Africa and the World Map: Six Things Everyone Got Wrong About the UN Vote

Graphic by PolGeoNow, starting from maps by Geordie Bosanko, Justin Kunimune, Canuckguy, and Martin23230. You can take and use this image for free, as long as you follow the rules of the CC BY-SA license, and link back to our site when possible – but please consider buying us a coffee if it's useful to you!

Article by Evan Centanni 

Maps at the United Nations: What Really Happened 

The internet has gone wild this month with news about a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution, passed on September 4, to endorse what headlines called a “new world map”. (A General Assembly resolution is a kind of official statement about what most of the world’s countries think or want.)

Unfortunately, most reporting on the UN action has been a mix of exaggerations, misunderstandings, and bad simplifications, with people getting mostly the wrong impressions about what happened. And as in past cases, the media mostly didn’t interview the actual map experts. But not to worry – we have one of those here!

US, Ukraine, and More: Which Countries Criticized the UN’s World Map Vote, and the Truth About Why

The UN General Assembly Hall in New York City, where this month's map vote took place. Unlike the smaller UN Security Council, the General Assembly has little power to enforce decisions on countries, and instead exists more for building international consensus, setting goals, and overseeing projects. Photo by PolGeoNow, from November 2019 (contact us for permission to use it).

UN Map Debate: The truth about the US and Ukrainian arguments, and what other countries said

As you might have heard, the United Nations (UN) held a vote early this month about maps, discouraging the use of the mapmaking method known as the Mercator projection, which produces world maps that hugely exaggerate the size of places far from the equator (like northern Europe, Siberia, Canada, and Antarctica). The idea is that this is unfair to countries like those in Africa, which look smaller than they really are compared to countries in more-powerful Europe. The Equal Earth projection was promoted as a good alternative, because it perfectly preserves relative sizes (while introducing other kinds of distortion).

Unfortunately, even major news media got key details wrong – for example, the UN didn’t officially “adopt” or “replace” any map or projection. For the truth about what it really did, check out our separate article on six things most people misunderstood about the UN decision. If you have opinions about map projections, you should definitely read that first! But if you're looking for the details on which countries said what, you're already in the right place...

2020-2025 Expansion of Europe's Free-travel "Schengen Area" (And What's Next)

This is an article for those interested in what's changed in the map of the Schengen Area since our previous update in 2020. From now on, you can always find the latest version of this map in our Schengen zone explainer article.

Three southeastern European countries - Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria - have joined the Schengen Area in recent years. 
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

2025 Map of the Schengen Area, Europe's Border-free Travel Zone

What is the "Schengen Area"? What's the difference between Schengen and the EU? And which countries does Schengen include? Read on for all the answers, explained in plain English! 

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Article by Evan Centanni

Originally published in March 2016, this article has been updated to July 2025, showing the addition of Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area. We've also overhauled the styling of the map to avoid using the color blue for land areas, which some readers say they find confusing. To find older versions, you can view all Schengen Area articles on PolGeoNow. Our European Union map and explainer article has also been updated to July 2025.

What is the Schengen Area?

If you've traveled in Europe anytime in the last few decades, you probably know that many of Europe's countries have open borders, without any kind of customs or ID check required to cross from one country to another. That's because of the Schengen Agreement, a 1985 treaty that's since been expanded and made into a law of the European Union (EU).

Map: Which Countries are in the European Union in 2025, Which Aren't, and Which Want to Join?

This map and article have been revised and updated to July 2025. No new countries have joined the EU since our last update in 2023, but Georgia has been added as an official candidate for membership. Our Schengen Area map and explainer article has also been updated to July 2025.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

What is the European Union?

Europe's continental union is probably most famous to outsiders for its euro currency and Schengen free-travel area. But it's actually much more than that: After all, the UK, whose exit from the EU in 2020 created a massive political storm, was never part of the Schengen Area or euro currency zone to begin with.

Map Update: Sweden Joins NATO

Graphic modified by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Addicted04 (CC BY-SA).

New NATO Ally: Sweden

Northern Europe's Kingdom of Sweden was admitted last month as a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance of countries in Europe and North America, famous for its opposition to the Russia-led "Communist Bloc" in the 1947-1991 Cold War. Sweden's NATO membership officially went into effect on March 7 after the final paperwork and exchange of documents were completed. Sweden is the 32nd country to join NATO.

Sweden, which had positioned itself as a more-or-less neutral country in the Cold War, chose to join the historically anti-Russia alliance after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sweden applied for membership in 2022 at the same time as neighboring Finland, but took almost a year longer to overcome objections from existing NATO members Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Hungary.

Map Update: Record Number of African Union Members Suspended (Sep. 2023)

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

AU Suspensions at All-time High

There are now a record of six member countries banned from participation in the African Union (AU), after Niger and Gabon were both suspended in August 2023. AU suspensions are almost always a response to a government overthrow in a member country, implying that coups in Africa are now at their highest point in the organization's 21-year history. The number is also up drastically from our previous African Union map update in June 2021, when we reported that only two countries were currently suspended.

Map: Which Countries are in the African Union?

Correction (2023-09-04): This article was still displaying the previous version of the map after its text was updated yesterday. It has now been fixed.

This map and explainer will be updated whenever there's a change in AU membership, including suspensions and reinstatements. News about each change will be published in separate articles, which you can find listed below, or by viewing all African Union content on PolGeoNow.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

What is the African Union?

Launched in 2002 as a replacement for the earlier Organization of African Unity (OAU), the African Union (AU) is an intergovernmental organization that works on increasing cooperation, stability, and development within the continent of Africa. The organization is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Ethiopia is the only African country that the European empires never colonized, and is also the second most populous country on the continent.)

Jan. 2023: Croatia Switches to Euro Currency, Joining Eurozone (Map)

This article covers the latest changes to PolGeoNow's map of which countries use the euro.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Croatia Joins Eurozone, Leaves ERM II

On January 1, 2023, Croatia retired the Croatian kuna currency as the country's official money, replacing it with the shared European currency known as the "euro". By doing this, the country became the 20th official member of the "euro area", better known as the Eurozone - not to be confused with the European Union (EU), a closely-related organization that the Eurozone basically part of. On the same day, Croatia also joined Europe's free-travel Schengen Area, another EU-connected grouping of countries.

Which Countries Use the Euro in 2023? (Map of the Eurozone)

July 2025 Note: The map is still correct today. We hope to publish a fully-reviewed and revised version of the article soon.

This map and explainer article, originally from 2016, have been updated to June 2023 to cover the recent addition of Croatia to the Eurozone. You can see previous versions of the map by viewing all Eurozone articles on PolGeoNow.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Article by Caleb Centanni and Staff Writer 

What is the Eurozone?

Officially called the "euro area", the Eurozone is a nickname for the group of countries in Europe that share a single currency, called the euro, as their official money. The euro currency is managed by the European Union (EU), but many countries in the EU don't use the euro, and some countries outside the EU do use it. The European Central Bank, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, is in charge of regulating the currency and making euro coins and bills (bank notes).

Map: Which Countries were in the European Union in 2023, Which Weren't, and Which Wanted to Join?

Note: This is an older version of our European Union map and explainer article. You can always find the most recent version here: Which Countries are in the European Union, Which Aren't, and Which Want to Join?

This map and article have been revised and updated to April 2023. No new countries have joined the EU since our last update in 2020, but there are three new candidate countries and one new "potential candidate".

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Map: Finland Joins NATO

Graphic modified by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Addicted04 (CC BY-SA).

New NATO Ally: Finland

The northern European country of Finland has been admitted as a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Its membership officially went into effect on Tuesday, April 4 after the final paperwork and exchange of documents was completed. Finland is the 31st country to join NATO.

Last week major news outlets incorrectly reported or implied that Finland wouldn't become a NATO member until July, when the organization hopes to welcome both Finland and Sweden to its annual meeting of the member countries' leaders. (Sweden has also applied to join, but its membership is currently being blocked - see below for details.)

African Union Suspends Mali Again (Map)

Correction (Sep. 2023): It's since come to our attention that South Sudan's suspension had already been lifted at the time this article was published. For details, see our September 2023 African Union map update. The text of this article has now been corrected, but the map has not.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

Mali Suspended from AU for Second Time in Less Than a Year

PolGeoNow readers may remember that Mali was suspended from membership in the African Union (AU) last August, after a military faction overthrew the country's government. That suspension was reversed in October, when a civilian transitional government came to power. But with military figures once again taking over the country late last month, the AU has once again suspended Mali's membership. The new suspension was imposed on June 6.

RCEP: Agreement Signed to Form Massive Free Trade Area (Map)

Graphic modified by Evan Centanni from this map by Wikimedia user Masterdeis (CC BY-SA).

What is the RCEP free trade deal?

Two weeks agao, 15 countries in Asia and Oceania signed a long-planned treaty to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade area widely billed as the "world's largest". However, the RCEP doesn't exist quite yet as an actual free trade area, since it's still waiting to be ratified (written into the laws of member countries). Read on for a quick explanation of what the RCEP is, when it will be implemented, and how it compares to the world's other free trade areas.

African Union Un-Suspends Mali (Map)

Correction (Sep. 2023): It's since come to our attention that South Sudan's suspension had already been lifted at the time this article was published. For details, see our September 2023 African Union map update. The text of this article has now been corrected, but the map has not.

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

African Union Lifts Suspension of Mali

Less than two months after the African Union (AU) suspended Mali from membership in the continental organization, it ended the suspension earlier this month. It had been suspended after a military faction overthrew the government, but the recent appointment of a civilian-led transitional government have led the AU to lift its suspension. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), from which Mali was also suspended in August, has lifted the economic sanctions that it posed on the member country. However, the suspension of Mali's voting rights in ECOWAS bodies, which was imposed at the same time, seems to still be in place.

African Union Map Update: Mali & South Sudan Suspended, Sudan Reinstated

Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Eric Gaba. License: CC BY-SA

Mali Suspended from African Union

The African Union (AU) suspended Mali from membership in the continental organization yesterday, after army mutineers marched to country's capital and overthrew the president. Major protests had been calling for the president's resignation for months, but his removal by force has not gone over well with the international community. In addition to the AU, Mali has also been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an important group including most of Mali's neighboring countries.

Bulgaria and Croatia Enter Eurozone "Waiting Room" (ERM II)

This article covers the latest changes to PolGeoNow's map of which countries use the euro.

The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Croatia and Bulgaria preparing to adopt the euro

The southeastern European countries of Bulgaria and Croatia have been approved by the European Union's central bank to take the next step towards joining the Eurozone - the organization of countries that officially use the euro as their shared currency. As new participants in the "European Exchange Rate Mechanism II" (ERM II or ERM-2), Croatia and Bulgaria are on track to adopt the euro after a 2-3 year waiting period - likely on January 1, 2024.

Which Countries Used the Euro in 2020? (Map of the Eurozone)

There's a newer version of this map and article available. You can always find the latest version at this link: Which Countries Use the Euro Today? (Map of the Eurozone)

This is the archived 2020 version of our Eurozone map and explainer article, which itself was updated from an article originally published in June 2016, with the earliest version of the map appearing in a 2014 news post.

The Eurozone, European Union, and other countries using the euro.
Map by Evan Centanni, from blank map by Ssolbergj. License: CC BY-SA

Article by Caleb Centanni, with additional content by Evan Centanni 

What is the Eurozone?

Officially called the "euro area", the Eurozone is a nickname for the group of countries in Europe that share a single currency, called the euro. The euro currency is administered by the European Union (EU), but many countries in the EU don't use the euro, and some countries outside the EU do use it. The European Central Bank, the governing financial body of the Eurozone, is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Germany, along with eleven other EU countries, became a founding member of the Eurozone in 1999.

NAFTA Replaced With USMCA/CUSMA

CUSMA/USMCA replaces NAFTA as the new free trade area made up of Mexico, the US, and Canada. Map by Wikimedia user Heraldry (source; CC BY-SA)

NAFTA is No More

On July 1, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - a much-talked-about free trade area including Mexico, the United States, and Canada - was formally retired. The arrangement, in place since 1994, has been replaced by a similar deal, technically called the "Agreement Between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada". The change was agreed upon last year, but didn't take effect until this month.

USMCA or CUSMA?

The short name of the deal depends on who you ask. In the US, it's called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), but in Canada it's the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). In French (Canada's other official language) the acronym is ACEUM - also placing "Canada" first - and in Mexico it's known by the Spanish acronym T-MEC (placing "Mexico" first).

The USA is Still a WHO Member

Update: On July 7, 2020, the US government under President Donald Trump officially began the one-year process of withdrawing from the WHO. However, the next US president, Joe Biden, then canceled the process on January 20, 2021, almost six months before the country would have actually left. The US never officially stopped being a member of the WHO, and is no longer planning to leave.

The World Health Organization includes almost every country in the world, coordinated by six different regional offices (public domain map; source).

Is the US leaving the WHO?

Last weekend US president Donald Trump made a statement that seemed to imply the country was withdrawing from membership in the World Health Organization (WHO).

Citing accusations that the body is overly influenced by China, the US president said "We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization".

Bu what exactly does that mean?