This article describes how the armistice between North and South Korea created an important nature sanctuary. The 1953 agreement to cease hostilities was not crafted with the environment in mind but it called for a 2.5 mile wide demilitarized zone, which would be owned by neither nation. Continuing diplomatic challenges have turned this temporary division into something more permanent. Despite its small size, the area encompasses a wide range of ecosystems that contains many endangered birds and animals.