Almeida, Portugal the current name was first used, in the form of the Arabic "al-Ma'ida" ('the plateau'). The village of Almeida was captured from the Moors by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I in the 12th century because of its strategic position on the new country of Portugal's border with Spain. So important to the security of the country, Sancho had the village heavily fortified. The castle was refortified on three further occasions by King Dinis, King Manuel I and by King João VI. The present 12 pointed star fortification was constructed in 1641 to a Vaubanesque plan on which the
Japan–Russia border into the Soviet Union in 1945. Russia treats the islands as an integral part of the country. There are no border crossing points on the Russian-Japanese border, as it is a purely maritime boundary. During the existence of the land border in Sakhalin (1905-1945), it was crossed by one road. Soviet–Japanese border conflicts Japan–Russia border The Japan–Russia border is the "de facto" maritime boundary that separates the territorial waters of the two countries. According to the Russia border agency, the border's length is 194.3 km. The two countries do not share a terrestrial border, although in 1905-1945 the Russian Empire,