zwischen Nordrhein-Westfalen und Niedersachsen verläuft hier im Wald.
The state border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony runs through the forest here.
external border
Landesgrenze refers to the border of a single sovereign state. Außengrenze, by contrast, describes the outer border of a larger union of states with territories outside that union. For the same line, use „Landesgrenze“ when the individual country is meant, and „Außengrenze“ when its function for the union of states is the focus.
Für Polen ist die Grenze zu Belarus eine Landesgrenze.
For Poland, the border with Belarus is a national border.
Für die Europäische Union ist dieselbe Linie eine Außengrenze.
For the European Union, the same line is an external border.
