The land ceded from Virginia was returned by Congress in 1847, so what remains of the modern District was all once part of Maryland.

Privately, however, both the Palestinians and American mediators had accepted that the phrasing of the Oslo accords left the decision on how much land to cede exclusively to Israel.

"What we gave up was a treasure, land ceded for native Hawaiians, and what we got in return was useless," Mr. Dedman said.

At the same time, land ceded from Rhode Island was added to Fall River and Westport.

Though it is up to Israel to determine how much and what lands to cede, the idea was that these withdrawals were to be substantial.

The French were eager to regain the land ceded to Germany in the Treaty of Fez in 1911.

Choctaw land (in Mississippi) ceded to the U.S.

Immediately beyond the budget hurdle, the Cabinet is faced with a deadline on deciding how much land to cede to the Palestinians.

Only in 1908 was the land ceded to Quebec City, though administered by the specifically created and federally run National Battlefields Commission.

Columbia Township is part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, lands ceded in 1786 by Connecticut after the American Revolution.