Land claims are claims of control over areas of land and included bodies of water. The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, Antarctic land claims, and post-colonial land claims.

Land claims is sometimes used as a term when referring to disputed territories like Western Sahara or to refer to the claims of displaced persons.

In the colonial times of America persons could claim a piece of land for themselves and the claim has different level of merit according to the de facto conditions:

1. claim without any action on the ground
2. claim with (movable) property of the claimant on the ground
3. claim with the claimant visiting the land
4. claim with claimant living on the land.

See also

• Terra nullius (No man's land)
• Land rights
• Extraterrestrial real estate