Showing posts with label europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label europe. Show all posts

Friday, June 5, 2015

Vatican City Administration Recognizes Palestine as a Country (map)

(Keep up with changes to Palestine's situation: view all Palestine updates.)

Map of countries that recognize the State of Palestine as an independent country, updated for June 2015 with recent addition Vatican City (Holy See) highlighted
Click to enlarge: Countries recognizing the State of Palestine in green, with most recent addition highlighted. Palestine in magenta (circled). Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).
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Thursday, May 14, 2015

Map: Another Country Joins the "Eurasian Union" (May 2015)

Map of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), also known as the Eurasian Union. Includes new member Kyrgyzstan, as well as prior members Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia, and disputed territory Crimea
The Eurasian Economic Union's five current member countries, plus disputed Crimea, claimed to be part of Russia. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this map by Keverich2. License: CC BY-SA
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

What is the "Eurasian Union"? (Map)

The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, sometimes simply called the "Eurasian Union", was officially launched at the beginning of this year. Read on for a brief introduction to this major new regional organization, which you can expect to hear a lot more about in the coming months and years!
Map of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), also known as the Eurasian Union. Includes new member Armenia, as well as prior members Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and disputed territories Crimea and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as acceding member Kyrgyzstan.
The Eurasian Economic Union's four current member countries, plus disputed territories officially or unofficially included in the common market. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this map by Keverich2. License: CC BY-SA
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Article by Karina Barquet

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Ukraine War Rebel Control Map: March 2015 (Subscription)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Ukraine updates.

Detailed map of pro-Russian rebel control in Ukraine's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, claimed by the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic. Updated for March 2015, with February ceasefire lines and buffer zones shown. Includes detailed timeline of events since December.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with map and additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Fighting in Ukraine has come nearly to a halt with the implementation of February's ceasefire.  

This brand new, redesigned map is more accurate and detailed than maps in the news media, showing rebel control as it currently stands alongside the location of important ceasefire lines and buffer zones according to our own careful research.

Included in the report is a detailed accounting of events since our previous Ukraine update in December, compiled by our Ukraine specialist.

This map report is exclusive premium content, available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.
Buy now (US$14.99)

Exclusive map report includes:
  • All new, updated map of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, showing actual lines of control
  • Map of February 15 ceasefire lines and buffer zones, depicted more accurately and precisely than in major news media sources
  • Improved depiction of regional cities and towns, showing past and current rebel control with larger dots for larger population sizes.
  • Timeline of events since December, plus summary of major trends

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Lithuania Joins the Eurozone (map)

Even as doubts persist about the future of the euro, and talk is in the air about a possible exit for Greece, other countries have still moved forward with adopting the currency. One such country joined the Eurozone just last week.

Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (colorblind accessible).
The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA
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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Kosovo Becomes an Olympic Nation

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Map of Serbia, Kosovo, and North Kosovo
Kosovo controversially claims independence from Serbia (Northern Kosovo is under partial pro-Serbian control). Map by Evan Centanni, based on these two blank maps by Nord-NordWest. License: CC BY-SA
By Evan Centanni

Next Stop: Rio 2016
Disputed country Kosovo has become the 205th member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), making it an official Olympic Nation and allowing it to field a team at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Its full acceptance came at an IOC meeting in Monaco on December 9, after being granted "provisional recognition" in October.

Kosovo's admission process has been ongoing for five years, and the self-proclaimed country was denied the chance to participate in the London Olympics of 2012. However, one Kosovan athlete attended the games with the team from Albania, a neighboring country with close cultural ties to Kosovo.

Disputed Status
Located in southeastern Europe, Kosovo controversially declared independence from Serbia in 2008, while under the control of UN peacekeepers. Since then, it has been recognized as independent by over half of the world's countries, including the US and most of the European Union. However, Russia, China and many other countries still consider it to be rightfully part of Serbia.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Ukraine War Rebel Control Map: December 2014 (Premium)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Ukraine updates.

Detailed map of pro-Russian rebel control in Ukraine's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, claimed by the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic. Updated to December 21, 2014

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Research by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Control lines have begun to solidify in Ukraine's civil war, with government forces on one side and the fighters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic, and Federation of Novorossiya on the other side. 

PolGeoNow presents our district-by-district map of control in eastern Ukraine, updated for December 2014, including a timeline of major events and changes to territorial control since our previous Ukraine map update in September.

This map report is exclusive premium content, available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.
Buy now (US$9.99)

Premium map includes:
  • Detailed, updated map of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, showing both past and current rebel control
  • Indication of which districts and cities have had their administrations occupied by separatists
  • Timeline of changes to territorial control since September, and summary of major trends

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Map Update: Kosovo Now Recognized by Every Country in Oceania (107/193 UN members)

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Map of countries that recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state, updated for October 2014, with the most recent addition (Solomon Islands) and disputed recognitions highlighted
Countries recognizing the Republic of Kosovo in green, highlighting recent additions. Disputed recognitions in yellow. Kosovo in magenta. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Map: "Eurasian Union" Gets New Member

Map of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), also known as the Eurasian Union. Includes new member Armenia, as well as prior members Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and disputed territories Crimea and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Eurasian Economic Union's four member countries, plus disputed territories that might be officially or unofficially included. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this map by Keverich2. License: CC BY-SA
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Friday, September 19, 2014

Maps of How Scotland's Regions Really Voted

Good geographers know that maps can lie to you. Every map emphasizes some aspects of a place at the expense of others, giving it a lot of power to lead careless readers astray. Maps of Scotland's recent independence referendum are misleading us about the reality, even if not intentionally.

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Map of results in Scotland's September 18, 2014 independence referendum. Voters were polled on whether or not to separate from the UK. Map shows relative proportion of yes and no votes for each of Scotland's council areas, using a gradient rather than contrasting colors for small differences.
Map by Evan Centanni, based on blank map by TUBS and NordNordWest (CC BY-SA)
By Evan Centanni

Misleading Maps
By now you've probably heard the results of Scotland's independence referendum: voters chose "no" by a solid margin of 55% to 45%. Check out our previous article to learn more about what would have happened if Scotland had voted "yes".

Maps like this one from the BBC and this one from Wikipedia have popped up since the results came out, showing how each of Scotland's council areas voted. Most of the country is in red for "no", with a few "yes" areas in green.

But if one area went 51% for "yes", and another 51% for "no", those two areas actually voted almost identically - yet contrasting red/green maps make us feel like they're polar opposites (not to mention that one-in-thirty readers has trouble seeing the difference between red and green).

How the Councils Really Voted
Whether each area's people voted just over or just under 50% in favor isn't actually that important. What matters is how far the balance was tipped in each region. This is not the U.S. presidential election, where the final vote is actually made by delegates obligated to go by the majority in each state. All the votes across Scotland were pooled together to determine the result, so which side of the 50-yard line each area came out on has no effect .

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Scottish Independence Poll: What is Scotland, and What Will Happen if it Votes to Leave the UK?

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Map of Scotland. On September 18, 2014, Scotland will vote on whether to leave the UK and become an independent country.
Map of Scotland by Eric Gaba (source). License: CC BY-SA
By Evan Centanni

Scotland's Independence Vote

On Thursday (September 18), residents of Scotland will vote in a referendum on whether to leave the United Kingdom (UK). But is Scotland a country already? What will happen if voters choose "yes" in the referendum? And what other changes would this bring to Scotland and the UK's political geography? Read on for the answers to these questions and more!

Crash Course: History of Scotland

Scotland is the name of the northern third of Great Britain, the main island of the UK, which is shared with England to the south and Wales to the southwest. It originated as the Kingdom of Alba, an independent Celtic country that was unified around the year 900.

It remained an independent kingdom throughout the Middle Ages, gradually absorbing Anglo-Saxon culture from the south until it came to be ruled by English-speaking monarchs, who called it "Scots" or "Scotland" after the Latin name for the Gaels, the predominant Celtic people of the region.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Ukraine War Rebel Control Map: September 2014 (Premium)

There are newer versions of this map available. To see them, view all Ukraine updates.

Detailed map of pro-Russian rebel control in Ukraine's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, claimed by the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic. Updated to September 1, 2014

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Russia is now being accused of directly invading eastern Ukraine, and opposition control in the region has seen major changes since our last Ukraine war map update.

This is detailed map and timeline of pro-Russian territorial control in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, home to the claimed Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic, and Federation of Novorossiya. Updated to the start of September 2014.

This map report is exclusive premium content, available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.
Buy now (US$9.99)

Premium map includes:
  • Detailed, updated map of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, showing both past and current rebel control
  • Indication of which districts and cities have had their administrations occupied by separatists
  • Timeline of changes to territorial control since July, and summary of major trends

MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO ARTICLE AND MAP

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Latvia Joins the Eurozone (map)

This article was originally published as "Map: Which Countries Use the Euro? (Plus: This Year's New Addition)". To see newer versions of the map, view all Eurozone articles on PolGeoNow.


Map of the Eurozone (euro area), showing which countries use the euro as their currency. Includes members, pre-members (ERM II), EU non-members using the euro, and other EU countries (colorblind accessible).
The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA
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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Belarus's Quiet Flag Change

Sometimes geopolitical changes make headlines, but other times they slip quietly under the radar. Such is the case with the flag of Belarus, which was changed without fanfare (or explanation) by a government decree back in 2012. We don't want you to miss any changes to the world's list of countries and flags, so we now present a belated report on this little-known event.

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Flag of Belarus, 2012-present
Flag of Belarus, 2012-present
Flag of Belarus, 1995-2012
Flag of Belarus, 1995-2012
Flag of Belarus, 1991-1995
Flag of Belarus, 1991-1995
By Caleb Centanni

Belarus, a former Soviet state in Eastern Europe, made a slight change to its flag in early 2012. On Feb. 10 of that year, the State Committee for the Standardization of the Republic of Belarus announced a minor change to the ornamental pattern on the left margin of the flag.

The pattern originally occupied one-twelfth of the flag's total length, and was located inside a white margin making up one-ninth of the flag design. The ornamental pattern has now been extended to fill the entire one-ninth margin. The Belarusian government apparently provided no specific reason for the change.

Other than this minor adjustment, the current flag of Belarus has been in place since 1995, when it replaced the traditional white-red-white flag after a controversial referendum that critics denounced as unconstitutional.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko supported the adoption of the 1995 flag, which is very similar to the Soviet-era flag. State-owned media argued the traditional tricolor flag was unacceptable due to its use by Nazi collaborators in World War II.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Map Update: Kosovo Recognized by 3 More Countries in 2014 (106/193)

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Map of countries that recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state, updated for July 2014, with most recent additions (Togo, Tonga, Lesotho) and disputed recognitions highlighted
Countries recognizing the Republic of Kosovo in green, highlighting recent additions. Disputed recognitions in yellow. Kosovo in magenta. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from public domain graphic (source).

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

War in Ukraine: Detailed Map of Rebel Control in Donetsk & Luhansk (Premium)

etailed map of rebel control in Ukraine's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, claimed by the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic. Updated to July 22, 2014

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All new, detailed map of rebel control in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, home to the claimed Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic, and Federation of Novorossiya. 

Since our last Ukraine update, pro-Russian rebels have captured much more territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also lost some of their early strongholds. 

This map report is exclusive premium content, available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.
Buy now (US$9.99)

Premium map includes:
  • All new, detailed map of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, showing both past and current rebel control
  • Indication of which districts and cities have had their administrations occupied by separatists
  • Important locations of rebel military control marked
  • Article with chronology of events since April, and discussion of the meaning of "control"

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Saturday, May 3, 2014

Mayotte Enters European Union

"Outermost regions" are officially part of the European Union; "overseas countries and territories" are not part of the EU itself, but have special relations with it because of their connections to member countries. New outermost region Mayotte is located in southeastern Africa. Map from Wikimedia Commons © Alexrk2 (CC BY-SA)
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Article by Evan Centanni

EU Expands to Include Mayotte
You probably heard about Croatia joining the European Union last year, but did you know the EU expanded further this year...in Africa? The French overseas department of Mayotte, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean northwest of Madagascar, became officially part of the EU on January 1.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Ukraine Map #3: Separatist Control in the East (Premium)

Updated map of control in Ukraine, as of April 16, 2014. Spotlight on control by separatists in the country's east, including armed takeovers and the claimed Donetsk People's Republic.

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Since our previous Ukraine update ten days ago, there has been a spectacular resurgence of aggressive separatist activity in eastern Ukraine, including not only protester occupations but also armed seizures reminiscent of those that began the Crimea crisis last month.

This is an up-to-date and detailed map of pro-Russian rebel and protester control in Ukraine, including the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic".

This map and article are exclusive premium content, available only to members or for individual purchase. Buy now (US$5.99).

Premium article includes:
  • Ukraine control map updated for the protester occupations and armed rebel takeovers in eastern Ukraine over the past two weeks
  • Shows both protester occupations and armed takeovers, as well as which regions have declared independence
  • Includes a quick briefing on recent events, with links to the sources of information
Members click here to proceed to article and map

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