Governments spend years or even decades making borders. A farmer in Belgium did not need so long. He changed the border between Belgium and France in a few minutes. He made Belgium about 1,000 square meters bigger and France smaller. He moved a border stone 2.29 metres inside France. The stone he moved was put there in 1819. The farmer moved it so he could drive his tractor around his field more easily.
Moving a border between two countries can lead to war. Luckily, Belgian and French diplomats saw the funny side and avoided a crisis. The mayor of the Belgian town said: "The stone was placed there in 1819 following the defeat of Napoleon....We will find the person who moved the stone....I still have to verify who [he] is." The mayor added: "We know exactly where the stone was before. It was right next to a tree."