Lester Mills Jr., age 15, of Johnson City, Tenn., for his question:

WHERE CAN YOU FIND ENCLAVES?

An enclave is a territory belonging to one country but lying within the boundaries of another country. For example, Macao is a Portuguese enclave on the coast of China.

Today, only a few enclaves can be found. Among them are the Spanish territories of Cueta and Melila, which lie in Morocco.

Enclaves were once common in Europe and other areas. In most cases, rulers allowed passage through their territory to the enclaves within it.

Today, nations believe that the presence of foreign territories within their boundaries violates national sovereignty. As a result, most enclaves have been absorbed by the countries surrounding them.

During the 1500s and 1600s, France and Portugal established several enclaves in India. India claimed these territories after it won independence from Great Britain in 1947.

France surrendered its enclaves in 1954 but Portugal kept its enclaves until 1961, when Indian troops seized them.