Editing Defensive wall (section)

=== Modern era ===
Walls and fortified wall structures were still built in the modern era. They did not, however, have the original purpose of being a structure able to resist a prolonged siege or bombardment. Modern examples of defensive walls include:

* Berlin's city wall from the 1730s to the 1860s was partially made of wood. Its primary purpose was to enable the city to impose tolls on goods and, secondarily, also served to prevent the desertion of soldiers from the garrison in Berlin. 
* The [[Berlin Wall]] (1961 to 1989) was built around [[West Berlin]] by the [[German Democratic Republic]] to prevent its citizens from fleeing to the [[Germany|West German]] [[exclave]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berlin-Wall |title=Berlin Wall |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]|date=23 January 2024 }}</ref>
* The [[Korean Demilitarized Zone]] that divides North Korea and South Korea near the 38th parallel north. 
* The Nicosia Wall along the [[United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus|Green Line]] divides North and South Cyprus.
* In the 20th century and after, many enclaved Jewish settlements in Israeli occupied territory in the West Bank were and are surrounded by fortified walls
* [[Mexico–United States barrier]], a wall advocated by U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] for the [[Mexico–United States border]] to prevent illegal immigration, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and entry of potential terrorists<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/us/politics/refugees-immigrants-wall-trump.html|title=Trump Orders Mexican Border Wall to Be Built and Plans to Block Syrian Refugees|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 January 2017|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld}}</ref>
* [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]] by the "[[peace lines]]".
* [[Gated community|Gated communities]] are modern residential neighborhoods where access is controlled, often prohibiting through-travelers or non-residents via a wall and guards

Additionally, in some countries, different embassies may be grouped together in a single "embassy district", enclosed by a fortified complex with walls and towers{{snd}}this usually occurs in regions where the embassies run a high risk of being target of attacks. An early example of such a compound was the [[Beijing Legation Quarter|Legation Quarter]] in [[Beijing]] in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Most of these modern city walls are made of steel and concrete. Vertical concrete plates are put together so as to allow the least space in between them, and are rooted firmly in the ground. The top of the wall is often protruding and beset with [[barbed wire]] in order to make climbing them more difficult. These walls are usually built in straight lines and covered by watchtowers at the corners. Double walls with an interstitial "zone of fire", as the former Berlin Wall had, are now rare.

In September 2014, Ukraine announced the construction of the "European Rampart" alongside its [[Russia–Ukraine barrier|border with Russia]] to be able to successfully apply for a visa-free movement with the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/228802.html|title=Yatseniuk: Project Wall to allow Ukraine to get visa-free regime with EU|work=Interfax-Ukraine}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=April 2025|reason=What happened to the wall after Russia invaded?}}

{{Gallery
| title=Modern defensive walls
| align=center
| File:Berlinermauer.jpg|A view of the [[Berlin Wall]] in 1986
| File:Belfast peace line Cupar Way.jpg|A "[[peace lines|peace line]]" in [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| File:Standard PSNI Police Station in Belfast.jpg|The fortified wall of a police station in Belfast, Northern Ireland
}}