buffer zone

region set aside as a neutral area, safety area

This article is about buffer zones in general. For use relating to abortion, see Legal protection of access to abortion. In geography, a buffer zone is any zonal area that serves the purpose of keeping two or more other areas (often, but not necessarily, countries) distant from one another, for whatever reason. Common types of buffer zones are demilitarized zones and certain restrictive easement zones and greenbelts. Such zones may be, but not necessarily, be comprised by a sovereign state, forming a buffer state.
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